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Education / Training RWS Diana 34 Panther – Part 4 — Final report

RWS Diana 34 Panther – Part 4 — Final report

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

JR asked about a shooting bench, and I promised to blog it today, but I forgot that this report was waiting. I’ll get to the bench tomorrow.

The jury is back and the verdict is that the RWS Diana 34 Panther is a world-class air rifle and a super value. I’m so glad I had the chance to test this model, because the several Diana 34s I have shot in the past do not do the current rifle justice. It might as well be a completely new gun, and I want to tell you what I think the differences are.

T05 trigger
The more I use it, the more I like the Diana T05 trigger. Its straighter trigger blade gives me more positive control over the release, and the trigger feels as though Diana has refined the release dramatically. It has less creep in the second stage and a crisper break than ever before. Only triggers tuned by Ken Reeves on the older T01 triggers have felt as nice as this one feels right out of the box.

Synthetic stock
I love this new stock. Diana has employed a straight line, so there is no need for a cheekpiece or a Monte Carlo profile. It may look funny to new shooters who are used to the Monte Carlo look, but it harkens back to a time when Winchester put straight-line stocks on their rifles and they fit everybody. There is no difficulty aligning the eye with the scope, because the stock is so straight.

Also, this stock is dead. It does not resonate with each shot like a wood stock. I can’t tell if the powerplant is smoother or I’m just feeling the deadness of the stock, but the RWS Diana 34 Panther is a very civil air rifle. It reminds me of the Gamo CF-X, which also has a synthetic stock, so there may be something to it.

Here’s what happened
I told you in the last report that I wanted to test the 34 at a longer range, to verify that those tight 20-yard groups would continue. Last Friday, I went to a range where I could get 35 yards. That is only 15 yards farther, but it’s the range at which groups start opening up dramatically.

What I didn’t tell you before is that I am also testing a new mount that will solve the droop problem for Diana guns. The prototype I have isn’t correct yet, and the rifle was shooting six inches low at 35 yards with the scope’s elevation cranked all the way up. But I had an ace up my sleeve. The scope on the rifle is a Leapers 3-9×40 with red/green illuminated reticle and mil-dots. My scope is an older one than Pyramyd now carries and it doesn’t have the TS platform or the side illumination switch, but it performs just the same. All I had to do was use the fifth dot below the crosshair intersection, and I was right on target…as you can see from the results. I have to take shortcuts like this because I may be testing several different things at the same time.

I settled right into the correct hold, which I’d determined was the rifle on the flat of my open palm just in front of the triggerguard. Yes that makes the gun muzzle-heavy, but I shoot off a bench with my hand resting on a sandbag, so there’s no weight to support. If I were shooting from the prone, kneeling, or sitting position, I’d do the same. Offhand, I’d use my knuckles or fingertips a little forward of this point.

The day was getting ugly, with black thunderclouds rolling in fast. I’d been testing other guns earlier, so now time was running out. The wind was starting to kick up in gusts, so I had time for only one quick group at 35 yards, but the gun performed like it had at the shorter range: totally stable and dead-on. Shooting Crosman Premier 7.9-grain pellets, my one and only group measures 0.460.” That’s really good for a springer at that distance. Had I shot longer I feel confident this would have been representative of all the groups. I cannot remember a time when the first group in a series was also the smallest.

34-target4-web
That’s what a sub-half-inch group looks like. Shooting one from a breakbarrel at 35 yards is a big deal.
Bottom line
The RWS Diana 34 Panther goes up on the short list of spring guns that I consider best buys.

author avatar
Tom Gaylord (B.B. Pelletier)
Tom Gaylord, also known as B.B. Pelletier, provides expert insights to airgunners all over the world on behalf of Pyramyd AIR. He has earned the title The Godfather of Airguns™ for his contributions to the industry, spending many years with AirForce Airguns and starting magazines dedicated to the sport such as Airgun Illustrated.

114 thoughts on “RWS Diana 34 Panther – Part 4 — Final report”

  1. bb – this is off topic, but at distances past 35 yds is there any reason why .22 would yield better groups than .177? Setting aside fps, does mass affect stability of flight? What about counteracting the effects of wind? Thanks for a superb blog.

