Pick me a gun

Ok I have my PCP needs all settled. I'm looking to get my Springer fix now. One gun that I've owned before but greatly regret getting rid of is a HW30S .177. A great little gun that I'd like to get back.

However I've always wanted a Diana 54 Air king. Something about the recoiless action draws me to it. Just a special gun. However a much larger, heavier, more power and more money than the HW30S.

Are they that good? My thing is I don't really want to scope it. I prefer open sights on a springer. My main shooting though would be light pesting and just plinking. Very different guns. 
 
Diana 54 sounds like a winner, but good luck finding them in stock anywhere. I haven't.

Still, 800 bucks for a break-barrel. I dunno, seems like a lot of money for basic plinkin' and killin'.

Of which you could do and enjoy for probably half that.



Good luck in your pursuits, let us know what you decide on!



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MP44 looks to me like you just got yourself a HW35e. Perhaps you could elaborate some on this fine air rifle from Germany. I to just recently acquired 1. I need a diopter sight to fine tune it. About 650 rounds through and is still dieseling a bit. Time to clean the bore and put another tin through. Yea even a used air rifle, thats the route I took will work.
 
Just random lame opinion, but if I want to go plinking, I'm not going to grab a 9 pound rifle and a tin of pellets...lol. Not when I have a Beeman R7 (although mine is in .20) sitting here that will both plink and easily light pest out to 30 yards.

The Air King? Might have to hunt a bit to find the standard one since I think it was discontinued in favor of their new Pro laminated version which, if you can find one, is gonna cost you $700 plus before any tweaking you might want. As much as you want to try one, I'd guess in a month or 2, the newness/fun will wear off and you'll look at that 9 pound rifle and think nah, not today and wish yet again you'd gotten the 30 you really miss.

Plinking/light pesting? You had an HW30 and already said you want it back. Perfect rifle for both.

You also, if memory serves, had an HW50. Never owned one but by all accounts, left alone, lightweight and plenty of power for both or easily detuned to park you in the middle of the HW30 and HW50 stock fpe levels and would easily fit your wants for light pesting/plinking.

Doubt I helped but you did ask :)


 
Yeah I wasn't aware of the older ones being gone. I also didn't know the newer ones were $700. 

Seems to be making the decision easier. But yeah I'm not sure why the draw there. Before I got into PCPs I was thinking about getting the Air King. I'm glad I went the way I did but over the years the curiosity has always been there. 

I've had a few HW springers, R7 .177, HW50S .177 and .22, Beeman R9 .177. Liked them all but the R7/HW30 .177 was probably my favorite. Used it alot for close range pesting. 

I've also owned Diana 34P .22 and 34 Miesterchutz Pro Compact. Honestly the Miesterchutz was probably the most accurate of them all. Was a very nice shooting gun. But heavy and no way for using open sights. 

I don't need power for this gun. Did enjoy the light power the HW30 put out. Was nice for shooting in our barns without damaging the tin.
 
The two are so different, that for me the question would not be "which one," but "what order," LOL.

I'd get the HW 30 first: a) it's available; b) you know from past experience you'll love it; c) such a sweetie will always have a place in your rack no matter what. 

Then, if the hunger for a big heavy recoilless springers persists, add the D54 as circumstances and budget allow down the road...
 
Diana 54 sounds like a winner, but good luck finding them in stock anywhere. I haven't.

Still, 800 bucks for a break-barrel. I dunno, seems like a lot of money for basic plinkin' and killin'.

Of which you could do and enjoy for probably half that.



f



If the OP is lusting for a Diana 54, I firmly believe buying a Diana 54 is the cheapest route to go about it.

- Otherwise, he might spend 1/2 that amount on something else... But he'll still be lusting for the 54... and chances are that he'll want to buy it, and the price will have simply gone up!
 
The D54 brings in a lot of unnecessary weight and complexity. On the same page as the complexity, also consider how rough they are on scopes. More trouble than they are worth really, only to solve a "problem" that you already have covered much more simply with the PCPs. 

A HW77K in .177 with a tune in a reasonable power level would be a much better choice in my opinion. Plus the trigger and build quality would be better. It's the "universal air rifle".

I never saw the appeal of the D54. If you want recoilless and don't need mega power, just get an FWB300. You already have the power needs covered with PCPs, so get you a modest powered springer to compliment the rest of your collection. Besides, the best springers are the ones at modest power levels anyway. 


 
I'll second MDriskill's motion. Also @bf1956 I have Dairyboy's HW50S. It's a really sweet shooter. I plan to keep it as long as I live. I seriously doubt he wanted to sell it. But sometiems we have to do just that. I'm selling some of my guns right now as I just had a newborn, and am moving too.

That is funny, because I just purchased a HW50s 22 cal from Dillon also, back in March this year. It was twangy as all get out, put a ARH kit in it, really smoothed it out, that and trigger adjusted to much lighter pull. I wish it was a 20 cal, someday maybe I will get a 20 cal barrel for it. But for now it is my backyard plinker and House sparrow smacker. I put a Barra H30 3-9x32 w/front AO it will focus down to 6 yd clearly on full zoom. I like the scope so well that I purchased a second one(fleaBay)

20210507_134956.1628450073.jpeg

 
I'll second MDriskill's motion. Also @bf1956 I have Dairyboy's HW50S. It's a really sweet shooter. I plan to keep it as long as I live. I seriously doubt he wanted to sell it. But sometiems we have to do just that. I'm selling some of my guns right now as I just had a newborn, and am moving too.

That is funny, because I just purchased a HW50s 22 cal from Dillon also, back in March this year. It was twangy as all get out, put a ARH kit in it, really smoothed it out, that and trigger adjusted to much lighter pull. I wish it was a 20 cal, someday maybe I will get a 20 cal barrel for it. But for now it is my backyard plinker and House sparrow smacker. I put a Barra H30 3-9x32 w/front AO it will focus down to 6 yd clearly on full zoom. I like the scope so well that I purchased a second one(fleaBay)

20210507_134956.1628450073.jpeg

Lol Long_Gun_Dallas bought my .177. jarmstrong interesting you found it so twangy. That one was tuned by Motorhead!