I am really a Diana fan; Iīve got many different models.But I started to pay attention to the Weihrauch rifles, particularly to the gasram HW 90.
A US airgun dealer recommended me the RX-2, what is essencially a Weihrauch, but I didnīt like itīs stock. I like the classic german style of the Weihrauchīs, so finally I bought a HW 90.
I shooted it for 1 month, and these are my feelings when I compared it with my Diana 350 magnum:
Appearance: the 350 looks more elegant, gracile and sleek. The HW 90 looks good anyway , but more like a strong german tank.
Weight: the HW 90 is slightly more heavier than the M 350.
Quality: both are of very good quality, but the HW 90 show a more solid construction and a higher quality details.
Power: in my hands, the Magnum 350 develops a little more power. With 14 gr pellets, 270 mts/s for the M 350 and 255 mts/s for the HW 90.
Noise: the M 350 is more noisy than the HW 90.
Cocking: the HW 90 is quite more hard to cocke than the 350. I would say that this should be an issue for people than donīt like the airguns hard to cock. The HW 90 is really hard. The 350 is not that bad.
Recoil: the Magnum 350 show a remarkable recoil, but without vibrations. This demands extra techniques to have accuracy.Anyway, I like the recoil !. The problem with this is the difficulty to keep the zero with the scopes. The magnum can break even Leupolds.
On the other hand, the recoil of the HW 90 is very weak, I would say weaker than my Diana 28 !.I put a Jim Maccariīs Geholdt&Reuss scope ( thanks Marcelo !) in the HW 90, and it keeps the zero for hundreds of shots.
Accuracy: shooting with support, definitively the HW 90 is more accurate than the Magnum 350. Hunting in the field there is still a slight advantage for the HW 90. The Magnum 350 shoots with a "jump", but with a proper technique, can be also very accurate.
Appropiate pellets: the JSB Exact 5,52 are really wonderful for both !
Joris, thanks for your letter. When I was 13, I couldnīt sleep too, after watching a Diana 35 in a store....
I would like to hear another opinions about gasrams vs high power springers.
I own three gas rams, a Cro Magnum .20 cal., an R-1 Laser MK III .20 cal., and an RX-2 .22 cal. I also have a bunch of springers which are equally powerfull. The two types are quite different. The gas rams have a short and very different shot cycle i.e. much quicker. However quickness is not the sole criteria that I would use to judge these air rifles. My Whiscombe JW-80 MK III is not as shot cycle quick as the gas rams, but I prefer its cycle. Of the three Dianas that I have in this power range, 48, 52 Deluxe, and 54, I like the shot cycle the least of the 54. Another springer available is the Webley Timmahawk. It has a brutal shot cycle and sent a brand new Swift scope to the Happy Hunting Grounds after just 15 shots.
Like you, I'm a big Diana fan and have many. I like their appearance vs. the Weihrauchs and am considering purchasing a 350 at the moment.
chasm
P.S. Sorry about the World Cup. We were in Italy last week and thought that Argentina should have gone further. cm
Hi Chasm, where are you from ?. In the past I tend to think more in good or bad scopes; now, as you well stated, I also consider the recoil, which I supose itīs the same than the shot cycle, or related to it.
What I hate is that scopes companies do advertising and claims that their products are fine for big springers, and many times this is not true. TODAY I brake a Leupold EFR in a Diana 45 .177, after sending it to Leupold company two times before to be fixed !.
Regarding the World cup....Italians are always candidates
I'm in Texas, USA. Never busted a Leupold, but have busted others. We travel a bunch and may be in your neck of the woods soon. We were in Italy, my ancestery, last week so I was happy with the World Cup outcome. Jane, my wife, is a breast surgeon, which affords us opportunities to visit interesting places.
This is really funny; Iīve just been in Texas 1 month ago, visiting friends in Texas A&M University. And have a colleague in Austin....world is becoming very small...
