Milbro No 27 air rifle

[Sunbeam]

I have in my collection a pre-war Milbro No 27 air rifle https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....eous/#post-998.
Are they scarce as have searched the net and have not found any others ?.

[WebleyWombler]

I have in my collection a pre-war Milbro No 27 air rifle https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....eous/#post-998.
Are they scarce as have searched the net and have not found any others ?.

It's a Diana 27 made by MGR in germany and retailed in the UK by Millard brothers of Lanark Scotland. ( Milbro )

Actually quite common and worth about £100 in very good condition. Most people with a pre war collection already have one.

Try searching the gallery site for Diana 27 rather than Milbro 27

[Josie & John]

Not that scarce but they are a nice item and can perform well.

John

[Sunbeam]

It's a Diana 27 made by MGR in germany and retailed in the UK by Millard brothers of Lanark Scotland. ( Milbro )

Actually quite common and worth about £100 in very good condition. Most people with a pre war collection already have one.

Try searching the gallery site for Diana 27 rather than Milbro 27

Yes found it same as mine marked on cylinder MILBRO FOREIGN but it's the only I have found on the net with this marking ?.

[trajectory]

Was the pre war Diana 27 (Milbro 27) only available in 177?

W H B Smith wrote a little about them in his book Gas Air & Spring........think he described the 27 as surprisingly powerful.

Nice old fashioned air rifles.

[micky2]

Yes found it same as mine marked on cylinder MILBRO FOREIGN but it's the only I have found on the net with this marking ?.

I don't think that Milbro made all that many of them, but l have had 2 of them in the past.

[Lakey]

I have a Milbro Foreign rifle. A nice little thing really .

Well made for what it is . I heard that they had to descibe it as foreign instead of german, due to anti German sentiment in the UK, due to the war.

Lakey

[Garvin]

It looks like Milbro sold the 'foreign'-branded 27s much cheaper (37 shillings) than the Diana ones (48s). Just shows what a hefty mark-up Diana applied to their own branded ones.

[Sunbeam]

Interestingly, all the parts on my rifle are number stamped 541 job to see but the example on Vintage Airguns gallery looks like it's numbered 542.

[Phil Russell]

From my files:

.177, marked ‘Milbro Foreign’, c. 1920s, half stock, break barrel, marked ’10’ to trigger block and some other parts. Renovated Jan 29/30 2013. New piston washer, replacement screw bolt to cocking lever and a refitted barrel hinge bolt with made retaining round nut, new front trigger guard screw, new trigger spring. Rifle has a home made peep hole sight and a home made front ‘dioptre’ sight element holder. Mainspring refinished. Now shooting c. 600 – 650 depending on pellet: Superdomes and Marksman because the bore seems worn and other pellets fall through.

From what I remember the home made front dioptre was made from copper water pipe but worked very well.

Cheers, Phil

[CLOGGER]

From my files:

.177, marked ‘Milbro Foreign’, c. 1920s, half stock, break barrel, marked ’10’ to trigger block and some other parts. Renovated Jan 29/30 2013. New piston washer, replacement screw bolt to cocking lever and a refitted barrel hinge bolt with made retaining round nut, new front trigger guard screw, new trigger spring. Rifle has a home made peep hole sight and a home made front ‘dioptre’ sight element holder. Mainspring refinished. Now shooting c. 600 – 650 depending on pellet: Superdomes and Marksman because the bore seems worn and other pellets fall through.

From what I remember the home made front dioptre was made from copper water pipe but worked very well.

Cheers, Phil

I've recently acquired one of these pre-war Milbro branded Diana 27's from Mel (Chippendale on here) at the last BBS airgun Bash. Many thanks for that Mel.
It shoots both powerfully and accurately over its open sights, though in contrast to Phil's remark about some pellets falling through, all the different flavours of .177 pellet I've shot through it (about 7 or 8 types) have been tight to thumb into the breech.
Best regards, Clogger

[Phil Russell]

I've recently acquired one of these pre-war Milbro branded Diana 27's from Mel (Chippendale on here) at the last BBS airgun Bash. Many thanks for that Mel.
It shoots both powerfully and accurately over its open sights, though in contrast to Phil's remark about some pellets falling through, all the different flavours of .177 pellet I've shot through it (about 7 or 8 types) have been tight to thumb into the breech.
Best regards, Clogger

To be fair, I have never come across another '27', whatever branded, that had this pellet issue. I somehow can't believe it was bore wear through use. Whatever, it was a great rifle, as are all the '27' ilk. I love them. I have one branded 'The Triumph'. Maybe made for and sold by a particular retailer?

Cheers, Phil

[wickerman]

I had one it was smooth bore but was still accurate