    • If there were a dove tail for the front sight the possibility of an unintended choke from manufacturing could exist.
      However, as B.B. pointed out the composite muzzle end epoxied on eliminates that.

  2. Hi B.B.,

    I may have missed the description of the synthetic stock, but how would you describe the feel of it? Is it smooth plastic like a pump Crossman, or is it the rubberized feel of a Gamo stock? Lastly, is it foam filled or hollow from what you experienced?

    cheers,
    Paul Capello

  3. B.B.–good morning-scott reporting in. At the top of the blog I noticed something about JR and a shooting bench. I bought one at cabela’s-thats where you directed me- and have been using it for about 6 months now. Don’t want to step on anyone’s toes , but if you like I’ll be more than happy to give you feed back on the one I bought.–Thanks-Scott

  4. hi bb
    i am a believer in strait line stocks. im a lefty so i can apreciate it. i think it would be beneficial for some companies to start using strait lines more to accomodate more shooters. just curiuos do yyou know what percent of shooters are left eye dominant? i took an archery class a while back and it seemed the class was split 50/50. thanks

  5. B.B.

    I remember as a kid (about 6 years old) that I naturally used a left hand position for bow and gun. My brothers and their friends stopped me and told me to use a right hand position since I am right handed. That was my first indication that I was left eye dominant.

    Unfortunately I’ve been shooting right handed since then. I found out about a half year ago that I am left eye dominant but have been hesitant to try left handed. How hard is it to switch hands?

    Thanks,
    .22 multi-shot

  6. Hey B.B.,

    That’s a real nice 5-shot group considering it was the only group and a rush job in building winds. Thanks for that review! I really like the sleek look of the 34 Panther. Your comments about the synthetic stock are compelling since I’ve already been wanting one, in .22 caliber.

    B.B. wrote, “…The prototype I have isn’t correct yet, and the rifle was shooting six inches low at 35 yards with the scope’s elevation cranked all the way up…”

    It’s good to hear the Diana/RWS droop mount project has progressed to the testing stage. But, Ouch!

    May be I misremember, but 6″ low seems worse than what I experienced using a non-compensating mount with my Model 48 (4″ low) at that distance.

    It’s unlikely, but I can’t help wondering if the scope stop ‘pin’ was installed in the wrong end of the mount.

    Anyway, what are you permitted to say about the mount, at this point? Does the clamping force and stop ‘pin’ design appear to be addressing the slippage issue?

    Cheers,
    GH

  7. GH,

    I can’t say much about the new mount except that it looks encouraging. Droop correcting is all that remains to be fixed. No, it wasn’t installed incorrectly.

    Yes, this Panther is a real drooper. Probably the worst I have seen. It really needs the correction, so I’m going to use it as a testbed for the new mount.

    The rifle is excellent in all other ways. Yes, I did say the front sight is fragile, but I don’t see many people using it.

    B.B.

  8. B.B. wrote, “…Droop correcting is all that remains to be fixed…”

    Hey, that’s great news! I’m looking forward to seeing the finished product.

    Thanks for the feedback. I think the Panther will look slick with a long, slim muzzle weight (cocking aide) replacing the front sight.

    Cheers,
    GH

  9. How do you know if you have shimmed a scope to the proper level with the droopers? It seems the elevation adjustment will compensate for some droop – but is it better to be in the middle of the elevation adjustment range and shim the rest?
    Ozark

  10. B.B.–do all diana break barrel rifles havea sliding link that connects them to the cocking lever-on my 350 I removed the action from the stock- the cocking lever just seemed to have a bit of metal welded in place and popped out of the action as soon as I turned it over-thanks-Scott298—I had happened to come across an old post showing the dismanteling of a break barrel-hence the question

  11. Thanks B.B., I’ll have to go ahead and try left handed.

    Have you found out what happened to the AS392T yet? I did find Pyramyd’s hidden page, /product/benjamin-as392t?m=381. However, Crosman is not showing it on their web site.

