Other What would you buy as a intro setup to using a break barrel?

[Sawney Bean]

My first break barrel was a Diana 34 in .177. I still regret giving it to my son. He lost it less than a year later when he left it behind the seat of a moving truck rental.

My first break barrel was also an RWS34, but at the time it was a very flawed rifle. This would have been back around 1983 and what I really wanted in the worst way was a Beeman R1. I'd saved up my money for it but my mother refused to order it for me as she thought it was way too expensive for a bb gun and so I ended up getting a very early RWS34 instead. The problem with it was that the very early ones used a simple one piece sear for the trigger which resulted in a horrible trigger pull. Also, good dovetail scope mounts were something unknown to me as a teenager in the 80s, so I just got used to the scope constantly shifting as I fired it. But it still beat the hell out of the MPPs I had been shooting up to that time.

Warning!!! Airgun Abuse to Follow!!!

Later on, as an adult, I replaced it and sold it cheap to a friend of mine that had a drinking problem. He ended up selling it back to me later for next to nothing because he had been firing finish nails through it three at a time and had managed to wedge them firmly in the breech. I think he had tried to remove them with a drill. Anyway I payed him something like $10 for it and managed to get the nails back out. At that point it was already pretty messed up so I tried my hand at improving the trigger mostly using a bench grinder to try and shorten and lighten the trigger pull. I remember improving it significantly, before I "improved" it a bit too much to where it would no longer catch.

Whatever happened to it after that I don't remember, but as a learning tool for what not to do with triggers it was fantastic. I've tuned many triggers since then and have had almost entirely good luck as that one taught me to take it slow and to use extreme caution when changing sear engagement or angles. I had an old KL3B Fast Deer, (one of those $20 Chinese rifles), that I had tuned back in the day and gave to a buddy recently as I had no use for it. Anyway, I test fired it before I gave it to him and I'll be damned if it didn't have a seriously nice trigger considering that it was the same kind of one piece sear that was on that old RWS34.

 

[harrympope]

I thought all 36 and 34 rifles started with T-01 triggers.
My 45 had the direct sear.

 

[Sawney Bean]

I thought all 36 and 34 rifles started with T-01 triggers.
My 45 had the direct sear.

I don't really know when it would have changed. I had found the RWS34 being advertised in the back pages of Guns and Ammo or something similar and this would have been in the early 80's.

 

[Heimann]

Great choice on the R9. I bought mine in .177 because .22 was hard to find at the time, then when the factory barrel with muzzle brake in .22 became available I converted mine to .22. One thing to watch out for on a brand new R9 is that they don't always lube them properly at the factory (too much grease in front of the piston) and this can cause detonations (dieseling) and ruin the seal. Also, they sometimes come with a lot of gunk in the barrel, so give the barrel a good cleaning before you start shooting it. Because I had not realized the seal was damaged, and was not getting good accuracy or consistent velocities, I installed a a Vortec PG4 kit and seal. This eliminated the twang I was getting, smoothed out the shot cycle, and immediately gave higher more consistent velocities, and better accuracy, but also made the gun more hold sensitive. But, don't be too quick to jump on the faster velocity band wagon, many find stock works better, and some even cut a coil or two off the spring and get a very gentle, easy to cock, super accurate experience. Welcome to the addiction

Can you recommend a cleaning kit, or rather what I actually need to clean it? When I was looking through them on pyramid all the reviews were so hit or miss I wasn't sure what to get.

