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Thread: Fascinating info about prewar Diana factory

  1. #1
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    Fascinating info about prewar Diana factory

    Vintage Airguns Gallery
    ..Above link posted with permission from Gareth W-B
    In British slang an anorak is a person who has a very strong interest in niche subjects.

  2. #2
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    That was an interesting article. I wonder what happened to the Milbro and Diana tooling in Scotland more recently.
    "helplessly they stare at his tracks......."

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    So few of the high end rifles exported, the 58 not even mentioned?

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    Wonderful inside information. An amazing insight. You can picture a frustrated Mr Mayer being squeezed for the sort of information that rarely comes out of closed doors in a family owned company. He wasnt to know at the time of the money which would be pumped in by the US to rebuild the economy over the coming years and provide him with shiny new equipment. Thanks

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    Quote Originally Posted by silva View Post
    That was an interesting article. I wonder what happened to the Milbro and Diana tooling in Scotland more recently.
    I vaguely remember reading that the machines were dumped in the Firth of Forth! Although I don't remember if it was supposition or based on anything factual. You'd think they'd be worth something as scrap?
    Vintage Airguns Gallery
    ..Above link posted with permission from Gareth W-B
    In British slang an anorak is a person who has a very strong interest in niche subjects.

  6. #6
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    So the report was written by Col. Millard, and the machinery went to Milbro (Millard Brothers)??????? Must be a co-incidence I'm sure. OUCH!! Just bit my tongue in my cheek.

    As an aside, when I worked for LH in the early 80s, there were loads of Dianas which had a grey finish on the metalwork. They were Meyer & Grammelspach. The finish was almost "Gritty" and someone told me it was phosphate. Can anyone cast further light?

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    Quote Originally Posted by markH View Post
    So the report was written by Col. Millard, and the machinery went to Milbro (Millard Brothers)??????? Must be a co-incidence I'm sure. OUCH!! Just bit my tongue in my cheek.

    As an aside, when I worked for LH in the early 80s, there were loads of Dianas which had a grey finish on the metalwork. They were Meyer & Grammelspach. The finish was almost "Gritty" and someone told me it was phosphate. Can anyone cast further light?
    I think Millard's presence is what's called a conflict of interest Mark.

    Covering airguns with phosphate (cadmium?) is an anti-rust measure. Perhaps those M&G rifles were destined for tropical countries?
    Vintage Airguns Gallery
    ..Above link posted with permission from Gareth W-B
    In British slang an anorak is a person who has a very strong interest in niche subjects.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Garvin View Post
    I think Millard's presence is what's called a conflict of interest Mark.
    Or another way of looking at it would be ----- if the the government was going to send a panel of people out to assess the worth of a gun manufacturers machinery, the delegation had better have some gun manufacturers in the team, to use their specialist knowledge. I think the Millard brother in question was a serving army officer in Germany at the time, so happened to be there anyway.

    Doesn't Mr Thrale add to this story in his book on Webley Air Rifles ?

    Lakey

  9. #9
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    It was quite a complicated situation at the time because Milbro were still selling UK made Dianas (Mod 79 and 80 break barrels). M&G were selling air rifles labelled as "Original" over here but they were imported by someone else. The ones we had at Leslie Hewett were "RWS Diana" and were pretty much the same aas the "Originals", with a few differences, e.g. The Diana model 50 had the parkerised finish and the stock was longer than the "Original"....... instead of covering c1/2 the cocking lever It was fully covered, save for the push button release right at the end.

    We also had rimfire target rifles that were labelled RWS Diana.

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