Todays plink - '50's(?) Diana 25 in .177 - power & age?

[laverdabru]

Hi, Geezer

Not yet got a chrono, am working on it. Seems more powerful than my other 'youth' rifles of the time (Webley Junior, Meteor), more like my later Falcon.
TBH, am suprised at how 'pokey' it seems, hence my wondering if a larger spring has been fitted.
Certainly seems more difficult to cock/hits harder than my old .22 27 - but I owned that 45 years ago, & memories play tricks!

ATB

Bru

[Geezer]

Hi, Geezer

Not yet got a chrono, am working on it. Seems more powerful than my other 'youth' rifles of the time (Webley Junior, Meteor), more like my later Falcon.
TBH, am suprised at how 'pokey' it seems, hence my wondering if a larger spring has been fitted.
Certainly seems more difficult to cock/hits harder than my old .22 27 - but I owned that 45 years ago, & memories play tricks!

ATB

Bru

It should be markedly more powerful than the Junior, which was a badge-engineered Milbro Diana 22, and around 3-4 ft-lbs.

Meteors are more like 7-9. They do very well for their size, and Bowkett got them up to 11.something.

Falcons are a bit odd. From their size, you think they ought to make 8-9. But they often appear to be lower than that. Webley claimed 550 fps in .177” and 500 in .22”. The same as the later Hawk.

Which doesn’t make sense for either gun as with typical pellets of the day that would mean 5.5-6 ft-lbs in .177” and 8ish in .22”. For reference, they quoted 600 and 500 respectively for the Mk3.