 

[gdc999]

Sure. When I got my FWB 124D many years ago, I sprung for the whole Beeman cleaning kit, then caught a going out of business sell locally and bought all the cleaning stuff they had. What I learned over the decades was I didn't need most of what comes in the fancy kits. I do have a .177 brass sectional cleaning rod from the original kit, and of course .177 or .22 patches as needed, but more than anything I now use a pull through cleaning kit. These are nice because they don't take up much room are easy to carry with you. I start with dry patches to get the bulk of the gunk out, then either use Ballistol or Hopes Synthetic (not the original benzene product) get it nice and wet and let it soak a while. If it is a new gun, or a friends that I suspect has neglected the bore, then I will also use a nylon or bronze bore brush. Some people will tell you that will ruin the bore, but that is simply not true. NEVER use a stainless steel brush, that would scratch up the bore of the softer steel barrels. Then I keep running patches through till they start coming out clean. After a thorough cleaning you will probably need to "season" the bore by shooting 20-30 of the pellets you intend to be using, then you should be back to good accuracy. On the out side I will use Ballistol or Remoil, which ever is handy. I always wipe them down after handling them. I have seen too many barrels on eBay that had obvious finger print rust areas on the barrels. A little sweat can really ruin you day

 

[gdc999]

By the way, the Otis pull through cleaning kits are expensive, but worth the investment.

 

[DesertSilver]

Try a patch worm kit.

Home - PatchWorm

20/20 Concepts – Maker of Innovative Shooting Products We are committed to providing the highest quality USA-made shooting products at reasonable prices, and take pride in every item we ship! Most domestic orders ship by US Postal Service for just $5. Large orders, or those containing solvents...

patchworm.com

 

[HeyU]

Try a patch worm kit.

Home - PatchWorm

20/20 Concepts – Maker of Innovative Shooting Products We are committed to providing the highest quality USA-made shooting products at reasonable prices, and take pride in every item we ship! Most domestic orders ship by US Postal Service for just $5. Large orders, or those containing solvents...

patchworm.com

 

[Heimann]

Pretty embarrassed to ask this since I have no shooting experience and I couldn't really find a answer. Do I remove the little metal piece at the end of the barrel once the scope is on? I had pyramid put the scope on and it was sighted for their 20/20 thing, but after trying to shoot a bit I'm unsure of if that's meant to be there?

It adds like a very blurry/out of focus circle when I look down the sight ... am I meant to make sure the scope crosshairs are within the circle? Once again so sorry for what is probably a very idiotic question lol. I just watched alot of videos on the rifle where some have it on and some have it off so I was unsure.

 

[jccams]

You don't need the front sight with a scope so yes you can remove it. This can become an issue when using high magnification, you may not notice it at lower magnification.

 

[crowski]

Pretty embarrassed to ask this since I have no shooting experience and I couldn't really find a answer. Do I remove the little metal piece at the end of the barrel once the scope is on? I had pyramid put the scope on and it was sighted for their 20/20 thing, but after trying to shoot a bit I'm unsure of if that's meant to be there?

It adds like a very blurry/out of focus circle when I look down the sight ... am I meant to make sure the scope crosshairs are within the circle? Once again so sorry for what is probably a very idiotic question lol. I just watched alot of videos on the rifle where some have it on and some have it off so I was unsure.

View attachment 435142

I took all mine off and I replaced them with a Delrin muzzle end that SpiralGroove makes.

Not as cold on the hands. Good luck. Crow

 

[Heimann]

You don't need the front sight with a scope so yes you can remove it. This can become an issue when using high magnification, you may not notice it at lower magnification.

I took all mine off and I replaced them with a Delrin muzzle end that SpiralGroove makes.View attachment 435151Not as cold on the hands. Good luck. Crow

Thanks for the advice

 

[Sawney Bean]

I remove mine as well they just look cleaner that way. These days I shoot almost exclusively with scopes and I really can’t imagine a scenario where not having backup iron sights on an air rifle would be a problem.

 

[Ievgen721]

My first break barrel was also an RWS34, but at the time it was a very flawed rifle. This would have been back around 1983 and what I really wanted in the worst way was a Beeman R1. I'd saved up my money for it but my mother refused to order it for me as she thought it was way too expensive for a bb gun and so I ended up getting a very early RWS34 instead. The problem with it was that the very early ones used a simple one piece sear for the trigger which resulted in a horrible trigger pull. Also, good dovetail scope mounts were something unknown to me as a teenager in the 80s, so I just got used to the scope constantly shifting as I fired it. But it still beat the hell out of the MPPs I had been shooting up to that time.

