Thanks firstly to Grant in New Zealand for the Repair Manual Scan. This gun wasn't very complicated but I didn't know where to start. His scan pointed out a tiny lockring on the trigger housing pin which is where you need to start the stripdown.

The gun shot 800fps when I got it, but it was very loud and twangy. I bought a new spring but decided that I didn't need all that power. All I wanted was a nice, classic shooter that could hit aspirins at 10 meters, in total silence, so I don't wake the dog. All I've got in the garage is 8m anyway.

Once I broke it down, I sliced 6 coils from the new, stock spring. I bought a new seal as well, but the gun didn't need it. The original was nicely worn in and came out great with a good Silicone and Moly slush soaking. It's better than neatsfoot. Especially considering we are fresh out of neats in Virginia. I like to burnish the cylinder with Moly. The seal loves to ride on that.

I also chuck the piston in a drill press and polish the runners mirror smooth with crocus cloth.



This is the finished spring. I use a rubber wheel, chuck the spring in my vise, then grind away slowly, quenching often to keep the spring temper. Then you must pinch in the coil a bit with channelocks, then grind a square angle.




Keep an angle on the end and don't burn the steel. This Diana has a great piston cover which fits over the spring nicely. I added brass washers in front of the spring, up front, to make up for the spring slice. I don't think it will cant.



The trigger is built like a brick shiphouse. It's not a Rekord, but I used a lot of hard stone on the sear and levers. Then, soaked in degreaser, dried, and squirted in several drops of a moly/rws-spring-oil-slurry. Nice stuff.




Trigger is down to 2lbs with a very generous first stage and a crisp letoff. There's that little, f$%&ing lockring. Take that off, push out the pin then remove the whole trigger group. Now, you can get to the spring.



Lots of spring tar and moly. I don't care about slowing it down, I want it quiet and smooth. If I want power, I got a .303 British.

I put the compressor right on the safety. It's like Glock plastic, indestructible stuff.



One does not live by spring alone. Time so far was like 45 minutes. It was hot and I needed a Bass and a few puffs of off the briar. This was not an HW tune by any means. I took an hour and a half. Primitive trigger but well machined. Lots of little things to polish, line up and moly though. That bottlecap will be a 30m backyard target tomorrow morning.



This thing now hits aspirins stuck on double stick electrical tape, offhand, whisper quiet, at 8m, with irons, and the dog sleeps right through it.

600fpm and 17 lbs of cocking effort.







Think Straight, Talk Straight

Great post. Thanks for your efforts.
Chris

I finished the gun late last night. After tuning, I could only get in a few dozen shots in the garage so I could only test at 8 metres. It was indeed vaporizing the Rite Aid aspirins I use for targets and when I stick them on the electrical tape, the black background makes for excellent resolution.

This morning I set up some charcoal briquets at 35 meters and the 45 was pulverizing them regularly. Some of you were concerned about slicing the spring on a classic gun like this. I sliced the new spring, I kept the original untouched and in the spares box.

What I like about this rifle, just like my detuned Diana 46 is the light cocking effort and almost silent shooting cycle. Since I don't hunt anymore, nor shoot beyond 40 yards, I don't need magnum power. These rifles have the same speed and accuracy of my R7's and HW30S, yet offer a little more heft which I like for offhand shooting. I also like to shoot these with the original iron sights to keep my eyes in shape. I'll probably add a peep sight to the 46 in the near future.



This was a great way to spend my Saturday night. I must be getting old.

Think Straight, Talk Straight