Diana 34 classic professional heavly modified....

[Branden O'connor]

Some of you may know that about a year ago a purchased a 34 classic professional. When it arrived the safety didn't work, due to a broken spring. Not to worry though, seeing as though the T06 has such a long 1st stage, a safety isn't really needed. So out the safety went!! I turned and milled a new endcap from aluminium to replace the otlriginal plastic one. The next thing I noticed was, I was getting vertical stringing due to the heavy muzzle weight and the barrel being 500mm/19" long. The barrel was opening at the breach ever so slightly with every shot. This in turn, caused about 3" of vertical stringing at 25 metres. So off with the old muzzle weight, I went and I turned up a new one from a piece of 30mm aluminium round stock I had laying in our workshops scrap bin. This one turned out to be 120 grams lighter than the original steel one. Accuracy did improve while I was sighting in again, but due to the harsh recoil, the retaining screws holding the muzzle weight became loose so I packed up and headed home. The main spring was next, it had to be shortend, just a tad. I also added a PTFE piston liner while she was opened and in pieces. The 34 got a full degrease, polish and proper greasing with Mo-Di anti scuffing paste(No1). I fiddled with the trigger and replaced the standard adjustment screws with some stainless ones I rounded off on the lathe. The plastic butt pad was also a real turn off so, like the rest of the other few things, it also had to go. I made an adjustable butt pad from aluminium sheet and a bizley rubber pad I picked up at a local gun shop. This worked out really well. I Put the 34 back together and it looked really stunning. But it just didn't look like what I wanted..  I'd didn't feel quite right.. I've seen the pro compact(meisteschutz) version of this rifle online many times before, but sadly nobody imports this specific version to South Africa. I'd been lusting after one ever since I'd first seen them. Now you probably already know what happened next.... Yes, that's right, off came the barrel and into the lathe it went. Parted off 100mm to bring it to 400mm(same as the meisteschutz) and re-crowned the business end. I also drilled two new 5mm grub screw holes under the barrel, 3mm deep for the muzzle weight retaining screws to fasten into. The aluminium muzzle weight retaining screw holes where drilled out and tapped for M5 grub screws. All put back together and 3 shots where taken from a standing position. At 10 meters, all 3 pellet holes touching!! Well this is as far as I've gotten so far, im very, very happy with the results so far, the shot cycle is fantastic, and shoots like a  dream the only thing left to do now is to write a program to machine an aluminium trigger gaurd on the CNC, but that can wait for a bit. So here she is guys, from a 34 Classis Professional to a full custom Meisteschutz Pro Compact.....

[LAalex]

     Beautiful rifle Branden.  I have to confess a little envy of you guys with the machining skills.  Thanks for sharing.

Scotty

[Booger]

I have sold many D-34s and for some reason they are one of my favorite air rifles. I've sold top end Air Rifles, but always come back after a D-34. Your work is beautiful and it was a true pleasure to see it. Thank you for posting, just to make me lust a little bit more.

[Novagun]

Nice looking rifle Brandon.
I have done a similar thing with my D34 Compact. I didn't have to shorten the barrel though. I have added a muzzle break out made out of Acetal. Practically no weight and no grub screws just a tight hammer on fit. It covers the peculiar bluing that the old heavy steel brake used to cover. I don't think the brake alters the performance of the rifle but it finishes it and gives a good rust proof handle to hold onto. That steel muzzle break was so bad that recoil elongated the grub screw holes in the barrel. Five shots and it was lose again.
Also replaced the butt pad with a timber one but mine extends below the heel so that the rifle sits higher on the shoulder and lengthens the pull like yours.
Mine is a nice rifle but for some reason I find I shoot my Gamos more often even though they are not as good rifles as the Diana.
I have lightened my T05 trigger a bit but it is still pretty firm.

[Bad Karma]

     Beautiful rifle Branden.  I have to confess a little envy of you guys with the machining skills.  Thanks for sharing.

Scotty

I’ll confess to a LOT of envy for those with the tools and wherewithal to do this stuff in their home shops...

[Yogi]

Brandon,

Nice work!

What is "Mo-Di anti scuffing paste(No1)"?  Never heard of it in the States or Europe.


Novagun-I Vibratited the grub screws on my 340 N-Tec Compact and they have not moved in over 1000 shots.  Before that well every 10-15 shots I needed to tighten them.  Very disappointed in the lack of blueing underneath the muzzle brake!   I wanted to retain the muzzle brake so I could unscrew the end cap and insert an adaptor and LDC.  Makes the rifle kind of long and only deadens the sound a little.

-Y

[longhunter]

Brandon,

Nice work!

What is "Mo-Di anti scuffing paste(No1)"?  Never heard of it in the States or Europe.


Molybdenum disulfide paste / molly paste.

-Y

[Mark 611]

Very nice rifle for sure  

[HectorMedina]

. . . . .  the only thing left to do now is to write a program to machine an aluminium trigger gaurd on the CNC, but that can wait for a bit . . . 

Congrats!

Good work!

If you ever write that program, I am sure you can sell quite a bit of them!

;-)


Keep well and shoot straight!