Warning!!! Airgun Abuse to Follow!!!

Later on, as an adult, I replaced it and sold it cheap to a friend of mine that had a drinking problem. He ended up selling it back to me later for next to nothing because he had been firing finish nails through it three at a time and had managed to wedge them firmly in the breech. I think he had tried to remove them with a drill. Anyway I payed him something like $10 for it and managed to get the nails back out. At that point it was already pretty messed up so I tried my hand at improving the trigger mostly using a bench grinder to try and shorten and lighten the trigger pull. I remember improving it significantly, before I "improved" it a bit too much to where it would no longer catch.

Whatever happened to it after that I don't remember, but as a learning tool for what not to do with triggers it was fantastic. I've tuned many triggers since then and have had almost entirely good luck as that one taught me to take it slow and to use extreme caution when changing sear engagement or angles. I had an old KL3B Fast Deer, (one of those $20 Chinese rifles), that I had tuned back in the day and gave to a buddy recently as I had no use for it. Anyway, I test fired it before I gave it to him and I'll be damned if it didn't have a seriously nice trigger considering that it was the same kind of one piece sear that was on that old RWS34.

I have a NOS 1983 Diana 34, she has a T01 trigger, you are probably confusing the Diana 34 and Diana 27. Diana 34 never had a simple crossbow trigger.

 

[Sawney Bean]

I have a NOS 1983 Diana 34, she has a T01 trigger, you are probably confusing the Diana 34 and Diana 27.

I'm pretty certain it was an RWS34. I did a little research on it and I found multiple references online to some early models having this trigger.

This was from Geezer on AirgunBBS
"A baffling number of variants. Especially as some were marked as Dianas, some as Originals, and some as RWS.

Some of this is down to different importers in different markets. In the UK early on some Diana 34s (and 52s) were "Firebirds", which basically meant they had a little medallion on the bottom of the grip. The 34SM I think was a UK-only model for RUAG.

In Pakistan, the base 34 is sold as a 35, for some reason.

In addition, the first production models of the 34 (early 1984) had a slightly shorter cylinder than all the later ones, scope grooves (not the raised rail) and a simple rather crude trigger.

In the 'States, there was a 34N with Matt nickel finished action. And a black epoxy finished stock 34BC, which I think may have been the same as the 34 Black sold in the UK

On the 34/36/38 differences, originally they were clear: 34 simple wood stock; 36 same profile but nicer finish, grip cap, recoil pad; 38 different stock resembling the 48/52. But subsequently you can find 34s that look like 36s, 38s that look like 36s, and the 34SM (IIRC) has a stock more like that of the 38. This may all be down to different importers creating different specs from the same lot of available parts. Some may even be Diana using up overstocks of actions or stocks to get guns out of the door."

And this was from Roadworthy on GTA
"The Diana 34 was introduced in 1984 - the same year Diana was again permitted to sell under their name and logo in this country. The first iterations of the 34 did not have a modular trigger. The first modular trigger is commonly known as the T01, though I do not know if that's an official Diana designator. It is an adjustable two stage trigger using a system of three balls to latch the piston. The stock had no butt pad on the back but did have grooves cut across to help hold it in place when shouldered. There were no scope stop holes in the dovetail and the stock forearm was short enough to allow adjustment of the pivot screw without removing the stock. The T01 trigger when introduced had a stamped metal blade but later in production they went to a plastic resin blade. The T05 trigger was introduced about 2000 but my 2000 Diana 34 has the T01 trigger so I do not know exactly when the transition took place. The big change was elimination of the three ball release. It was still a two stage trigger but only one stage was adjustable, the other was fixed. It used the same scope rail as the T01 series. The T05 rifles had a synthetic trigger and safety. During the run of T05 guns Diana experimented with having barrels made in China. They had problems controlling quality and went back to German barrels. I think the T06 came out about 2015 but could be off a bit. As far as I know ALL T06 guns have German barrels. They have also incorporated two stop pin holes in the scope rail. The forearm is lengthened which makes it prettier cosmetically but means to adjust the pivot screw the stock must be removed. A butt plate has been added as well. The T06 rifles have a metal trigger blade and a metal safety lever. If choosing, I'd go with the T06 series. It is a superior trigger and quality control overall and precision of machining have improved over time. No, I do not sell airguns but I do have five Dianas with the T06 trigger."

