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Thread: diana milbro question

  1. #1
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    diana milbro question

    know a little about Diana but need to know when did milbro take over and started producing Diana / milbro air rifles help if you can please.

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    diana milbro

    hi thanks for info more mixed up than I was before I started. what it is picked up a oldie looked a bite like my bsa standard 1907 but its got milbro stamped on the receiver I will try and put some pics up later.

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    Quote Originally Posted by fiatdoblo View Post
    hi thanks for info more mixed up than I was before I started. what it is picked up a oldie looked a bit like my bsa standard 1907 but its got milbro stamped on the receiver I will try and put some pics up later.
    In that case I feel this post would sit better in the collectables section as Milbro was an Airgun importer and distributor prior to WW2, which could explain things.




    All the best Mick

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    Probably a pre war Milbro. They imported air rifles from M&G Diana and rebranded them. For e.g. the Model27 with walnut stock became the Milbro marksman.

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    diana milbro

    it is as you say restamped milbro also got a bsa rear site it is for sale but at a stupid price not buying it now.thanks all for your input.

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    harry mac is offline You can't say muntjack without saying mmmmm
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    Immediately after WW2, it looks like Milbro and Webley were in competition to buy (or maybe requisition) the machinery and plans from Meyer & Grammelspacher. Milbro ended up winning the bid, but judging by the fact that Webley's production right up to the 1970's leaned heavilly on pre-war Diana designs, and included at least one model in the line up (at any one time) that was a rebadged Milbro, I think Webley and Milbro must have come to some sort of "arrangement" that allowed Milbro to get the production machinery.
    The South of England has 2 good things, the M1 and the A1. Both will take you to Yorkshire.

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    Quote Originally Posted by harry mac View Post
    Immediately after WW2, it looks like Milbro and Webley were in competition to buy (or maybe requisition) the machinery and plans from Meyer & Grammelspacher. Milbro ended up winning the bid, but judging by the fact that Webley's production right up to the 1970's leaned heavilly on pre-war Diana designs, and included at least one model in the line up (at any one time) that was a rebadged Milbro, I think Webley and Milbro must have come to some sort of "arrangement" that allowed Milbro to get the production machinery.
    The way I've always read it, Harry.

    As part of war reparations, Webley got the equipment and plans for the pre war Diana 48 underlever which they produced and sold as the Webley MK3.
    The Diana 48 was a very close copy of the prewar BSA light pattern action which explains why the prewar BSA underlever, Webley MK3 and Airsporters all had 28mm ID cylinders.

    As prewar importers of Diana airguns, Millard Brothers were given the equipment and plans to produce the rest of the Diana range on the understanding that they would set up production in a deprived area, hence the factory being built in Motherwell.

    BSA didn't miss out as they got the equipment and plans to build the DKW 125 motorbike, which gave us the BSA bantam.

    I could be wrong on the above and as always I'm happy to be corrected, but that's my take on things.





    All the best Mick

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    Interesting thread this is turning out to be, whilst I worked as an R & D engineer in Birmingham, we had a manager appear at our factory who was an ex BSA director; chatting with him produced some interesting little tit bits which I was never actually sure about as being authentic. He did have the last two [or so he said] BSA Bantams ever made, still crated, brand new [ related to me circa late 80's]. When he found out about my air gun interests, he said that after the war, BSA and Webley were colluding, to strip and split the equipment from the German factory, but couldn't actually agree on as to how to 'split' the spoils. During which time Milbro overtook them with the 'deprived area' backing of the then government and took over all of the equipment for air gun manufacture. Reading bits of various posts this now seems believable especially with the inclusion of the motorbike info. Not sure how this may pan out, but if anyone has more info it would make interesting reading.
    Incidentally I did actually own the very last BSA Merlin ever made, sadly, maybe stupidly, now long since sold; and no record kept of it, it was brand new, never shot, still boxed; just one of 1/2 dozen rifles of the time I owned in the same condition.
    ATVB
    abellringer

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    This could confirm a long held suspicion. Milbro got the lesser Dianas, and Webley got the right to make the Mk 3 copy of the Dina underlever, and bought Juniors off Milbro. Clear that Webley wanted all of it but faile to make the grade. I thnk I may have found more to this story in the National Archvies but need to get to Kew to look at in person.

    Quote Originally Posted by abellringer View Post
    Interesting thread this is turning out to be, whilst I worked as an R & D engineer in Birmingham, we had a manager appear at our factory who was an ex BSA director; chatting with him produced some interesting little tit bits which I was never actually sure about as being authentic. He did have the last two [or so he said] BSA Bantams ever made, still crated, brand new [ related to me circa late 80's]. When he found out about my air gun interests, he said that after the war, BSA and Webley were colluding, to strip and split the equipment from the German factory, but couldn't actually agree on as to how to 'split' the spoils. During which time Milbro overtook them with the 'deprived area' backing of the then government and took over all of the equipment for air gun manufacture. Reading bits of various posts this now seems believable especially with the inclusion of the motorbike info. Not sure how this may pan out, but if anyone has more info it would make interesting reading.
    Incidentally I did actually own the very last BSA Merlin ever made, sadly, maybe stupidly, now long since sold; and no record kept of it, it was brand new, never shot, still boxed; just one of 1/2 dozen rifles of the time I owned in the same condition.
    ATVB
    abellringer

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by abellringer View Post
    Reading bits of various posts this now seems believable especially with the inclusion of the motorbike info. Not sure how this may pan out, but if anyone has more info it would make interesting reading.
    I should add that it wasn't just BSA who recieved the plans and machinery to build the DKW 125, Harley Davidson also built the bike after WW2 :-

    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oF03HeE5gJ...on-s-125-2.jpg

    Note that the kickstart and gear change were on the left on the DKW and Harley but BSA built the engine and box as a mirror image in order to put them on the right.



    All the best Mick

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