Milbro /Diana G80

[Phil Russell]

A .177 Milbro / Diana G80 recently came into my possession (it should have been a Diana 38 but was described incorrectly by the auction catalogue, but that is another matter). The rifle shot quite smoothly and power seemed to be on spec. But I always like to make sure all is OK, so a strip was done. Thanks to Guy (aka ggggr) for his excellent guide (threads 84, 85, 86 in 'The Idiots Guide').
The strip showed up a couple of non-standard modifications that I thought I would share. The wobbly trigger housing gets a mention by Guy and others. On this rifle there was no wobble as two small coilsprings had been placed on the trigger housing retaining pin, one each side, sandwiched between the housing and the cylinder. Quite effective.
The second change was that a disc, about 1cm diameter x 3mm thick had been placed inside the cocking link; the link is folded steel so has a central groove. The disc was simply put in the groove and could slide up and down the groove and rotate. It was prevented going too far in the groove and getting stuck by a couple of small blocks judiciously placed either end of the groove. In practice, this 'roller' stopped contact between the underside of the cocking link and the action and was very effective.
The previous owner of this rifle had clearly believed in grease. I cleaned out enough to fill an egg cup from the piston, cylinder and around the spring. The spring seemed good so I just cleaned it and replaced it; adding a piston sleeve to the cylinder on the way (good old beer can again). Relubed and all back together, the rifle is very nice and smooth to both cock and in operation. Performance is around 605 with AA Field 8.4 but rises to around 750fps for Geco (Hobby equivalent) at 7gn for around 9ft lbs.
There was no foresight on the rifle but I have almost completed making one. A bit of steel bar ... actually part of the square bar that door handles are fastened to in order to operate the door catch. Then dovetails filed in the bar and a small foresight (found in box of bits) fitted. The end of the barrel has a tapped hole so fitting the new sight is no problem. The underside of the bar was filed to a round profile to match the barel curvature and finally smoothed with a round stone on a Dremel. Looks quite acceptable ....
End result is a nice little rifle. Now, what can I do next ...
Cheers, Phil

[junglie]

A .177 Milbro / Diana G80 recently came into my possession (it should have been a Diana 38 but was described incorrectly by the auction catalogue, but that is another matter). The rifle shot quite smoothly and power seemed to be on spec. But I always like to make sure all is OK, so a strip was done. Thanks to Guy (aka ggggr) for his excellent guide (threads 84, 85, 86 in 'The Idiots Guide').
The strip showed up a couple of non-standard modifications that I thought I would share. The wobbly trigger housing gets a mention by Guy and others. On this rifle there was no wobble as two small coilsprings had been placed on the trigger housing retaining pin, one each side, sandwiched between the housing and the cylinder. Quite effective.
The second change was that a disc, about 1cm diameter x 3mm thick had been placed inside the cocking link; the link is folded steel so has a central groove. The disc was simply put in the groove and could slide up and down the groove and rotate. It was prevented going too far in the groove and getting stuck by a couple of small blocks judiciously placed either end of the groove. In practice, this 'roller' stopped contact between the underside of the cocking link and the action and was very effective.
The previous owner of this rifle had clearly believed in grease. I cleaned out enough to fill an egg cup from the piston, cylinder and around the spring. The spring seemed good so I just cleaned it and replaced it; adding a piston sleeve to the cylinder on the way (good old beer can again). Relubed and all back together, the rifle is very nice and smooth to both cock and in operation. Performance is around 605 with AA Field 8.4 but rises to around 750fps for Geco (Hobby equivalent) at 7gn for around 9ft lbs.
There was no foresight on the rifle but I have almost completed making one. A bit of steel bar ... actually part of the square bar that door handles are fastened to in order to operate the door catch. Then dovetails filed in the bar and a small foresight (found in box of bits) fitted. The end of the barrel has a tapped hole so fitting the new sight is no problem. The underside of the bar was filed to a round profile to match the barel curvature and finally smoothed with a round stone on a Dremel. Looks quite acceptable ....
End result is a nice little rifle. Now, what can I do next ...
Cheers, Phil

very underated guns these, the trigger let them down a bit but I modded mine(first good springer I tuned) with washers either side of the trigger pin & polished the burrs off the sears. I think I fitted a meteor spring but can't remember wether I had to get the guide tube turned down a tad to fit it. a good polish of the piston & cylinder & soak the dry leather washer in silicone & it shot really well & accurate too. I remember other springer owners shooting it at the time & because it shot so quiet & little recoil thinking it was underpowered then watching their faces drop when it hit things further & harder than their twangy oversprung airsporters etc. :-) Forgot to add mine was the .22 probably more suited to a light tune than the .177

[T 20]

Hi Phil

My brother has a .177" Airgunaid Diana G80 which was tuned by Eddie Barber, the original Airgunaid advert for these guns said that they gave full UK power.

