Every now and then you find one of those off-the-beaten-path types of airguns which are just plain fun to shoot. Even fun to look at. They may not be the best for one thing or another but they have something... unique. The Diana 46 is one of those airguns. Its got a hooded breech which means its not as efficient as, say the 460. Its not as air efficient as the break barrel Dianas either. But its got its good sides.

Its a slightly mid powered underlever, so its got that fixed barrel thing going for it (in the immortal words of the groundskeeper in the movie Caddyshack). The hooded breech lets you load a pellet any time you like without cocking the rifle. Another kind of cool feature. Beautiful stock too.

More importantly this rifle seems to be very accurate. How accurate, I'll find out this spring. Its got potential. Its sharp at ten meters but that doesn't really tell you much. I would like to be able to use it for longer distances sans scope but those open sights coud be a lot better. I think they hinder what it could be capable of without a looking glass.

So its not a perfect rifle. Too often you see people spending lots of money getting some group-think airgun super tuned only to sell it not long afterwards. Didn't meet some expectation. No, I don't think the best airguns are "perfect". If they were we'd all own a mere handful of "perfect" airguns and shun the rest.

I have to believe we take a certain air rifle and for whatever reason we glom onto it despite its shortcomings. We shoot the heck out of the thing even though there are... better airguns in our arsenals. I don't know why we do it but we do and its alright. Probably more common than we realize. Some less than perfect airgun gets all the use and enjoyment while the massaged greats we scoured the classifieds for sit and wait for their turns, only to be passed over again and again.

So what then, defines the perfect airgun? I think its the one that you never have to think hard about grabbing on the way to the range or the field. Its not the queen of the ball or the bicep flexing machine. Its the one you use because its accurate enough and dinging it won't put you in a funk.

My shooting situations put me in some difficult positions. Crawling through barns, traipsing through woods. Skulking around outbuildings on working farms with dogs and cats pacing me through the networks of gravel paths between them. Sometimes its just not worth the absent minded bump or scrape to take something really nice into those areas. And the dust gets into everything.

No, the perfect airgun lets you carry it to the hunt. It doesn't mind leaning against a post or laying in the bed of a rusted out shell off the back of a 1947 pickup. Its a hunting companion. Those marks are signs of character and they bear stories.

Just ask the kid to whom you told about an entire hunt, wrapped in the reason for that gouge just ahead of the trigger guard. That rifle you used may not be your perfect airgun but to that kid, well... That's the only airgun he sees when he imagines himself doing what you shared with him with that gleam in your eye.

Harv

Harvey thats how I feel about that 46e I bought and if I do my part at 16 yards inside as pour of a shooter as I am I can put a pellet in a pellet and its happened more than once. The groups are normally with in a three quarter inch bulls eye. There is no dought in my mined that Im the weak link with this rifle. Looking forward to warmer weather to be able to shoot at longer distances out side as well. Marvin

oddball, lowly, cheapo, turdish, quirky, whatever! Yet one finds
one's self somehow digging, kinda liking to even loving the 'thing'!
Heck even defending it and not giving a sh*t what the cool, popular,
airgun guruish or godish guys say about it. It's evidently doing us
right or close enough so we shoot it and keep on grabbing it to shoot
it some more. We may or may not tweak and mod it but we hang onto it
and keep on using/shooting it. We may sell some popular and classy
airguns but we don't sell that 'thing'! LOL

My IZH MP513M .22 is definitely a bit oddball among break-barrel
springers but it's so sturdy, light, powerful and accurate that I
can't help but like it. Also it's a useful springer training aid
because if a fella can handle it and shoot it accurately he can
surely do well with any springer.

I've owned a Theoben SLR98, AA TX200 HC, Webley Patriot, Webley
Tomahawk, Webley Longbow, Weihrauch/Beeman RX1/HW80, Diana 350M
and many other airguns that are no longer in my 'airsenal'. It was
useful, airgun educational and fun and I liked more than a few of
those guns.

Nowadays I am pretty much a "springer guy", a "carbine, mini-carbine
and pistol guy", a "keeping the 'airsenal' small guy" and a "it doesn't
have to be popular and classy guy". Also a "don't go goofy over fancy
ass pellets, airgun accessories and expensive scopes and other sh*t guy".

I'm back and down to shooting and enjoying my few airguns more than anything
else 'airgunwise'. Just like in boyhood only I know more about it than I did
back then. When I get deep into the shooting all the "airgun sh*t" or all the
sh*t in the game fades away and I'm back being that boy just shooting away
and really enjoying myself. Enjoying myself with a oddball, a cheapo, a turd,
a non snobby, snooty, high classy airgun.

Herb

Harve wrote:
<---the perfect airgun lets you carry it to the hunt. It doesn't mind leaning against a post or laying in the bed of a rusted out shell of the back of a 1947 pickup. Its a hunting companion. Those marks are signs of character and they bear stories.>

A great truth poetically stated! "Yu' dun gud Harve"! A more than adequate reaon why our wives chose to marry us as well. Being a certifiable contrarian and curmudgeon I am attracted to the orphans, discards and the red-headed stepchildren of airgunning. Which explains why current projects include Turkish Daisy, Baikal 512M, Daisy/Milbro 250, various early Crosman760s and a pair of Daisy880s. Waiting in the wings for attention is my 1st airgun, a Crosman 101, my all-time favorite 1400, a new M-34, a B-18 and bevy of assorted sad 140s as well as several experimental guns awaiting parts from various venues.

Herb wrote:
<oddball, lowly, cheapo, turdish, quirky, whatever! Yet one finds one's self somehow digging, kinda liking to even loving the 'thing'! ---We may or may not tweak and mod it but we hang onto it and keep on using/shooting it. We may sell some popular and classyairguns but we don't sell that 'thing'.--- I'm back and down to shooting--my few airguns---Just like in boyhood only I know more about it than I did back then.---Enjoying myself with a oddball, ---a non snobby---airgun.>

While I am returning to my roots with various domestic MSPs. I simply love blueprinting them to challenge the imports. Despite all of the Euro-centric twaddle from ARH & Beeman and other worshippers at the shrine of imports we had it far better than we knew. The old Crosmans, Benjamins and Sheridans were entirely capable of holding their own as field guns and I take great pleasure in bringing them up to the standards envisaged by their designers. Even in the era of the Chrony Wars they can hold their heads up when the rough production edges are knocked off through a bit of TLC and careful adjustment. At 4 1/2-5 1/2# they are more carry friendly than the lightest springer that can produce similar power. While I see posts regularly from those seeking a springer suitable for both backpacking and putting meat on the campfire the truth is that a good Benjamin 312/342 will do the job better at a much friendlier weight. The simplest things often simply work.
Or that's the opinion of one man who has tried the gamut. Tom @ Buzzard Bluff

I like this bit of writing you did Harv. And I believe it all to be true.

I try to keep sight of what it is I love about this sport. Much of that is in how we share the experience.

Harv