diana series70 model77

[billbillymack]

hi folks
i have just purchased my first (secondhand) air rifle hopefully for killing vermin, but i can find no mention of it on the www.
it is a diana series 70 model 77 made in gr britian in good condition. any info would be welcome, what calibre, what pellets should i use, is it a good gun?

[Garvin]

hi folks
i have just purchased my first (secondhand) air rifle hopefully for killing vermin, but i can find no mention of it on the www.
it is a diana series 70 model 77 made in gr britian in good condition. any info would be welcome, what calibre, what pellets should i use, is it a good gun?

Welcome to the BBS.

This gun could be in either .177 or .22 cal but its low power means it's not suitable for shooting vermin, except perhaps at very close ranges. The Beeman blue book gives the Series 70 Mod 77's velocity at just 400fps for .177 and 300 for .22, which is the equivalent of a not especially powerful air pistol and they are nowadays considered unsuitable for vermin shooting.

Maybe Beeman is mistaken (it wouldn't be the first time) so perhaps you'd better have the power checked on a chronograph before you contemplate hunting with it. Someone more knowledgable about hunting with low-powered guns will be along in a minute.

[Gareth W-B]

Hi Billy and welcome to the BBS collectors corner. As Danny (Garvin) says, the Milbro Mod.77 isn't really up to the job I'm afraid which means you will end up with loads of wounded prey crawling away . Nice collectable intro gun however, so keep hold, but for vermin control you need something as close to the legal limit of 12ft.lb as you can find. If budget is a consideration (isn't it for all of us), but you still fancy something in the collectable sphere, may I suggest you look out for a Webley Vulcan or BSA Mercury? Good luck with it and any help required, just post here and we will assist as much as we can . Atb: Gareth W-B.