From the swept volume of the gun it should be possible to get 12ftlbs from them but I am still waiting to get my hands on my brother's G80 to find out what Mr Barber did to them.

I think the Airgunaid tuned G80 was the first time an airgun was offered ready tuned from a supplier ?




All the best Mick

[Billboy]

My dad has one of these, he bought it from my uncle about 20 years ago, dnt know why because he not much of a shooter, it's not been used a lot at all but does show it's age, bluing is quite bad and the breech seal is only half there. Can't comment on the pistons condition as I haven't seen it. I don't think he wants to get rid of it but would like to see it working half right just for plinking in his garden. Do you know where I could get a breech seal for it? Chambers say they are out of stock or is there another that would fit?

Cheers, billy

[T 20]

John Knibbs carries all the seals for these.

http://www.airgunspares.com/store/


All the best Mick

[fat man]

I have one also in .177, very consistant with Accupels, an underated gun.

[grandad333]

A .177 Milbro / Diana G80 recently came into my possession (it should have been a Diana 38 but was described incorrectly by the auction catalogue, but that is another matter). The rifle shot quite smoothly and power seemed to be on spec. But I always like to make sure all is OK, so a strip was done. Thanks to Guy (aka ggggr) for his excellent guide (threads 84, 85, 86 in 'The Idiots Guide').
The strip showed up a couple of non-standard modifications that I thought I would share. The wobbly trigger housing gets a mention by Guy and others. On this rifle there was no wobble as two small coilsprings had been placed on the trigger housing retaining pin, one each side, sandwiched between the housing and the cylinder. Quite effective.
The second change was that a disc, about 1cm diameter x 3mm thick had been placed inside the cocking link; the link is folded steel so has a central groove. The disc was simply put in the groove and could slide up and down the groove and rotate. It was prevented going too far in the groove and getting stuck by a couple of small blocks judiciously placed either end of the groove. In practice, this 'roller' stopped contact between the underside of the cocking link and the action and was very effective.
The previous owner of this rifle had clearly believed in grease. I cleaned out enough to fill an egg cup from the piston, cylinder and around the spring. The spring seemed good so I just cleaned it and replaced it; adding a piston sleeve to the cylinder on the way (good old beer can again). Relubed and all back together, the rifle is very nice and smooth to both cock and in operation. Performance is around 605 with AA Field 8.4 but rises to around 750fps for Geco (Hobby equivalent) at 7gn for around 9ft lbs.
There was no foresight on the rifle but I have almost completed making one. A bit of steel bar ... actually part of the square bar that door handles are fastened to in order to operate the door catch. Then dovetails filed in the bar and a small foresight (found in box of bits) fitted. The end of the barrel has a tapped hole so fitting the new sight is no problem. The underside of the bar was filed to a round profile to match the barel curvature and finally smoothed with a round stone on a Dremel. Looks quite acceptable ....
End result is a nice little rifle. Now, what can I do next ...
Cheers, Phil

Bit of a noob to modding air rifles. How does piston sleeve fit. Is placed in loosely or attached and how. How does this sleeve help? Any pics?

[Hsing-ee]

Hi Phil

My brother has a .177" Airgunaid Diana G80 which was tuned by Eddie Barber, the original Airgunaid advert for these guns said that they gave full UK power.

From the swept volume of the gun it should be possible to get 12ftlbs from them but I am still waiting to get my hands on my brother's G80 to find out what Mr Barber did to them.

I think the Airgunaid tuned G80 was the first time an airgun was offered ready tuned from a supplier ?




All the best Mick

I think the Normay Vixen was the first 'tuned from the supplier' air-rifle, but might be wrong.

I don't think Eddie Barber claimed 12 ft/lbs for the Airgunaid G80 (or '11.9' ft/lbs as they always said). The really 'trick' Airgunaid air-rifle was the Airgunaid SP5 which was the 0.20 version of the tuned G80. I think it did about 10.5 which is more likely with the leather-washer G80 action. Standard G80s were about 7.5 ft/lbs in .177 and 9 ft/lbs in .22, so Mr Barber did a good job on them, but you'd need some very special work to get them up to a true 12 ft/lbs.

I bet your brother's is a 9 or 10 ft/lbs gun.

[T 20]

I think the Normay Vixen was the first 'tuned from the supplier' air-rifle, but might be wrong.

Hi Alistair

I can't argue with you over which one was the first tuned gun as Mrs T 20 has decided to tidy up my Airgun Magazine collection.

From what I can remember I had to buy the G80 for my brother as he wasn't old enough and he didn't have a bank account so that would be in 1979.

