My first "real" airgun comes home

[mcoulter]

“you don't know what you got till its gone”
― Joni Mitchell

I was boxing up my 34 last fall when I got THAT feeling.  I remember saying out loud "Oh man, I shouldn't have sold it." 

Guns come and go.  I have sold enough of them to recognize that feeling of nostalgia when you part with one, but this feeling was different.  This was that gut feeling that I just screwed up and something bad has happened.  I'm going to have REAL regrets. 

Well, I did regret selling it.  Fortunately for me, I kept in occasional contact with the buyer and dropped a few hints along the way that I would call "dibs" on it if he ever decided to part with it.   Opportunity presented itself and I jumped at the chance to get this 34 back again.  It arrived yesterday and I had my lunchtime today to reacquaint myself with it again!

The first thing that struck me was dang, these Air Arms 8.4 grain pellets are small!  I have been mostly shooting my .25 cricket with the JSB 33.9 grain King Heavies and these .177 pellets felt unbelievably small as I was handling them.  The rest of the mechanics of breaking open the barrel, loading the pellet, and getting into a shooting position truly was ingrained muscle memory still.  My first shot was rather surprising feeling.  See, my last springer was much higher-power, but was the AirKing / 54 and when I finally got the rail system working as it should (thanks everyone!) the lack of recoil on a hard shooting springer really was unique...  But this soft-shooting 34 still had a little bit of punch on my shoulder as it recoiled! 

I'm really pleased to say that in spite of the transitional weather today (it feels like fall finally), I could not be happier to have it back!  This gun ALWAYS has been the one I could grab, shoot, and hit was I was aiming at.  I still feel rusty getting used to a kicking springer again, but I think we're going to become good friends again  :-)

JSB .25 King Heavy vs Air Arms .177




The long and slender 34 and Jasper

 



Testing the Air Arms 8.4 and the Air Arms 10.3 at 50 yards

[wolverine]

i know how you feel.  several years ago i bought a refurbished .177 34.  that rifle was accurate and hard hitting.  i took a lot of squirrels with it, but had too many pass thrus, so i sent it to M.M. for a tune.  it came back shooting softer and not as fast.  it was perfect, no squirrel within 40 yards was safe.  then i bought my 1st pcp and thought i'd never want to shoot a springer again, so i sold it.  now i really want a 12-15 fpe springer again.  they are just so much more satisfying to hunt with.


congratulations on getting your 1st back in your arms.

[jason miller]

Nice!

What internals do you have in that 34? What year was the rifle manufactured? Those 8.4’s are doing great at 50 yards! How’s the pellet fit?

[mcoulter]

Thanks guys. 

Jason, I bought the 34 new in 2012.  The original spring broke into multiple pieces after about 1500 or 2000 pellets and I replaced it with a Vortek PG2 kit.  I think that was in 2013.  And as I look through my notes since then I can see the AA Heavies (10.3) were shooting stronger in the past:

Oct.  2014 765 fps
July  2014 725 fps
Nov  2016 737 fps
Sept 2017 714 fps
Sept 2020 685 fps  (today I did occasionally get a shot near 700 fps)

So I probably should crack it open and see the condition of the piston seal, but it's still feels like a sweet shooter!

[Yogi]

“you don't know what you got till its gone”
― Joni Mitchell

I was boxing up my 34 last fall when I got THAT feeling.  I remember saying out loud "Oh man, I shouldn't have sold it." 

JSB .25 King Heavy vs Air Arms .177



vxNIN_Pu24TOzEa3hjpW3Bcx8yTZQIPpw=w1666-h937-no?authuser=0[/img]

Kind of looks like the King and a pawn from a chess board?!

Kirk, SG, when he sells a gun ALWAYS has right of first refusal to buy back, when he sells a gun.  Makes sense.

I just don't sell them...

Glad you are happy.

-Y

[Yarddog]

I don't know which is prettier,  thr rigle or Jasper!

[triggerfest]

That's a nice story. I am glad for you, having your D34 back.

