I'm looking to acquire one of each of these airguns. I'm not very knowledgable on these guns. What are the best variations/years of these guns? Are there variations/years to avoid? I'm not a collector, as such, I've just always wanted one of each. Are there things I should look for or ask the seller about that are peculiar to the specific model ( such as, "weak links". For example; "This model has a history of broken cocking linkages. Make sure you check that the cocking linkage is sound on the gun you're looking at". ). That sort of thing.
Hi, I have both of those fine Diana guns.
The Diana 75 is a recoiless match air rifle.
The Diana X, aalso known as a 10 or Beeman 900 is a recoiless match spring air pistol.
Both are excellent designs.
My Diana 75 is my favorite match rifle and I have several.
Only weak spot on either gun aare seaals and these must be replaaced by a pro airgun smith when they are bad.
I have aa friend who finally bought a FWB 300S and loves it. He also finally bought a Diana 75 and likes it just as much as the 300S. I have both of the guns and prefer the 75 . BUT I wont sell the 300S.
I hope this helps-they are more aaccuraate than I can hold them!!!!
Doug Law
dlaw1940@yahoo.com
Nebraska Airgun Addict
Like Doug said, the Achilles heel of any of the Diana double-piston guns is the original piston seals. They turn to goo over time and the guns must be rebuilt. The current replacement, a blue synthetic material, is vastly superior. So you want to look for a gun that is either recently rebuilt, or so reasonably-priced that you can add the rebuild without breaking the bank (count on $100 to $150 neighborhood for this).
But to answer your original question, I'm not aware of any particularly vintage, or sub-standard model years for these guns, as far as basic function, reliability, and accuracy go. They were pretty high-quality pieces from start to finish.
The early model 10's had a rotating, eccentrically-shaped synthetic sleeve around the rear of the receiver, which allows you to adjust how tightly the gun fits above the web of your thumb. Later guns added additional mounting points for the rear sight toward the rear of the gun, so that this sleeve was replaced by a simple thin clip-on one that does not rotate.
There were quite a few minor mechanical tweaks to the 75 over the years, but the chief variable in the line is the type of stock fitted, and accessories included. There were a couple different styles each of plain match stocks, and adjustable "universal" models, as well as a specialized (and quite rare) running target model. Several different front and rear sights were used, and various models were supplied with sight riser blocks, different assortments of balance weights, etc.