Gecado Hy Score 806

[buellm2]

I went to a gun show and there was a lot more AG  stuff than I expected.   I spotted this with a tag for $20.   The owner said it was a Geco and said "take it for $15.00".   I couldn't resist even though I had no use for it.   Anyways it's a West German Gecado, not Geco.   It's in quite nice condition.   Cleaned it up and it shoots way harder than I thought it would.   The amazing thing is the trigger.   Once you get past the take up, the trigger release is absolutely amazingly crisp.    I can't believe how nice the trigger is compared to lots of much more expensive AGs and PBs. 

[buellm2]

West Germany existed from 1949 to 1990.   I'm guessing 60s for this one but I'm no expert.

[Bayman]

It looks very similar to a Diana D27 I tuned a year or so ago. That was a cool little gun. Enjoy your new gun. A German springer for 15 bucks how can you go wrong?!?

[Roadworthy]

The gun you have was probably manufactured by Mayer & Grammelspacher GmbH after World War II but before 1984.  Since this is the company that also manufactured Diana air rifles they may have followed their normal tradition of date stamping the receiver at the very rear of the left side just above the stock in the format mmyy.  Due to losing the Diana name after World War II they produced airguns under various names until they got the name back in 1984.

[Bad News Beeman]

Went to a gunshow today as well, in SoCal, and was surprised that any airguns made an appearance. But there were many Umarex CO2 replicas and PCPs. Nothing of too much interest to me though. I gunning to find a Beeman labeled as a "bb gun" for $20. But alas, no dice...

[buellm2]

I've found gun auctions to be a good source for cheap interesting AGs.   Most people don't even look at the AGs and the auctioneers just want to get rid of them.

[buellm2]

I pulled the action out of the stock to do a good cleaning and lubing.   No date stamp was found.    After cleaning and lubing I fired it along with the HW30s.   The old Gecado trigger clearly beats the HW30S trigger.  I'd say the smoothness of mechanical parts while cocking is as good as the HW30S or better.   I'm really impressed with how nice this cheap old German springer is.  Too bad it's a junior sized AG.   I don't think I will be able to conduct any meaningful accuracy testing since there is no way to mount an optic and the iron sights are tough to use but I'll give it a go one of these days.

[Toxylon]

Due to losing the Diana name after World War II they produced airguns under various names until they got the name back in 1984.

This is just an aside, but the common idea that Diana lost their name for some 35 years is only partially true. The Diana factory continued to make Diana brand airguns through that time period, but not for GB and other Commonwealth countries, where Milbro's, Originals, Geco's etc. were sold, instead.

Just as an example, my c. 1960 D25 made for the German market has the Diana name and logo proudly stamped onto the receiver, and I see such guns for sale all the time.

[buellm2]

Did Diana also make my Gecado?   

[Roadworthy]

Gecado is one of the names used by Diana during this period.

[buellm2]

Is the relative quality of the various Diana sub-brands pretty much the same? 

[HectorMedina]

This is just an aside, but the common idea that Diana lost their name for some 35 years is only partially true. The Diana factory continued to make Diana brand airguns through that time period, but not for GB and other Commonwealth countries, where Milbro's, Originals, Geco's etc. were sold, instead.

Just as an example, my c. 1960 D25 made for the German market has the Diana name and logo proudly stamped onto the receiver, and I see such guns for sale all the time.

That's because of the place you live in.
On THIS side of the Atlantic, the name "Original" was used. And you can see that in the older Beeman catalogs, before Beeman caught a fight with M&G.

Notwithstanding, that, M&G was not averse to make guns for large wholesalers under the wholesaler's name. GECO was Gustav Genschow's company, which was independent of M&G and ended up as part of RUAG-Ammotech as a brand. GECADO was short for Georg Carl @ Dornheim, which was acquired as a brand by M&G after WWII

Some more info here:
https://forum.cartridgecollectors.org/t/rws-geco-gecado-utendoerffer/12820/5

Even back then, DIANA was segmenting the market by price/usage/customer sophistication.

Keep well and shoot straight!




HM

[Yogi]

What was the hookup between Dynamite Nobel and Diana?  In the 1980's, they and Beeman were just about it.

