What is your favourite Diana airgun old or new ?

[HW777]

I've seen pictures of your 460 before Barry and now see how you did it, that is a TX200 ball catch retaining block isn't it ?

Ok Barry, ignore me then ? LOL

Perhaps you can answer this one ?

Is the ball bearing block.

Alloy or steel ?

Atb

J.s

[Barryg]

Ok Barry, ignore me then ? LOL

Perhaps you can answer this one ?

Is the ball bearing block.

Alloy or steel ?

Atb

J.s

Yes you are almost right about it being a TX ball catch its a picture I got from the DWC and its a TX Chinese TX copy part .

[VALE BOY]

I’ve got several Dianas from different eras both German and Scottish origin. Two German ones both built in the 1930’s, a half-stock .177 model 27 and .177 model 24 are amongst my favourites. Both are lovely to shoot and the 27 packs quite a punch 🥊 for its age. Amongst other German made ones I like my 34 and Original 35 which are both very accurate and pleasant to shoot.
Of the Scottish made Milbro ones, I’ve a Model 22 that shoots really sweetly and early 50’s Model 27’s which are absolutely solid with great alloy triggers... it’s a pity they didn’t maintain that build quality throughout the 60’s and 70’s.

[NickG]

A friend gave me a modern Diana underlever , cant remember the the number , it was brand new and horrible , crap breech seal design, bad cocking geometry, and recoiled like a .303, I tried to tame it ( 22mm reduced comp tube tune ) and new cocking link to improve the gargantuan cocking effort , still pants , as the breech will never seal as the breech end of the barrell is 1mm out of line with the comp tune . However I still own the first " proper" air rifle I ever owned handed down through the family A diana G36, well engineered break barrel only let down by the trigger , its rusting away in the loft , I will get round to restoring it one day.

[charub]

A friend gave me a modern Diana underlever , cant remember the the number , it was brand new and horrible , crap breech seal design, bad cocking geometry, and recoiled like a .303, I tried to tame it ( 22mm reduced comp tube tune ) and new cocking link to improve the gargantuan cocking effort , still pants , as the breech will never seal as the breech end of the barrell is 1mm out of line with the comp tune . However I still own the first " proper" air rifle I ever owned handed down through the family A diana G36, well engineered break barrel only let down by the trigger , its rusting away in the loft , I will get round to restoring it one day.

I’d get around to fixing your leaking roof first!!

[Barryg]

A friend gave me a modern Diana underlever , cant remember the the number , it was brand new and horrible , crap breech seal design, bad cocking geometry, and recoiled like a .303, I tried to tame it ( 22mm reduced comp tube tune ) and new cocking link to improve the gargantuan cocking effort , still pants , as the breech will never seal as the breech end of the barrell is 1mm out of line with the comp tune .

Instead of tinkering with a gun you don't understand you should have sent it to someone who could have done it for you, there lots out there like BAR, Steve Pope etc. Bigtoe can do a amazing tune on those modern Diana underlevers

[T 20]

A friend gave me a modern Diana underlever , cant remember the the number , it was brand new and horrible , crap breech seal design, bad cocking geometry, and recoiled like a .303, I tried to tame it ( 22mm reduced comp tube tune ) and new cocking link to improve the gargantuan cocking effort , still pants , as the breech will never seal as the breech end of the barrell is 1mm out of line with the comp tune . However I still own the first " proper" air rifle I ever owned handed down through the family A diana G36, well engineered break barrel only let down by the trigger , its rusting away in the loft , I will get round to restoring it one day.

Instead of tinkering with a gun you don't understand you should have sent it to someone who could have done it for you, there lots out there like BAR, Steve Pope etc. Bigtoe can do a amazing tune on those modern Diana underlevers

I take it that you haven't got the slightest idea of Nick's skill level, Barry, which is at a comparable level to the folks you recommend he contacts for a tune.

If Nick says the gun was shit, then I'd happily take his word for it.

What tuning service does BAR offer btw ?

[Drew451]

A friend gave me a modern Diana underlever , cant remember the the number , it was brand new and horrible , crap breech seal design, bad cocking geometry, and recoiled like a .303, I tried to tame it ( 22mm reduced comp tube tune ) and new cocking link to improve the gargantuan cocking effort , still pants , as the breech will never seal as the breech end of the barrell is 1mm out of line with the comp tune . However I still own the first " proper" air rifle I ever owned handed down through the family A diana G36, well engineered break barrel only let down by the trigger , its rusting away in the loft , I will get round to restoring it one day.

I had a 46. It looked great and handled well. Unfortunately, it was an absolute lemon and the only Diana Ive had that has been truly crap. I took it back to the dealer and swapped it for an HW97.
The experience didnt kill my liking for the brand though. Still have about 25 other Dianas.

[pothunter]

Instead of tinkering with a gun you don't understand you should have sent it to someone who could have done it for you, there lots out there like BAR, Steve Pope etc. Bigtoe can do a amazing tune on those modern Diana underlevers

[jonnyone]

I had a 46. It looked great and handled well. Unfortunately, it was an absolute lemon and the only Diana Ive had that has been truly crap. I took it back to the dealer and swapped it for an HW97.
The experience didnt kill my liking for the brand though. Still have about 25 other Dianas.