Also I regret selling mine. It had the great T06 trigger and was a .22 cal. Just the perfect cal imho. I used to shoot JSB 5.51 head sized pellets with it and could not be happier. Also the RWS Superdomes did great.

I have other nice airguns now, including a couple of great pcp's and I still own my Diana Panther 21 in .177 cal for still having that "Diana" feeling/experience. But sometimes I betray myself searching the internet for a D34 Premium in .22 cal.....

[WolfyW]

Great story ! Love my 34s.

[Alsky]

“you don't know what you got till its gone”
― Joni Mitchell

I was boxing up my 34 last fall when I got THAT feeling.  I remember saying out loud "Oh man, I shouldn't have sold it." 

Guns come and go.  I have sold enough of them to recognize that feeling of nostalgia when you part with one, but this feeling was different.  This was that gut feeling that I just screwed up and something bad has happened.  I'm going to have REAL regrets. 

Well, I did regret selling it.  Fortunately for me, I kept in occasional contact with the buyer and dropped a few hints along the way that I would call "dibs" on it if he ever decided to part with it.   Opportunity presented itself and I jumped at the chance to get this 34 back again.  It arrived yesterday and I had my lunchtime today to reacquaint myself with it again!

My collection had grown to a few more pieces than I could shoot and the 34 was being neglected. So I was happy to reunite the two of you.  I also know that feeling of sellers remorse and in a couple of cases I had a few come back home to me too.   Please continue with your great write-ups and posting of those sharp pictures.

[jason miller]

Thanks guys. 

Jason, I bought the 34 new in 2012.  The original spring broke into multiple pieces after about 1500 or 2000 pellets and I replaced it with a Vortek PG2 kit.  I think that was in 2013.  And as I look through my notes since then I can see the AA Heavies (10.3) were shooting stronger in the past:

Oct.  2014 765 fps
July  2014 725 fps
Nov  2016 737 fps
Sept 2017 714 fps
Sept 2020 685 fps  (today I did occasionally get a shot near 700 fps)

So I probably should crack it open and see the condition of the piston seal, but it's still feels like a sweet shooter!

That’s very interesting. It seems that you’re experiencing the same kind of “fade” that Ed in NC has described with Vortek springs.

I wonder if the springs he is selling today would have the same tendency. Any interest in trying one?

[lizzie]

Congratulations!  I love a happy story with a happy ending!

[mcoulter]

Thanks for the kind words folks  :-)

Jason, I'm not sure what I'm going to do here.  Yes, the gun has clearly lost power across the last 6 years.  I'm pretty sure I have a few more piston seals squirreled away and yes, I have heard the same reports about Vortek springs loosing their power.  I'm torn though because I really like the feel of the gun and I'd hate change that.

But...  I also ran more shots over the chrony and was disappointed with the velocity spread that I saw.

Pellet = AA 8.4
Shots = 50
Temp = 65 f
High = 811 fps
Lo  = 777 fps
Avg = 789 fps
ES = 34 fps
SD = 7 fps

I've shot lots of strings from various PCPs but I have not done a long string like this from a springer.  I guess the first question is if it's acceptable to simply throw out (disregard) the first 10-shots while the gun is getting warmed up? If so, then my ES goes down to 22 fps (2.75%) from 34 fps (4.2%).  And in my mind, a 20 fps spread is bordering on OK(ish).

Since I don't have a clue if there were parts (i.e. spacers) which might have been in my gun before I installed the PG2 kit, I'm torn about what direction to go with a spring replacement.  Héctor mentioned the Titan spring in his post about the LVG tune, but I'm not sure how much of a drop-in component that would be in the 34.  I did email AoA and they said that they do have a Titan spring available for the 34 and to call them for details.  I just have not gotten around to calling them yet. 

