What's an old Diana 34 worth?

[39M]

I found an old Diana 34 at a pawn shop. It has the wood stock that came with the grooves on the butt. No pad or plate.
Steel trigger guard and no safety that I noticed.
Wood is in very good condition. Metal has a worn finish, and the sights are gone.
It has a no name 3-9x40 scope, which I value at $0.
They're asking $169, which I thought was too high. But I don't know.

I like the feel of the rifle though.

Was thinking of offering $100. But if they counter, what's a fair value?

[Roadworthy]

You can get the age from numbers stamped on the breech, left side, just above the stock.  The first two digits are the month, the second two are the year.  It sounds as though it predates the T01 trigger as the T01 had a safety.

I suspect you know nothing about the gun, how it shoots, or whether it's been dry fired.  If sights are missing it's not even complete.  No butt pad was the norm, as was a metal trigger guard.  The trigger blade is probably stamped steel.

I paid $100 for my 2000 model Diana 34 with T01 trigger and was able to shoot it before purchase.  It was complete and the prior owner had installed a new piston seal.  He had purchased it from a pawn shop.  I don't know what he paid but it's a fine gun.

With all that said, given the amount of work you may need to invest, even $100 sounds high.  It's a pig in a poke.  It can be cocked and uncocked by the way.  To uncock hold the barrel firmly while open and pull the trigger.  You can then ease the barrel closed under spring pressure.  That will at least let you FEEL the condition of the spring.  By the way, I have a 1969 Diana 35 with original spring and seal so if treated well they can hold up.

[SteveP-52]

Might help if you had some kind of serial number or something that would help dating it. The Airgun Bluebook has several versions but value hinges on when it was made. From your description, I'd say offer him $120 and see what he says.

[39M]

Thanks for the info guys. I suspect that it does predate the T01 trigger. It didn't have a safety, and there were no holes in the trigger guard for adjustments.

Also, I believe that I had read that early models had a shorter compression chamber, and I think this one had that. As it felt smaller and lighter than my Blackhawk Elite. And the LOP seemed shorter, which I like.

The style of the rifle as a whole was very appealing. The size and weight, the slender stock design, the steel trigger guard, and the absence of a safety were all things I liked.
But the worn blueing and missing sights, as well as not being able to upgrade it with the standard 34 Vortek kit, all bring the value down.

Now if it were a .22 in the compact model, then I might have been more exited about it.

I'll check back in a couple of weeks. If it's still there I'll make an offer....if I don't find something I like better before then.
The nice stock and steel trigger guard do have a value to me.

[Yogi]

Thanks for the info guys. I suspect that it does predate the T01 trigger. It didn't have a safety, and there were no holes in the trigger guard for adjustments.

Also, I believe that I had read that early models had a shorter compression chamber, and I think this one had that. As it felt smaller and lighter than my Blackhawk Elite. And the LOP seemed shorter, which I like.

The style of the rifle as a whole was very appealing. The size and weight, the slender stock design, the steel trigger guard, and the absence of a safety were all things I liked.
But the worn blueing and missing sights, as well as not being able to upgrade it with the standard 34 Vortek kit, all bring the value down.

Now if it were a .22 in the compact model, then I might have been more exited about it.

I'll check back in a couple of weeks. If it's still there I'll make an offer....if I don't find something I like better before then.
The nice stock and steel trigger guard do have a value to me.

Nothing worse than having regrets....
If you like it buy it!

-Y

[Smaug2]

I found an old Diana 34 at a pawn shop. It has the wood stock that came with the grooves on the butt. No pad or plate.
Steel trigger guard and no safety that I noticed.
Wood is in very good condition. Metal has a worn finish, and the sights are gone.
It has a no name 3-9x40 scope, which I value at $0.
They're asking $169, which I thought was too high. But I don't know.

I like the feel of the rifle though.

Was thinking of offering $100. But if they counter, what's a fair value?

I was thinking $100 too. It's not collectible, but the metalwork, sights, trigger guard, etc is likely of better quality than a new one. You've got to figure that it's going to need seals and a spring, at a minimum, so you're going to put more money into it to make it. Use this in your negotiations.  The pawn shop probably gave $50 for it, so they're likely to take your $100 offer.

If they decline, walk away feeling comfortable, and keep an eye out for a similar one in the usual airgun fora from someone who's more realistic about what he's got.

Remember too, that down in TX, you've got one of the nation's best airgun shows, where there'll be motivated sellers.

[uglymike]

Parts availability for this older 34? If you like the looks/feel of it then buy it. A lot of fun for not much $$, and with a rebuild you'll add a few decades of stories to this classic workhorse. 

[39M]

[
Remember too, that down in TX, you've got one of the nation's best airgun shows, where there'll be motivated sellers.

I've heard about air gun shows, but have never been to one.
I'll have to check that out.

I usually see a few at the regular gun show. But I haven't been to one of those in a couple of years.