Diana The 36, Sooner or Later, It Happens!

[Wildcatter]

It's gonna be a long one! But what I got, and how I'm going to fix it. Without loosing on this excellent buy, without loosing money on it.

Well my find for the as new, mint, 36 has stumbled a bit. I got the Vortek kit, and after installing it, mounted a scope and proceeded to check my results.

Very inconsistent results, but good speed and consistent with under 12 fps spreads with the new spring kit and seal. But accuracy is worse than any springer I own.

Well trying to find the culprit, I noticed lateral movement in the action when I cock it. About a 3/8" rearward when I cock it. So I checked and yes, I can move it front to back.

So I try and tighten the action screws, but all are tight. So I count the treads as I take the rear screw out.and after removal, I find it was not bottomed out?

The front screws I could see had slop in the holes. But how could it move as tight as all three were?

Well not visible but there is a lateral Crack, running full length from center of the forarm cutout for the cocking linkage, to the cutout for the trigger slot.

I had to look close with a magnifier to see it in the inside of the stock, and could only be sure it was a Crack at the action screw hole by placing a Philips screwdriver in the hole and prying it open. That appeared to be just a partial Crack centered at that hole?

Well trying to run some good hot super glue, working it down into the Crack. Prying and puddeling, working the Crack open and close with it bubbling down into the material. I was finally happy that I had worked enough down deep into the Crack and used a spanner clamp to to lightly compress it.

Well with this soft Jared wood clamp on, I turned it upside down in my craddel to cure. THATS WHEN IT HIT! My mint like new stock had a Crack all the way through the forearm from linkage cutout to trigger cutout. Barely visible, but losses the clamp, and impossible with a magnifier to see any sign of a Crack!

THE CURE?

Well after talking to my gunsmith that builds stocks and my centerfire target rifles, as well as running it by John Thomas, who has delt with this situation. I've decided to do a fix, and save the as new look of the stock. Not affecting the cosmetics in any way!

We will mill the center of the stock, from trigger cutout, to cocking cutout, a 1" slot. Then epoxy pins, 3 on each side of the cutout, to stick 1/4" into the slot on each side once in place.

Then we will use an aluminum bedding block v'd for the action and trigger to set in. The block will be grooved for the bedding pins to slide down over, and have grooves for the Devcon Epoxy to set to.

This won't be tha expensive, and will be noticed when the rifle is back together.

I think explains how I was able to buy this rifle for what I gave for it. Most of the work I will do. My smith will mill the Grove leaving all wood below the trigger guard cutout, as well as the sides. The pins will be .175" thick and .375" deep flat stock that will extend into milled cutouts in the block to slide down over them.

It should be stronger than ever, and if the accuracy doesn't impress. Well I'll put my 34 T05 that's tuned in this beautiful stock. And put the T01 36 in its stock, and part ways. The will interchange with a slight enlargement to the front of trigger hole slot to accept the T01 trigger into the 34 stock,,, already checked that.

But this removes I stole to, having about what it was worth in it. But hey, it's a like new 36 T01, and that's what I wanted when I bought it.

So a lesson to be learned! When buying used, be carefully how much you pay! These guns can carry ghosts we don't see, even in person!

 

[Shuggoth]

I have bought a few rifles that were in fantastic shape and
Like yours, had hidden issues that made them lousy shooters and most likely why I was able to get them at good deals. Usually if a lot of work is done to go through them, like a total internal rebuild, stock screw/bolt replacements etc them they can be fixed, like yours.

 

[AirNGasman]

When buying used, be carefully how much you pay! These guns can carry ghosts we don't see,

Over the last fifty years I've bought, sold and traded hundreds of used airguns. If One kisses enough princes... correction- princesses, only a matter of time before you find yourself kissing a toad.

Correction- a toadess!

.

 

[Wildcatter]

I have bought a few rifles that were in fantastic shape and
Like yours, had hidden issues that made them lousy shooters and most likely why I was able to get them at good deals. Usually if a lot of work is done to go through them, like a total internal rebuild, stock screw/bolt replacements etc them they can be fixed, like yours.

Yes indeed, and we are on the fix. Hardware all allen head, stainless steel bedding cups, are already ordered and on the way. $20.00

The aluminum block I had and my gunsmith thinks it will work perfect, I'll have a couple bucks in some flat stock prepped for the pins, and some milling with his time for the devcon bedding, but all in and done he figure maybe 50.00 dollars.

Any new to me rifle gets a new Vortek PG4 spring kit, most HO, and seals, another 100 bucks, but thats a given even on my brand new purchases. So still in it for what I would have paid in the condition it was in. Plus now it will be even stronger and should have better accuracy than a new 36 would have had.

So it looks like I ducted the bullet this time. Best of all, unless you remove the action from the stock, you'll never know it. It will still have the mint finish as new from the factory. I was worried till my gunsmith looked it over and confirmed he could make the fix without disturbing the finish on the stock.

Bad thing is even if I had taken the action out and looked at it, I would not have seen it. I needed a magnifying glass to find it after I knew the action would not tighten in the stock. So I'll save this one and hope for the best on any new finds, as I simply cant dismantle ever rifle I buy and go over them with a magnifying lens. Some would abandon the sale under them terms.

Its just good I wanted this one for a keeper, cause I sure don't see any profit in a near future sale!! But these older Diana T01 guns, and even the To5s made in Germany are on the rise with the new ownership of Diana.

 

[marflow 777]

well, some Tite bond or Gorilla glue would have done the job but

 

[Wildcatter]

well, some Tite bond or Gorilla glue would have done the job but

Neither would be a proper fix. Those are both what I would use to send it down the road for someone else to deal with later!

Devcon, is way better than those glues if I just wanted to glue it together.

I don't work that way. There are bandaid, and there are CURES.

Bandaids are quick fixes that leave a rifle less reliable than new.

Cures make the repair better and more reliable than new. Also it will be stronger than the original stock, and as light or possibly an oz lighter? But definitely stronger.

By making the fix with a cure, I can sell it later if I wish and know the buyer has a trouble free platform they can rely on.

Lastly,,, no,,, it's not for sale. This is way to nice of a rifle for me to part with. So either way keeping or selling, I'll have the piece of mind knowing I didn't cheap out, and did the repair responsibly, and correct for any choice I make to sell in the future.