Old and bent

[Fleshwound]

I finally picked this Diana 34 up today. My buddy cut the tip of his finger off in it a while back the first time he went to shoot it. Can anybody tell what year it is? Is it worth fixing? Can I get a 22 cal barrel for it? I know people bend them back but it looks pretty bent to me. Any input would be appreciated..

[cjtamu]

Man’f date should be left rear of receiver just above the stock. Four digit code of month and year. Looks like either a T01 trigger or the earlier 3-ball sear. Does it have a safety? If you can straighten the barrel or find a replacement I’d say it’s worth fixing. Tremendous shooting springers, love mine. Some guys that know a whole lot more than I will be along shortly.

[Yogi]

On break barrels, ALWAYS HOLD THE BARREL WHLE LOADING, Always!!!!

Congratulations of your new gun.  Yes everything can be repaired.
Check out NCed's previous posts on barrel bending.

-Y

[Roadworthy]

You can probably straighten the barrel.  A barrel bending tool is easy to construct:  https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/library/Charlies%20Barrel%20Tool.pdfIf you cannot straighten the barrel you'll probably find the price of a new Diana barrel exceeds the value of the gun.  Two or three years ago they were going for $160 new.  Another option is to contact Mike Melick at Flying Dragon Air Rifles.  His XS-25 is a Chinese clone of the Diana 34 and I've heard the barrels interchange.

[Fleshwound]

It has a safety, it is a 95, Ive read quite a bit of ncEd's posts but I haven't seen one on bending barrels.

[lefteyeshot]

Bend it back. Easy stuff. What do you have to lose?

[KWK]

I bent my HW95 by hand. Wasn't that hard to do. I hadn't triggered it though. My hand was very cold when I accidentally let the smooth muzzle brake slip from my hand whilst cocking. The next shot was 6" high at 25y. I bent it back by hand and after about three tries It was very close again. Only needed a small scope adjustment. Hard for me to admit this I don't make many booboos

[Fleshwound]

I haven’t shot this one yet but I’m guessing it’s going to be more like 20 feet high at 25 yards. It’s pretty bad. I’ll try to straighten it up though.

[Denby95]

It has a safety, it is a 95, Ive read quite a bit of ncEd's posts but I haven't seen one on bending barrels.

https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=gateway+to+airguns%2C+nced%2C+barrel+bend

Post 17in  specifically this thread: https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=168557.0

[nced]

It has a safety, it is a 95, Ive read quite a bit of ncEd's posts but I haven't seen one on bending barrels.

My barrel tweaking gizmo made from 2x4 construction lumber, 5/8" thread eye bolt, flat washer and nut, a plastic "sleeve" to protect the barrel finish....................


I always place the gizmo against the barrel pivot block to all pressure is on the barrel and not on the "barrel/breech block joint". Nice thing about the "front of pivot block registry" is that the bend can be easily adjusted with pressure always being place on the same area of the barrel. Also the heavy wall plastic sleeve spreads the bend over a wider section of the barrel so there isn't a "king" in the straight section (guess how I learned that)..........


I always bend my barrels after mounting an optically centered scope to put the pellet poi within about 1" or less from the point of aim at my 30 yard zero distance, then the fine turret adjustments are used to finish the zero. Here is a "barrel tweaking target" from a while back done upstairs at only 18 yards...............

[Fleshwound]

Thats pretty clever

[KWK]

That bend starts at the block from being whipped so I would put the block in a vise with soft jaws and straighten by hand until the first section looks straight with a straight edge. From there I might use a press or arrangement like Ed showed. I'd measure it set up on V blocks before I put it back on the gun and then tweak it from there.
I have to do this (eBay find) vintage rifle one of these days. See the bend? I guess it was "triggered".

[lefteyeshot]

If it's bent right at the barrel block that pretty simple and straight forward. I had one bent about 6 inches from the muzzle. That's why I no longer pay extra to have the gun tested before shipping. A couple of wood blocks either side of the bend and the c-clamp in the center of the bend. Fixed it.

[Fleshwound]

Im surprised they make the barrels so soft.

[Yogi]

Im surprised they make the barrels so soft.

Well if you pull the trigger while the barrel is open, all the force of the spring accelerates the barrel closed.  If you fingers are in the way, call an ambulance.  :'( If your fingers are not in the way, your barrel will be bent.
Barrels are made from a soft enough steel that the lands and groves are imprintable.

-Y

PS that is why you always need to hold the barrel while loading pellets.

[Fleshwound]

Yeah, he is now short one finger tip. But to be fair if there is a way to get hurt Ken will find it. Hes just that guy. I haven't fired the gun to find out how the locking mech or trigger works so I don't know what happened but I will find out before that happens again.

[lefteyeshot]

If your finger is in the way, probably slows it down enough not to bend the barrel.

[Yogi]

If your finger is in the way, probably slows it down enough not to bend the barrel.

Try it and find out!

-Y

[HectorMedina]

I finally picked this Diana 34 up today. My buddy cut the tip of his finger off in it a while back the first time he went to shoot it. Can anybody tell what year it is? Is it worth fixing? Can I get a 22 cal barrel for it? I know people bend them back but it looks pretty bent to me. Any input would be appreciated..

Do try to straighten the barrel.
The angled breech poses peculiar problems when you try to mate a barrel/block assembly to a gun.
As counterintuitive as it sounds, fitting a new barrel/breech block to a gun takes more time, knowledge and experience than bending the barrel back to approx regulation.

Factory barrels are softer than aftermarket barrels. Yes. Cost and manufacturability. AND "fitness for purpose". It is not in the design parameters that the barrels need to be "extra stiff" in case someone lets go of the barrel while cocking.

The ONLY D34 with "Spezial, Starker, Stahl", to my knowledge, is the limited run of 34's that were made with L-W blanks.

HTH, keep well  and shoot straight!




HM

[Fleshwound]

Today is the day. Going to my folks house for Easter. This will be a good excuse to get Pops off the couch. He's not well and this will be something  to get him fired up a little. He and I are gun people just never really got into air guns until recently. The sun is finally out in Idaho, it'll be a good day. Thanks for the input everyone.