The amazing rotating sighting system of the Diana 50b rifle

[45flint]

One of the joys of collecting is discovering new things about a gun you just purchased. The Diana 50b rifle I acquired yesterday has the most amazingly flexible sighting system I have ever encountered on a rifle. I am attaching a slide show to illustrate. First at the tip of the barrel is a rotary dial which by turning can rotate an internal “star” that has 4 different sighting posts. At the rear sight you have the peep which can be removed to reveal a plate which can be rotated to give you 4 different types of open sight notches. If you desire the open sight there is a dovetail plate on the middle of the rifle where the rear assembly can be mounted to give the proper distancing. You don’t see this every day, just a lot of fun to see it all work. Will I use it all probably not, but who cares. The open sights would add to the long stock military look? I think thumbing through the pics will illustrate.

https://imgur.com/gallery/3B2bM

This was available in the 1950’s, not surprisingly the rotary sight was dropped, not sure exactly when?. These rifles in various forms went on for 40 years but followed the usual pattern of most vintage guns, cost savings eat away as time goes on.