Slinging the Dianas

Luckily, there is no disclaimer for this one! LOL!

​Let's take a break from harmonics and look in detail at ways to sling airguns.

As a custom gunsmith, I am often requested to put sling swivels and add a sling to the package.

When I ask the customer HOW he would like his rifle slings installed, the answer is always: "As always", or "The only way you can do it".

In reality there are two major ways of installing slings in sporting rifles and within those two ways or locations, you can choose between two hardware styles

The first location and indeed common to the edge of being the only one seen commonly in the USA is what we will term the "American Way". And it is basically en evolution of the military form of slinging the bolt actions: Slings go on the bottom of the stock because rifle is always carried muzzle up

But there are other ways of slinging an airgun, for example, the Europeans like to sling some guns on the side:

Reason is simple: This is a "bergstutzen" (literally: mountain carbine), basically a short, light, carbine design, mainly thought for mountain hunting.
When the rifle is carried up and down 99% of the time, the rifle lies flat against the back and provides a much more comfortable "carry".
A slightly better installation (and more expensive), is the "Pachmayr Flush Mount" swivels, not always easy to obtain:

In this type of installation, the sling needs to go into a special swivel that you need to push and turn for it to lock inside the cavity. Once inside it is perfectly secure and can move back and forth, as swivels should, but you can easily remove the swivels and the surface of the gun is as clean as it can be.

These flush-mounted swivels require a special installation tool, and so they are not that popular:

Buying a $100 tool to install one or two slings, is not truly worthwhile for most shooters.

The bronze inserts on the left were made to use the tool to locate more conventional swivel holes.

Of course, you can mix and match, as you see fit:

In this example, the shooter wanted a comfortable way to carry the gun, but still wanted the possibility to use the sling as a "hasty sling" when shooting prone. Something you can easily do with the DIANA 54.

But, ¿what can you do with breakbarrels?, some may ask.

Well, in essence you can choose how to install the rear swivel in any of the two ways: bottom or side, but the front?

This is one way, using a "Magazine Tube" sling, usually employed in Rimfire repeaters to attach the sling swivel to the barrel.
I like to install it as far to the rear as possible, because in that way it interferes the least with the shooting itself.

It does need some care in the installation because there is a hollow screw that attaches the two sides.

I usually install  a thin piece of leather or rubber to protect the finish and also to prevent sliding of the stud along the barrel.

The finished job is quite good and functional because at the rear of the barrel, the pressure or pull on the sling will not open the barrel either.
I always recommend a muzzle down carry with this method, but it is not always possible to do it comfortably if the customer chooses the bottom installation of the rear swivel.

The other option for break barrels is to simply replace one of the front stock screws by a stud.

Even though this picture is from a Stutzen, the same technique can be used for the 34 and other DIANA's with side mounted stock screws.

As you can see, it is not difficult to sling an airgun, you just need to be a little ingenious.

:-)

Keep well and shoot straight!






​HM