You won’t hear me arguing with any of that.
I have managed to acquire another 35 thanks to a thoroughly decent chap on this forum and have spent some time with it recently. It has reinforced my view that it is my favourite break barrel: the Goldilocks break barrel for me in fact. Its size, weight and balance are perfect and it handles better than any other gun I own. I've always liked the Models 24,25, 27 but sweet as they are, they are just a bit too small for me physically. I've always held the Diana 34 in high regard but shooting an early example immediately after the 35 only highlights the perfect weight/balance of the 35.
I've been using this one with the open sights and its proving to be very accurate at around 10m with various RWS wadcutters (in .177). It shoots as sweet as a nut and I won't be in any hurry to fiddle with it. Its actually only shooting at around 7fpe but that is fine for my purposes and it still has a nice responsive firing cycle at this level. I may fit a diopter to it at some point.
Do any of you guys have a go-to gun that feels absolutely built for you?
You won’t hear me arguing with any of that.
Always wanted a 35, handled a couple years ago when they still sold them & was impressed, new they were out of my price range & very rare secondhand up north.(this was the early 80's) My go to break barrel was my modern HW50s, but since I bought a nice shooting bsa challenger mercury it's been the fave for a year or two, both in .22.
If its a modern '35 if you look on the action on the l/h side as you hold it, above the trigger, you may see the month and year of manufacture. Its in very small numbers.
Sorry if Im teaching my Grandma to suck eggs.
HTH
Ian
Founder & ex secretary of Rivington Riflemen.
www.rivington-riflemen.uk
Along with the 45 the 35 was one of the brace of big name springers I lusted after back in the day. Memory fails me a little now but I think I had a go of a mates 35 and was taken with it but on seeing the 45 arrive on the scene that gun took over my focus.
In recent years I've come by a 35S which aesthetically I find to be a little easier on the eye than the STD 35 but I think they are ultimately the same gun beneath give or take.
Hard to say what would be my go-to gun. My trusty old HW80 has done many a mile across the mountain with me in past years and it's has been very modified internally to the gun I bought in 1984. It now also has a custom walnut stock as well. I think for guns of the past the HW80 and Original 45 would have it.
However of late I have really come to appreciate the refinement of the Airking family of Diana's and regularly used both .177 and .25 calibre guns against local grey squirrels.
And I'll agree with you on your take of the older 35 being a better gun than the modern 34 family guns. I think more thought and care went into the 35/45 back in the day than the modern 34 s....
Dave
My favourite 35 in my collection is from the late 50s or very early 60s. It has the proper steel sights, albeit the basic ones, and the best beech wood I’ve ever seen on a factory air rifle.
It doesn’t shoot better than my later, cheapened, 1970s one, which has better (though plastic) open sights. But, a lot like a Mk1/2 Airsporter or a Webley Mk3, it’s just great to handle and shoot. A piece of history. Pick it up and it’s just “I really like this.”.
I agree that the 34s weren’t necessarily as nice. But they were a great success. By the late 70s or earlier 80s the 35 was selling badly compared to the 45, FWB, HWs, etc. It was a 10 ft-lbs rifle in a 12-18 ft-lbs world. The 34 got Diana back in the market with a good quality, good value, 12 (U.K.) to 14 (US) ft-lbs 7.5lbs break-barrel. They handle well, shoot well, and are reliable. In the U.K., they are massively underrated.
drew451,
+1 on the diopter.
I bought my 0.177" Diana 35 new in 1974, and still shoot it every week - it is one of my favourite rifles, and shoots most accurately - surprisingly so.
My '35 really likes RWS R10 Pistol (6.99 gr.), and makes ca. 7.5 ft.lb with them.
Have fun & a good Bank Holiday Monday
Best regards
Russ