Original 50 T01- Maligned by Some

[Hsing-ee]

Come on man, stop beating about the bush and say what you really mean. Seriously, I appreciate your viewpoint as it comes from first-hand experience. It sounds woeful though. A lemon and an oversprung lemon at that. I have experienced an oversprung T01 and i almost broke a tooth. But not all of them are like that.
Several of those negatives could or should affect a 45 as the ramp (and presumably steel) trigger, blade, piston seal, safety catch are the same. I didn't know about the plastic foresight as mine is cast steel.
I'm not at all sure it's completely without charm as it is after all 50 with 45 guts. Neither of which are lacking in character or purpose. But perhaps there are limits to it's design and its best run (with leather) at well under 12fpe. Giving a leather washered tap loader enough spring to approach 12 is probably a bad idea. Perhaps The Airgun Centre- tuned rifles!- they say, gave them some serious coils. Who knows.
I'm glad I didn't judge the model from one example and tracked one down for myself. I'm enjoying the strange hybrid nobody bought.

YOu are right, memory failed me. The foresight was not plastic, it was Zamac or some other kind of rubbish. Thing was the muzzle had the dovetail grooves cut in it for a normal Original Diana foresight, so they were either being cheap or wanting the gun to look more 'futuristic' (cheap and tacky).

It was a .177 so maybe it was more heavily spring than your .22. You may be right about the Airgun Centre, perhaps they went too far with the chrome vanadium Swedish steel spring... I usually find the most of the time the best spring is the one the factory fits.

You did say you wanted malignancy! Also, Dave Welham maligned it, or rather dismissed it, and he is an expert rather than a keyboard warrior like myself. I hope you continue to enjoy your T01s as much as I disliked mine - as far as I know it was designed to go well over 12 fpe at least in .22. Modern pellets will help the accuracy a great deal.

Don't try an original Original 50 though, because you will see how they took a good gun tradition and made it into something very average.

[Drew451]

YOu are right, memory failed me. The foresight was not plastic, it was Zamac or some other kind of rubbish. Thing was the muzzle had the dovetail grooves cut in it for a normal Original Diana foresight, so they were either being cheap or wanting the gun to look more 'futuristic' (cheap and tacky).

It was a .177 so maybe it was more heavily spring than your .22. You may be right about the Airgun Centre, perhaps they went too far with the chrome vanadium Swedish steel spring... I usually find the most of the time the best spring is the one the factory fits.

You did say you wanted malignancy! Also, Dave Welham maligned it, or rather dismissed it, and he is an expert rather than a keyboard warrior like myself. I hope you continue to enjoy your T01s as much as I disliked mine - as far as I know it was designed to go well over 12 fpe at least in .22. Modern pellets will help the accuracy a great deal.

Don't try an original Original 50 though, because you will see how they took a good gun tradition and made it into something very average.

Ho ho. Ive got two Original 50's in addition to the T01.

[jonnyone]

I think the morale of this thread is that if a gun works for you, quite simply it works for you. If it doesn't, surprise, surprise, it doesn't. And this will clearly colour your view on the matter.
For my part, I'm enjoying the gun and it's proving itself in my hands for the purpose that I apply it to. I've no doubt many- if not all, of the super accurate modern springers will pee all over it. History will also in time dictate what is good, bad, and indifferent amongst them.
I once had to fettle a HW97 Centenary after it had been left cocked by mistake for over 6 months. I was genuinely shocked when I took the stock off to find two huge spot weld blobs on the front of the cylinder. So big in fact they forced the bifurcated stock section noticeably apart. I had to carefully grind the blobs down to more reasonable proportions to get it to sit in the stock properly.
I'm glad I didn't judge all HWs by that single example. If I had I would never shell out a copper on one ever again. But I am sensible enough to realise that that gun went through quality control without due checks into the shops.
We can all recount tales of woe with a particular make n model of gun. As I say above, if a gun works for you, it does just that.
Keep enjoying the gun Drew. And get yourself a squirrel soon with it
Dave

[Hsing-ee]

I've no doubt many- if not all, of the super accurate modern springers will pee all over it
Dave

The problem with it was that it's contemporaries pee'd all over it and they were cheaper!