HM

[Branden O'connor]

Hi there again, I see a few of you are interested in Mo-Di, well it's actually the name of a South African company that makes specialized greases and lubricants, I'll put the link up for you guys to check out. The No1 anti scuffing paste that I use is actually a clay based grease with a very high molybdenum disulfide content. It sticks where you put it and lubes parts extremely well. Anywho, here is the link

http://www.mo-di.co.za

Oh, and they also ship world wide, just not sure if they'll ship small quantities though as I'm still using a 50 gram tube I bought a good few years ago. But I will say, this stuff is very very good indeed.

[silent_airman]

     Beautiful rifle Branden.  I have to confess a little envy of you guys with the machining skills.  Thanks for sharing.

Scotty

I’ll confess to a LOT of envy for those with the tools and wherewithal to do this stuff in their home shops...

I hear ya! I can barely run a hand drill!

[Branden O'connor]

So I took the Diana out to the range this morning for some longer-range accuracy testing. Well well well, 1/2" groups all day with various pellets at 25m. Jsb10,34gr will get 1/4" groups if I really try. So, all in all, a year after the purchase, the self tuned and modded meisteschutz is now at her peak. A very happy chappie I is now!!

[subscriber]

Mo-Di, well it's actually the name of a South African company that makes specialized greases and lubricants

Yanks call it "moly" paste, powder or grease; rather than mo-di.  Greases and powders can be bought via amazon.  For instance:

[Branden O'connor]

Yes I've seen those online too. But it's not Mo-Di. It's not the same as it has a different chemical make up to other greases. Mo-Di is a clay based paste with a very high moly content, not the same as a conventional pertolium/carbon based grease. It is also very thick and sticky, so just a tiny amount is applied and it stays where you put it. I find it to work better than krytox, and pretty much anything else I've tried thus far.

http://www.mo-di.co.za/products/mo-di-no-1/

[Yogi]

Love the new butt plate and pad!

Is it adjustable?  Close up pictures please?

-Y

[Brazos]

Great job.  I really like the 34.  I have improved them by just working within the confines of the rifle itself.  Never considered using it as a platform for making a "super 34".  Great idea. 

[subscriber]

Mo-Di is a clay based paste with a very high moly content, not the same as a conventional pertolium/carbon based grease.
http://www.mo-di.co.za/products/mo-di-no-1/

Branden, not to be more pedantic than necessary, but the text from your product link reads as follows:

MO-DI No.1 has been specially developed as a high concentration of molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) in a suitable grease carrier.

That said, if it works better than Krytox it must be extremely good and is worth trying out.  Or, perhaps, you posted the link to anther one of their products by accident.

Baie dankie, meneer. 

[dwalk]

Nice looking rifle Brandon.
I have done a similar thing with my D34 Compact. I didn't have to shorten the barrel though. I have added a muzzle break out made out of Acetal. Practically no weight and no grub screws just a tight hammer on fit. It covers the peculiar bluing that the old heavy steel brake used to cover. I don't think the brake alters the performance of the rifle but it finishes it and gives a good rust proof handle to hold onto. That steel muzzle break was so bad that recoil elongated the grub screw holes in the barrel. Five shots and it was lose again.
Also replaced the butt pad with a timber one but mine extends below the heel so that the rifle sits higher on the shoulder and lengthens the pull like yours.
Mine is a nice rifle but for some reason I find I shoot my Gamos more often even though they are not as good rifles as the Diana.
I have lightened my T05 trigger a bit but it is still pretty firm.

would you mind giving the dimensions of your brake?

[Branden O'connor]

Mo-Di is a clay based paste with a very high moly content, not the same as a conventional pertolium/carbon based grease.
http://www.mo-di.co.za/products/mo-di-no-1/

Branden, not to be more pedantic than necessary, but the text from your product link reads as follows:

MO-DI No.1 has been specially developed as a high concentration of molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) in a suitable grease carrier.

That said, if it works better than Krytox it must be extremely good and is worth trying out.  Or, perhaps, you posted the link to anther one of their products by accident.

Baie dankie, meneer. 

No, it is as it should be. The "grease carrier" they talk of is clay based. I know this because I had a lengthy conversation over the phone with the with the director of Mo-Di SA, and informed of this and also told that the No1 anti-scuffing PASTE, has the highest moly content throughout the range. Grease comes in many forms, not just pertolium based, other variants too, including clay. Once mixed with molybdenum disulphide, it becomes a thick sticky PASTE.

Baie Dankie, MENEER!! :-)

[Branden O'connor]

Nice looking rifle Brandon.
I have done a similar thing with my D34 Compact. I didn't have to shorten the barrel though. I have added a muzzle break out made out of Acetal. Practically no weight and no grub screws just a tight hammer on fit. It covers the peculiar bluing that the old heavy steel brake used to cover. I don't think the brake alters the performance of the rifle but it finishes it and gives a good rust proof handle to hold onto. That steel muzzle break was so bad that recoil elongated the grub screw holes in the barrel. Five shots and it was lose again.
Also replaced the butt pad with a timber one but mine extends below the heel so that the rifle sits higher on the shoulder and lengthens the pull like yours.
Mine is a nice rifle but for some reason I find I shoot my Gamos more often even though they are not as good rifles as the Diana.
I have lightened my T05 trigger a bit but it is still pretty firm.

would you mind giving the dimensions of your brake?

The dimensions are identical to the original steel one. I used a 30mm piece of aluminium round stock and machined it to the same specs.  I can pm you with a sketch of it with measurements. It will be in metric though.