Rarity and value of the Diana 30 Military rifle

[45flint]

Been studying the military type trainers and I find the Diana 30 seems much rarer and valuable at least in the US market. The current Bluebook has it twice as valuable as the Haenel 33. Whether those numbers are valid? I assume that they didn’t make as many of the 30 than the Haenel 33 or Tell Mars 115? I assume that any real production numbers are not possible to ascertain. But given it was a popular rifle with the German youth military training its hard to believe they didn’t make quite a few? I did read that it is a rifle that generally wasn’t exported which could certainly explain it’s rarity over here. Some here are war bringbacks. And how many survived the war given its military look and training potential?

[Garvin]

Been studying the military type trainers and I find the Diana 30 seems much rarer and valuable at least in the US market. The current Bluebook has it twice as valuable as the Haenel 33. Whether those numbers are valid? I assume that they didn’t make as many of the 30 than the Haenel 33 or Tell Mars 115? I assume that any real production numbers are not possible to ascertain. But given it was a popular rifle with the German youth military training its hard to believe they didn’t make quite a few? I did read that it is a rifle that generally wasn’t exported which could certainly explain it’s rarity over here. Some here are war bringbacks. And how many survived the war given its military look and training potential?

I don't think they're especially rare, Steve. They come up occasionally on eGun.de and I think you're right, lots must have been made. All prewar German airguns are selling for surprisingly high prices on eGun these days.

I bought a decent one there maybe 15 years ago and when I sold it here I was surprised how much it made.

They are really youth guns like the Haenel 33 Junior - pretty dainty really. Definitely not quite as common as the much larger mod 33.

[MDriskill]

The model 30 is a "normal" pellet-firing, single-shot, tap-loading underlever action, is it not? Pure speculation on my part, but perhaps that makes it a bit more appealing than the complex ball-shooting repeater military trainers to some.

Another shot in the dark...did the 30's tooling make it over to Milbro after the war? While some of its details showed up on the post-war model 50 (like the neat compact "45-degree" tap lever), size-wise the interesting and rare Milbro G55 underlever seems more closely related.

[Garvin]

The model 30 is a "normal" pellet-firing, single-shot, tap-loading underlever action, is it not? Pure speculation on my part, but perhaps that makes it a bit more appealing than the complex ball-shooting repeater military trainers to some.

Another shot in the dark...did the 30's tooling make it over to Milbro after the war? While some of its details showed up on the post-war model 50 (like the neat compact "45-degree" tap lever), size-wise the interesting and rare Milbro G55 underlever seems more closely related.

Good point Mike about the single shot pellet perhaps making it more desirable. I can't see why the tooling wouldn't have been acquired by Milbro?

[45flint]

The model 30 is a "normal" pellet-firing, single-shot, tap-loading underlever action, is it not? Pure speculation on my part, but perhaps that makes it a bit more appealing than the complex ball-shooting repeater military trainers to some.

Another shot in the dark...did the 30's tooling make it over to Milbro after the war? While some of its details showed up on the post-war model 50 (like the neat compact "45-degree" tap lever), size-wise the interesting and rare Milbro G55 underlever seems more closely related.

I do think that the underlever, tap-loading and normal pelleting firing make it more attractive to me. The difficulty with the round ball firing trainers is that the ball size is a bit crucial to good accuracy and good ones are difficult to get. A easily obtainable diablo pellet can take the shape of the rifling much easier I think. That said I have the Anschutz 275 which is a copy of the Haenel trainer and it is very accurate with H&N Excite round balls. But it can be a crap shoot, the CZ35 is a bit tuffer to satisfy? I did just buy a Diana model 30 which is on it way. Should be a fun comparison.

[Josie & John]

I'm a huge fan of the Model 30, purely because it has the history and looks with performance to match in terms of accuracy and consistency.

Mine shoots Hobby pellets at an average of 583fps and is very accurate downrange. I'd have preferred a slightly larger feel to the rifle but accept it was made for youths rather than adults.

Purely conjecture on my part but Milbro undoubtedly acquired the tooling to make these but this was during the late 1940s and we had just finished 6 years of fighting. There was probably little appetite for an air rifle based on a recent enemy's Mauser service rifle but some of the Model 30's features went on to be used on the Milbro G55, such as the tap and underlever loading.

I must dig mine out for a range session one of these days.

John

[MDriskill]

If you don't already have one, you might enjoy owning an early Diana model 50. Similar action and quality in a more adult size!

[45flint]

If you don't already have one, you might enjoy owning an early Diana model 50. Similar action and quality in a more adult size!

One of my early acquisitions below: