Diana Is my Diana 34 worthy of a scope?
- Thread starter Diehard50248
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It looks like a good setup. I see no problems at all. I use the same setup with a different brand rings. It will serve you well.
Don't overtorque the screws on the rail. You will be buying longer ones and putting a nut behind them. Other than that it's all good.
There should be a pin in the rail. That rail will mount with the cantilever forward or back. The pin goes in the dimple on the receiver.
Depending on your ring height and scope configuration it may need to be reversed. Before you tighten anything put it all together with the recoil pin in the hole and get the proper eye relief. Make sure the bell of the scope isn't touching the rail. Get your scope rings as far apart as you can and not close to the erector or objective bell. Get it figured out first. Then put it all together and plumb the crosshairs with the bore.
Then bend the barrel????
Don't overtorque the screws on the rail. You will be buying longer ones and putting a nut behind them. Other than that it's all good.
There should be a pin in the rail. That rail will mount with the cantilever forward or back. The pin goes in the dimple on the receiver.
Depending on your ring height and scope configuration it may need to be reversed. Before you tighten anything put it all together with the recoil pin in the hole and get the proper eye relief. Make sure the bell of the scope isn't touching the rail. Get your scope rings as far apart as you can and not close to the erector or objective bell. Get it figured out first. Then put it all together and plumb the crosshairs with the bore.
Then bend the barrel????
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Man I sweated it when i straightened my barrel. I really love that rifle. Bending a barrel made my butt tighten up in a knot. I was truly freaked out until I saw it working on paper. Then I got really happy.
Don't try a "c" clamp. I did. No luck.
Put it in a padded vice with that maple block and it bent just fine.
You may need to bend elevation too once your scope is mounted. It's probably best to do it then. But if it's close it dosent really matter.
Don't try a "c" clamp. I did. No luck.
Put it in a padded vice with that maple block and it bent just fine.
You may need to bend elevation too once your scope is mounted. It's probably best to do it then. But if it's close it dosent really matter.
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I took a straight edge to the barrel itself. It appears to be perfectly straight. The issue is the barrel is pointing to the left directly out of the “block” portion of the barrel. I don’t know the proper part names yet…the breech maybe? Anyhow, see picture of me pointing at it. 
If I did attempt to bend the barrel, do I dare apply clamping pressure at that intersection point? Would that risk cracking it? Is the barrel threaded into the breech block?
If I did attempt to bend the barrel, do I dare apply clamping pressure at that intersection point? Would that risk cracking it? Is the barrel threaded into the breech block?
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Put your fulcrum point right at that block. Where the barrel meets the breech block. (I think springers have a pivot block)
Put one end of the jig on the breech block. The other end of the jig on the barrel right behind the sight. Set it in the vice. Put a 3/4"-1/2" piece of hardwood on the barrel opposite the jig as a fulcrum. Right at the juncture of the barrel and the block. Squeeze it tight.
Use a straight edge between the front sight and the rear screw on the back of the gun action. Then look at the deflection in your rear sight. You can see exactly how much you need to bend it when there is no tension. You can also see how much force you are putting on it under tension.
When you can get a straight edge to pass through the front bead, the center of the rear sight, and the screw centered on the rear of the action you are golden. It's all lining up windage wise. Your pattern on paper with the sights set to center should reflect that.
When a gun gets a bent barrel it also knocks the front sight over sometimes. You don't want to straighten a barrel with a crooked front sight.
Level the gun with a plumbers level across the flat on the breech block. Then look at that front sight really close. Make sure its vertical with the bore. Use a plumb line and twist it back in place if its off.
The same with the rear sight. Make sure the blade is centered in the adjustments and the sight base is centered on the receiver.
Once you figure out how much pressure it takes to get a correction it goes pretty quickly. It takes more time to strip the action and put it back in the stock to test fire than to bend it.
Just go slow and be careful. Don't try to do it all at once. Make sure things are square in the vice. Assemble and reassemble the gun carefully (you might do it 15 times!).
