Re-sighting it really, LOL!
One of the pleasures of the professional airgunsmith is that, at times, someone, somewhere, finds something completely unusual and "out of this world", LOL!
This is one of those occasions.
A friend told me he had just acquired "an old DIANA", and that he wanted me to have a "looksie".
Well, we met at our Monday Night shoots and I was taken aback when the old dame came out of the case.
A REALLY OLD DIANA!
I thought to myself: "this is probably the first model to come out with a forearm in the stock"
Well, it seems I was not too off the mark.
After all the admiration, my friend told me that the gun was shooting to the right and up, he had to aim at the lower left corner of the target to hit the bullseye.
Hmmmm, that's not good.
Further, he told me that the sights had no way of adjusting the windage. Hmmmmmm
So, after looking in detail at the rifle, it was clear that the design intention had been to drift the sights to set the windage. The blade had a way to elevate, though a bit primitive, it was used all the way into the year 2k in the DIANA 30 (the shooting gallery/Kermesse gun).
So, that's where that peculiar sight came from!
After a few more words were exchanged, we concentrated on the task at hand (shoot 60 "for score" shots) and once that was done, we all had a long session of shooting the breeze.
When I got home, I put away the gun and during the week, in one of those instants where it seems time has stopped because you are waiting for materials, parts, tools, or "all of the above" to arrive I decided to tackle the "simple" job of re-sighting in the old lady.
In the light of the workshop, daytime, and more awake, I came to realize that for a gun that old it was in amazing state of preservation. Bluing, wood finish, everything was almost pristine.
BUT! Enough words, let's take a look at some pictures:
This is one of those occasions.
A friend told me he had just acquired "an old DIANA", and that he wanted me to have a "looksie".
Well, we met at our Monday Night shoots and I was taken aback when the old dame came out of the case.
A REALLY OLD DIANA!
I thought to myself: "this is probably the first model to come out with a forearm in the stock"
Well, it seems I was not too off the mark.
After all the admiration, my friend told me that the gun was shooting to the right and up, he had to aim at the lower left corner of the target to hit the bullseye.
Hmmmm, that's not good.
Further, he told me that the sights had no way of adjusting the windage. Hmmmmmm
So, after looking in detail at the rifle, it was clear that the design intention had been to drift the sights to set the windage. The blade had a way to elevate, though a bit primitive, it was used all the way into the year 2k in the DIANA 30 (the shooting gallery/Kermesse gun).
So, that's where that peculiar sight came from!
After a few more words were exchanged, we concentrated on the task at hand (shoot 60 "for score" shots) and once that was done, we all had a long session of shooting the breeze.
When I got home, I put away the gun and during the week, in one of those instants where it seems time has stopped because you are waiting for materials, parts, tools, or "all of the above" to arrive I decided to tackle the "simple" job of re-sighting in the old lady.
In the light of the workshop, daytime, and more awake, I came to realize that for a gun that old it was in amazing state of preservation. Bluing, wood finish, everything was almost pristine.
BUT! Enough words, let's take a look at some pictures:
The DIANA 58 in all its splendor
Which is vastly superior to what they offered in the catalog:
There are some small differences, like the ring front sight that is not in the actual sample, and the "handle" of the cocking lever that disappeared, but apart from that it is a proper incarnation of the line drawing.
The "branding" in those days was a bit "Spartan" (or should we say "Laconic"?):
The "branding" in those days was a bit "Spartan" (or should we say "Laconic"?):
No model, no manufacturer, no origin.
Still, simple, elegant, and very clearly legible.
BTW, the rifle has NO OTHER markings.
This is the rear sight:
Still, simple, elegant, and very clearly legible.
BTW, the rifle has NO OTHER markings.
This is the rear sight:
As you can clearly see the dovetail allows for some drifting and the elevation blade runs on the head of the screw. Not a "micrometer visier" but quite serviceable.
There are range markings on the side of this sight (10 to 50, I assume, meters), though not particularly exact/correct, it is a tribute to how something simple can still be effective.
And this is the front sight:
There are range markings on the side of this sight (10 to 50, I assume, meters), though not particularly exact/correct, it is a tribute to how something simple can still be effective.
And this is the front sight:
Again "driftable" in the dovetail.
After a few test targets and some measurements, the results were quite satisfactoyry and I had time to admire the craftsmanship that went into this rifle. Let's look into it in some detail:
After a few test targets and some measurements, the results were quite satisfactoyry and I had time to admire the craftsmanship that went into this rifle. Let's look into it in some detail:
This is where the cocking lever connects to the linkage.
The main screw has a "fixation" screw that can lock the position of the screw every ½ turn. And we need to assume that the axle screw is a "Shoulder screw". Nowadays, the same job is performed by a pin, with or without a head, and one or two E-Clips.
