Diana Diana N-Tec; Anyone still using one?

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BordertownDevil

BordertownDevil

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Sep 17, 2020
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Arizona, United States
As the title suggests, I’m wondering if anyone still has Diana N-Tec gas ram guns in use (target or hunting/pesting). I don’t hear much about them anymore since Diana cooled off of them. I know that replacement gas rams are available for old rifles and are affordable, but I’ve also heard that some shooters have actually converted theirs to spring piston systems instead.

I have an AMO3 Stealth that still shoots great as long as I store her muzzle down (apparently this is the proper way to keep the gas system lubricated???). Still very accurate after having purchased it when it first came out. I’ve recently taken her out of the safe and have been using her lately on pests around the ranchita and she’s been perfect for that.

What’s been your experience with Diana N-Tec rifles/systems? Do you still have one in rotation? How’s it holding up? Have you had to replace the gas piston or have you even converted it to a traditional spring system (I’d LOVE to hear about that!)?

Thanks in advance to this community for sharing all of your knowledge!

Eric
 
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I like the gas ram rifles. I've never had an Ntec.

I was looking at them. Then the Diana Two Fifty. I have an old D34 that's a real shooter and I've always liked the Diana's. When I decided to try a gas ram rifle I looked there first.

I wound up with the Cometa 400 gas ram. They are very similar to the Diana rifles.. I have a huge shot count on one and it's still going strong. I always store it facing the rising sun to keep the lubricant happy.

It shot so well I bought another one just like it. I like the shot cycle on the gas ram rifles. They get a lot of velocity with no twist and no vibration.

How many shots do you have through that Diana? Do you use a chronograph?

I too am on the border. Are the bushy tailed ground squirrels out in your area yet? I've seen a bunch in the past week. When this storm passes I'm going to plink a few of the furry rascals. They are entirely too bold and obnoxious for a lowly marmot.
 
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I "couldn't live without" and owned a 340 Ntec Classic .22 back in 2015 shortly after they hit the market.... nice rifle! I did have a hiccup with the gas piston go bad on my rifle while under warranty and to my surprise, when contacting Umarex, they allowed me to dis-assemble the rifle and send in the bad piston and they sent me a new one....easy peasy! and I was back to using the 340 in very little time.
My interests turned more toward pcp in 2021.... I sold the Ntec to another member here as a lightly used - new looking rifle at a savings to him. (y)
 
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It's a strange reaction we have to gas rams. If a gas ram loses it's punch we scream and rant and blame the manufacturer. We rave against the pressurized cylinder and swear the springs are better.

When an airgun breaks a spring we immediately go out and buy a kit for $100 extra and feel giddy about it. Every HW ive ever had has broken a spring within a few shots and been rebuild under warranty to have the SAME PROBLEM within a short time.

In my limited experience the gas rams have lasted exponentially longer than any spring gun I own. They shoot much faster with a much more controllable recoil. They are quieter. They don't vibrate after the shot. They don't sling excess grease around. They don't require a spring compressor to replace. The replacement rams are much less expensive than a quality spring and guide kit.

In my view the gas ram is a huge improvement over a spring. I have several spring piston rifles and I love them. But I'd put a gas ram in any of them if it were an option.

The little Cometa has 27,000+ shots since October. I have worn the bluing off the barrel and action cocking it. I'm still amazed at how smooth and accurate the gun is. My HW95 and HW97k are more precise but they are scope mounted and shoot the most accurate pellets at 2x the price of Crosmans. The Cometa with open sights and Crosman domes will shoot patterns almost as good at 25 yards.

I've spent many hundreds of dollars on the HW rifles in shipping, parts, etc. I've spent zero on the Cometa and have tens of thousands more shots through it. From a practicality standpoint there is no comparison. The Cometa is less than half the purchase price and much less in repair cost. It has been more reliable than any rifle in the rotation. It will hit any target that the HW's will (within range and reason) and make less noise doing it.
 
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Bedrock Bob said:
It's a strange reaction we have to gas rams. If a gas ram loses it's punch we scream and rant and blame the manufacturer. We rave against the pressurized cylinder and swear the springs are better.

When an airgun breaks a spring we immediately go out and buy a kit for $100 extra and feel giddy about it. Every HW ive ever had has broken a spring within a few shots and been rebuild under warranty to have the SAME PROBLEM within a short time.

In my limited experience the gas rams have lasted exponentially longer than any spring gun I own. They shoot much faster with a much more controllable recoil. They are quieter. They don't vibrate after the shot. They don't sling excess grease around. They don't require a spring compressor to replace. The replacement rams are much less expensive than a quality spring and guide kit.

In my view the gas ram is a huge improvement over a spring. I have several spring piston rifles and I love them. But I'd put a gas ram in any of them if it were an option.