Put one end of the jig on the breech block. The other end of the jig on the barrel right behind the sight. Set it in the vice. Put a 3/4"-1/2" piece of hardwood on the barrel opposite the jig as a fulcrum. Right at the juncture of the barrel and the block. Squeeze it tight.
Use a straight edge between the front sight and the rear screw on the back of the gun action. Then look at the deflection in your rear sight. You can see exactly how much you need to bend it when there is no tension. You can also see how much force you are putting on it under tension.
When you can get a straight edge to pass through the front bead, the center of the rear sight, and the screw centered on the rear of the action you are golden. It's all lining up windage wise. Your pattern on paper with the sights set to center should reflect that.
When a gun gets a bent barrel it also knocks the front sight over sometimes. You don't want to straighten a barrel with a crooked front sight.
Level the gun with a plumbers level across the flat on the breech block. Then look at that front sight really close. Make sure its vertical with the bore. Use a plumb line and twist it back in place if its off.
The same with the rear sight. Make sure the blade is centered in the adjustments and the sight base is centered on the receiver.
Once you figure out how much pressure it takes to get a correction it goes pretty quickly. It takes more time to strip the action and put it back in the stock to test fire than to bend it.
Just go slow and be careful. Don't try to do it all at once. Make sure things are square in the vice. Assemble and reassemble the gun carefully (you might do it 15 times!).
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I'm prepping for a barrel bend but have a question...
Can I disconnect the barrel & breach block assembly from the spring cylinder without having to disassemble the entire spring system? I’ve watched several Diana 34 assembly videos but they all disassemble the spring system. I’m hoping to avoid that.
It looks like I can unscrew the breech screw (see arrow), but I’m unclear if the cocking arm will come free (see circle).
Can I disconnect the barrel & breach block assembly from the spring cylinder without having to disassemble the entire spring system? I’ve watched several Diana 34 assembly videos but they all disassemble the spring system. I’m hoping to avoid that.
It looks like I can unscrew the breech screw (see arrow), but I’m unclear if the cocking arm will come free (see circle).
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Don't do any of that.
You are only putting pressure on the barrel. From the breech block forward.
Leave everything assembled. Just take it out of the stock.
Watch the video again. Read the PA blog. The back of the jig is against the breech block. Front of the jig up behind the front sight. The fulcrum is in front of the breech block on the barrel. The force is at the fulcrum. Nothing behind the jig is under tension.
Fully understand what is going on before you torque things down. If your not sure ask!
You are only putting pressure on the barrel. From the breech block forward.
Leave everything assembled. Just take it out of the stock.
Watch the video again. Read the PA blog. The back of the jig is against the breech block. Front of the jig up behind the front sight. The fulcrum is in front of the breech block on the barrel. The force is at the fulcrum. Nothing behind the jig is under tension.
Fully understand what is going on before you torque things down. If your not sure ask!
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The answer to your question is yes. You can remove the barrel at the pivot and take the cocking arm out of the shoe.
The spring stays in there. That comes out the back end when the trigger comes off.
But you don't need to remove any of that to bend the barrel.
The spring stays in there. That comes out the back end when the trigger comes off.
But you don't need to remove any of that to bend the barrel.
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I scoped my 34 as soon as I bought it and never looked back . I never had great luck with a 34 in 177 but the 22 is a different animal for me .
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Just to make sure we’re on the same page…is this the PA article you’re referring to?
Bending airgun barrels: Part 5 | Blog | Pyramyd AIR
by Tom Gaylord, a.k.a. B.B. Pelletier Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Today, I'll apply what I learned about bending an airgun barrel to a real problem. As I said in several earlier posts, I have a BSF S70 breakbarrel that came to me with a peep sight installed but no open sights.
www.pyramydair.com
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Yup. That's the blog.
I'll have a minute tomorrow and I'll put my 34 in a vice with the jig and post a photo here. A picture is worth a thousand words...
I'll have a minute tomorrow and I'll put my 34 in a vice with the jig and post a photo here. A picture is worth a thousand words...
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Here it is in a vice set up for a bend to the left...
Dont use a c clamp. It isn't stable. It will take a really big one. It will stretch and your jig will flex. Things will get funky and slip out of the fixture causing damage.
