DIANA 54 Air King .177

[Cslinger]

. I have a feeling to get the most from this gun I'll have to give in, adding a scope and reinstalling the HPM (harmonic tuning device). 

I may go that road myself and agree this gun probably really needs a scope or true front and rear aperture or finer front sight to really shine.  It’s obvious this gun, mechanically, can be shot to a very high level and would make a nice long distance puncher.

Like you my eyes are very much a limiting factor. I’ve had glasses and an astigmitism since I was a kid and as I head toward 50 well apparently these things don’t miraculously get better with age.  Who knew? 

[lizzie]

Congrats on a beautiful gun!

[ER00z]

Congrats on a beautiful gun!

Thanks Lizzie.

[A.K.A. Tommy Boy]

Wow Zack.....what a really nice rifle you have...quite stunning to look at.


Best Wishes - Tom

[ER00z]

Thank you Tom.

Though stunning to look at, it shoots too good to be a safe queen or just hang on the rack. After more testing I found it likes a veriety of pellets but need to change the sighting arrangement for better consistency. The shot cycle is a strange sensation. A magnum springer with no recoil still seems to confuse my mind.

[Cslinger]

. A magnum springer with no recoil still seems to confuse my mind.   

YES.  I still have that mental disconnect when i shoot mine.

[ER00z]

I did get a scope mounted (Barrowed from another project). The H&N FTT's were being pushed too fast for consistency. Was getting groups ranging from about .5"-1" at 25 yards and struggled to hit spinners at 50yards. Switching over to Baracuda Hunter 10.34's tightened things up a lot. Could hit a 1.25" spinner at 50yards consistently then switched over to a Crosman Squirrel on a stick (or whatever they call it, basically the rat on a stick) a bit over 50 yards. It hits with authority out that far, don't know if it would last much closer. My rockin' rat has been beat up at shorter range with guns of similar power, as well as my older rat on the run. Definitely a fun gun in .177, the .22 is just as good but not as flat shooting.

[A moron]

SWEET!!

Don't know why I keep thinking 48 on this .  Guess that's why I'm a moron.

Something like that dude no need to say enjoy is there😁

[DevilsLuck]

I have the old style 54, in .22 cal. And its a hammer! I've been pining for the newly revised model since they announced it, and missed the narrow window when precious few were made available. I'm looking forward to them coming back around, so I can have my Williams aperture sighted one. And one with a scope.

[ER00z]

More will be available soon, I think. Check with AOA, PA and AGD often and you'll find one. Other retailers may have also, not sure who or when.

[dtdtdtdt]

I did get a scope mounted (Barrowed from another project). The H&N FTT's were being pushed too fast for consistency. Was getting groups ranging from about .5"-1" at 25 yards and struggled to hit spinners at 50yards. Switching over to Baracuda Hunter 10.34's tightened things up a lot. Could hit a 1.25" spinner at 50yards consistently then switched over to a Crosman Squirrel on a stick (or whatever they call it, basically the rat on a stick) a bit over 50 yards. It hits with authority out that far, don't know if it would last much closer. My rockin' rat has been beat up at shorter range with guns of similar power, as well as my older rat on the run. Definitely a fun gun in .177, the .22 is just as good but not as flat shooting.

I have a spinner set that has the air rifle silhouete animals.  My .177 54 with a 10.6 Kodiak Match hit hard enough that I shot two of the animals off and had to buy another one. 

For me best accuracy in .177 came with a 10.+gr pellet and a velocity around 850f/s.  I put the harmonic tuner on it from Diana and have 1 hole groups at 20yds an 0.3 groups at 30yds all 10shot groups.  A scope really makes life better for vision and accuracy reasons.  As get familiar with the rifle and want a permanent scope setup, I suggest the Diana ZR mount that absorbs the recoil and makes the scope choices much broader.

Cheers 

[Cslinger]

I broke down and put glass on my 54.  I was getting along fine with the rear peep/stock front sight but Just felt like between the recoilless nature and seeming inherent accuracy of the rifle I just thought it deserved glass. 



