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Thread: Diana 280

  1. #1
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    Diana 280

    The 280 has recently been discontinued. I rate the little Diana very highly and find it strange that the buying public largely ignored the gun. I think it was more than capable of challenging the HW99 in its class.
    If there's any left out there, grab one while you can.

  2. #2
    look no hands's Avatar
    look no hands is offline Even better looking than a HW35
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    I had a tuned one and it was lovely to shoot but the stock design just let it down for me.

    Pete
    Far too many rifles to list now, all mainly British but the odd pesky foreigner has snuck in

  3. #3
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    Sadly, I've never owned one. I didn't realise they had been discontinued; very sad news. I did manage to have a go with a few over the years, some tuned and others not. Always liked them and particularly like the way the action feels "low set" into the stock and the fine "field-sporter" rifle feel this bestows. Space, lack of funds and a less than enthusiastic Mrs would be hindering me tracking one down right now but I'd certainly encourage anyone else to do so if they can. NM Products near Sheffield were advertising them at a very attractive price until recently, not sure if that is still the case?
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  4. #4
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    Diana as most other "producers of stuff" have been hijacked by the charming "extreme profit or forget it" people. It won't be long before all Diana rifles are rebranded Chinese or whatever the supercapitalists can get their greedy hands on ...
    Last edited by vestlenning; 14-04-2021 at 10:48 AM.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by vestlenning View Post
    Diana as most other "producers of stuff" have been hijacked by the charming "extreme profit or forget it" people. It won't be long before all Diana rifles are rebranded Chinese or whatever the supercapitalists can get their greedy hands on ...
    Or to put it more generously, they haven’t run their business well.

    They’ve completely failed to field a credible PCP offering (they’ve tried, but never successfully) and seen their position in the springer market squeezed out between continued dominance of HW (and in some markets AA) at the high end, and increasingly credible, competitive, and innovative offerings at lower prices than theirs from the Turks and Chinese.

    So they’ve had to pare back their EU-made offerings to a minimum, updating where possible (34EMS) and otherwise brand-engineer Chinese stuff as a survival strategy. Who knows if it will work?

    The 280 is definitely interesting and I too regret not picking one up (insert usual lament about recent Diana pricing/marketing/distribution “strategy” in the U.K.). I do though recall one member on here having one that needed some fairly significant internal work. After which it became very good. Anyone else remember that?

    As well as the 280, there are a number of interesting now-defunct Dianas from the last 10-15 or so years that I’d like to spend some time with. The 300R, 46, and 430, especially the Stutzens. Even the too big for 12ft-lbs 440 and 470.

  6. #6
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    280

    I managed to pick up a boxed 280K a couple of years ago and it is a lovely piece of kit. As Tony rightly said the action does seem low set in stock and the whole gun sleek n slender. Very pointable. One of those guns that it would be an abject crime to over scope.
    As per usual, probably for cost reasons, the stock is the same that Diana fitted to the standard 280 despite the K being a scope dedicated gun. It is also helpfully screw cut at the muzzle to facilitate a mod and with the barrel being carbine it still doesn't end up excessively long with one in place. I think the K in particular was a UK market only model.
    The stroke on these gun is very short making for a very fast action time. Mine has had little done and is very accurate.
    Interestingly the gun is larger than a HW99 which it easily competes with but smaller than a HW95 which I'm not sure it's pitched against but still gives a more than credible run for the money.
    Its a tough market out there currently. Airguns are hardly mainstream even though they are to the members of this forum. Unlike cars which practically all families own, airguns are a hobby that a sector of society partake in and it clearly is not that lucrative for any manufacturer right now but I think with Diana the bean counters seem to be running the show presently. Despite this I still wish them luck.
    I don't think it is one of their better moves to drop the 280 (did I read right they've dropped the 430L also). It's quite ironic that even our power hungry American cousins have caught on to the virtues of these two models and are buying them. Just at the juncture the models are withdrawn. Ironic.
    Dave

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by jonnyone View Post
    did I read right they've dropped the 430L also
    Yes, Dave. The only u/l left in the catalogue now is the 460.

  8. #8
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    Nice write up on the 280 from Hector, last year:

    https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/hect...-the-diana-280

    And very interesting series on the 430L:

    https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/hect...-all-it-can-be

    And a great post on here from 2013:

    http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....st-impressions

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Geezer View Post
    Yes, Dave. The only u/l left in the catalogue now is the 460.
    Another shame then as this gun is also a cracker. I picked up the last gun out of Edgar brothers via Sportsman gun Centre. Unusually it came in .22. It was also unfortunately devoid of lube. I have had to strip and apply some light moly to the rear skirt and outer compression tube. It now glides well but in time I will tweak it more.
    Some would say the 430 is the fixed barrel version of the 280.
    There are one or two 430Ls around and about same as there are probably some 280s as Drew suggests. It may indeed be an idea to get one now if they float your boat.
    Dave

  10. #10
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    Got to say it again, I bought a 280 a couple of years ago. One of only two guns I've ever had from new, it was utterly dreadful. Worst quality control I've ever seen, it got sent straight back and I would never, ever buy a Diana again.

  11. #11
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    I’ve had some mixed experiences with the 280.

    I really wanted one the first time they were announced as that slim stock looked so damn nice and low and behold I snapped up a used full length regular 280 not very long after they were released way back in 2011

    First impressions were decent it shot nice and the T06 was a pleasure and that’s coming from a rekord snob

    After the novelty had worn off as per usual I moved it on to help fund something else at the time as I regularly flit between Springers/pcp’s.

    Then in 2013 I spotted a tuned 280k version (SFS) and just had to try it as I still prefer Carbine type Springers and it ticked the boxes so to speak.

    It was a bit meh to be honest and not that dissimilar to my bog standard version so again it was booted out the door for something else

    Then my 3rd time lucky surfaced a year later in late 2014 which was another 280k but totally standard this time and same again it was still a bit meh in all honesty.

    Couldn’t quite put my finger on why the 280 didn’t quite do it for me maybe it just didn’t feel dare I say ‘quality’ enough and strange as it seems but last year I briefly owned a Remington express that came my way more out of curiosity than anything else but I couldn’t half think it really reminded me of the 280

  12. #12
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    31/34 did everything the 280 did, but better - and easy to set up for UK too
    280 was just attempting to match hw99 - another pointless rifle (imo) - as the 95 is better all round if set up correctly - just like 34 / 280 relationship
    Looking for TO-6 Trigger unit unmessed with or T0-6 kit for 34

  13. #13
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    I like mine
    I got one after reading Bigtoe’s blog and chatting to him I was going to let him do something to it he had done to his but I’ve not seen him since so it’s still standard one day maybe

  14. #14
    look no hands's Avatar
    look no hands is offline Even better looking than a HW35
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bluefan View Post
    I like mine
    I got one after reading Bigtoe’s blog and chatting to him I was going to let him do something to it he had done to his but I’ve not seen him since so it’s still standard one day maybe
    I actually bought the rifle that was on Bigtoes blog, like I said it was lovely to shoot as he had ironed out all the problems they had but the stock was just not right for me.

    Pete
    Far too many rifles to list now, all mainly British but the odd pesky foreigner has snuck in

  15. #15
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    I like the 280. Lovely handling rifle.
    Had a few carbines and a couple of full length ones.

    Let down by the stock really, and the lack of a cs option.

    Length of trigger pull out of the box almost needs a repositioning of the hand half way through the pull, its that long. But its sortable.

    Stock and trigger aside, they shoot very well when set up nicely, and are easily a match for anything out of the Weihrauch stable.
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