The little Cometa has 27,000+ shots since October. I have worn the bluing off the barrel and action cocking it. I'm still amazed at how smooth and accurate the gun is. My HW95 and HW97k are more precise but they are scope mounted and shoot the most accurate pellets at 2x the price of Crosmans. The Cometa with open sights and Crosman domes will shoot patterns almost as good at 25 yards.

I've spent many hundreds of dollars on the HW rifles in shipping, parts, etc. I've spent zero on the Cometa and have tens of thousands more shots through it. From a practicality standpoint there is no comparison. The Cometa is less than half the purchase price and much less in repair cost. It has been more reliable than any rifle in the rotation. It will hit any target that the HW's will (within range and reason) and make less noise doing it.
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That’s a very interesting and astute observation regarding gas vs spring. One, I’ll admit, I hadn’t thought of. With my hobbies I just assume there’s going to be a cost in upkeep/tweaking/customizing, so I’d never even considered the added cost, but it does seem elementary now that you’ve put it out there. It’s an observation that I’ll now keep in mind as I hunt for a 340 Classic! Thanks, Bob!
 
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Struckat said:
I have always wanted a gas ram. Cometa, Hmmm.
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Cometa Fenix 400 gas ram in .22. I have the full length rifle in a synthetic stock. They have several rifles with wood stocks and several carbines.

I bought mine on a whim just to try a gas ram. It wasn't expensive and I wasn't expecting much. It became my favorite breakbarrel. Nothing fancy. Just a truly great shooting pellet rifle that's easy to master.

I liked it so much I bought another one.
 
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I love me a nice gas ram. I've picked several over the years such as an RX1, Meteor Super, and a few used Dianas NTECs, including an AM03, and two 340 Premiums (in .22 & .177). I've enjoyed all. Just as mentioned in previous posts here, the shot cycle and recoil is very clean right out of the box. They feel a touch lighter than their springer counterparts as well, which makes for nice handling

Been shooting the .177 340 all this week in fact while visiting family with some land and its been a blast. The thing is an absolute tack driver. Between the lighter weight and beautifully contoured Italian made stock, its easy to carry around.

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Its really too bad that Diana has given up on the NTEC platform.
 
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Bad News Beeman said:
I love me a nice gas ram. I've picked several over the years such as an RX1, Meteor Super, and a few used Dianas NTECs, including an AM03, and two 340 Premiums (in .22 & .177). I've enjoyed all. Just as mentioned in previous posts here, the shot cycle and recoil is very clean right out of the box. They feel a touch lighter than their springer counterparts as well, which makes for nice handling

Been shooting the .177 340 all this week in fact while visiting family with some land and its been a blast. The thing is an absolute tack driver. Between the lighter weight and beautifully contoured Italian made stock, its easy to carry around.

ztwCvvvl.jpg


KVYANVpl.jpg


Its really too bad that Diana has given up on the NTEC platform.
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I want one of those premiums so bad!!!! Have never seen one come up for sale.
 
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I'm a big gas ram fan, although I only have a few hw 90s so my experience is limited. It's just my opinion but the Theobin style gas ram is the best. It's rebuildable, and adjustable.

I think the biggest dig that most people have on rammers is that they are significantly more difficult to cock, especially the magnums. Another issue with non Theobin style guns is they can become obsolete should they decide to no longer produce replacement struts. I do understand that with a little retrofit they can be replaced with a mechanical spring.
 
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The anatomically horrid cocking stroke inherent in gasram guns is the biggest reason for me to not have one. It messes up my shoulders, even though I have zero trouble cocking the heaviest coilspring guns around. Just yesterday I took 35 quick chrono shots with my 30 fpe Hatsan 135, no problem. Could've doubled that, easy. (Once, with a HW95, I took 500 shots without a break; Bob does that most days, I reckon).

The key event came years go, when I had only two active springers: a coilspring Gamo 440 Hunter .22 cal, and the same gun with a gasram, or Gamo Hunter IGT .22 cal. One shooting session, I had taken around 20 shots with the IGT, and my cocking arm shoulder told me I have to stop. I didn't want to stop shooting, so I grabbed the coilspring Gamo, and had no issues taking 60 further shots with it.

Both guns would shoot the same velocities and muzzle energies, but cocking them was like night and day. The gasram gun wasn't any quieter, and it didn't have lower recoil, even though the cycle was quicker and more linear, and there was no mech noise. With the loud bang and the sharp jolt it sounded and felt more like a firearm than the mellow, twangy coilspring gun that shot just as hard and much more accurately.

No way to tweak the gasram powerplant, while endless possibilities to tweak the coilspring powerplant, and much bigger susceptibility to cold weather than the coilspringer, and the case was clear: no IGT for me.

If a HW90 .22 / .25 cal came up for grabs at a ridiculously low price (never happened), I'd be interested in it. But it would have to be at a cost I could eat even when there would be a good chance I would have to get rid of it within a month.
 