-Y

[Beeman22]

I pulled the action out of the stock to do a good cleaning and lubing.   No date stamp was found.    After cleaning and lubing I fired it along with the HW30s.   The old Gecado trigger clearly beats the HW30S trigger.  I'd say the smoothness of mechanical parts while cocking is as good as the HW30S or better.   I'm really impressed with how nice this cheap old German springer is.  Too bad it's a junior sized AG.   I don't think I will be able to conduct any meaningful accuracy testing since there is no way to mount an optic and the iron sights are tough to use but I'll give it a go one of these days.

I believe what you have is a Diana 22, which was a youth-sized rifle. I believe it's almost identical to the Diana 23, except with a brass barrel insert instead of steel -somebody correct me if I'm wrong about that. If the breech seal is leather then the piston seal would be as well.  If that's the case, a few drops of silicone oil down the transfer port once a year or so will keep the leather healthy and supple for years to come.

I have a Diana 23 (thanks, Lizzie!) and it's Winchester-branded twin, the 423. The first one was for my kids; the 423 is in mint condition and I really enjoy messing with it every now and then! For such a simple rifle, it's a lot of fun for plinking. It's hard trying to shoot a good group with the original open sights, but a tin of pellets and a soup can is all you need to feel like you're 10 years old all over again. And they are fantastic for younger kids because they are so nicely scaled down - like a 2/3 scale HW30 (or, more accurately, like a 2/3 scale Diana 27 with a simple trigger). 

[buellm2]

I pulled the action out of the stock to do a good cleaning and lubing.   No date stamp was found.    After cleaning and lubing I fired it along with the HW30s.   The old Gecado trigger clearly beats the HW30S trigger.  I'd say the smoothness of mechanical parts while cocking is as good as the HW30S or better.   I'm really impressed with how nice this cheap old German springer is.  Too bad it's a junior sized AG.   I don't think I will be able to conduct any meaningful accuracy testing since there is no way to mount an optic and the iron sights are tough to use but I'll give it a go one of these days.

I believe what you have is a Diana 22, which was a youth-sized rifle. I believe it's almost identical to the Diana 23, except with a brass barrel insert instead of steel -somebody correct me if I'm wrong about that. If the breech seal is leather then the piston seal would be as well.  If that's the case, a few drops of silicone oil down the transfer port once a year or so will keep the leather healthy and supple for years to come.

I have a Diana 23 (thanks, Lizzie!) and it's Winchester-branded twin, the 423. The first one was for my kids; the 423 is in mint condition and I really enjoy messing with it every now and then! For such a simple rifle, it's a lot of fun for plinking. It's hard trying to shoot a good group with the original open sights, but a tin of pellets and a soup can is all you need to feel like you're 10 years old all over again. And they are fantastic for younger kids because they are so nicely scaled down - like a 2/3 scale HW30 (or, more accurately, like a 2/3 scale Diana 27 with a simple trigger).

I looked up some pictures of a Diana 22 and I believe that you are right.   The D22 looks identical to my Gecado except for the  Hy Score stock medallion.

[cjtamu]

See chart in Lizzie’s post in link below. Looks like it is indeed a Diana 22.

https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=176341.0

[buellm2]

Thanks for the link to the very useful chart.    No mention of Gecado in the chart

[cjtamu]

Thanks for the link to the very useful chart.    No mention of Gecado in the chart

Thread title says”Hy-score 806” so assumed gun was labeled that way somewhere. And “Geco” I believe should be short for Gecado.

[buellm2]

Yes, the stock medallion says "Hy Score".   Directly under the medallion "806" is stamped into the wood.   "Made in West Germany" is stamped on the left side of the receiver,    "Gecado" is stamped on the topside of the rear of the receiver.   " A picture is worth a thousand words" but I can be lazy almost any ole day. 

[HectorMedina]

Thread title says”Hy-score 806” so assumed gun was labeled that way somewhere. And “Geco” I believe should be short for Gecado.

Nope! Different companies altogether.

GeCaDo.- Georg Carl am Dornheim

GeCo.- Genschow & Co.

GeCaDo was a brand ACQUIRED by M&G post WWII

M&G also owned an "Eureka" brand. Mainly used for toys.





HM