EDIT - I googled this again and read a bit closer and it looks like the Model 1 would be the one to use on the 34:
https://www.airgunsofarizona.com/index.php?p=product&id=927&parent=45&is_print_version=true

Getting back to the string, this is what it looks like.  A slow, but consistent drop.  If this were a PCP, I'd know what to do, but in a springer, I have to admit I don't know what "normal" should look like across 50 shots:

[mcoulter]

My collection had grown to a few more pieces than I could shoot and the 34 was being neglected. So I was happy to reunite the two of you.  I also know that feeling of sellers remorse and in a couple of cases I had a few come back home to me too.   Please continue with your great write-ups and posting of those sharp pictures.

Thank you very much Alsky  :-)  Will do!

[HectorMedina]

Thanks for the kind words folks  :-)

Jason, I'm not sure what I'm going to do here.  Yes, the gun has clearly lost power across the last 6 years.  I'm pretty sure I have a few more piston seals squirreled away and yes, I have heard the same reports about Vortek springs loosing their power.  I'm torn though because I really like the feel of the gun and I'd hate change that.

But...  I also ran more shots over the chrony and was disappointed with the velocity spread that I saw.

Pellet = AA 8.4
Shots = 50
Temp = 65 f
High = 811 fps
Lo  = 777 fps
Avg = 789 fps
ES = 34 fps
SD = 7 fps

I've shot lots of strings from various PCPs but I have not done a long string like this from a springer.  I guess the first question is if it's acceptable to simply throw out (disregard) the first 10-shots while the gun is getting warmed up? If so, then my ES goes down to 22 fps (2.75%) from 34 fps (4.2%).  And in my mind, a 20 fps spread is bordering on OK(ish).

Since I don't have a clue if there were parts (i.e. spacers) which might have been in my gun before I installed the PG2 kit, I'm torn about what direction to go with a spring replacement.  Héctor mentioned the Titan spring in his post about the LVG tune, but I'm not sure how much of a drop-in component that would be in the 34.  I did email AoA and they said that they do have a Titan spring available for the 34 and to call them for details.  I just have not gotten around to calling them yet. 

EDIT - I googled this again and read a bit closer and it looks like the Model 1 would be the one to use on the 34:

Getting back to the string, this is what it looks like.  A slow, but consistent drop.  If this were a PCP, I'd know what to do, but in a springer, I have to admit I don't know what "normal" should look like across 50 shots:

Matt;

You reminded me of the time when I got back with a girlfriend with whom I had parted some time before.
Great memories, but the "present times" of both of us just were not right.

Luckily, you CAN open up and tune a rifle, while  . . . ROFL!

Anyway, it ALL depends WHAT you want your 34 to be.
Remember that for Titan "Std Power" means 12 ft-lbs. If that is what you want, and you want to have a custom guide made, yes, the #1 might be a solution.
If you want "FAC" power and you cannot turn a custom guide, then I would advise a #8
There are just a few thou's difference between the DIANA OEM guide and the ID of this spring, making a mandrel and sanding the DIANA guide is a good way to fit them together (it will take quite some time, so it is not a "production" method, but for a personal 'one-off' it may work for you if you have a drill and can make the mandrel). You can also make spacer washers out of fender washers, there's a ton of sizes, so just pick the ones you need, or are closest that you need.

You could also convert it to NTec, that would be an extreme makeover!

You could have an ABP made  . . .

OR, you could just buy DIANA OEM spring and return her to the original girl you knew. Though you will find her a bit on the "young side" for the elderly statesman you have become . . .

OR, you could get a Maccari kit . . .

Tons of options. There is even a double spring kit from Poland. Very interesting . . .

So, exactly WHAT do you want to do with that "old flame"?

And, BTW, don't put too much store in what AoA tells you about spring-piston airguns, it's simply not their market. They are very knowledgeable in high end PCP's, but lowly spring-piston airguns? not so much.

On your string:
1.- NEVER believe anything a spring-piston airgun tells you before the 10th shot. They need shooting/warmup, like humans need early morning coffee.
2.- A 20 shot string will give you 99% of the SD of a 100 shot string, Meaning that IF you use the formula for SAMPLE Sd, you will have a 99.9% chance of being right about the true Sd. in GENERAL, 3 times the Sd will give you the ES. If this is not so, then something ELSE is wrong.

