What's up with this one? RWS 3400?

[jason miller]

Any chance you could chrono that spring-22? If it’s a Parrus or a 34 tube, it should make more power than a Terrus tube/piston/spring. And if it’s either a Terrus or a Parrus tube, what’s the gas ram from?

[HectorMedina]

This is correct.  Once the stock PA has is gone, we have been told they will be gone for good.  So consider this a limited run rifle.

Thanks for the candid response Tyler.

Has PA talked anything about spare parts with UMAREX? Any commitment on their part?

Again, thanks!





HM

[HectorMedina]

Just to give closure to this.

I have received an EMail from UMAREX stating that UMAREX will service these guns.

So, not necessarily solely collector's pieces.

;-)

Keep well and shoot straight!






HM

[jason miller]

Well that’s good. Too bad that apparently nobody knows exactly what components they’re made if. Maybe that’s good, though. If nobody buys them and they sit around long enough, maybe they’ll drop down to the ~$150 clearance pricing that the Terrus went for and I missed out on. If they do, I’d probably pick up multiples and find out first hand what exactly is inside these things.

[HectorMedina]

Well that’s good. Too bad that apparently nobody knows exactly what components they’re made if. Maybe that’s good, though. If nobody buys them and they sit around long enough, maybe they’ll drop down to the ~$150 clearance pricing that the Terrus went for and I missed out on. If they do, I’d probably pick up multiples and find out first hand what exactly is inside these things.

Well, just keep posted!

;-)


HM

[D Craig]

Yeah, looks like it is getting really messy with that. But what Gun is this now? especally because you can have it with spring piston or with gas piston, is this a newer model of the Diana 340 or what. It is really getting confusing, cause by the looks it could be a Diana 340 with a stock of a kind of Diana 34 classic.

Hi everyone, new guy Craig here. I'm late to this party, but it would seem I have and invitation to this thread of sorts, ...I own a Diana Model 34 Classic T06 .22, and I just received a new RWS 3400 Gas-Piston .22.  I can see they are related, but they seem more more like cousins rather than siblings. If anyone following this thread has any questions about the similarities and differences, I would be happy to shed some light on the subject.

[jason miller]

If you end up taking the 3400 apart and don’t mind posting a picture of the piston, that would answer my main question.

[HectorMedina]

Hi everyone, new guy Craig here. I'm late to this party, but it would seem I have and invitation to this thread of sorts, ...I own a Diana Model 34 Classic T06 .22, and I just received a new RWS 3400 Gas-Piston .22.  I can see they are related, but they seem more more like cousins rather than siblings. If anyone following this thread has any questions about the similarities and differences, I would be happy to shed some light on the subject.

HI, Craig! Thanks for answering the call of duty  ;-)

It would seem from your picture that the OD of the mechanisms tube is quite a lot larger in the 3400 than in the 34.
Is this so?
How's the weight?
Can you compare the 3400 shot cycle to the 340 NTec one?
Any chrono figures?
What are your feelings about both guns?

I'm sure there will be more questions later.  :-)

Thanks again!





HM

[D Craig]

HI, Craig! Thanks for answering the call of duty  ;-)

It would seem from your picture that the OD of the mechanisms tube is quite a lot larger in the 3400 than in the 34.
Is this so?
How's the weight?
Can you compare the 3400 shot cycle to the 340 NTec one?
Any chrono figures?
What are your feelings about both guns?

I'm sure there will be more questions later.  :-)

Thanks again!

HM
[/quote]

The Spring Tube (Gas in this case) diameter does appear to be larger, but it is not, it is an optical illusion. When I saw the photo as I was about to post it, I had the same thought and wondered how I missed something so obvious. So I grabbed the digital calipers and discovered they are exactly the same OD. Don't believe your lying eyes!

The weight is very close, but the balance is quite different. The Monte Carlo stock of the 3400 is shorter up front by a couple inches, and with the cheek rise added this combines to offsets the balance of the rifle to the rear. That doesn't feel right to me, the 34 feels much more balanced. I would have to take the scope off of the 34 to compare the exact weight, something I will do when I get my new one-piece mount soon.

I do not have a 340 NTec so I cannot compare, and no chrono figures yet. I have yet to fire it, and most likely I will not because it is going back for a refund. There is nothing about it I like, nothing about it compares to the Diana 34.