[Hsing-ee]

Ho ho. Ive got two Original 50's in addition to the T01.

Clearly a case of 'love is blind' then!

One chap in AGW shortened the cocking lever so at least it looked quite nice. Enjoy!

[Drew451]

I watched An American Werewolf in London about the same time as you experienced the T01 and it scared me shitless for years. I think the T01 appears to have damaged your young mind, similarly.
I am enjoying the rifle so far, anyway. Not sure I'll be entering any FT comps with it but if it can keep doing what it's doing for me so far, I'll be happy. I have only shot it in isolation so can't make direct comparisons with any of its stalemates or urinating rivals. I may do and report back.
Just think- there are two Typ 01's lurking not 15 miles from your house! Please don't have nightmares: please do sleep well.

[Hsing-ee]

I watched An American Werewolf in London about the same time as you experienced the T01 and it scared me shitless for years. I think the T01 appears to have damaged your young mind, similarly.
I am enjoying the rifle so far, anyway. Not sure I'll be entering any FT comps with it but if it can keep doing what it's doing for me so far, I'll be happy. I have only shot it in isolation so can't make direct comparisons with any of its stalemates or urinating rivals. I may do and report back.
Just think- there are two Typ 01's lurking not 15 miles from your house! Please don't have nightmares: please do sleep well.

I can't now you have reminded me of the American Werewolf In London. The nightmare sequence is very nightmare-inducing. At least Tottenham Court Road Tube Station has been redesigned so it is less werewolf-friendly. A checkpoint on the Tay Bridge could be set up to keep the 50T01s in Fife.

I did actually come 6th or somewhere in the prize list from an entry of over 100 people with the T01 even at 6 fpe so it cannot have been all that bad. That's the thing when you are maligning stuff, you focus on the bad. It just cost me so much money!

If I had one today I would see about replacing the leather washer with a parachute from Vortek to increase efficiency, get the right spring for it and maybe sort a trigger shoe or tweak as well as doing something about the cocking lever. Like I said, nice stock on them.

Maybe I should buy one.

[Drew451]

Ho ho. Im imagining road signs northbound on the bridge with 50 T01s crossed out. Well, maybe you should get another one: AWIL is now one of my favourite films.
I have never yet had a leather sealed Diana converted to synthetic but I am starting to consider it. Mind you, all were bought used and ive only had two apart. There may be polyurethane lurking in one. I'm generally pleased with all of mine apart from one 35 Super that may have been built on the same Friday afternoon/ Monday morning as your T01. By the same man working his notice.
That's a story for another day.

[deejayuu]

Here's a 50 got from a work mate

[jonnyone]

I can't now you have reminded me of the American Werewolf In London. The nightmare sequence is very nightmare-inducing. At least Tottenham Court Road Tube Station has been redesigned so it is less werewolf-friendly. A checkpoint on the Tay Bridge could be set up to keep the 50T01s in Fife.

I did actually come 6th or somewhere in the prize list from an entry of over 100 people with the T01 even at 6 fpe so it cannot have been all that bad. That's the thing when you are maligning stuff, you focus on the bad. It just cost me so much money!

If I had one today I would see about replacing the leather washer with a parachute from Vortek to increase efficiency, get the right spring for it and maybe sort a trigger shoe or tweak as well as doing something about the cocking lever. Like I said, nice stock on them.

Maybe I should buy one.

Maybe you should fella
Coming 6th from 100 with a gun at pistol output levels is very creditable to you and maybe even the gun. Its a shame it went kaput at that moment and its a case of what could have been unfortunately.
And you are very right about the prices back in the day. The gun was one of the most expensive if not the most expensive gun outside of the range of match rifles around back then.
Maybe after brexit there will be more free movement of 50T01s.
And don't be replying to the bottom of the channel
Dave