Diana 54 unknown screw

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M38A1

M38A1

Member
Oct 3, 2022
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Austin, TX, US
Hi all!
First post here on the recommendation from a friend who happens to be a member here and we both moderate another forum together.

I recently acquired a Diana 54 Air King T05 in .177. I'm new to this particular model knowing zero about it other than the price was right for some fun - $150. I asked to test shoot the gun prior to purchase and the first shot went off like I expected albeit a lot louder than anticipated. Second shot took some fiddling with getting it to fire. I wiggled the safety, possibly re-cocked (i honestly don't recall) and got the second shot off. That's when I noticed the screw on the table what wasn't there before that second shot. I wound up purchasing it for $100 with that condition and a sloppy cocking lever.

Having poured over the D54 schematics, more specifically the trigger assembly, I just can't put my finger on where this came from. I performed a thorough external inspection and I can't see anything missing from obvious places like front sight, stock mount, trigger guard, scope/base/rings, cocking lever. So my assumption is it came out the gap in the trigger well. Trigger adjustment screw is intact as well. Hmmmmm.....

One suggestion was the scope base screw and I'd tend to agree with that except for the fact I can't fathom how that screw would have been in there and them came out. The scope ring base has it totally covered up.


So..... Any ideas on where this silly thing might have come from?

Here's the screw in question (.177 pellet for reference)
SSS_1147-2.jpg


SSS_1148-2.jpg


IMG_8278.jpg
 
MartyMcFly said:
Good guess, but I think the elevation screw/wheel is flatter and has numbers on it. This looks more like the windage screw in terms of size but still not right. Maybe it’s from the scope rail or cocking lever linkage?

-Marty
Click to expand...
Thx for the input...

This had been suggested on another forum. I'd tend to agree with it other than the pic in my original post and I just can't fathom how if this screw were under the scope rail base, how in the world it 1)ever was there due to it's height, and 2) how it ever came out. That scope rail it tight tight tight.
07-28-08-rifle-base.jpg
 
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If I recall correctly, my 54 has a similar screw on the rear of the scope mount base.

Here's a post I copied from the other airgun forum:

"The screw keeps dirt and foreign matter out of that hole. It was originally put there for a peep sight. You may remove the screw - you will find few Diana airguns which still have theirs. If you can keep from losing it you will be a rare owner indeed. The two scope stop holes should be adequate. Some mounts have two stop screws spaced for these two holes, others have one stop screw. The 54, although recoilless to the shooter has a notoriously harsh recoil to the scope."

My guess is that you have the same screw and that it managed to wiggle out from under a recess in your rear mount. I wouldn't worry about it.
 
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I just took a quick look at mine. No such screw. All the external screws are of a Phillips head type, ie cross slot. and definetely not in the scope base as they are Phillips type also. I have an Anschutz diopter on and it covers the rear and there is no screw above the top surface of the mount, anything there would not allow placement of my diopter sight. My gun is new, less than a year old,
 
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M38A1 said:
Thx for the input...

This had been suggested on another forum. I'd tend to agree with it other than the pic in my original post and I just can't fathom how if this screw were under the scope rail base, how in the world it 1)ever was there due to it's height, and 2) how it ever came out. That scope rail it tight tight tight.
View attachment 294761
Click to expand...
I guess that could be coincidence screw used for a scope stop..
 
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Just looked my 54 over and the only screw that looks like it ,externally is the front stock screw but your screw is very short ?
Other than that it may just have been a screw that has nothing to do with this gun , something dropped and lodged on the scope platform ?
, trigger area ? just fell while handling ?

just now looking at the above picture i agree it is the scope stop screw , maybe it was sitting in between the scope rail risers ?
 
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I guess the rws/diana rail aint the most robust around.. the best is guys trying to unscrew it and discover thete not screws but Phillips head rivets or some teason bradded in.. then there receiver is messed up.

Found this, somthing like it may be the way to go

www.pyramydair.com

Leapers base for RWS Diana rifles – Part 1How we began | Pyramyd Air Gun Blog

B.B. blog post titled Leapers base for RWS Diana rifles – Part 1How we began explores new information, history, tips and tricks at Pyramyd Air.
www.pyramydair.com
 
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Windmill01 said:
Welcome to the forum. Have you taken the scope etc off the rail to verify ?
Click to expand...
Thank you.

