Diana Model 5 Pistol

[Biker_Bob]

I'm after an honest opinion on a Diana Model 5 pistol, the old type with wooden handle.
Are they accurate? What power do they put out?

Alternatively the Haenel Mod 28, similar questions.

Can they be deployed for target shooting out to 20yds?

Thanks

[ptdunk]

Hi,

I found the mod 5 to be better than I expected.

See me shooting it and the Heanel 28 @4:00mins and @6:18: https://youtu.be/qt2zfenq4QI

IMHO they both suffer from the same problem: The leather breech seals become compressed with use and the barrel starts to point up fractionally and your poi shifts up.


I fitted a PU breech seal to the Mod 5 which stopped that happening and once zeroed I found it very accurate. The grip is a bit basic but I'd be happy trying pistol HFT with it, shooting 40mm killzones out to 25yds. I bet it would get a few.

The 28 suffers from the same problem due to the way you cock it, basically putting upward force on the barrel, and I found the poi shifted up annoyingly after I thought I'd zeroed it. It would definitely benefit from a PU breech seal.

I found the Mod 5 is more powerful and accurate but the 28 has excellent balance so maybe you'd get good results from one due to the better ergonomics.

Both great pistols, be interested to hear how you get on.

Cheers,
Matt

[Biker_Bob]

Thanks, I have of course already watched that video (as should we all) and that's partly what's put me onto these pistols.
Interesting points about the breech seals.
I would have thought that the barrel to action contact point should be metal to metal (giving a consistent lock up angle) and maybe the old leather breech seals harden over time, causing the contact point to become leather to metal (and hence a variable lock up angle). I can see that replacing leather with a more supple material would restore metal to metal contact.
Trouble is there don't seem to be any of either for sale at the moment.

I've found a Slavia ZVP which looks to me a lot like a copy of a Diana model 5.

[Maple]

Of the two you mention, I would say that the Diana is generally the better pistol to use. The Haenel is a very high quality made pistol but the four I've had have all shot poorly. Strangely the best one of the four was the only .22 one.

[PhatMan]

Biker_Bob,

My (1948 - 1952 ?) 0.177" Diana 5 makes ca. 3.2 ft.lb (450 fps) with RWS R10 pellets (7 gr.).

I have found these to be a very accurate pistol (once you get used to shooting recoiling springer pistols).

Have fun

Best regards

Russ

[AC99]

I bought my mod 5 in the early 60's (and still have it) and actually used it in 10m matches and competitions from the early/mid 70's and found it a very accurate pistol. Looking at my old score books I averaged about 175 ex 200 then before I bought a mod 10 and later a FWB 65 followed by a couple of pcp's.

Back then of course, before the advent of recoilless pistols, everyone shot recoiling springers which can take a bit of getting used to now. I think over the sixty odd years I have owned it the seals were only changed once but then it has not been shot a great deal over the last forty years or so.

I have not shot it at longer ranges so cannot comment on how it would perform.

Aubrey