Diana / Milbro Mod 2 (G2) variants...

[JimmieDee]

Gents, I'm trying to identify the variants of the Diana (Milbro) Mod 2 / G2. The plastic gripped model rather than the wooden gripped one.

John Griffiths identified two variants in his ever so amazing Encyclopedia. However, whilst going through the "duplicates" in my collection, I came across one that, erm, wasn't a duplicate. It turns out to be another variant. Sloppy of me I know.

So far I have identified four variants for the Milbro made G2/Mod 2.

First variant: similar action as the wooden gripped Mod 2 with black plastic grip. The breech end of the compression tube isn't rolled over the outer casing as it is in the wooden gripped Mod 2. Two sub-variant of these are inscribed with the huntress logo and "DIANA MOD. 2 MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN" or without the huntress logo and "MILBRO MOD. 2 MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN".

Second variant: as above but has a cast alloy trigger blade instead of the folder steel trigger blade. Again, two sub-variants inscribed with the huntress logo and "DIANA MOD. 2 MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN" or without the huntress logo and "MILBRO MOD. 2 MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN".

Third variant: The compression tube is extended using the same width all the way out to the front sight whereas on previous variants, the front half of the compression tube (barrel shroud) is narrower than the main body. The pressed sheet metal front sight is replaced with a plastic barrel bush and plastic blade sight. Inscribed with the huntress logo and "DIANA MOD. 2 MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN".

Fourth variant: (my "duplicate - oops" shown below) Same as the third except the plastic barrel bush is now steel and the plastic blade front sight is a steel pillar sight. Inscribed with the huntress logo and "DIANA MOD. 2 MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN".

The second and fourth variant isn't mentioned in John's book. I have seen examples of each on these on google image search.

The first three seem to be more common than the fourth.

I am not aware if the third and fourth variant may also be inscribed as MILBRO instead of DIANA. Let me know if you have a third or fourth variant inscribed as MILBRO please or inscribed differently from that above.

John also mentions a nickel plated variant that he owns. I am not sure which of the four variants his falls into or whether any other of the other variants were also available in nickel finish.

Malcolm Atkins mentions, on page 46 of his GATS book, model numbers from the JLS 1981 catalogue. Specifically G2/5. This is variant three that I have mentioned above. He mentions other variant numbers (G2/3, G2/4) but not if they came from a catalogue or if these are a supposition. If there are five variants including the wooden gripped version, then the suffix /1 /2 /3 /4 /5 might be an indicator the variants. In which case my variant 4 would actually be variant 3 and variant 3 would be variant 4. If you have a copy of this catalogue or any others showing these models number I would love to see a scan of the advertisement please.


I'd love to know what you have and if there are any other variants on this plastic gripped Milbro/Diana Mod2/G2 and whether we can fill the gaps in the information above.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[ccdjg]

Well Jimmie, you prompted me to take a closer look at my six examples (sad I know, but most came my way more or less accidentally) and your suggested classification seems to fit OK, but there is a complication. When was the spring shroud changed from steel to plastic? I have five examples of the G2 falling into your variant 3 category, and only one of them has the black plastic shroud. So the changeover to plastic must have occurred at quite a late date. If so, then then I wonder how your interesting steel-shrouded fourth variant fits into this timeline?

Interestingly the only first variant pistol I have is marked as ‘Milbro Mod 2’, and it happens to be nickelled. All the variant 3 examples others are marked ‘Diana Mod 2’. Is this significant I wonder? Have you found any examples of later variants that actually have the ‘Milbro’ stamping?

[JimmieDee]

Hi John.

I've not seen any of the later variants marked "Milbro". I was hoping more will come forward to add more examples to build up the stats a little.

When you say "shroud" you realise that I meant the plastic insert/bush at the end of the tube where the front sight is. Or do you have yet another variations where the spring shroud that covers the spring beyond the end of the compression tube is plastic? Now that would be a turn out for the books. Do you have a photo? Unless someone has replaced the metal shroud with a plastic part - unlikely but not improbable.

I think that what I called a variant 4, with the steel pillar front sight, should be variant 3 and the bladed front sight model perhaps variant 4 if Malcolm's theory of model numbers is anything to go by. That could mean a plastic barrel insert/bush would possibly be a late change to the variant 4. Maybe, who knows!

[ccdjg]

Sorry Jimmie, I had assumed that by 'shroud' you meant the whole tube that is used to cover the otherwise exposed spring.
So, I have now given my pistol a good going over, and have now come to the conclusion that the plastic cover could very well be non-original. Although the cover is exactly the correct size and its ends are well finished, there are clear indications that the gun has been taken apart and I can detect vise jaw marks. So unless another example turns up, I think we should assume that there never was a plastic shroud variant.

[JimmieDee]

John. Could you check the pin seals on your examples please?

My 2nd variant and pillar sight variant have different pin seals. The 2nd variant pin seal is the same as that in your book with the knurling on the last third of the grip and a pointed pin tip. Whereas on my pillar sight example (what I am now classing as the third variant) has knurling the whole length of the grip and the end of the pin is squared off.

[ccdjg]

All my 2nd variant pistols with the normal blade front sight have a pin with knurling along one third of its length and have a pointed tip. It certainly seems that the assumption of a 3rd manufacturer's variant is a valid one, but it would be nice to find other examples.

By way of a bump for Jimmie's original enquiry: If anyone has a plastic grip Diana/Mllbro Model 2 pistol lurking in a cupboard somewhere, could you dig it out and let us know if its a 1st or 2nd version, and what type of markings it has? Many thanks.