Diana Model 2

[Modski66]

Hi folks,

I am after a bit of information if anyone can help, Google has failed me!

There may be a Model 2 on its way to me, it is marked 'Diana' and 'Made in Germany'. It looks like it has a one piece wooden grip and is solid looking blued construction.

What sort of age do these features make this pistol?

Cheers,

Mark.

[Benelli B76]

I have a boxed Diana Model 1 which were manufactured 1924-1935. The Model 2 with tinplale grip came out 1930 for 3 years. The one you are getting with wooden grips was manufactured 1955-1985. I have one of these marked Diana and another marked "Original". I am not an expert on these but Garvin on here may have more info.

Baz

[aimless]

The Diana 2 started 1930 and was named "Modell 2 " from 1933. The production was stopped in 1933 due to WW2. The grips are fixed with screws.
The post-war Modell 2 has wooden grips (fixed with pins) , and was manufactured 1950 to 1980. IMHO the pistol is a "toy" and was also sold in "toy-stores".

[Garvin]

See here and here for information about these pistols.

[AC99]

As already stated the model 2 was sold in toy stores and was classified as such. As a youngster I was given one of these as a present in the mid fifties - my first air gun with the pop-out barrel. Almost impossible to hit even a very large target at close range!
Aubrey

[ccdjg]

See here and here for information about these pistols.

Interestingly since the review of the German Diana 2 pistols appeared in the Encyclopedia of Spring Air Pistols another variant has been noted. This appears to be intermediate between the smooth wood grip pre-War version and the post-War version with an edge-ridged and impressed chequered grip. This little-known intermediate is distinctive in having a wood grip with chequering but no edge-ridging. It is much rarer than the other two types and must have been made for only a short period of time. So far I have only seen examples advertised for sale in Germany. As yet there is no reliable dating for the period of manufacture, but it would be logical to assume that it was in the very early 1950's and preceded the ridged grip model. This might explain why my example is marked "Made in West Germany", whereas three examples of the ridged and chequered pistols are all marked "Made in Germany". Perhaps West Germany became more inciined to drop the "West" on its manufactured good as the century progressed?

[Benelli B76]

Most items were marked "Made in West Germany" for a long period after the war as east Germany was under Communist rule from 1949 and was in a very deprived state as the GDR. People associated quality manufacture with West Germany. Later as we know the Berlin wall came down and eventually unification came to the whole country.

Baz