Diana 45

[Acapulco]

Beautiful rifle and a joy to shoot. Anybody know the history of this rifle?

[45flint]

Cool rifle!!!

[Hoosier Daddy]

"You're kill'n me Smalls"

I need more photos and info on that beauty.

[xcalibur]

Larry Hannusch wrote a very interesting article on the Diana 45.
Scroll down to "The Diana 45 Patriarch"
https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery.com/vintage-diana-resources/diana-airguns-articles/

[Hoosier Daddy]

I have wanted a "Tap loader" for a loooong time!

[Acapulco]

Thanks for the info...

[TooJung2Die]

That's not the model 45 I expected to see! I have a 1980 RWS Diana 45, a completely different air rifle. Thanks for reminding us about this antique. it's a beauty.

I enjoyed reading about the "The Diana 45 Patriarch". It's interesting to learn about how Diana repeated model numbers. My first spring piston air rifle was a Diana 66, almost identical to the model 34 during the 1980's. There's another Diana model 66 that is a very high end target rifle, again a totally different gun. I can find nothing about the model 66 I once owned (it was stolen). I still have the paperwork from the sale so I'm certain of the model number.

[xcalibur]

That's not the model 45 I expected to see! I have a 1980 RWS Diana 45, a completely different air rifle. Thanks for reminding us about this antique. it's a beauty.

I enjoyed reading about the "The Diana 45 Patriarch". It's interesting to learn about how Diana repeated model numbers. My first spring piston air rifle was a Diana 66, almost identical to the model 34 during the 1980's. There's another Diana model 66 that is a very high end target rifle, again a totally different gun. I can find nothing about the model 66 I once owned (it was stolen). I still have the paperwork from the sale so I'm certain of the model number.

Does your RWS 45 have grooves for the front sight or does it slip on around the barrel like in this pic?

[KWK]

Haenel copied the BSA light pattern to make the Model v. They altered the trigger block and gave it a half stock. Then Diana released the same thing (the 45). Along comes Webley and makes the nearly identical Mk3. They produced the very long in the tooth design until 1975. Still using a turret rear sight similar to what BSA used in 1905. If the secondary sear on a Webley Mk3 goes bad a part from a 1919 BSA will drop right in as a replacement. In 1923 BSA upgraded the 2 hole trigger block Webley copied with a neat adjustment screw that Webley (for some reason) never adopted even for the Supertarget Mk3 model that sorely needed an adjustable trigger.
Fine German engineering?

[KWK]

Haenel copied the BSA light pattern to make the Model v. They altered the trigger block and gave it a half stock. Then Diana released the same thing (the 45). Along comes Webley and makes the nearly identical Mk3. They produced the very long in the tooth design until 1975. Still using a turret rear sight similar to what BSA used in 1905. If the secondary sear on a Webley Mk3 goes bad a part from a 1919 BSA will drop right in as a replacement. In 1923 BSA upgraded the 2 hole trigger block Webley copied with a neat adjustment screw that Webley (for some reason) never adopted even for the Supertarget Mk3 model that sorely needed an adjustable trigger.
Fine German engineering?

I messed up. The Mk3 has an adjustable trigger. I forgot and I have two Mk3's.

[TooJung2Die]

Does your RWS 45 have grooves for the front sight or does it slip on around the barrel like in this pic?

I believe my 45 has grooves for the front sight but it has a muzzle brake that was on it when I bought it. The person I bought it from had it "Lazerized" by RWS and I think adding the barrel weight was part of that process.

[MDriskill]

Wow, that's a beauty - would love to see some more pics! It looks like the VERY desirable second-series model 45 with the fantastic 2-stage striker-type trigger, originally developed for the amazing model 58.

KWK is correct, the early Webley Mk 3 is mechanically a dead copy of the model 45, initially including the 2-stage trigger (a decision that the company's famously cheap management made in 1943 - the middle of WW2!). Sort of ironic that the 45 gained a 2-stage trigger as it evolved, whilst the Mk 3 lost it.

Pics are my early 45 and late Mk 3 - neither with the 2-stage trigger, yet the family resemblance is very obvious!

[xcalibur]

Wow, that's a beauty - would love to see some more pics! It looks like the VERY desirable second-series model 45 with the fantastic 2-stage striker-type trigger, originally developed for the amazing model 58.

KWK is correct, the early Webley Mk 3 is mechanically a dead copy of the model 45, initially including the 2-stage trigger (a decision that the company's famously cheap management made in 1943 - the middle of WW2!). Sort of ironic that the 45 gained a 2-stage trigger as it evolved, whilst the Mk 3 lost it.

Pics are my early 45 and late Mk 3 - neither with the 2-stage trigger, yet the family resemblance is very obvious!

Awsome! Nothing beats a good ole side-by-side comparison.

[MDriskill]

I should have mentioned that besides the more "English" looking stock, the main mechanical difference between the late D45 and early Mk 3, was Webley's decision odd to put the tap lever on the right side of the gun. No idea why this was done - it's the only tap-loader I know of like that!

[45flint]

Wow, that's a beauty - would love to see some more pics! It looks like the VERY desirable second-series model 45 with the fantastic 2-stage striker-type trigger, originally developed for the amazing model 58.

KWK is correct, the early Webley Mk 3 is mechanically a dead copy of the model 45, initially including the 2-stage trigger (a decision that the company's famously cheap management made in 1943 - the middle of WW2!). Sort of ironic that the 45 gained a 2-stage trigger as it evolved, whilst the Mk 3 lost it.

Pics are my early 45 and late Mk 3 - neither with the 2-stage trigger, yet the family resemblance is very obvious!

Another difference also may be that the English wanted to increase power.  All my prewar Diana’s are pretty tame.  I think the MK3 had a stronger spring? I think it is very difficult to cock because of this? 

[Air Head]

Beautiful rifle and a joy to shoot. Anybody know the history of this rifle?

Every time you show a new gun, it's always lounging pool side, comfortably on a towel.
They're  thinking, "Welp...I've finally made it!" 

Cheers!

[Acapulco]

Beautiful rifle and a joy to shoot. Anybody know the history of this rifle?

Every time you show a new gun, it's always lounging pool side, comfortably on a towel.
They're  thinking, "Welp...I've finally made it!" 

Cheers!

Never thought of it that way....ha!!

[h2rider]

Very nice airgun there!

Regarding the power of the pre-war model 45, I have the earlier version (direct sear trigger) in .22 caliber and it is decently powerful for its day - 9.2 ft lbs, about 585 FPS with Hobbies.

Diana also produced a quarter-stock version of the 45 and sold it as the Model 42.  Same performance as the 45.

Paul in Liberty County

[xcalibur]

For anyone taking a Diana 45 DRP apart for the first time, the cylinder lug is left hand thread.

[MDriskill]

For anyone taking a Diana 45 DRP apart for the first time, the cylinder lug is left hand thread.

Which is another detail copied for the Webley Mk 3.