 

[Bear-of-Grayling]

FWIW. I would install the UTG Bug Buster very carefully as not to scratch it so you can return it, if needed. I have one and like it a lot but not on a R9. The eye relief is to small. You may be okay with it but also may think it’s uncomfortable to get a full view. If so, I would recommend a full size Hawke model.

 

[SteveP-52]

My R9 .20 and HW95 .22, both with Hawke Airmax 4-12x40 scopes. The R9 for a time (along with the R7 of the time) was made without an option for open sights and I bought mine gently used from a fellow member of the forum. Will give you an idea of what yours will look like if you decide to take them off. As mentioned, fellow member SpiralGroove makes very good Delrin muzzle breaks for them to cover and protect the front sight grooves if you decide to take them off.

My HW 95 has the open sights and I left them on. Shouldn't be any kind of problems seeing a ghost image in the bottom of the scope from it and I never have, but mine is set to 10 and like jccams said above, you might at lower magnifications? I've never lowered mine to see and can't honestly say.

 

[Heimann]

FWIW. I would install the UTG Bug Buster very carefully as not to scratch it so you can return it, if needed. I have one and like it a lot but not on a R9. The eye relief is to small. You may be okay with it but also may think it’s uncomfortable to get a full view. If so, I would recommend a full size Hawke model.

My R9 .20 and HW95 .22, both with Hawke Airmax 4-12x40 scopes. The R9 for a time (along with the R7 of the time) was made without an option for open sights and I bought mine gently used from a fellow member of the forum. Will give you an idea of what yours will look like if you decide to take them off. As mentioned, fellow member SpiralGroove makes very good Delrin muzzle breaks for them to cover and protect the front sight grooves if you decide to take them off.
View attachment 435379
My HW 95 has the open sights and I left them on. Shouldn't be any kind of problems seeing a ghost image in the bottom of the scope from it and I never have, but mine is set to 10 and like jccams said above, you might at lower magnifications? I've never lowered mine to see and can't honestly say.
View attachment 435380

Thank you both for the input! I was planning on getting a Hawke of some sort if I happened to fall in love with the hobby/wanted to up the budget a little more down the road.

 

[SteveP-52]

Many fans of the Hawke Airmax scopes on here and I'm one owning now 10 of them. Last pair I got are both 3-9x40's and I got them from a website called Dvor for $179.99 each, saved me $70 on each one.
They're a clearing house for overstock items from Optics Planet and you can save quite a bit when they have things on sale. Free to join and shipping is always a flat $9.99.

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You can also keep an eye on another called Cameraland which also has very good deals at times:

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Shoot that new R9 enough and you'll fall in love with the hobby and want another rifle....lol.

 

[Heimann]

FWIW. I would install the UTG Bug Buster very carefully as not to scratch it so you can return it, if needed. I have one and like it a lot but not on a R9. The eye relief is to small. You may be okay with it but also may think it’s uncomfortable to get a full view. If so, I would recommend a full size Hawke model.

I finally got to spend a day shooting and yes, I & my friends dad agree, really need a scope with a bigger field of view. Otherwise it was a blast finally got some shots in! Surprisingly out of all the pellets I got, the Crossman premiers dome & Hollow point both gave me the best groupings