I don't think Eddie Barber claimed 12 ft/lbs for the Airgunaid G80 (or '11.9' ft/lbs as they always said). The really 'trick' Airgunaid air-rifle was the Airgunaid SP5 which was the 0.20 version of the tuned G80. I think it did about 10.5 which is more likely with the leather-washer G80 action. Standard G80s were about 7.5 ft/lbs in .177 and 9 ft/lbs in .22, so Mr Barber did a good job on them, but you'd need some very special work to get them up to a true 12 ft/lbs.

I bet your brother's is a 9 or 10 ft/lbs gun.

This is why I'd like to get my hands on my brother's gun and find out what has been done to it.

The G80 had about the same bore and stroke as a HW77 so the potential is there for 12ftlbs as John Bowkett showed with the Meteor.

This afternoon I was playing with a very close relative of the G80 --- a Westlake b2, both are derived from M&G designs.




All the best Mick

[Phil Russell]

Bit of a noob to modding air rifles. How does piston sleeve fit. Is placed in loosely or attached and how. How does this sleeve help? Any pics?

A quick search on here for 'piston sleeve' will reveal all. I put a lengthy instruction on here about 2 weeks ago in reply to a similar question.
Cheers, Phil

[fat man]

I think the Normay Vixen was the first 'tuned from the supplier' air-rifle, but might be wrong.

I don't think Eddie Barber claimed 12 ft/lbs for the Airgunaid G80 (or '11.9' ft/lbs as they always said). The really 'trick' Airgunaid air-rifle was the Airgunaid SP5 which was the 0.20 version of the tuned G80. I think it did about 10.5 which is more likely with the leather-washer G80 action. Standard G80s were about 7.5 ft/lbs in .177 and 9 ft/lbs in .22, so Mr Barber did a good job on them, but you'd need some very special work to get them up to a true 12 ft/lbs.

I bet your brother's is a 9 or 10 ft/lbs gun.

yes smack on the Vixen was the first " tuned gun " out there, love mine to bits. .22 Standard version , stock refinished and fitted with a period Optima scope. My G80 is a series 1 with the deep foreend, doing 8ft/lbs with Accupels. What struck me was how consistent it was over 50 shots, only varied by about 3% better than some pcp,s out there. I only payed £ 15.00 for it back in 2007 from Jeanes Military Memories at Harragate in Yorkshire. It sat in my gun room for over a year due to a serious accident which left my arm heald together with pins and bolts and the hand working at less than 40%.The gun was sort of a therapy as I used it to help build up the strength in arm by cocking and shooting it in a mates garden and cleaning up/ restoring it. Very good gun, yes bassed on M&G patents but then wasnt the Webley Mark 3 and the Falcon, as well. Own both, shoot both, great guns.

[grandad333]

Hi all, just to go back to the piston sleeve. I have inserted a plastic sleeve with a washer to stop spring twang and this has cured it, BUT,
should the spring now be tight in the piston or should it still be allowed to rotate feely? It's certainly shooting okay.
I also added two rubber o'rings either side of the trigger housing to stop the trigger wobble, another cure!
Cheers, Kev

[Phil Russell]

Hi, the spring should be a smooth fit into the sleeve and able to turn, certainly not a firm push fit. The spring outer diameter expands as the spring compresses ... if it is too tight you can generally feel the spring binding as you cock it.... not good. The 'proof of the pudding' though is how well it shoots.
Cheers, Phil

[grandad333]

The spring turned as I inserted her into the piston with the sleeve, not overly tight and seems to cock okay. I will see how it goes for a few days. Thanks for quick reply

[TonyL]

Hi Phil

My brother has a .177" Airgunaid Diana G80 which was tuned by Eddie Barber, the original Airgunaid advert for these guns said that they gave full UK power.

From the swept volume of the gun it should be possible to get 12ftlbs from them but I am still waiting to get my hands on my brother's G80 to find out what Mr Barber did to them.


All the best Mick

Remember them well, Mick.
The .20 calibre version was meant to be really something.
From the age of 13, a friend and I were stripping springers and "tuning" them, ie de-burring, polishing, Dri-Slide etc. many of our tips originated from Eddie Barber's writings. I don't know what he did to these, but they were very nice, apparently.
My friend had one of these ( a standard G80) whilst I had my Mercury. We stripped it, polished etc., and on the re-build, lubed it with dry graphite powder, buffed into all the contact surfaces, and a little LT2 on the spring. It did seem very sweet to shoot. Power wise, haven't got a clue (no chrono back then), but this .177 example would bowl bunnies over at 25 yards all day long.
If I could think of a modern day equivalent, it would be my HW30S. Obviously more solid and more robustly made and with a far superior trigger...Very, very sweet straight out of the box, very mild firing manners, extremely forgiving to shoot and VERY enjoyable. A gun to shoot all day long and it never fails to make you smile. Power maybe 7.5 ish standard. I know Tone's had a bit of a play with The Void's piston on his lad's 30, it'll be interesting to see how that comes out.

I could certainly give a G80 a loving home if one ever came up at cheap money.....