Couple things that I confirmed with the scope.
1-The rifle is capable of being extremely accurate.
2- Cheek weld/position/pressure REALLY matters with this gun, at least in my individual case. 

At any rate here is some shooting after scoping it today.

This is the group that I really could feel my cheek pressure/position causing issues.  I figured the AA stuff while a bit loose had the potential to shoot.


I ran a second group with the Air Arms Fields and was very happy with the results. 


The standout by far were the H&N FTT 4.52's.  The first 4 shots were one hole, literally, so much so I moved my aim point to make sure I wasn't throwing shots extremely wild and not seeing them.


The CPHPs were a bit of let down.  While the group is mostly under a dime shot to shot just didn't feel consistent. 


All in all the 54 is an extremely accurate rifle and still silly fun to shoot with that whole no recoil brain disconnect thing.    The big problem, however, with the no recoil is that it lulls you into thinking hold doesn't really matter and that isn't true and varying cheek welds make a pretty big difference with this rifle.  I noticed it with the irons but it is absolutely there with the scope.

Any way I figured I would update this thread since I threw on some glass.

Take care, Shoot Safe,
Chris

[dtdtdtdt]

Good job!  That's the kind of potential that the 54s have. 

I find the rifle to not be too hold sensitive.  I haven't see the Pro version yet.  I want one but don't like the red stocks so am waiting/hoping that I can get a regular wood stock sometime.    By the way, check the stock screws to see if they are loosening on you a bit.  If you take it apart for any reason also be sure to put the steel and rubber washers in the right order when you put it back together.  The thing I found that seemed to need a fix was the overall trigger pull.  It was at least 1/2" originally.  That actually required me to adjust my hand grip (short fingers) while pulling the trigger.  I put a screw in the T06 trigger to shorten the pull and found it made the experience better.  That may be some of the hold sensitivity that you are experiencing.   

I usually shoot at about 17-18yds (50ft range).  To really test myself I use a target that has about 40-50 targets on a page and shoot one-shot per target.  When shooting groups, I generally shoot 10 shot groups. 

I haven't done much air rifle in the past several months as my eye is giving me fits.  Looks like I am going to have to finally get the cataract and corneal damage dealt with.  Burned in eyes by both heat and chemicals long ago so am happy to do as well as I do.

[Cslinger]

By the way, check the stock screws to see if they are loosening on you a bit. 

I was shooting some more last night and had a spectacular group shaping up and then all of a sudden it went cockeyed.  Now normally I would be the culprit but I just felt like I was ON and sure enough ….. stock screws were starting to loosen. 

[dtdtdtdt]

By the way, check the stock screws to see if they are loosening on you a bit. 

I was shooting some more last night and had a spectacular group shaping up and then all of a sudden it went cockeyed.  Now normally I would be the culprit but I just felt like I was ON and sure enough ….. stock screws were starting to loosen. 

If you have a torque wrench 20inlb should be enough.  Other rifles probably need 25inlb because they don't have the cushion rubber washers that the 54 does.   Tighten snug but NOT cowboy tight.  The 54's have rubber washers that help isolate the metal from the stock.  Overtightening will crush the rubber washers and they can't do their job.

An experiment to try is to adjust the front and rear stock screws to different tensions.  It may change the point of impact a bit.

If you don't have one, a Wheeler RAT wrench is a good moderate priced torque wrench.  I carry one in my range bag all the time.

 

[Whitediesel]

Congrats on the new 54 pro , I was lucky to get one in .22 in first shipment the trigger is great and sighted at 50 yards with Williams sight its a deadly machine good to hear .177 is good also.

[HectorMedina]

Just as an FYI:

I have put two for sale in the Classifieds at what I think is a fair value (less than AoA, anyway):  https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=190712.0

0.177" NIB not even unwrapped.

Beech colored.

Thanks for reading!

Let me know if there is any interest.







HM