Diana 34 is Older better?

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Deleted member 49222

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I have found that the older Diana 34's have a better overall quality feel and construction. My most disappointing experience has been with the EMS model and I tried two of them - hard plastic buttplate (cracks), rear sight vibrates apart and loses zero, pellet falls out of the barrel breech - loser tolerances. Did not try the classic just prior to the EMS. IMHO, seems Diana has cut corners in the 34. Regardless, picked up two 34's from the 1999 just 4 months apart and the kids love them. When I compete against them, scoped Diana 54 and they say its not fair. Son beat me by one point! Got hooked on those older 34's, might just get the wife one too!
 
I had quite a few Diana rifles over the years. I tried them all. I also had a great many problems and situations with Diana rifles. Quite a few common parts are made of some kind of pot metal and it is not unusual for such as the pot metal safety to land on your shooting table, or the rear sight to fly off into the grass and leaves. Or the cocking lever pin to shear, or a trigger guard screw settle in and interfere with the sled action, etc, etc, etc.
I do really like the CLASSIC 350 Magnum very sleek, long and accurate. However I had various parts fly about with that one too. Just a thing with Diana. Keep a few extra safety slides and cocking pins and latches around if you shoot them much.
Kit
 
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I remember the changes made to the 48/52 in the early 00's, not sure if this was the whole product range or just those models in particular.

Metal trigger guard replaced with plastic, two stage adjustable trigger went to non adjustable or something, cant remember exactly what it was that changed but its got a different trigger. Metal flippy safety lever replaced with plastic pull-push safety. I think the end cap changed as well but again not 100% sure. I do specifically remember springs breaking in the early runs of these updated rifles, i had one myself that broke.
 
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The earlier 34 models are far superior to the new ones, in my opinion. They felt far more sturdy and had a smoother firing cycle that the newer 34 Classics. The sights were better than the plastic front and pot metal rear high vis irons on the recent models. The old stocks looked nicer too and added to the sleek appearance of the rifle, the new ones just look like brooms.
 
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Seek out a TO5 Panther variant, Macari at ARH was impressed when they came out. I have two, the 22 is kitted with a Vortek kit and has bagged beau coup tree rats, the .177 has a ARH spring and Vortek seal shoots a little over 900 with JSB Express.


Panthershroud003.jpg
 
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