The Year that the Original/Diana 45 Was Released?!!!

[Hsing-ee]

Settle a controversy please.

I remember the Original 45 being released some time in 1981/82. Rod Lynton tested it in AGW and the adverts claimed it could group 2" at 50 yards. It was the first 'magnum' airgun, one that could go 15 fpe and more owing to its swept volume. The British market ones had weak springs.

I remember Big Seth with one at the 1982 Bisley FT shoot.

Yet it has been claimed that it was released in 1978, this may be down to B.B. Pelletier's blog, which often contains inaccuracies.

BTDT should know.

[T 20]

Hi Alistaire.

From here :-

image.jpg

Comes this :-

image.jpg

My only other way of confirming this is to dig through 40 years of Airgunworld magazines.


All the best Mick

[Hsing-ee]

Hi Alistaire.

From here :-

image.jpg

Comes this :-

image.jpg

My only other way of confirming this is to dig through 40 years of Airgunworld magazines.


All the best Mick

Hmmm. Original/Diana stamp the month and year of manufacture on their rifles so it can't be THAT difficult to get to the bottom of this. The .20 Original 45 was tested in AGW May 1982, so I think the release of the standard calibres was maybe late 1980, or early 1981. Where's Danny? (Garvin). He knows alot about Dianas.

[RustyBuzz]

Geoff boxalls test was August 1980, Terry Wheelers was dated 1979.

[Hsing-ee]

Geoff boxalls test was August 1980, Terry Wheelers was dated 1979.

It seems more and more likely that the 1978 idea is correct, if the rifle was initially sold in Germany ...

[RustyBuzz]

Yep, I remember the Boxall review because it was in the very first Airgun World I ever bought.

I can’t swear that I’m 100% on Mr Wheeler’s 45 but I remember the date on Terry’s 45 being much earlier than I thought possible, as I thought that they were introduced in 1980. Terry’s may well have been ‘78.

[Muskett]

I note one test is in Airgun World 1980 Special, not in the previous one. Exactly when on the shelves is another matter. There may well be some lag time for UK distribution.
The first batches had not the best finish towards the butt pad. I still have in my head that there was a trigger tweek right at the beginning. For the UK market the power was lowered. The power plant was designed for 14 or 16ft/lbs or something like that. It is the rifle that forced Weihrauch to design the HW80 and later 77.

Other than the Jubilee was there any done with Walnut stocks. What configuration did the USA get / Beeman??

[T 20]

It is the rifle that forced Weihrauch to design the HW80 and later 77.

Dr Beeman wrote that he and Weihrauch originally designed the 80 and 77 at the same time, both with a 30mm cylinder and 80mm stroke.
The shear weight and bulk of the original 77 prototypes sent them back to the drawing board where they redesigned the gun using a 25mm piston, so giving us the 77 as we know it.




All the best Mick

[DM80]

79

Dave.

[Muskett]

Beeman was at the forefront of air rifle progress and getting European rifles to the US market. Sad that his operation is no more, and just as air rifles have really taken off in the USA. Much thanks must go to him.