The vice is sweet it keeps things straight and has plenty of force.
Notice the placement of the jig and the fulcrum. It only applies force to the barrel and block. The rest of the action just floats behind.
Hope this helps. It would tickle me to see you bend it back on center. Most guys wouldn't try it. A lot of guys will tell you your nuts to even try. It's something that's a bit of a black art in gunsmithing.
Get it set right and give it a big hug. It will move!
Elevation is the same but be careful of the sight. Your jig might need to have deeper offset. An up or down bend requires you remove the cocking arm. Left or right you don't have to remove anything.
A close up of the jig. It's maple. I cut a concave groove for the barrel to keep it from slipping. The other end has a flat face that sits on the pivot block.
Maple is wicked strong. You could use a steel bar with wood blocks instead. Or make a jig like the blog. But whatever you use it must be strong. You will break or bend a jig that isn't rock solid...
Your fulcrum will crush. It takes all the force. Pine won't work. Hardwood. Lead. Anything softer than the barrel that won't scratch.
Good luck!
Dont use a c clamp. It isn't stable. It will take a really big one. It will stretch and your jig will flex. Things will get funky and slip out of the fixture causing damage.
The vice is sweet it keeps things straight and has plenty of force.
Notice the placement of the jig and the fulcrum. It only applies force to the barrel and block. The rest of the action just floats behind.
Hope this helps. It would tickle me to see you bend it back on center. Most guys wouldn't try it. A lot of guys will tell you your nuts to even try. It's something that's a bit of a black art in gunsmithing.
Get it set right and give it a big hug. It will move!
Elevation is the same but be careful of the sight. Your jig might need to have deeper offset. An up or down bend requires you remove the cocking arm. Left or right you don't have to remove anything.
A close up of the jig. It's maple. I cut a concave groove for the barrel to keep it from slipping. The other end has a flat face that sits on the pivot block.
Maple is wicked strong. You could use a steel bar with wood blocks instead. Or make a jig like the blog. But whatever you use it must be strong. You will break or bend a jig that isn't rock solid...
Your fulcrum will crush. It takes all the force. Pine won't work. Hardwood. Lead. Anything softer than the barrel that won't scratch.
Good luck!
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I have some hi-dollar scopes on firearms, but was always told not to put them on an airgun, but buy an airgun specific scope. I thought the recoil impulse of an airgun, can destroy a standard rifle scope?
Is this true?
Is this true?
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Yes it will break some scopes, that's why you ask the scope distributor if it's springer rated, and does it have a life time warranty that will replace it if something does go wrong. Some guns will be harder on scopes than others.
Firearm recoils in "one" direction reward. Springer recoils in "two" directions, reward, then forward, it's the forward recoil that breaks scopes that aren't designed to withstand that forward direction of recoil.
I've had many different scopes on my 97K from $100 leapers to $1700 Tract Toric, I've only had one that the reticle canted and had to send back, they fixed it and it's still in use if I need it.
Diana 48's are known scope destroyers, and there's several others as well. Life time warranty is a must for springer scopes IMO.
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Some scopes are constructed like airgun scopes. Dampened both ways is how I understand it. I may not.
Leupold and Nikkons are all indestructible (or so I'm told) and can be used on anything.
If it's a lifetime warranty like a leupold then it matters less. They replace it. Still no use scrambling a good scope.
The recoil is like a slide hammer. The gun moves back into your shoulder and then snaps forward. And twists. So it's a brutal shock wave.
Light scopes mounted low create less inertia. So they hold together better. I like fixed 4x with a 32mm objective mounted right against the tube. No problems.
Mount a 50mm AO 4X25 up high. Make sure to screw on a sunshade and flip caps. Get it with reticle illumination and a battery. Dont forget a bubble level. It will bend a recoil lug and walk the scope back to the rear no matter how you torque it down.
You will need a cheek rest to get proper cheek weld too.
So light and low eliminates a lot of scope slip. Quality rings are a must. Once you get it right you rarely have to reposition things. On a smooth shooting rifle they will hold indefinitely.
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