No, I've not removed the scope from the rail at this point. Just looking at the rail, there's no way that screw could have been in place there. Down below a post or two from here is FixedFlingers image. That gives you an idea of the size of the screw in addition to the ones I posted earlier with a .177 pellet for scale.

I'll post a few pictures of my rail/scope in a few minutes for reference.
 
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phillip said:
If I recall correctly, my 54 has a similar screw on the rear of the scope mount base.

Here's a post I copied from the other airgun forum:

"The screw keeps dirt and foreign matter out of that hole. It was originally put there for a peep sight. You may remove the screw - you will find few Diana airguns which still have theirs. If you can keep from losing it you will be a rare owner indeed. The two scope stop holes should be adequate. Some mounts have two stop screws spaced for these two holes, others have one stop screw. The 54, although recoilless to the shooter has a notoriously harsh recoil to the scope."

My guess is that you have the same screw and that it managed to wiggle out from under a recess in your rear mount. I wouldn't worry about it.
Click to expand...
I'm really leaning towards this thought at the moment.

I'm wondering with my rings on that rail and the ring base so far back if this screw wasn't taped or somehow affixed on the gun and I didn't notice it. But I've not found any tape!

Look below for a few more images of my rings/base/rail... I'll have those up in a minute or three.
 
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Fixedflinger said:
It is a scope stop screw, here's mine almost broken off.
View attachment 294788
Click to expand...
I'm really thinking this is what we're all trying to figure out. That screw looks identical to mine. And there's some buggered threads on it along with a worn spot on the head side. Based on the picture above, that would make sense. A prior owner used that plug hole as a scope stop, the recoil beat the screw to death, buggered the threads and put a wear mark on the rim of the head where it was in contact with the scope base.

Give me a few minutes to get some images captured and posted so stay tuned!
 
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OK, hopefully here's a couple images of what my setup is..... The scope base is really far back on the rail so there's little opportunity for that screw to have been in place. Two shots to show the clearance issue. So this would lead me to believe the screw wasn't there installed in that hole. I measured it and the diameter of the head is .29" and it's .12" thick. FixedFlinger - can you measure either of those dimensions on yours for confirmation it's the same screw?

IMG_8282.jpg



IMG_8283.jpg




Man, this just keeps going down rabbit holes and I appreciate EVERY response. Really do.....
 
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I can tell you that the above statement about where that screw is supposed to go is correct.

It is NOT a scope stop screw, it will snap off like the one in the above picture is about to do, buggering the rail up as it goes.
The appearance of Phillips screw heads in the scope rail is misleading as they are not screws. They are actually rivets holding the rail to the receiver tube. They are wicked tight and you CAN NOT remove them with a screwdriver.
The screw in question is designed and put in that location as a stop for a peep sight. It serves to keep the peep from sliding rearward on the rail due to recoil forces.
 
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says: “Note that the large-headed screw at the rear of the scope rail is NOT a scope stop. If you try to use it in that way, it will shear off. I removed that screw to mount the scope on this gun. (It doesn’t hold the rail to the compression tube) before installing the scope mount. Also, never try to remove the hex looking screws on the scope rail – those do hold the rail to the compression tube. They are peened over inside and are meant to never to be removed”. ( Hardair mag)

I knew i seen this somewhere...

Good luck..

th-380077602.jpg
 
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M38A1 said:
I measured it and the diameter of the head is .29" and it's .12" thick. FixedFlinger - can you measure either of those dimensions on yours for confirmation it's the same
Click to expand...
I can't find my caliper, but on a steel rueler your measurements match mine. So it's not a stop screw, but if I don't leave mine in the scope will walk back after a hundred shots or so and even woller out the pin hole for the mount.

20221004_120918.jpg


20221004_120810.jpg

I would think that if you are using a scope then this screw isn't really necessary.

Also a shooting 54 for $100 is a heck of a good deal, congrats on that!
 
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