Diana 22 vs Diana 23

[Matchstickshooter]

Can anyone tell me how close they are?
Are the stocks the same? 
 Looking for a model 23 stock, and a model 22 stock has surfaced. Need to know if it will fit???

Thanks!

[Matchstickshooter]

Well,stock measurements all appear to be the same. Going to give it a try.
 Scratched about 2 layers of paint off the butt end of the original stock and found the date stamp.  57. So must be 1957.

[dtdtdtdt]

Thngs just got more confusing.  There are two different 22s and two different 23s.  Depending on when in the Diana company's complicated history they were made.  it will take some research to ferret out which was made when and what the history actually is. 

From what little I can glean from the Blue Book of Airguns.  Early rifles from the 1920's until 1940 were made by Diana from their earlier patents.  After WW2 no German air rifle manufacturing was allowed and the Diana equipment, patents, and trademark was sold/given/stolen by a British company Millard Brothers who marketed them under the MILBRO name.  After 1950, the Dianawerks company recovered the business and redesigned most of their products.  They were sold in the Uk and Germany under the name ORIGINAL Diana.  They were produced after 1950 and sold under various names worldwide. 

The Blue Book states that there are no common parts between the Milbro version and the Diana Original Versions. 



The First pair are Diana Original 22 and Diana Original 23. 
The Original has a very simple smooth stock (300196)
The Original 22 and 23 have the same stock part number and look alike.

The second pair Diana Milbros 22 and Diana Milbros 23.
The Milbros version has a finger groove running most the way down the stock (22-45) on both sides in front of the trigger group.

The Milbro 22 and 23 have the same stock part number number and look alike.

Hope this is helpful???

[Matchstickshooter]

Yep,Thanks. I had the gentleman take some measurements,before I "went for it".The stocks are the same but the 22 may not have the forend grooves.
 At least it will give me something to work with, if I have to do a little fitting .
 The original 23 stock is in good shape but for the hundred or so tacks some kid had put in. When my buddy got it he filled the holes and painted it. Even painted over the metal, rather than clean up the rust and blue it. 

So I wanted to see what was under the paint.
I am cleaning the rust and reblueing.
By the way, the stamp in the butt said 57. And it says on the left side of the tube,"Made in West Germany"

a before pic......it's a work in progress!

[Yogi]

Good luck with the restoration.

Looks kind of cool in green.

-Y

[Matchstickshooter]

I like being able to see a grain to the wood, and to read what it is and where made on the metal! lol
 
In the shape it was in , it made me want to go out and play "Army"...!

[Matchstickshooter]

Update:
As it turns out there is a big difference between model 22 and 23...in my experience.
Got the Model 22 stock today. Same length,mounting holes(bolts) appear in the right places,for 23.
 This is a beaut of a stock.  Only....

the model 22 has a bigger receiver/piston tube diameter. The channel in the stock is wider for that bigger tube.

Now to see if it'll go back.

Going to repaint the old.

[Yogi]

You could epoxy bed that receiver!

How big a difference is there?  Post pictures!

-Y

[Matchstickshooter]

You could epoxy bed that receiver!

How big a difference is there?  Post pictures!

-Y

Didn't take any pics, but theres maybe 1/16" to either side.
I'm not going to go to that much trouble at this point. lol
The metals blued now,instead of rustoleum. 

[dtdtdtdt]

Sorry that it isn't working out.  As the information I found said the ones with the finger grooves are Milbros from the 1950's at the latest. 

The smooth stock was after Diana regained control of the company.  from later in the 1950's and beyond.  The history and timeline of Diana is very confused in that time frame.



Yogi makes a good point.  If the new stock is nice, glass-bedding the old metal works into the newer stock would probably work well. 

Even so, a gap of 1/16" on each side isn't that earth shattering! 

Probably less work that restoring the old one?

Anyway, have fun

[Matchstickshooter]

Sorry that it isn't working out.  As the information I found said the ones with the finger grooves are Milbros from the 1950's at the latest. 

The smooth stock was after Diana regained control of the company.  from later in the 1950's and beyond.  The history and timeline of Diana is very confused in that time frame.



Yogi makes a good point.  If the new stock is nice, glass-bedding the old metal works into the newer stock would probably work well. 

Even so, a gap of 1/16" on each side isn't that earth shattering! 

Probably less work that restoring the old one?

Anyway, have fun

Here's a pic of what I wish mine still looked like. 

https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AwrE1.EdmeFb7RYAYQlXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?p=Diana+Model+23+Made+in+West+Germany&fr=yfp-t#id=23&iurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gunsamerica.com%2Fuserimages%2F5611%2F922839094%2Fwm_3204985.jpg&action=click

[Yogi]

Looks better in green!

-Y