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I honestly don't see a difference in cocking force with the gas ram Cometa. It dosent start soft and increase during the stroke like a spring. It's stiff all the way through the stroke. It's not any harder to cock though.

Yes, I often shoot 250-300 shots a day. Sometimes 500. Sometimes even more. I don't see any difference with the gas ram in cocking force. Not with the one I have anyway.

Both my HW springers were easy to cock but the springs were always broken. When I finally stopped using factory springs and installed kits they got a lot harder to cock. Both are fairly difficult. Both shoot 50-60 fps slower than the gas ram Cometa. If the Cometa is harder to cock I certainly don't notice it.

The HW97k seems to me to require more force. The cocking arm is shorter and the spring is a monster. I am always on point cocking it and loading it. I don't know if it's much more force than the Cometa but I think it's more difficult to cock.

I do know the Cometa is a much simpler design and infinitely easier to work on. You can replace the ram with a spring (or vice versa) with no tools at all in about 5 minutes. No compressor needed for the ram.

Other gas ram guns may be harder to cock. Other gas rams may be loud or objectionable. I have no idea. The full length Cometa 400 is about the same force as my 95 with a Vortek kit and (I would estimate) less than the 97k with the Tinbum kit. If cocking force is an issue with the Cometa it will also be an issue with the HW springers. As far as noise Is concerned it's quieter. And the shot cycle is quick with much less vibration.

Your mileage may vary and your perception of cocking force and shot cycle may be different from mine. From my limited experience the gas ram is a big improvement over the spring.

As far as "tweaking" the gun I see no need for it. It shoots consistent patterns and it's easy to shoot. For a guy that needs to "tweak" it may not be the best choice. Get one with a spring and "tweak" to your hearts content.
 
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Bedrock Bob said:
I honestly don't see a difference in cocking force with the gas ram Cometa. It dosent start soft and increase during the stroke like a spring. It's stiff all the way through the stroke. It's not any harder to cock though.

Yes, I often shoot 250-300 shots a day. Sometimes 500. Sometimes even more. I don't see any difference with the gas ram in cocking force. Not with the one I have anyway.

Both my HW springers were easy to cock but the springs were always broken. When I finally stopped using factory springs and installed kits they got a lot harder to cock. Both are fairly difficult. Both shoot 50-60 fps slower than the gas ram Cometa. If the Cometa is harder to cock I certainly don't notice it.

The HW97k seems to me to require more force. The cocking arm is shorter and the spring is a monster. I am always on point cocking it and loading it. I don't know if it's much more force than the Cometa but I think it's more difficult to cock.

I do know the Cometa is a much simpler design and infinitely easier to work on. You can replace the ram with a spring (or vice versa) with no tools at all in about 5 minutes. No compressor needed for the ram.

Other gas ram guns may be harder to cock. Other gas rams may be loud or objectionable. I have no idea. The full length Cometa 400 is about the same force as my 95 with a Vortek kit and (I would estimate) less than the 97k with the Tinbum kit. If cocking force is an issue with the Cometa it will also be an issue with the HW springers. As far as noise Is concerned it's quieter. And the shot cycle is quick with much less vibration.

Your mileage may vary and your perception of cocking force and shot cycle may be different from mine. From my limited experience the gas ram is a big improvement over the spring.

As far as "tweaking" the gun I see no need for it. It shoots consistent patterns and it's easy to shoot. For a guy that needs to "tweak" it may not be the best choice. Get one with a spring and "tweak" to your hearts content.
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I’ve been heavily considering one of those Cometa gas ram carbines since reading your praise. At $350/$380, it isn’t an incredible gamble and your experience seems to be on par with others. Once they’re back in stock I think I’ll “need” to order one!
 
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BordertownDevil said:
I’ve been heavily considering one of those Cometa gas ram carbines since reading your praise. At $350/$380, it isn’t an incredible gamble and your experience seems to be on par with others. Once they’re back in stock I think I’ll “need” to order one!
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Mine has the synthetic stock. Its a bit less expensive. It's not a bad stock but I'm sure the wood is much nicer. I took some 220 paper and bumped the sharp corners. Rounded up the front edge where it clipped my finger when I closed the action. Slapped a limbsaver pad on it and it's great for iron sights. It needs a little height in the stock with a scope. I rarely scope it but when I do I use a cheek rest to give it some lift.

I'm pretty hard on finishes and I shoot a bunch. I like synthetics on a working gun. I'm particular about wood finishes and I hate to beat up a nice stock. I can shoot this one with beer and salsa on my fingers and lay it on the tailgate. It's not pretty but it sets me free.

The synthetic stock isn't bad. It's nice and rigid and dosent transmit sound. It's light. I've got it stuffed tight with Pyramid air pellet foam and I like it. It's not much savings and I'm sure the wood stocked model is a value for a few bucks more.
 
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