Diana Stormrider gen 2 .177 initial impressions

[EdinGa]

I'd say it's a diamond in the rough. I love the looks, the weight and the balance. The are a few issues to be sorted out, but this is a really simple little rifle.

I threw a scope on it, and it's shooting a foot low with the elevation maxed out. I disassembled it and I'm happy to report that the moderator screwed right off. The front sight was a different story. It took heat and a dremel with a cutoff wheel. I didn't like the looks of it anyway, so it doesn't bother me that I destroyed it. I'll figure out something to replace it.

The barrel band is definitely putting downward pressure on the barrel. I honed it out some, but I need to take off some more material because it's still about 3 inches low at max elevation now that I put it back together.

I didn't check velocity when I got it, but it was pushing the 7.5 grain Daisy hollow points supersonic. It was cracking like a 22lr. I cut a coil and a half off the hammer spring, and it's still clocking 1090 fps.

I'll report back on accuracy after I tear it back down and get the barrel freed up.

[rumbleUU]

where the scope is mounting on the barrelband, its a tiny bit higher then where the rear mount of the scope is mounted, so the scope will angle "upwards", I cant imagine they fixed this problem yet, so check that

If you mount the scope on the receiver only, you will not have this problem

[EdinGa]

where the scope is mounting on the barrelband, its a tiny bit higher then where the rear mount of the scope is mounted, so the scope will angle "upwards", I cant imagine they fixed this problem yet, so check that

If you mount the scope on the receiver only, you will not have this problem

I realized that last night, and changed to a shorter scope that I could mount on the receiver. I've seen posts where other people were using the rear sight dovetail, but they either had more adjustment than me, or their barrel wasn't angled down as much. Thanks for pointing it out!

[CraigH]

That stubby little receiver was an issue to me - same for the DAR rifle.   Not enough length for proper scope mounting.   Try to find a ring set with a cantilevered front mount.

[Long_Gun_Dallas]

Ive had this gun, a pp800, and a bandit.  All 3 needed the front sight post leveled on the front face where the moderator butts up.  All 3 had clipping or accuracy issues due to a canted moderator.  Otherwise are very accurate

[EdinGa]

Ive had this gun, a pp800, and a bandit.  All 3 needed the front sight post leveled on the front face where the moderator butts up.  All 3 had clipping or accuracy issues due to a canted moderator.  Otherwise are very accurate

I'm assuming SPA is still building these, so it looks like they are learning a few things and correcting them.

[Long_Gun_Dallas]

Yes.  I got a Gen 2 last week, and it was having clipping issues.  I had to cut the mod to get it apart.  Had it in a vice, thew the heat gun on full blast.  Would not come apart.  I threw the 22 baffles in a 177 can I had off my bandit.  Gun was going to a friend.  One of the baffles actually got chewed up.  Bored out one of my spare 177 baffles and threw back in.

Both my spa guns have 1/2"-20 adapters loc tited to the barrels

[Ribbonstone]

Just some observations:

Keeping score,becasue of the tube/gauge location (and the stock not needing a gauge hole), maybe this one SHOULD have been counted as a Gen. III.

Likely stop using those 7.5gr. pellets....be OK for break in,but  at the power level these seem to make,  heavier pellets would likely turn out better.

There is enough room for a full sized scope mounted low....just not a big objective scope.  32MM seems about all you can low mount and still clear the barrel band AND manage the right eye relief. (And even with a 32mm lens, it could have a "knobby" AO ring that sticks out too far.)

Might be worth it to figure out why the barrel isn't pointed level.

[EdinGa]

Yes.  I got a Gen 2 last week, and it was having clipping issues.  I had to cut the mod to get it apart.  Had it in a vice, thew the heat gun on full blast.  Would not come apart.  I threw the 22 baffles in a 177 can I had off my bandit.  Gun was going to a friend.  One of the baffles actually got chewed up.  Bored out one of my spare 177 baffles and threw back in.

Both my spa guns have 1/2"-20 adapters loc tited to the barrels

Was your mod all aluminum? Mine is. I grabbed it with my hand and it screwed right off. Maybe I just got lucky and they missed gluing it.

[Long_Gun_Dallas]

Yes.  I got a Gen 2 last week, and it was having clipping issues.  I had to cut the mod to get it apart.  Had it in a vice, thew the heat gun on full blast.  Would not come apart.  I threw the 22 baffles in a 177 can I had off my bandit.  Gun was going to a friend.  One of the baffles actually got chewed up.  Bored out one of my spare 177 baffles and threw back in.

Both my spa guns have 1/2"-20 adapters loc tited to the barrels

Was your mod all aluminum? Mine is. I grabbed it with my hand and it screwed right off. Maybe I just got lucky and they missed gluing it.

Yeah, it has a literal ton of loc tite.  It barely came off the barrel threads.  My bandit one had none on the end cap.  This one may as well have been welded on..

[EdinGa]

Just some observations:

Keeping score,becasue of the tube/gauge location (and the stock not needing a gauge hole), maybe this one SHOULD have been counted as a Gen. III.

Likely stop using those 7.5gr. pellets....be OK for break in,but  at the power level these seem to make,  heavier pellets would likely turn out better.

There is enough room for a full sized scope mounted low....just not a big objective scope.  32MM seems about all you can low mount and still clear the barrel band AND manage the right eye relief. (And even with a 32mm lens, it could have a "knobby" AO ring that sticks out too far.)

Might be worth it to figure out why the barrel isn't pointed level.

I don't have any heavy .177 pellets at the moment, but I'm going to pick some up. All of my other .177s are low powered guns. I've been playing with it today, and right now I've got it running a little over 14 fpe across 2 full magazines from a 1800 psi fill. I'm pretty happy with that.

I'm looking at some smaller scopes with side focus the AO ring is the issue with the one I'm using now.

The barrel band was out of tolerance and pulling down on the barrel causing the droop issue. I've got that corrected now.

[EdinGa]

Yes.  I got a Gen 2 last week, and it was having clipping issues.  I had to cut the mod to get it apart.  Had it in a vice, thew the heat gun on full blast.  Would not come apart.  I threw the 22 baffles in a 177 can I had off my bandit.  Gun was going to a friend.  One of the baffles actually got chewed up.  Bored out one of my spare 177 baffles and threw back in.

Both my spa guns have 1/2"-20 adapters loc tited to the barrels

Was your mod all aluminum? Mine is. I grabbed it with my hand and it screwed right off. Maybe I just got lucky and they missed gluing it.

Yeah, it has a literal ton of loc tite.  It barely came off the barrel threads.  My bandit one had none on the end cap.  This one may as well have been welded on..

I definitely got lucky then. I did have to destroy the front sight to get it off, but I didn't like it anyway.

[nervoustrigger]

They like to threadlock it so you can’t see the damaged rifling at the muzzle

[EdinGa]

Just some observations:

Keeping score,becasue of the tube/gauge location (and the stock not needing a gauge hole), maybe this one SHOULD have been counted as a Gen. III.

I see what you mean. I didn't realize there was a difference in the wood and synthetic version. I'm glad I got this one because it's really easy to tear down and not have to degas for minor things. It came in handy while I was clipping coils on the hammer spring. The gauge is fairly easy to read too.

[rumbleUU]

If the gauge is in front of the tube, it would meaning there is no "plenum" as there is in GEN I And II, meaning this should produce more power...

[rumbleUU]

Just some observations:

Keeping score,becasue of the tube/gauge location (and the stock not needing a gauge hole), maybe this one SHOULD have been counted as a Gen. III.

I see what you mean. I didn't realize there was a difference in the wood and synthetic version. I'm glad I got this one because it's really easy to tear down and not have to degas for minor things. It came in handy while I was clipping coils on the hammer spring. The gauge is fairly easy to read too.

Be careful, if you take of the bolts that holds the stock, one of those is a M5 12.9 bolt that holds the valve inside the tub, and with 200 bar pressure removing that bolt increases the risk of the valve moving back inside the tube..... Take that as a reminder when removing the stock.. that M5 bolt is holding the weight of a CAR. Of course there is still some dimps inside the tube+one bolt and the TP holding the valve in place, but still removing the safety of 1700kg is not good.

I always take down the pressure under 50 bar, then it will be safe to remove that bolt short time when removing the stock, then put it back on again..

[EdinGa]

If the gauge is in front of the tube, it would meaning there is no "plenum" as there is in GEN I And II, meaning this should produce more power...

That's correct, and it does produce a lot of power. I think I'll pick up a new hammer spring when I get some heavier pellets.

[EdinGa]

Be careful, if you take of the bolts that holds the stock, one of those is a M5 12.9 bolt that holds the valve inside the tub, and with 200 bar pressure removing that bolt increases the risk of the valve moving back inside the tube..... Take that as a reminder when removing the stock.. that M5 bolt is holding the weight of a CAR. Of course there is still some dimps inside the tube+one bolt and the TP holding the valve in place, but still removing the safety of 1700kg is not good.

I always take down the pressure under 50 bar, then it will be safe to remove that bolt short time when removing the stock, then put it back on again..

I had it below 100 bar when it took it apart. I'll go lower next time though. Thanks for pointing that out.

[Eddie_E]

If you want to stay at 14FPE, Alteros make a regulator for around $80 that was developed with H.M. and it's a straight drop in the tube install. Pumping to 3K with the reg should give a lot of shots between fills.

[EdinGa]

If you want to stay at 14FPE, Alteros make a regulator for around $80 that was developed with H.M. and it's a straight drop in the tube install. Pumping to 3K with the reg should give a lot of shots between fills.

I looked at that, and I might go that way eventually, but I went the cheap way for now. I think 14fpe is a good spot for .177, and it's really quiet. I only have to pump to 1800 psi to get 18 good shots, and then 32 pumps tops it back off.