My feelings about both guns: Well there is a lot to be said here, where do I start? That's easy, the trigger! Clearly I have been spoiled by the T06 of the 34, because the 3400 trigger is just awful in comparison, feels worse than a $125 gun. My friend's Gammo Whispercat has a much better trigger -after I replaced the short adjustment screw for him. There seems to be no way to improve the 3400 Trigger.  This one has a very hard pull and has a very long creep, and no way to adjust either. The 3400 boasts an "Adjustable trigger", but in reality the only thing the adjustment does is shorten the first stage travel, second stage is unchanged. For me this is the deal breaker and one of 2 reasons I will be returning it soon.

Side by side they look like siblings, but in reality they are more like second cousins twice removed. The only two things they share are the barrel & breach-block assembly, and the rear sight. Everything else is quite different. Everything. When I first held the Diana 34 it felt perfect,  I cannot say that for the 3400, it feels off balance and too thick. It doesn't seem to just lay perfectly in your hand like the 34, you have to hold the 3400. Even the finish and bluing of the Diana is superior.

The touted "Italian Monte Carlo stock" is not a selling point in my opinion. I prefer the cleaner lines of the 34, but that personal preference aside, I find the cheek rise to be excessive, making it hard to align the open sights without assuming an awkward position. It just doesn't feel right or point like the 34. The finish of the stock is no better than the German stock on the 34, so to me the stock is a looser. And who needs a cushioned rubber butt pad on an 800fps rifle?   In reality the rubber pad hangs on my clothing and is annoying.

The most annoying thing about the 3400 is it rattles when you shake it, like there is something loose or broken inside. But that is not the case. Unlike most break barrels I am familiar with, the RWS 3400 uses a two-piece cocking rod that has a pivoting joint mid-way, with a roller sandwiched in the pivot. This roller and the split linkage all rattle when the gun is shaken. This would not affect operation, but it is annoying and makes the gun feel cheap. High quality airguns in this price range shouldn't rattle.  I have attached a photo showing the difference in the two mechanisms.

I was hoping that the 3400 would be more like a 34 with a Gas Piston, but that is not the case at all. Overall The RWS 3400 is inferior to the Diana 34 in every other way. It is a big disappointment, any advantage gained with the Gas Piston is immediately negated by the clunky trigger. The comparison just goes downhill from there. I will be returning this for a refund, for all the aforementioned reasons, and because it came with a very noticeable blemish on the stock. It has no redeeming qualities or features -aside from the Gas Piston, that would compel me to exchange it for another 3400. My new Gas-Piston gun will have to wait for something better to come along.

[Mark 611]

Well I hope u all have learned a lesson and take HEED to what u have just read from D Craig! everything that Glitters is not GOLD and parts guns are just that!

[Yogi]

D Craig,

Would it be possible to compare the cocking cycles of each gun.  Usually the 2 part cocking link makes for a much shorter cocking stroke.  Also, the small cut out for the cocking arm is supposed to make the stock stiffer.  Not sure if it does in this case?
How about returning it for a 340 N-Tec, if you can find one...

-Y

[HectorMedina]

Thanks, Craig!

VERY enlightening.

As  Perry Mason would say: "No more questions, your honour".

Keep well and shoot straight!






HM

[wstromeyer]

Thought I would join the conversation, as opposed to starting a new thread.

I'm new to air guns and purchased the RWS3400 with gas piston in .177. I took is apart to see how it works and check out the finishing steps. Overall, not bad for the price point. Only point of obvious carelessness was metal shavings and fragments caught in the piston seal. I was able to remove them and smooth everything out.

From what I can tell the insides are from various Walther and Terrus models. As previously mentioned the trigger is very simple and has little adjustment. I think it would be fair to call it a one stage with adjustable creep. There is just one primary sear, excluding the safety parts. The compression sleeve is integrated directly into the overall action and the gas cylinder pre-load is provided by a threaded retainer cap that screws into the main body of the action. The gas piston is all black with no identifying marks. If anyone has any questions about the gun or would like to see pictures of the insides, let me know. I heard that Umarex is abandoning these models and maybe the whole RMX line.

Was it worth the money. Honestly I have no idea, as I don't have enough experience to compare it with.

I will admit to getting the air gun bug and joining the waitlist for a HW97k.