The Lesser Spotted Original/Diana 35

[I. J.]

When I was younger (yes, I was once young ) I lusted after my mates Original 35. It wasn't exactly a 'dustbin killer' but boy was he accurate with it. Ive often seen him hitting (empty) 12B cases beyond 30 yards, standing.
The '35 is a rifle not often tuned and sorted so it will be interesting to see what improvements over standard you can make.

I also have a tatty .177 version that I will get around to sorting and advertising on here when I get a round tuit.

[T 20]

When I was younger (yes, I was once young ) I lusted after my mates Original 35. It wasn't exactly a 'dustbin killer' but boy was he accurate with it. Ive often seen him hitting (empty) 12B cases beyond 30 yards, standing.
The '35 is a rifle not often tuned and sorted so it will be interesting to see what improvements over standard you can make.

Yes, that's about the same story as me Ian, my best mate, Andy, had a 35 and could hit anything he aimed at, but unfortunately Andy died in an horrific car crash in the early 1980s which is part of the reason why I wanted one.

For a quick tune, (though nothing's carved in stone) I'm looking at fitting a synthetic seal, longstroking the piston a tad and sleeving the transfer port down --- so nothing too drastic.
There is one thing I've read on here that points to the main problem of getting power out of an Original 35 but I need to get inside mine first to find out if this info is correct or not.

Before I do all that I'm going to make my very first spring compressor so I don't lose my balls.



All the best Mick

[TonyL]

Yes, for me, also, the Original 35 was one of the more "exotic" German rifles brought to the fore by the advent of Airgun World that I would have loved to have owned back then.


Another project to follow with interest.

[TonyL]

The '35 is a rifle not often tuned and sorted so it will be interesting to see what improvements over standard you can make.

.

For a quick tune, (though nothing's carved in stone) I'm looking at fitting a synthetic seal, longstroking the piston a tad and sleeving the transfer port down --- so nothing too drastic.
There is one thing I've read on here that points to the main problem of getting power out of an Original 35 but I need to get inside mine first to find out if this info is correct or not.

Before I do all that I'm going to make my very first spring compressor so I don't lose my balls. :

All the best Mick

Yes, I guess the awkward and fiddly nature (perceived or otherwise) of stripping / replacing those trigger balls will have put many of working on these rifles. I'm sure I've read in places that using grease to retain those balls when rebuilding helps immensely.

[T 20]

Yes, I guess the awkward and fiddly nature (perceived or otherwise) of stripping / replacing those trigger balls will have put many of working on these rifles. I'm sure I've read in places that using grease to retain those balls when rebuilding helps immensely.

Yes Tony,

I always grease my balls when working on a Diana.

[evert]

Greasy balls or not, some interesting info on Diana 35 tuning came up in this thread (you probably read it Mick):
https://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread...5-power-dreams

[Bluefan]

Yes Tony,

I always grease my balls when working on a Diana.

Been waiting for that

[T 20]

Been waiting for that

It's the law, Gav.

Even if you're working on a Diana with a T06 trigger you have to grease your balls.


I like to use the thickest stickiest grease I can get to hold my balls in, so I use this :-


image.jpg


Which I've also used sparingly on springs for a few years now as well --- it doesn't move far.




All the best Mick

[TonyL]

image.jpg


Which I've also used sparingly on springs for a few years now as well --- it doesn't move far.




All the best Mick

YAY!

Moly grease and springs; two of my favourite subjects. BOING!

[T 20]

Your ventures into the polyorchidism nature of the D35 trigger mech will be of great interest Mick if it indeed has 3 balls

Fully greased up pictures will give a new meaning to air gun porn

And I think a parody of the song ( My chocolate salty balls ) will be a fitting end to this D35 project

All the best

John

Well I've just said sod the spring compressor, stripped the beast and managed to hold on to my balls.

Piston bore is 28mm

Piston stroke is 69mm

Piston weight is 237grams

Transfer port is 4mm X 19.2mm

Cocking arm free play = 3mm

Max stroke length = +10mm

The removed Spring appears to be the original factory Item of 33 coils of 3.1mm wire.

Other things of note is that the piston body is cheap and nasty and has two cocking lever slots --- 180 degrees out.

The compression part of the cylinder seems to be well made and all good but the open part of the cylinder has been distorted by the spot welds for the scope rail to the extent that the piston catches on them.

Something else which is a bit weird is that the dimensions I've taken from the D35 are pretty close to that of a HW35, in fact the transfer port is identical.
The only things that are slightly different are the swept volume, D35 = 42cc, HW35 = 46cc, and the D35 piston is lighter than the HW35 piston.

So my plan of attack stays the same, more stroke and sleeve the transfer port down, but now I'm thinking of adding some weight to the piston.

Weighing a Mercury piston earlier showed that they weigh in at 300grams at about the same bore and stroke as the D35 and I find that they make 12 easily on a shorter Spring, so the D35 piston's light weight could be the key to their lack of power ?

I'll have a little think on it now.




All the best Mick

[TonyL]

Well, after reading that little lot I don't feel so bad about missing out on one now.

[T 20]

Well, after reading that little lot I don't feel so bad about missing out on one now.

It's really not that bad, Tone.

The more Pistons I weigh out of my spares pile, the more I'm convinced that the D35's piston weight is an issue.

Diana 52 piston = 300 grams.
Webley Vulcan piston = 270grams.
Pre war D35 piston = 250grams
MK2 Airsporter piston = 307grams.

So with the D35's piston weighing in at @ 240grams I reckon I could start off by adding at least 40-50grams in weight to it then use a lot less Spring than it came with.


Anyway I'll carry on thinking, I may be best to just rip my 11+ftlbs Mercury apart and replicate the internal dimension in the D35 --- it would save a lot of messing about.




All the best Mick

[Troubledshooter]

In the mid seventies I PX'd my 1973 BSA Scorpion pistol for an Original 35, as a friend at the time lived in the country and was having problems with squidgers raiding his hen enclosure and snaffling the eggs, so control was needed.
I only used the open sights on the 35 and have to agree as to it's accuracy, accounting for quite a few squidgers in the process.

[GS747]

My brother had one of these when we were kids,and he let me have a go of it once in a while.
Just shooting tins out in the garden,and old toys etc
I'm sure he kept it for a long time,and not sure if he still has it.