I'd be interested to hear your take on what made it crap? I've got a 46ST and a standard at German 7j level which I've done nothing with. The ST whilst being a bullworker posing as a Stutzen air rifle (cocking effort is staggering), it's actually lazer accurate and handles well.
Clearly Diana also didn't show faith in the model as it didn't last within the range. But I'd be interested in hearing particular issues you had as there may be common issues with the model. I've read of the seals on the breech closing cover coming adrift when the breech had not been latched correctly?
The 46ST is certainly a handsome gun and now becoming scarce. It's design lives on in a sense with the 430ST.
Dave

[Barryg]

I take it that you haven't got the slightest idea of Nick's skill level, Barry, which is at a comparable level to the folks you recommend he contacts for a tune.

If Nick says the gun was shit, then I'd happily take his word for it.

What tuning service does BAR offer btw ?

(I meant to say SFS not BAR )

I think that nick must of been having a off day when he made a pigs ear of the underlever, although he does not say what model it was he does say a modern Diana unerlever so I guess it would have been a 430/40th, 460/70th, 98 these all have very simple easy to tune actions the spring closing breech seal is very clever if you understand how to adjust it properly, this seal up when got right can take the pressure of a consistent 28 ft/lbs gun so clearly not crap.

Diana's are NOT out of the box guns but all they need is a spit and polish tune with a few inexpensive adjustments to be made super smooth and consistent.

The new gun that nick played with should have been sent back if it had a out of line breech there in no realistic way to fix it, it was a lemon.

Other tuners like Hector Medina and bigtoe ect, can make fantastic jobs of these guns so why would you take the word of someone who has only worked on one lemon that should have been sent back in the first place, anyone can make a mistake if you are not familiar with a particular model.

No offence to nick but if someone can make a nice job of a model and you can't it means that you are doing something wrong

[T 20]

(I meant to say SFS not BAR )

I think that nick must of been having a off day when he made a pigs ear of the underlever, although he does not say what model it was he does say a modern Diana unerlever so I guess it would have been a 430/40th, 460/70th, 98 these all have very simple easy to tune actions the spring closing breech seal is very clever if you understand how to adjust it properly, this seal up when got right can take the pressure of a consistent 28 ft/lbs gun so clearly not crap.

Diana's are NOT out of the box guns but all they need is a spit and polish tune with a few inexpensive adjustments to be made super smooth and consistent.

The new gun that nick played with should have been sent back if it had a out of line breech there in no realistic way to fix it, it was a lemon.

Other tuners like Hector Medina and bigtoe ect, can make fantastic jobs of these guns so why would you take the word of someone who has only worked on one lemon that should have been sent back in the first place, anyone can make a mistake if you are not familiar with a particular model.

No offence to nick but if someone can make a nice job of a model and you can't it means that you are doing something wrong

I'd drop it if I were you, Barry, I personally know both Nick and Tony (Bigtoe) as do many other folks I have visiting Quigley Hollow right now, and somewhat embarrassingly you're making yourself look a bit of a tit to us all.

[Barryg]

I'd drop it if I were you, Barry, I personally know both Nick and Tony (Bigtoe) as do many other folks I have visiting Quigley Hollow right now, and somewhat embarrassingly you're making yourself look a bit of a tit to us all.

LOL Not embarrassing for me its just having fun on a airgun forum anyway whats the point of having a discussion forum if you can't disagree with someone.

But I would be interested to know if bigtoe is with you now if he still stands by what he has wrote about Diana underlevers in the past?

[StellaArtois Sr]

I have 4 Dianas a 56TH, 54 Airking, 470TH and a 440TH. As much as I like them all my favourite is the 56TH. Although the 56 and the 54 are pretty much the same inside and shoot the same, the 56TH is bar far the nicer looking rifle in my opinion, and finished off a lot better.
Ade

[jonnyone]

I have 4 Dianas a 56TH, 54 Airking, 470TH and a 440TH. As much as I like them all my favourite is the 56TH. Although the 56 and the 54 are pretty much the same inside and shoot the same, the 56TH is bar far the nicer looking rifle in my opinion, and finished off a lot better.
Ade

I too own that exact selection. The 56TH is in .177 and came off here a few years back. I scoped and zeroed it but nothing else so I cannot really comment on it other than it was very accurate, but weighed a ton. I picked up an unusual 54 last year in that it's in .25 calibre and of all these models this is the one that gets used most. Mainly as I have a small squirrel permission and it's devastating on them. The 470TH imported from SWS and I've done nothing with other than pull the transfer port restrictor and gain instant 4ish ft llbs. The 440TH also came off here very kindly couriered by the gent Rickenbacker on this forum from one of the bashes. Again I've scoped it and have taken a couple of squirrels with it. It's in .177 and is a fine hunting gun. Seemingly much lighter than the 470 and handles very well. Hard to cock in the smaller calibre I'm guessing but very accurate and a capable gun to go head to head with a 97k. If your cocking arm biceps hold out!
Dave