Diana 350 scope rail

[35 shooter]

Tried a search, but could’nt find what I was looking for.
So dumb question.. does the scope rail screw on?
I thought my change of poi was coming from not putting locktite on my scope base and rings, so I took it all apart and used locktite to reassemble.
Now the rail itself is loose?

I saw the screws in the top of the rail, but thought they were for maybe peep sights and scope stops. Also thought if they were there to hold the rail, they for sure used locktite locktite before assembly?
They were certainly tight when I put the scope base on.
Definitely has side to side movement now.

Thanks for any info before I take the base and rings off.

[35 shooter]

Ok, took the base off( screws on the base were absolutely tight) and I could’nt wiggle the rail by hand... did’nt check the rail screws.
Tightened the base back down and there is definitely movement side to side on the scope rail, not the base. Are the rail screws peened in place on the underside of the rail?

I finally found a thread that says they are on a D34 in a google search. Is it the same on a 350?

[jus Tom]

Many bases are made to accommodate 11mm OR 3/8" grooves....check the locking-down side plate of your base -  the part that goes into the groove,,, one will be machined slightly wider to accommodate 11mm or 3/8" - invert as needed. I believe (from owning a 350 once upon a time)... it has 11mm grooves.
This may be your slight looseness issue.

[Horatio]

The rails on a Diana aren’t meant to come off.

I learned that after ordering an extra rail for my D48 so I have a rail section where the rear sight was.

[Horatio]

You probably have a bent barrel. It’s easy to fix. Just don’t use the rifle stock as your handle to bend the barrel back. That can crack the stock.

Sand the inside of the scope rail to toughen it up. Sand the rifle under the scope rail. Clean the threaded holes with a qtip wet with brakeclean. Get new screws. Lightly apply epoxy in screw holes and in between rail and rifle.

[JuryRigger]

I have a Diana 350, but am afraid that I'm not quite following you. Do you mean that the scope rail

is loose on top of the spring tube, that the movement is in that joint? You may not be able to move the rail noticeably by hand, even if it is loose; try mounting a single ring (if you have one) at different places along the length and using it as leverage to check the rail-to-spring-tube joint. If that is what's loose, I would be contacting Diana directly. If the scope mount base is moving on the scope rail, I'm afraid that I can't help you; have only mounted one scope myself and the rings fit fine, so no idea what to do there. 
Hope you find an answer,
Jesse

[Horatio]

^ This.

Sorry if I didn’t read right.

If you haven’t yet removed the rail, don’t remove it. It’s not meant to come off.

If you have, the above instructions work. But you can’t have the screws to long.

[35 shooter]

I have a Diana 350, but am afraid that I'm not quite following you. Do you mean that the scope rail

is loose on top of the spring tube, that the movement is in that joint? You may not be able to move the rail noticeably by hand, even if it is loose; try mounting a single ring (if you have one) at different places along the length and using it as leverage to check the rail-to-spring-tube joint. If that is what's loose, I would be contacting Diana directly. If the scope mount base is moving on the scope rail, I'm afraid that I can't help you; have only mounted one scope myself and the rings fit fine, so no idea what to do there. 
Hope you find an answer,
Jesse

Thank you,

Yes, I can move the rail with the base attached.
Without the base attached I can’t seem to move the rail by hand.
The base itself is tight on the rails...? It’s the rail that’s slightly loose.
It’s a BKL 11mm base.

[JuryRigger]

Thank you,
Yes, I can move the rail with the base attached.
Without the base attached I can’t seem to move the rail by hand.
The base itself is tight on the rails...? It’s the rail that’s slightly loose.
It’s a BKL 11mm base.

That's not good..... I would suggest checking on the warranty first; if you cannot get it serviced, then Horatio has already given some good advice. One suggestion that I might make, though; maybe a urethane-based epoxy would be best? It is used to glue the plastic bushings in the split-pulleys on a Bridgeport Vari-Drive mill power train, so is very resilient stuff. You might want to wait a bit before doing any DIY repairs, though; member Hector Medina posts here often and he may weigh in on the subject.
Jesse

[35 shooter]

I believe it’s a 2 year warranty as long as the rifle has’nt been disasembled.
It’s brand new out of the box and have only had it about a week or so.
It is a Dec. 2018 to6 model.

[JuryRigger]

I believe it’s a 2 year warranty as long as the rifle has’nt been disasembled.
It’s brand new out of the box and have only had it about a week or so.
It is a Dec. 2018 to6 model.

Ahh; then you might/should be able to return it to the retailer for an exchange. Just curious, N-Tec or spring? I have the N-Tec and it sure shakes the *heck* out of things..... not that it should have had time to break the scope rail loose in less than a week . (Or at all for that matter)
Jesse

[dtdtdtdt]

The rail on most Diana/RWS rifles is a PERMANENT installation.  What looks like a PLUS sign or Phillips head screws is actually the heads of rivets that are pressed in at the factory.   Trying to or succeeding to remove them would be a life threatening event for the rifle.

