From Findlay Airgun Show- Vintage Diana Model 50

[45flint]

The find of the day at Findlay.  I know many of you are not into old vintage springers but guns like this is  why I go to Airgun Shows.  It was love at first sight and I knew what it was but it was not until I got home and researched it did I realize I have one of the first Model 50b’s made.  This was Diana’s Target Model made from 1952-1965.  Another variation would go on to 1987.  My trigger having one adjusting screw is characteristic of prewar so these were probably used on the first guns.  Makes it probably 1952-3?  65 years old.  But amazingly it looks about brand new, hard for me to believe really.  You can thumb through a series of picks here.
https://imgur.com/gallery/NCQ5M

The Diana 50b rifle has the most amazingly flexible sighting system I have ever encountered on a rifle. I am attaching a slide show to illustrate. First at the tip of the barrel is a rotary dial which by turning can rotate an internal “star” that has 4 different sighting posts. At the rear sight you have the peep which can be removed to reveal a plate which can be rotated to give you 4 different types of open sight notches. If you desire the open sight there is a dovetail plate on the middle of the rifle where the rear assembly can be mounted to give the proper distancing. You don’t see this every day, just a lot of fun to see it all work. Will I use it all probably not, but who cares. The open sights would add to the long stock military look? I think thumbing through the pics will illustrate.

https://imgur.com/gallery/3B2bM

[Privateer]

Fantastic find!!
I was going to be there this year but went to the Indiana shoot instead.

[lefteyeshot]

Fascinating. I'd love to see someone build sights like that to mount as replacements.

[Andrew]

Nice find Steve,

You've got a good eye for the unusual and very collectable.

You must have quite a collection by now.

[45flint]

Nice find Steve,

You've got a good eye for the unusual and very collectable.

You must have quite a collection by now.

Been lucky as well, but it could be what I tend to like doesn’t interest eveyone.  You are right, I love the unusual, made with blued milled steal.  The Beeman C1 is about the only fairly new gun I have bought, but the attraction is that it is just so odd and unique.  A carbine springer with a “Winchester” stock design by Beeman.  But part of the love was a low price I thought.

I need to take a family photo of the collection, it’s been a trip since I retired.

[TF89]

Very nice indeed.

[Rimrock]

Super, just super!

[A.K.A. Tommy Boy]

Congratulations Steve !     That's a real WOW Rifle !        Best Wishes - Tom

[Yng@hrt]

Beautiful rifle Steve. Both front sight & peep are great but that front sight is way cooooool!

[45flint]

Beautiful rifle Steve. Both front sight & peep are great but that front sight is way cooooool!

That’s the joy of collecting, never knew what that front sight did till I brought it home and read about it on line.

[Goose]

That's an amazing find!  I have to wonder where it spent life to remain in such good condition.

[Yng@hrt]

Beautiful rifle Steve. Both front sight & peep are great but that front sight is way cooooool!

That’s the joy of collecting, never knew what that front sight did till I brought it home and read about it on line.

I would be interested in knowing how POI holds or doesn’t hold when sights are rotated.

[45flint]

Beautiful rifle Steve. Both front sight & peep are great but that front sight is way cooooool!

That’s the joy of collecting, never knew what that front sight did till I brought it home and read about it on line.

I would be interested in knowing how POI holds or doesn’t hold when sights are rotated.

Marty you are all about shooting!  This is collecting, lol.  I will let you know but we were greeted this money with a little snow, so right now it’s just lubrication and a quick Chrony.

[45flint]

That's an amazing find!  I have to wonder where it spent life to remain in such good condition.

I often wonder this as I collect older guns in excellent shape.  But it probably speaks that many people buy guns but some rarely use them.  It was probably in a closet for a lot of years.  It is sometimes a strange feeling holding a old gun in almost new condition. Like a time machine. This year I bought a 1924 Webley Target Pistol that was in as new condition 95 years old, crazy.  It was still in the box, but the box looked every bit of 95 years old.

[Yng@hrt]

Beautiful rifle Steve. Both front sight & peep are great but that front sight is way cooooool!

That’s the joy of collecting, never knew what that front sight did till I brought it home and read about it on line.

I would be interested in knowing how POI holds or doesn’t hold when sights are rotated.

Marty you are all about shooting!  This is collecting, lol.  I will let you know but we were greeted this money with a little snow, so right now it’s just lubrication and a quick Chrony.

Guilty as charged but it would also pertain to the design & what the maker had in mind when he/she envisioned the feature which at that time would have been way outside the box. I would think even a collector would be interested as to its origin, history, & purpose. I doubt if there is a way to tell for certain if it was meant to use on the fly. I am sure if this was its intended use every part of the mechanism would have to be in as new condition as possible. However, my gut tells me it would have to be sighted in at each individual setting. 

[45flint]

Beautiful rifle Steve. Both front sight & peep are great but that front sight is way cooooool!

That’s the joy of collecting, never knew what that front sight did till I brought it home and read about it on line.

I would be interested in knowing how POI holds or doesn’t hold when sights are rotated.

Marty you are all about shooting!  This is collecting, lol.  I will let you know but we were greeted this money with a little snow, so right now it’s just lubrication and a quick Chrony.

Guilty as charged but it would also pertain to the design & what the maker had in mind when he/she envisioned the feature which at that time would have been way outside the box. I would think even a collector would be interested as to its origin, history, & purpose. I doubt if there is a way to tell for certain if it was meant to use on the fly. I am sure if this was its intended use every part of the mechanism would have to be in as new condition as possible. However, my gut tells me it would have to be sighted in at each individual setting.

Will be interesting to see?  I would imagine that a owner would probably have one post he likes the most and settle on it.  That may be different for the open sight vs the peep.  Also if the open sight is used you would move the back sight assembly to the other mid rail.  Will that hold true?  I actual am going to try that today cause I like the military look of the open sight.  What you may be underestimating is the precision German engineering and machining in these old guns.  We will see, wonder if my old eyes will even be able to test the difference?

[Privateer]

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/yellow/diana-model-50-a-target-rifle-t165956.html

[Yng@hrt]

Wow Jeff, where do you find this stuff? I would imagine Steve is about to have a coronary about now.

[Privateer]

I believe I saw this Model at a GTA meet.
Maybe even the one in the link above!
 

[45flint]

The guy who wrote this has posted on my rifle he’s from Tennessee.  Yes it’s funny how a single screw in a trigger can get you excited. To me it even more interesting that mine has no hole in the trigger guard, haven’t seen any others?  Transition from prewar?  Or they forgot to drill.  Lol