Talk to me about the Diana 54 Airking...

[Blackrider]

Or put it on ticket, fit a Maxi kit, use heay pellets and put holes in the bucket.

Nick, bring your Airking down , I want to compare it to mine !

Then when we agree mines the Best, we'll go and get P$$sed !

[Blackrider]

Took the Airking down to the range today and put approximently 150 pellets through it !

Initial observations....its a swine to cock but really nice to shoot !
Regarding the cocking operation, yes its a big heavy air rifle with a long cocking arm and a powerful spring which is on the right hand side of the action and it doesn,t help me being southpaw. The situation was worsened somewhat by the lane divider/partition on my right side which resctricted the swing of the arm.
I eventually developed a "cocking style" by standing up, placing the butt onto my right hip and drawing back the cocking arm with my right hand whilst holding the fore end with my left. After loading, with my left thumb depressing the release lever I could easily return the cocking arm to the closed position with my right hand...Simples !
Well not really but in time, I became better suited to it.

I obtained a "rough zero" at 15 yards and trialled JSB Exacts 4.52, Air Arms Fields 4.51 and 4.52, F&TT's 5.25 and Falcon Acc. Plus.
The barrel is not pellet fussy, all the groups were very similar at about 8mm in diameter with the odd flier !
I eventually decided that the AA 4.51's were just about edging it so I took the distance out to to the full range length of 33 yards and proceeded to re zero with the 4.51's !

The rifle began to settle as did the grouping but I began to get slight variations on POI.
As I said in my earler post, I had mounted an MTC 3-12x44 on a pair of low double screw S'match mounts and its possible I could have been experiancing scope shift to a small degree but on close visual inspection notheing untoward was apparent !
I made several adjustments to the elevation and windage over the course of the last 30 minutes or so and eventually things were beginning to settle down.
In future I may need to consider a one-piece mount ?

My range time was then over so I wrapped proceedings up at that !

So on reflection, it was a good first outing for a brand new "out of the box" gun. I feel that I need to put a good few more rounds through it in order to bed it in further sometime the next week or so and at same time keep a good eye on the scope/mounts situation !
There is afterall a "heck of a lot going on" inside this air rifle !

The cocking is a bit of a performance repeatedly for range work but in a hunting situation, not so much an issue as you would only cocking the rifle a few time in any case during a session.
On the plus side once cocked and loaded, its a real pleasure to shoot "almost" recoil free (there's a very very slight nudge) and although quite accurate now, I'm certain this will only improve in time once the rifle is bedded in !

I'll be on the range next week !

[TonyL]

Took the Airking down to the range today and put approximently 150 pellets through it !

Initial observations....its a swine to cock but really nice to shoot !
Regarding the cocking operation, yes its a big heavy air rifle with a long cocking arm and a powerful spring which is on the right hand side of the action and it doesn,t help me being southpaw. The situation was worsened somewhat by the lane divider/partition on my right side which resctricted the swing of the arm.
I eventually developed a "cocking style" by standing up, placing the butt onto my right hip and drawing back the cocking arm with my right hand whilst holding the fore end with my left. After loading, with my left thumb depressing the release lever I could easily return the cocking arm to the closed position with my right hand...Simples !
Well not really but in time, I became better suited to it.

I obtained a "rough zero" at 15 yards and trialled JSB Exacts 4.52, Air Arms Fields 4.51 and 4.52, F&TT's 5.25 and Falcon Acc. Plus.
The barrel is not pellet fussy, all the groups were very similar at about 8mm in diameter with the odd flier !
I eventually decided that the AA 4.51's were just about edging it so I took the distance out to to the full range length of 33 yards and proceeded to re zero with the 4.51's !

The rifle began to settle as did the grouping but I began to get slight variations on POI.
As I said in my earler post, I had mounted an MTC 3-12x44 on a pair of low double screw S'match mounts and its possible I could have been experiancing scope shift to a small degree but on close visual inspection notheing untoward was apparent !
I made several adjustments to the elevation and windage over the course of the last 30 minutes or so and eventually things were beginning to settle down.
In future I may need to consider a one-piece mount ?

My range time was then over so I wrapped proceedings up at that !

So on reflection, it was a good first outing for a brand new "out of the box" gun. I feel that I need to put a good few more rounds through it in order to bed it in further sometime the next week or so and at same time keep a good eye on the scope/mounts situation !
There is afterall a "heck of a lot going on" inside this air rifle !

The cocking is a bit of a performance repeatedly for range work but in a hunting situation, not so much an issue as you would only cocking the rifle a few time in any case during a session.
On the plus side once cocked and loaded, its a real pleasure to shoot "almost" recoil free (there's a very very slight nudge) and although quite accurate now, I'm certain this will only improve in time once the rifle is bedded in !

I'll be on the range next week !

Sounds like fun, John, but also that the cocking and loading procedure for a leftie a bit of a chore.

You say it's not pellet fussy? Obviously not if it took the 5.25 (!!!) FTTs in its stride!. Only joking, John, obviously a typo!

I'm sure things will settle as the gun beds itself in.

But, re possible 'scope shift, did Diana not design that "recoil absorbing" one-piece mount specifically with this rifle in mind? I wonder if this issue is causing the POI shifts or if it's just down to settling in?

Be interesting to get other owners' thoughts.

[Blackrider]

Yes a Typo for defers Tony !
Saw the mounts advertised down at the Show. They may be the way to go if I am getting shift but it's early days yet.
I'll know more after more sessions !

