Hello:
I have just created this account for the purpose of determining the possible year of manufacture of my Geco 25D. The rifle was a gift from my father in 1978. Since then I have kept it in excellent condition. Currently I am training my 10 year old daughter with it (getting her ready for the 30-06 at 200 yards). Looking at the receiver the other day she said "look daddy Made in Germany". Being an antique collector it had suddenly dawned on me that that's prewar talk. Unfortunately my (a German immigrant) father is long gone but I remember him describing it as a very special item. Essentially my question is weather or not it is pre or post war. Do I place it in the cabinet with my Mauser 98K and Gewehr collection or in the closet with the G3, SKS and the AK.
Thanks
Ray

If it actually has the model number "25D" on it, then it's a post-WW2 gun with the adjustable ball-sear trigger (identifiable by two screws in the trigger blade). The gun was also available with a simpler trigger, as the plain model 25, without the "D" on there. The pre-war gun was a different design, though similar in size and appearance.

I'm not positive, but I don't think Diana took over the Geco trade name until after the war either. Before the Great Unpleasantness the name belonged to another company.

Diana guns usually have a 4-digit date stamp on the left rear receiver, but guns made in the 50's do not, and many Geco-stamped guns I've seen don't, either.

If it has a solid aluminum trigger and no scope rail, it was made before about 1964. If it has a blued stamped-steel trigger and a scope rail, it was made after that.

If you could post a photo, ar give a more detailed description of the stock, trigger, and sights, we could probably narrow it down further.

I have a four pre-war Dianas, which are very sparing when it comes to markings. They don't say "Made in Germany," or much of anything else beyond the Diana logo, sometimes a date stamp, and tiny proof marks hidden by the stock. They don't even have a model number.

I also have two early Diana model 50's, from the mid-1950's. The newer one says "Made in Germany" (no mention of West Germany) but this is absent from the older example. (The "Made in Germany" line was added to distinguish the guns from Diana-marked airguns then being made by Milbro in Scotland, on pre-war German tooling! German-made guns sold in British-controlled markets had to use the brand name "Original" instead of "Diana").

This reinforces my idea that your gun is a postwar example, but I would love to learn more about it. I've been wrong before!

Thanks for responding:
Yes it has the blued trigger with screws, a scope rail and no date on the side. It just seemed a little odd to me that they would not specify West like everyone else. The next chance I get I will post a photo. Sitting here at work I'm not able to recall specifically but there is a single letter stamped on the barrel shank area and a proof mark somewhere as well. Would any of that be a good reference for more accurate dating?

Definitely a postwar rifle. Near-identical model 25's and 25D's were made from the mid-60's changes, to the end of production in the early 80's.

I would be interested to know what the marks are, but I won't promise I can tell much!

The gun may bear an "F-in-pentagon" marking which is not a proof, but confirms that it conforms with the power limits set forth in German law in the early 70's. If there is a serial number that may bear a clue to the date.

Other Dianas of this era typically bear the date stamp and a serial,...but I used to have a Geco model 27 that had neither. Perhaps this is normal for that brand name.

Diana is infamous for using different trademarks for various legal and marketing reasons. Near-identical airguns can be found bearing the names Diana, Original, Geco, Gecado, Peerless, Hy-Score, Beeman, Beeman's Original, Winchester, RWS and probably more!

With the exception of 'Original' as used for the UK market, the various trademarks were commissioned by trading outfits, not chosen by the Diana folks. As I recall, both 'Geco' and 'Gecado' were the August Genschow distribution house, akin to 'Peerless' as used by Stoeger's.