Would you buy a Diana Bandit again?

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steve123

steve123

Member
May 26, 2019
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Arizona, United States
I asked my adult kids to get me one for Christmas and now I'm having doubts?!

Use is for occasional plinking, with enough power (6fpe won't do), and hopefully enough accuracy, for a once a year PFT match. I know I won't win it but I'd like to be somewhat competitive, as in capable of hitting all the kill zones in perfect conditions off a benchrest.

Bobby suggested the C 1720 instead but it's almost twice as much on sale.

What say you?

Suggestions

Thanks in advance!
 
They are a lot different.I have great fun with either one; the Bandit is accurate plus a repeater..The 1720T is a lot more accurate and a better target pistol ,it would be hard to get a better pistol than it at its reduced price....so as they say the nicer the nice the higher the price...ok that said I would pay more for the 1720T because it tests your skills better.To answer your question I am glad I got the Bandit,butt one is enough and to throw another thought out a lot of people love their something 700 single shot pistols .
 
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The bandit is good. But that wood handle is too big for most hands. I cut mine down, and threw a regulator in there. Trigger is 8oz. on mine with 1.5mm travel. LOTS of time tinkering with it.

If you want something for pest that will be great right out the box, I'd recommend the pp700 as well. BUT if you'd prefer having the magazine, You can order the pp800 (same as a bandit) with a detacheable stock like the CP2's. From the airgun-archery fun website. (I have one in 25 caliber) The grip on the pp700 will be more comfortable than the bandit or pp800 as it is. But it is a single shot. It does have as regulator built into it, however, and a bit more air capacity. So you can get good power, and a good shot count. You can add a regulator to a bandit, but it will cut down power somewhat. \Biggest issue is it will take up significant volume in the air cylinder.

Mine is tuned to 650 fps in .177 with a 50 shot count. Still enough to take squirrel. But factor in the gun's original price, and the price of the huma reg, plus all the time I spend modifying the regulator setup to reduce it's size. And making the grip fit.... It adds up. But some people enjoy doing that kind of stuff. Or just having the magazine may make it worth it.

Of course you don't have to have a regulator. But expect something like a tight group of maybe 20 shots in 22 caliber without a regulator. I believe the pp700 gets something like 30 in 22. (with power turned up)

Here's an older photo of mine.

1576786670_19011739775dfbdaee525cd9.31515893_72196798_10157482222684034_5876406445167083520_o.jpg

 
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I own a Pp700 and have owned a Bandit. Both in .177. You can’t compare the guns. The PP700 will always come out on top but both will require you to know your way around a PCP. Most of them require you to replace crap orings, dress up the barrels, fix hammer bounce, and do some tuning. If you are looking for a consistent gun for target shooting, the PP700 or the regulated PP800 Rebel will be way more consistent than a Bandit. The Bandits shot string looks like a tire going flat so to me there is no real advantage to have a magazine full of shots that keep getting slower and slower. Now the regulated PP800, which I also have in .177, will shoot a 50 shot string at 650fps no problem. The bottom line is with this pistol available, I don’t know how a Bandit even gets sold, 
 
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Steve123, a PP700 will sling a 10gr .177 over 700fps for around 35 shots. But it wont do it out of the box. It takes some tweaking, praying you have an Artemis reg that works. A Huma reg turns that gun around very quickly. So quick that guys should just include that when they purchase the gun. Then you don't have to pray to the Chinese reg god while you wait for your pistol. You will only have to pray to the barrel god and the parts forgotten god.
 
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I guess the deal is done. When I asked my wife if she knew if the kids had got the Bandit she said "maybe" with a smirk, lol.

I wish I had asked this question a couple weeks ago! Oh well, perhaps I'll buy a PP750 next year if it comes out, or a 1720. Sure would be nice to shoot them both to compare??!!

It's always fun to try something out to experience what you like and dislike about it. Hopefully I'll get a good shooting Bandit pistol! If not I might have a project to play with.

Thanks again! This was very good advice!
 
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The Bandit is an interesting platform if you are looking for an inexpensive and super lightweight repeater, and can live with the anemic shot count. But yeah, it’s very much a compromise that does not suit a lot of needs. I was eyeing it recently as a gift for my young son but decided instead to go with the CO2-based Chaser. It won’t be used for hunting, just recreational shooting in the back yard so he doesn’t need the power of the Bandit, and we’ll get a lot more enjoyment out of something we can take 50 shots in one sitting without having to refill. And if it’s more enjoyable, he’ll be inclined to do it more often and that’s what I’m going for.
 
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Call your kids quickly and tell them to get you a Pp800 Rebel. Get it with the reg installed and get the plastic version that you can shoot as a pistol or gun. It’s 217.00 from Airgun Archery Fun. Way better value than a Bandit. Crosman 1720 is still a way better gun and it’s price reflects it.
Click to expand...

Please correct me if I'm mistaken.

When buying a PCP pistol from a Canadian supplier such as Airgun Archery Fun, it is my understanding that the gun will be tuned (detuned) to meet Canadian power limits which are much lower than a gun produced for the US market.

Is that correct?

Ed
 
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Yes, the owner of AAF has confirmed that to be the case in prior discussions. In the case of the PP700, it was super simple to convert to unrestricted form by simply drilling out the transfer port block but I don’t know about the PP800.

Click to expand...


Thanks, Jason

Gee!

That PP800 looks a lot like a Bandit to me

Same gun?

Ed
 
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When I got my regulated PP800 from Wes, I shot it through the chronograph. It was 575fps with a 7.9gr. I made a 1” longer LW barrel, installed a HDD and it shot the 7.9’s 630fps. Accuracy testing confirmed it really liked 7.3gr JSB’s and it was shooting them 650fps. It was so accurate for 51 shots that I never felt the need to lean on the gun for more velocity. If I remember correctly, the gun seems to come off the reg at 115b.
 
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