[maximus]

Hi Blackrider, did you not try any of the other pellets at the longer range? The vertical shift could of been due to the pellets and only showed itself once the range was increased, also check the stock screws. My 34 and 280 prefer Super domes over JSB which is fine, though for longer range accuracy the JSB would be better if they suited the barrel.

[Blackrider]

Hi Blackrider, did you not try any of the other pellets at the longer range? The vertical shift could of been due to the pellets and only showed itself once the range was increased, also check the stock screws. My 34 and 280 prefer Super domes over JSB which is fine, though for longer range accuracy the JSB would be better if they suited the barrel.

Thanks but I couldn't take it out any further as the target was on the rear wall of the indoor range as it was, 33 yards Max. !

I will try more pellets in time and may fit other mounts and scopes so there's a fair way to go with it right now !

[eyebull]

Got my Sportsmatch DM60 dampamount through the post this morning, in anticipation

[Blackrider]

Got my Sportsmatch DM60 dampamount through the post this morning, in anticipation

It might be the way to go ?
I'm considering that and the Diana "Bullseye" one piece anti recoil mount.

Today I changed scopes and mounts, took off the MTC Mamba/2 piece low mounts and replaced them with a Simmons Pro Air 4-12x40AO and a S'match one piece medium.

One step at a time I think. The combo overall looks better proportioned now at any rate with the scope being 1" shorter and a tads lighter in weight !

Oh, as an "afernote", I checked all stock screws and mount bolts and all were nice and tight, nothing loose or untoward !

[eyebull]

Picked mine up this afternoon from Park Street Guns (great service from them btw), won't get to shoot it properly for a week or two but these are the first impressions:

First of all, not quite as heavy as I was led to believe - it's no lightweight but it feels manageable. I was pleasantly surprised when I mounted it in the shop.
Test fired into a rag box, and it does crack a bit, so it could benefit from a moderator. After drifting the front sight mount off the barrel, I discovered that what you can see is not the barrel itself, but a liner that goes from the breech to about 2 1/2" away from the muzzle. The front sight mount holds this in place, so if you were going to mount a moderator you'd have to have something made that slides over the muzzle to keep the liner in place.
Cocking feels smooth and the (T06) trigger is as crisp as you could wish)

I fitted the sportsmatch mounts, and then realised that I had failed to measure the diameter of the scope I wanted to fit which turned out to be 30mm...So after a bit of telescopic sight musical chairs between the 54, LGV and 95k, I managed to fit a Hawke 3-12 x 56. Slightly more glass than I wanted but it does bring the balance back toward the butt.

Fit and finish overall seems very nice. The chequering is well done and crisp, blueing is deep and clean. The stock isn't the prettiest but certainly on a par with HW wood. In fact I have the LGV, HW95k and 54 all lined up next to me and the stocks could all have come from the same piece of wood, made by the same factory. Like the other two guns the 54 will get an adjustable buttplate. The comb is a little low (an adjustable one would have been superb) , but this is an issue with most air rifles. Probably a slightly smaller scope will help with that, and I may buy one once I get over the fact that I spent the best part of £50 on the wrong mounts...

Very much looking forward to getting this onto a range, I'll report back when I do.

[tinbum]

You should've got the laminate stock, its gert lush!!

[Blackrider]

Glad you got the Airking OK "Eyebull" !
I assume cocking the rifle being right handed is a lot more comfortable than my experience ?
Apart from that, your initial findings seem to be similar to mine.
I've had a mounts "switch around" now fitting a Dampa plus the Simmons Pro Air.

I'd be interested to know how you get on !

[eyebull]

You should've got the laminate stock, its gert lush!!

But even heavier I bet

...I assume cocking the rifle being right handed is a lot more comfortable than my experience ?

No issues here, but I have been trying to get the knack of cocking it quietly by holding the ABT down on the back stroke.

[eyebull]

Put the 54 over the combro tonight, and got the following figures, with JSB match exact, 4.52, 7.33 gr:
248.7
251.6
248.7
250.8
256.6
Which was quite concerning....until I remembered that it's a German Combro and only works in metres! It's been a while...
In fps that is:
815.94
825.45
815.94
822.83
841.86
For an average of 250.48 fps, or 10.99 ft/lbs. About spot on really, but close enough (especially at peak velocity) to bear watching. The velocity is up and down a bit, but it probably hasn't fired 20 shots yet. I'll let it settle in, and try some other pellets. before I start stripping it.

[leetrenchard]

For anyone who is interested in keeping these shooting smoothly.

I have a Vmach kit in mine with spring, piston seal and guide. I also use a TR Robb breech seal as this has a 3mm port hole instead of the standard 4mm. I use this instead of the 2mm hole port restrictor.

This leaves my 54 in.22 with a dead shot cycle at 11.5 ft-lb

[Barryg]

For anyone who is interested in keeping these shooting smoothly.

I have a Vmach kit in mine with spring, piston seal and guide. I also use a TR Robb breech seal as this has a 3mm port hole instead of the standard 4mm. I use this instead of the 2mm hole port restrictor.

This leaves my 54 in.22 with a dead shot cycle at 11.5 ft-lb

Interesting set up but 11.5 ft/lb would be to close for comfort for me with a 54 it wouldn't take much for it to go over and I was just wondering about the legality of controling the power with breech seals instead of the spring.