Iīm really angry with Leupold products, and their attitude; I send the scopes to fix, and they simple brake again and again.
Do you know the pressure level of your HW90 ?
It seems that they are often pumped to 28 bar, when new, but they shoot best at about 22-24 bar. They should deliver some 20+ fpe (.22) at this level.
There is a label in my HW 90 where says that the pressure is 26 bar, but I did not check it. The Canadian store that sold me the gun, tried several HW 90īs, and they shotted with the same velocity.
I donīt want to drop the pressure and power of my Weihrauch because I feel that with this pressure is shooting very accurate, and donīt want to loose power because I mainly use it for hunting.
Iīm not either 13; Iīm 52, but fortunatly keeping very enthusiastic with this wonderful hobby.
I'm from Belgian, the Dutch-speaking part of it.
Geeez, you're even older than I am
I got interested in airguns last august (2005) with a Diana 27 .177 and it's really bad.
My guns I like most are:
- Diana 24 .22 (plinking and general shooting. Accurate and relaxing)
- Weihrauch 77K .25 (now, THIS is fun to shoot)
- Diana 350 .22 (bought last week and I like it a lot)
My other guns like the Weihrauchs 97 and 50S, the Dianas 34, 27 and 25 are liked too, but the three on top are the absolute favorites)
I spend more time with airguns than I ever spent with centerfire rifles or my Colts.
The reason may be that airguns are more shootable: you can shoot them in your house or basement. You can't do that with a 7x64 or a .38 special. Also, there is more tinkering to it: you can replace springs, seals, guides,... So there is more to the hobby than just shooting. I never replaced any parts with any of my "powder-burners".
Back to your HW90: it seems that the unadjustable US-version, the Beeman RX2, is at 24 bar, and some at 22 bar. (Information coming from the Yellow Forum from Russell Best and others).
Keep well and sorry for not having won the football.
I had to send it for warranty work to the States both times. The latest time it was replaced with their new ULTRALIGHT V-II version, which seems to be holding quite well on my Diana 27, so far.
Has anyone tried the Leupold 6-20x40 EFR, on a springer?
Joris, I love airguns because I learned about them when I was very young, and I keep very nice remembrances of hunting free in the forests and mountains, alone, for hours and hours.The difference with the firearms, is that shooting and hunting with airguns is more like an art, an artesanal activity.
I guess that you bought a lot of airguns in just few months !. Mi guns are: Diana 350 .22, Diana 45 .22 ( old model 1986 with leather seal ), Diana 45 .177, Diana 36 .22, Diana 28 .22, Gamo Hunter 440 .22, Weihrauch 90 .22, Mahely Master .177 ( Argentinian ), Mahely Menaldi .22, Mahely Junior .177 and Kafema .177 (argentinian.)
I can imagine that you follow all the games of Justine Henin !
Even though I'm Belgian, I'm not really a big fan of Justine Henin as she's not pretty
I know this may sound weird...
Teotimo, that second 45 you have, is that the recent model ? Friend of mine is planning to buy a new 45 or 38 and we were wondering whether it would shoot smoother than the standard 34 because of the added weight, other stock and recoil pad.
Teotimo, it seems you are one of the very very few who have a 28 (.22)
Can you please tell me what velocity and energy you are getting out of this pretty gun ?
I held one recently in a gunshop and was pleasantly surprised with it's beautiful stock. It looks like a sweet shooter.
Kind regards,
Joris
Henin. Yesterday I saw a movie with Vivica A. Fox. She is gorgeous ... Henin isn't. Please don't think all Belgians are that ugly. please
Never mind that, Teo, I am from Greece but I live in France, aged 49. The Leupy broke on my Maccari-tuned Diana Mod. 25 (not on a 27)! Twice! Gosh I am a liability to them, not an asset
I like your .22 cal. air rifle collection. I've been trying to create a system airgun battery with both .177 cal. and .22 cal. barrels. I have just managed to get a Diana 27 .22 cal. bbl (barrel blank), but it is not suitable for my 1970-vintage 27, but for the later Mod. 27S. So, now I am back to square one as I need a .22 cal. barrel for:
Diana 25 (made in 1964)
Diana 25D (made in 1973)
Diana 27 (made in 1970)
and
Diana 35 (made in 1968)
I also have a Diana Mod. 60 for precision 10m competition (which I like better than the single-stroke pneumatic Feinwerkbau 601). But this is strictly .177 cal.