Let me know if I can be of further assistance








HM

[mcoulter]

HM, thank you for your input and probing questions.  They have make me reflect on why I have the 34 what I expect when I grab it and take it outside.

I want simplicity, respectable accuracy, and cheap shooting.  No tanks, no keeping track of shot counts, and no heavy and "expensive" (?) pellets that only come in 200 or 300 count tins.  So to that end, cracking it open to replace a spring and/or seal every few years is fine.  I'm not looking for a project.  For now this probably means either an OEM, Maccari, or PG2 spring from Vortek (since I already have the PG2 kit in it). 

So I think that as long as the gun shoots reasonably well, I'm just gonna keep shooting it until the velocity drops more or the (post-warmup) ES goes up.  :-)

On a different note, I picked up a couple of patchworm cleaning kits this summer.  I honestly don't know if I had ever (I mean EVER) cleaned the barrel on this gun.  My accuracy over the weekend was not quite where I wanted to see it, so I pulled a few patches through with Ballistol and was shocked with just how clean the barrel was.  So my expectations were pretty low for seeing much of a change in accuracy.  Fortunately that assumption was wrong.  I have to admit that I've really grown to like this cleaning system!

Here are some shots at 35 yards
Above the line I drew are JSB 8.4 and below are AA 10.3s.  The two groups I circled are AFTER the patchworm cleaning.  You can see they are a bit tighter than the ones outside the circle.




And this target are from the shots I took on the long chrony string (35 yards).  Decent but not as good as what the gun should be doing...




And that cleaning brings me back here (groups in the top row), which is what I hope this gun can do at 50 yards:

[fwbsport]

The 34 in Diana has been on my mind since the 70s but I never took that plunge.

With all the changes over the years I've still wanted to get a .22 D34 since decades ago but now I have less idea on the "real" D34 .22 that was produced in the 80s and earlier.

Who would sell one of these regularly today that we know of?

[ssbn617]

John,
 Are you asking who is selling a made in 1980 Diana 34?

[mcoulter]

I've been having fun testing / cleaning up some old pellets and doing some lunch time shooting!  No real surprises in going through my stock of pellets except for RWS Superdomes.  I honestly don't recall where the tin came from, but they actually shot pretty well!  The Air Arms 8.44 had been the best so far, but I only had a partial tin and I ran out of them pretty quickly.  Next best seem to be JSB Heavies and then Exacts.  I've always wanted to try field target so I thought I'd do some testing between the remaining JSBs I have left.

While the heavies might group a little bit better, they do drop considerably.  Here's my latest test with the JSB Exacts.  I played around with some various zero distances and ended up liking a 25 yards.  I then shot at 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 yards to see the amount of drop.  I also made note of how these distances presented themselves on my scope's AO and how many dots of holdover were needed.  Here's what I came up with:

Gun RWS 34
Pellet JSB 8.44
MV = 783 fps (11.5 fpe)
Velocity at 48 yards = 567 fps (6.4 fpe)
BC = .021 (a bit higher than HAM mag which had .019)

Holdovers:
10y = 3 MD
20y = 3/4 MD
30y = 1/2 MD
40y = 1 MD
50y = 2 MD*

* I realize now I should have extended this out to 55 yards.  Oh well :-)  I'm be repeating this again as I repeat this shooting off my monopod because I'm sure my shakiness will change things!



Nothing but the best when it comes to scope labels  ;-)




   

[HectorMedina]

Good for you!

Rochester Field Target is very active thanks to one of the young MD's in the game: Eric Brewer
He is a great guy and I am sure you will have a lot of fun!

THANKS and Keep us posted!





HM

[mcoulter]

Good for you!

Rochester Field Target is very active thanks to one of the young MD's in the game: Eric Brewer
He is a great guy and I am sure you will have a lot of fun!

THANKS and Keep us posted!


HM

I'm rather fortunate to have FT clubs relatively close to me both in Rochester and Binghamton.  Thank you, I will be looking into doing this hopefully in the spring after I get some backyard practice in!