Diana 48

[Diana 34]

Merry Christmas GTA!

It's 20 degrees outside I got the urge to shoot, Santa brought me a new tin of nutter vitamins, and a new set of ear protectors. Diana, Benjamin and I are heading to the gun club to check out the trigger job on the Benjamin.

[Diana 34]

I am just blown away at the sound the .22 caliber pellets make when they impact the steel plates at the back of the range, maybe because their is no explosion of powder to muffle it. The Diana 48 is the most awesome air rifle I've ever had the pleasure to shoot, and deadly accurate to boot.

[amb5500c]

Shhh. Or everyone will want one.
Richard

[ignantmike]

can a .177 be converted to .22?......just a barrel change?

[Dick Tracey]

I am just blown away at the sound the .22 caliber pellets make when they impact the steel plates at the back of the range, maybe because their is no explosion of powder to muffle it. The Diana 48 is the most awesome air rifle I've ever had the pleasure to shoot, and deadly accurate to boot.

You need to hear the sound of a .25 caliber pellet impacting that steel plate.

[Mark 611]

mike yes that's all it takes is a barrel swap but you'd be better off to find a used .22cal 48 due to the cost of the barrel and installation! and I only know 1 person who can swap out a barrel on a 48!

[Onebaddj]

A new tin of nitter vitamins! Thats holarious.

Glad you enjoying that 48 and agreed that solid smack from a 22 pellet on target is intimidating. Its crazy how much damage these 22 cal rifles can do.  Enjoy the shooter and post pics of your targets.

[Diana 34]

Well this is different.

"You need to hear the sound of a .25 caliber pellet impacting that steel plate."

I was going to buy a Diana .25 but every place I went searching for pellets had limited supplies of .22, buku supplies of .177, and 0 in .25

[Diana 34]

Is the forum a bit buggy or is it just me? I have a photo for onebaddj on my "Nutter Vitamins"

[Mark 611]

thats how I keep my pellets as well! 

[Diana 34]

Not only is it easier to open than the tin, it's  a lot quieter.

[Dick Tracey]

Shouldn't have posted the picture of Nutter Vitamins.  Now the Nutter Police is going to require a "child proof cap" and then nobody will be able to open them.......wait for it......except a child.  lol

[Bullit]

Diana34,  you did right in getting the M48, and  getting it in .22     Glad you are enjoying it.  Yes, they are awesome!

[Diana 34]

I suppose it's possible and I find it very awkward holding the side lever while I load the 48. I read that I should do this just in case the safety catch doesn't hold. The spring is so strong that ones fingers may be severed while loading a pellet if the mechanism falters. I hate to use the word assume because it causes me more trouble uttering the word than it's worth. But I'm assuming the safety mechanism on the side cocking air rifles malfunctions due to operators negligence, (they took it apart and reassembled it wrong or tried to modify it in some way) Has anybody had this happen or heard of it happening?

[only1harry]

I am not sure if you are talking about the firing safety, or the locking mechanism of the cocking lever which ensures the breech remains open while you load a pellet.  The 48/52/54 have one of the safest locking mechanisms out there IMO, which has also been improved over the years.  I do not personally know of anyone that it has failed on, but I would agree with you, it would be an assembly or re-assembly human error if it happened. 
Even if the safety failed, the locking mechanism would prevent the gun from firing and the breech closing on your fingers, unless you depressed the button on the side to restore the cocking arm and close the breech, which would be after you have loaded the pellet anyway.

The 48 .22 is one of the most accurate Springers I have shot out of the box.  I was putting all the pellets inside a dime at 22yds on open sights and my vision is only 20/40.  Worse case was nickel sized groups but that was after I had shot 30 CP's and the hole kept getting a little bigger.  Usually 10-15 shots produced a single dime sized hole or smaller on the paper with open sights from a bench rest.  Very admirable from an 800fps .22 Magnum Springer.  I also pleasantly found it to be about 25-30% less noisy than my 350's, and the velocity gradually increased to 810fps after a few hundres shots as it was breaking in.

[Dick Tracey]

Springer barrels decocking accidently is not isolated to sidelevers.  It can be a result as you mentioned or a part failure or a part wearing out.  It doesn't really matter what caused it, it will tear your finger/hand up.  I beleive it just recently happened to a member on this board.  I have just recently purchased several side lever airguns and am in the process of developing a safe way of blocking the lever while open.  One of my first thoughts is to try the pellet insertion pen that Crosman is selling.  I have a Gamo CFX and although many people dislike the loading method they used, I felt it was much safer design.  Any way you look at it if you get your finger caught in the action it will be painful and worse case it will be missed.

[Jaymo]

I hold the forend in my left hand, with the gun under my left arm and the cocking lever against my back or hip, when loading mine.

I'm glad you like yours. They're built like a tank. A good looking tank. Mine is a .177 that I paid all of 70 dollars for.

[Bullit]

Diana 34,
I am a Lefty.  I just cock it and bury my elbow between it and the forestock, with my right hand holding it by the breech area, while I load it with my left hand.  I'm like the others, in that is'nt likely,,,but Doctors are kinda pricey!  No problems, and good luck Bud!