I also have a Gamo 2100 EXPO air rifle and a Walther LP-53 air pistol, which I shoot offhand at Coke cans @ 50 meters! Great practice for my Standard Pistol (.22 Long Rifle shot at 25 meters) competion. Since I got to practice w/the LP-53 at home, I managed to move my scores from 460/600 to 514/600
I've always been a big Diana fan. I have many. My favorites are: 27, 34 Special Edition (full length stock forearm and rubber butt pad), 34 SS, 35, 38, 45 (old version), 50, 52 Deluxe, 66, and 75. No pistols. I have sold off several and am thinking about selling some more, but not any of those listed here.
At the SHOT SHOW this year in Las Vegas I met a man from RWS who told me that he owns one of everything that Diana has ever manufactured. Must be a very nice collection.
I recently came across a Diana 45 with a non-removable (ribbed, grayish tunnel) and a beautiful stock. The scope rail is of top quality as both ends are supported by a "bulge" on the receiver. Is this the same Diana Mod. 45 you have?
I am asking because I was wondering if the the non-removable front sight interfers with the scope sight picture.
Old vs. new 45's to me is the difference between those with a pin thru the stock above the trigger group (old) as opposed to those w/o that pin (new). I believe that the newer ones are the same mechanically as the 34/36/38. The older ones feel entirely different when cocking, much more solid. HTH
Yep, I think that the old Diana Mod. 45 I was referring has the "pin through the stock above the trigger group", which the newer model doesn't.
Hoe about the front sight (foresight in UK English gun terminology)? Does it get in the way of a scope? It is fixed on the old 45 models, while later ones allowed it to be removed via work (grub) screws on either side.
I have a 2-7 AO BSA scope (RWS C mount) on my older Diana 45. The front sight is easily removable by means of a screw and when in place does not show up in the scope picture at any magnification 4 power or higher. I can see the front sight vaguely at 3 power and more distinctly at 2 power. HTH
Yep, I think that the old Diana Mod. 45 I was referring has the "pin through the stock above the trigger group", which the newer model doesn't.
Hoe about the front sight (foresight in UK English gun terminology)? Does it get in the way of a scope? It is fixed on the old 45 models, while later ones allowed it to be removed via worm (grub) screws on either side.
Hi
I have had a few Diana/Original guns.They are well made.
Here in England with have a power limit if 12 ftb.So the HW90 & 90K have a shorter piston stroke .In other countries the piston stoke is 1cm longer.
If the gasram pressure is increased more than 28 bar the plastic piston will melt and in England such a power increas could mean going to gaol (jail) !
I have fitted a Dampmount for my telescopic sight which has prtected it from any damage or movement.
The scope is an import and called a Hawke here.It is 6x 42 with Mildots.
The rifle is very accurate out to 55 metres/ 60 Yards and will give clean kills on Rabbits through the head or shoulders.
Graham
Hi
I have had a few Diana/Original guns.They are well made.
Here in England with have a power limit if 12 ftb.So the HW90 & 90K have a shorter piston stroke .In other countries the piston stoke is 1cm longer.
If the gasram pressure is increased more than 28 bar the plastic piston will melt and in England such a power increas could mean going to gaol (jail) !
I have fitted a Dampmount for my telescopic sight which has prtected it from any damage or movement.
The scope is an import and called a Hawke here.It is 6x 42 with Mildots.
The rifle is very accurate out to 55 metres/ 60 Yards and will give clean kills on Rabbits through the head or shoulders.
Graham
