Diana two-forty or XS-12

[tripiy]

Had been considering XS-12 for a long time  before it suddenly got extinct. The Diana’s budget offering seems to be on the same lines - small footprint, manageable power/recoil and less than desirable trigger.
Anyone got a chance to compare them side by side? All opinions are welcome.
Thanks

[Mark 611]

Luckily, I saw this, I purchased a TWO FORTY back around 2017, it still had the T05 style trigger in it, it averaged around 590fps with 7.9gn Crosman HP's, it was easy to cock, only problem I had with the rifle I had was the barrel was no good!!! I tried everything to make it shoot! chopped off the end of the barrel recrowned it and lapped it, still no dice! It just would not shoot a good group at all! YMMV 

[Novagun]

Had the same experience with a D 349 NTech . Sad to hear mine was not an isokted incident.

[tripiy]

Luckily, I saw this, I purchased a TWO FORTY back around 2017, it still had the T05 style trigger in it, it averaged around 590fps with 7.9gn Crosman HP's, it was easy to cock, only problem I had with the rifle I had was the barrel was no good!!! I tried everything to make it shoot! chopped off the end of the barrel recrowned it and lapped it, still no dice! It just would not shoot a good group at all! YMMV 

Hi Mark,
Seems like you are confusing chinese made two forty with Diana’s German made 240. This one is a cheap youth rifle currently available for $85 at midway.
Sorry to hear that even the German made had issues that couldn’t be fixed.

[Mark 611]

IMO, you're not going to buy a new German made 240 for $85 dollars from MIDWAY, I'm not even sure which gun I had, I purchased my rifle from PA, it cost $200 back when I purchased it, I just read some of the reviews on Midways site, and the 1st reviewer says it's not a German made gun! and nowhere in the description does it say where it's made, IMO this is a Chinese gun for sure, you may get a good 1 and maybe not!  

[avator]

I have a couple Mike Mellick touched XS-12 and a rebranded for Diana Chinese Two Fifty.  The Two Fifty is a harsh shooting, hard cocking and heavy trigger pull gun out of the box. I felt compelled, and did, order a Hammers scope that was rated for a heavy recoil airgun. It's getting better as it's breaking in but it has a ways to go.
The XS-12 guns came out of the box with great shot cycles.. not near the power of the Two Fifty but they are great for 20 - 25 yd plinking. Plus, Betty Lou enjoys shooting the XS-12 with me... she won't even try to cock the Two Fifty. It took me 2 hands to cock it when it was new.
No experience with the Two Forty.

[WD Feese]

The two-forty is marked as a German designed airgun but it is built in China. The rifle is similar to the ×s-12 with the same stile of trigger,however it shoots with less velosity (in my experience).  The two forty in a more refined rifle with a better stock( again my opinion).
   

[Mark 611]

I guess, I was just making sure we were talking about the difference between the German 240 vs the Chinese TWO FORTY, sold by Diana, mine must have been a German made rifle with it having a T05 version trigger, sad part about this is Diana used Chinese barrels in there 34's and 350mags some years back and IMO they used them in some of 240 models as well!!! just clear up any misunderstanding on my end

[WD Feese]

Mark, you are correct, there is a lot of confusion and in my opinion it was unnecessary.

OP the el gammo Expo is another version of this same design as well as a Crosman which I think was built by Cometa.

[Mark 611]

 

[gloob]

Luckily, I saw this, I purchased a TWO FORTY back around 2017, it still had the T05 style trigger in it, it averaged around 590fps with 7.9gn Crosman HP's, it was easy to cock, only problem I had with the rifle I had was the barrel was no good!!! I tried everything to make it shoot! chopped off the end of the barrel recrowned it and lapped it, still no dice! It just would not shoot a good group at all! YMMV 

Check barrel for breech constriction. A lot of chinese made barrels don't have one. (Crosman barrels also generally don't have a constriction).

When you push a pellet with a rod, the pellet should be tight for the first 3-5 inches. Then (if it has a constriction) it should lose nearly all resistance the rest of the way.
It might get tight again at the very last quarter inch, if the barrel has muzzle choke. But if it doesn't have a muzzle choke, the pellet might literally fall out the muzzle by gravity, once it gets past the muzzle constriction if the constriction is slightly on the tight side.

If the barrel lacks this constriction at the breech/chamber end, then a 590 fps rifle just won't shoot accurately. At 590 fps, the "coast" phase of the pellet will start at maybe 12". By this point, all power is over. There's going to be significant barrel left, and any resistance left between pellet and barrel will cause flyers. Even if a constriction is a bit overdone, and the pellet falls out the muzzle once it gets past the constriction, this will generally shoot straighter than a barrel that lacks a constriction.

The full power 177 rifles won't have this problem, because they don't have a coast phase even if the barrel is 18" long. It's the lower velocity rifles where this is important.


If this rifle doesn't have a breech constriction, it can be made to shoot right if you shorten the barrel. If it shoots 590 fps, proper barrel length should be about 11-12". But barrel this short will likely leave the gun very hold-sensitive. It's better to add weight and length back, with a muzzle/barrel shroud.

[splitbeing]

If you can get an XS-12 from flying dragon, or second hand from someone who got it there: do that.

[lillysdad621]

you can also search for a stoeger 3000c. nothing but a xs12. In my opinion, they are great platforms and take great to tuning. The ones i have are fantastic (including a franken gun that has a b26 trigger adapted to it.)

[A.K.A. Tommy Boy]

you can also search for a stoeger 3000c. nothing but a xs12. In my opinion, they are great platforms and take great to tuning. The ones i have are fantastic (including a franken gun that has a b26 trigger adapted to it.)

I have a .177cal. Stoeger 3000C.

It makes a nice light weight, lower powered and accurate carbine rifle

I bought it on sale at a local Sportsman's Warehouse for $60

It is my favorite pesting rifle for around the yard and gardens.

Most of my shots are in the 15 to 20 yard range.

> https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=209644.msg156468724#msg156468724

> https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=209563.0


Best Wishes - Tom

[Doug Wall]

Accuracy not good.
https://hardairmagazine.com/reviews/diana-two-forty-air-rifle-test-review-177-caliber/

[Nukall856]

Doug Wall,
 Too bad your buddy got one w bad accuracy. My son's S3000c is good very. Every barrel is different, Also if they or you are shooting holding artillery or loosegoosing or use shooting bags on a breakbarrel air rifle,. Nm I don't ...
 Get around 600 FPS w 7.9gr.. good for small feathers or small Anything to +25yards.
NVak

[Berserkeley Mike]

---snip--- The Two Fifty is a harsh shooting, hard cocking and heavy trigger pull gun out of the box. I felt compelled, and did, order a Hammers scope that was rated for a heavy recoil airgun. It's getting better as it's breaking in but it has a ways to go.
---snip

This is the one with the thumbhole stock, no?  For mine, I removed the heavy top hat down in the piston and replaced it with a lighter one (from a Hatsan Mod25, but anything lighter will do), and lopped 2 coils off the spring.  Then I played around with putting the top hat back.  Cutting the spring helped both the cocking and harshness, and the top hat weights helped it shoot smoothly with medium vs. light weight pellets.  Too much weight and it felt like is slammed on each shot, too little and it felt like a boing! bounce.  Just right was a "thunk" sound.
I still find it challenging to shoot accurately, but it will shoot well if I hold it softly enough.
FWIW,
Mike

[splitbeing]

Those sound like good suggestions from Mike, but I have no experience with the gun.