Now, let's move forward a little. This is the lever:
The main screw has a "fixation" screw that can lock the position of the screw every ½ turn. And we need to assume that the axle screw is a "Shoulder screw". Nowadays, the same job is performed by a pin, with or without a head, and one or two E-Clips.
Now, let's move forward a little. This is the lever:
And, if we look at it in detail, we see that it was milled, and even checkered, from solid:
Now let's move back and see how the lever/linkage arrangement gets connected to the mechanisms tube AND at the same time serves as a mounting platform for the tap to load the pellets:
Also note above the distance markings of the rear sight.
In the purest sense of the word in gunsmithing, THIS would be the "receiver ring" because at the front, it receives the barrel and the rear, receives the power source.
Now, we go all the way to the back of the mechanics and we find this:
In the purest sense of the word in gunsmithing, THIS would be the "receiver ring" because at the front, it receives the barrel and the rear, receives the power source.
Now, we go all the way to the back of the mechanics and we find this:
A cocking knob!
That cocked looks like this:
That cocked looks like this:
Because, after you have cocked the spring, and inserted the pellet into the tap, you still have to cock the hammer that strikes the sear that releases the spring.
Safety? Or a simple solution to holding about 200 # of force and releasing them with a gentle trigger squeeze?
¿Both?
We'll never know. It makes the loading cycle complicated, but safe and the trigger pull more than manageable for some precision shooting.
If we go to the stock now and look at the forend:
Safety? Or a simple solution to holding about 200 # of force and releasing them with a gentle trigger squeeze?
¿Both?
We'll never know. It makes the loading cycle complicated, but safe and the trigger pull more than manageable for some precision shooting.
If we go to the stock now and look at the forend:
We find finely grained walnut, well sculpted for the purpose (this is one of those guns where the artillery hold is absolutely indispensable!
And screw cups! If anyone thought it was a modern invention, here is the proof that in the world of guns, there is VERY LITTLE that is truly original and new.
AND, what can we say about the pistol grip?
Extremely "English" in its conception and execution:
And screw cups! If anyone thought it was a modern invention, here is the proof that in the world of guns, there is VERY LITTLE that is truly original and new.
AND, what can we say about the pistol grip?
Extremely "English" in its conception and execution:
Rounded heel, flattened diamonds, double borderline. This pistol grip would be perfectly at home in any high end English Side X Side of the times.
The one "problematic" are this rifle has is where someone (surely an American), decided to use a "tang sight" to shoot longer ranges with more precision than the OEM sights allowed:
The one "problematic" are this rifle has is where someone (surely an American), decided to use a "tang sight" to shoot longer ranges with more precision than the OEM sights allowed:
According to my measurements, these holes can receive exactly the base of a Sharps/Borchardt long range rifle.
Still available, it is not out of the question to get the bases and then add a mid-range sight that would allow the shooter to shoot out to 65-75 yards.
Since the rifle is a 5.5 mm's ("number 2 bore" per the English nomenclature of the time) / 0.22" it is capable of reaching the 55 yards with enough authority to drop the Rams.
Going all the way to the back, the buttplate is a steel plate:
Still available, it is not out of the question to get the bases and then add a mid-range sight that would allow the shooter to shoot out to 65-75 yards.
Since the rifle is a 5.5 mm's ("number 2 bore" per the English nomenclature of the time) / 0.22" it is capable of reaching the 55 yards with enough authority to drop the Rams.
Going all the way to the back, the buttplate is a steel plate:
And again the complete gun:
Shooting a round of 10M MMS (Mexican Metallic Silhouettes), I achieved a 32/40, not a stellar score, and just slightly under the score I would have shot with the K98 S but then the K98 S easily has one of the best sets of notch and bead iron sights in modern airguns ever, and that includes the FWB Sport of modern times.
Point is that the gun is now shooting to POA without any need to do anything to the barrel and using fairly inexpensive Crosman Copperhead Pointed pellets and more reliable/consistent JSB's Express.
All in all a VERY enjoyable excursion through a time machine.
Would it be possible to make an airgun like this today?
Yes, issue here is :
Would anyone buy it at the cost it would imply?
Just taking a SWAG of what a gun like this would cost today: It would run north of $2,500 MSRP. Even using modern CNC machinery and current metals.
Hope you have enjoyed the pictures as much as I enjoyed having that old lady for a short while.
Keep well and shoot straight!
HM
Point is that the gun is now shooting to POA without any need to do anything to the barrel and using fairly inexpensive Crosman Copperhead Pointed pellets and more reliable/consistent JSB's Express.
All in all a VERY enjoyable excursion through a time machine.
Would it be possible to make an airgun like this today?
Yes, issue here is :
Would anyone buy it at the cost it would imply?
Just taking a SWAG of what a gun like this would cost today: It would run north of $2,500 MSRP. Even using modern CNC machinery and current metals.
Hope you have enjoyed the pictures as much as I enjoyed having that old lady for a short while.
Keep well and shoot straight!
HM
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