[35 shooter]

Mr. Jessie,

It’s a spring gun and super accurate. It’s my first springer( I have 1 gas ram crosman), but i’ve had no trouble so far as to “ learning” to shoot a springer.... it just shot for me right off the bat from the bench and offhand.
This is very disappointing for me, as I just took to this rifle like a duck to water lol.

Numrich Gun Parts Corp. has them for $249.00 plus shipping... never dealt with them before, so don’t know about returns. No one there on the weekends for customer service, so it’s a wait and see deal until Monday.
I read that the rail screws are peened on the underside on d34’s.
If that’s the case on the 350, that does’nt seem a good idea for a magnum springer.

This one is a shooter for sure, so i’d rather have a repair solution by an approved repair center instead of a replacement.
We’ll see! Once I have a proven shooter in my hands, it’s hard for me to let it go lol! I’m an accuracy nut and this thing shoots like a pcp or good msp!

[35 shooter]

The rail on most Diana/RWS rifles is a PERMANENT installation.  What looks like a PLUS sign or Phillips head screws is actually the heads of rivets that are pressed in at the factory.   Trying to or succeeding to remove them would be a life threatening event for the rifle.

Yes, this was my understanding from a search I did and finally found through google last night.
Also, the screws are peened from the underside?
I haven’t touched the false screw heads!

[dtdtdtdt]

The rail on most Diana/RWS rifles is a PERMANENT installation.  What looks like a PLUS sign or Phillips head screws is actually the heads of rivets that are pressed in at the factory.   Trying to or succeeding to remove them would be a life threatening event for the rifle.

Yes, this was my understanding from a search I did and finally found through google last night.
Also, the screws are peened from the underside?
I haven’t touched the false screw heads!

I don't know exactly how they are attached but assume they are pressed in place before the inside of the tube is finished to eliminate the bump or whatever.  I think the + sign shape is intended to move the metal uniformly in all directions to make the connection much tighter.  Don't know or have the information but makes sense. 

Also, pay attention to the scope ring base clamping plates and the recoil stop pins in those bases.  The comment above on bases made to work with 3/8" or 11mm rails is spot on.  The Dianas have 11mm bases rather than the 3/8" groove used on US made 22 rifles.    If those clamps are installed wrong the bases don't work right.  Also, be sure to mount the base over the recoil stop hole and extend the recoil stop pin into the hole and make sure it is snug. The 350 is powerful enough that you will definitely need the recoil stop pin in the scope bases.   

Perhaps Hector-Medina will chime in.  He has the inside information on most things Diana. 

[35 shooter]

This is a 6 screw BKL one piece dropper 11mm base with no stop pin holes. I finally used locktite on the base and rings and it’s stayed in place.... no movement at all.
I remember when I first put that base and scope on, I could feel a bit of movement when handling the rifle, but thought that was just tha rear sight... it has a bit of sloppiness in it too.
I think that’s all it was, as the rifle was just too accurate for the rail to have been loose to start with.
Definitely loose now though at a bit shy of 1000 shots.

[jccams]

The accuracy comes from the barrel.  Not sure about the company you bought it from but the ideal situation would be to swap your barrel onto another gun.  Not sure they will do that but you could ask.

[Yogi]

Send it back!  I would "copy" Umerix the current importer as well as the retailer on all e-mails.
Send it back, rail is not supposed to be loose.  yes you could probaly; glue, braze, solder it back on.
Gun is not right, sorry it is accurate.
Otherwise ask if you can keep the barrel and just have the receiver exchanged.

-Y

[35 shooter]

Thanks Yogi,

I’ll probably opt for a another new one if I get the option.
If it were lock up, or piston, or breech seal problems, etc., i’d try to work on it myself, but I don’t think I want to try to tackle the rail problem on my own!
Just bad luck on my first springer.
I’m sure if I get a new one, it’ll be just as accurate, but may not shoot cheap pellets as well as this one lol.
Oh well.

[HectorMedina]

Thanks Yogi,

I’ll probably opt for a another new one if I get the option.
If it were lock up, or piston, or breech seal problems, etc., i’d try to work on it myself, but I don’t think I want to try to tackle the rail problem on my own!
Just bad luck on my first springer.
I’m sure if I get a new one, it’ll be just as accurate, but may not shoot cheap pellets as well as this one lol.
Oh well.

Buddy;

You have already been given good advice:
Rail is NOT screwed on.
What LOOKS like screws are rivets.
The whole thing is made, then bored and polished so that the piston (or sliding chamber in all the other guns) will slide without interference.
 
Return the gun.
Ask Numrich Gun Parts Corp how to do that. 
It is my understanding that UMAREX has nothing to do with this, that it was a direct sale from DIANA to Numrich.

Now, you may want to look into a ZR mount, because the ZR mount does not only protect the scope, it also protects the rail.

Don't know what scope you have mounted, but using lighter scopes in fixed mounts is a good idea. If you want to use a heavier scope (in excess of 18 oz), I would go for a ZR Mount.

In a FEW cases, I have re-attached rails to receivers, but they were nearly irreplaceable guns.

Numrich SHOULD offer you a replacement.

Sorry you had to experience that.

Keep well  and shoot straight!




HM