    .22 multi-shot

  12. BB,

    This may be related to issues on straight stocks. Normally, the air cylinder in located under the barrel. In this setup, if we follow the route of the flow of high pressure air during a shot, it seems to execute a U-turn. First, from the air reservoir, to the valve, up the gas port, to the probe, finally behind the pellet pushing it thru the bore towards exit at the muzzle. That is essentially a circuitous u-turn.

    In straight stock design like in the AirForce Talon or Condor, the flow is very straightforward from tank-valve-pellet and out to target.

    I would like to ask, does this different air flow pattern has any effect on resultant accuracy of our airguns?

    Instinctively, I feel that the straight airflow configuration offers a logical advantage over the other.

    Besides the Air Force, which other airgun employs this straight tank to barrel config?

    A generic diagram on this mechanism for comparison and analysis might help explain the differences.

    Thanks a lot sir and please excuse me for a long post.

    Dave, the vise man

  13. BB

    Pyramyd says of the Beretta Storm
    ” The smooth, rounded corners of the synthetic stock won’t get hung up on clothing. It slides from side to side and easily lifts to the shoulder. Perfect in battle situations!”

    I do not think “Perfect in battle situations!” is an appropriate description. Can you see why? I have been shooting since 1968. Am I too concerned about safety?

    I wrote to Pyramyd over concern.

    On Jul 9, 2007, Sales Team wrote:

    Thank you for your interest in our company. The Beretta CX-4 Storm is a BB gun, not an airsoft gun and should not be shot at anyone else as airsoft can be. However, overall great gun!
    Thank you,
    Alice CSR

  14. Dave, I also noticed that a lot of airguns make the air do a U turn. I don’t see how a straight flow would increase accuracy, but it does seem like it would be more efficient.

  15. CX-4 Storm,

    Those words didn’t come from Pyramyd AIR. Those words were written by Beretta. They are sent out to all dealers to use in the descriptions of their guns. If you read the first report I did on the gun, I even took the time to quote other similar words from the Beretta description.

    There is no mention of shooting at anyone in the Pyramyd AIR description. This is simply describing the gun in an attractive way for potential buyers.

    I will mention to Alice that the CX-4 Storm is a pellet rifle, and not a BB gun, but as far as I can see, that’s the only thing she got wrong.

    B.B.

  16. Dave,

    A straight airflow in a PCP or CO2 gun does make for more efficiency, but not for better accuracy. The amount of gain is small, though probably measurable.

    Accuracy is a function of the barrel, primarily. Other factors, like consistency, play a smaller part, but the barrel is the greatest part of the accuracy equation.

    B.B.

  17. Thanks BB. I had put the AS392T as a potential future buy, but if it isn’t being made any more I’ll have to decide while they are still available at a reasonable cost.

    .22 multi-shot

  18. .22 multi-shot,

    The word from Crosman is that the AS392T was not put in the 2007 catalog and is now listed as obsolete.

    They found one in inventory. If you want one, let me know and I’ll try to help you.

    Today is July 17. A gun like this will be gone within days.

    B.B.

  19. B.B.

    I was afraid of that (AS392T discontinued). Unfortunately, as much as I would like to, this is not a good time for me to pick one up. Our vehicle was just diagnosed as needing a transmission rebuild!

    Thanks for your help!
    .22 multi-shot

  20. What was the manufacturing date on the 34 panther you tested and believed the barrel was possibly choked. I am looking at a new 34 panther but the date stamp reflects 04 06. Maybe an older version.

  21. Chris,

    I wondered when someone would spot that. I was as surprised as you when I read it.

    The Panther is a super-good valve except for the barrel droop problem that the scope mount has to correct.

    If you are okay with the current way of compensating for droop, get the Panther.

    B.B.

  22. Dear Sir,

    New to air rifles, save my Red Riders and Crossmans. Father brought his 34 (wood) purchased last year to me to rid us of some pest.

    To the point, he gave me a 3×9 and weaver rings to mount on it. Can I buy a stop and be in business? If so, which one would best fit. If I need a B2 one piece, just let me know and which one.

    All the Best,
    Francis Marion

  23. Mr. BB,

    Your profile says “there are no stupid questions” so here goes…

    Regarding scope slippage on the RWS 34’s:

    Why would you not simply take the mounting plate off and bore a stop hole ALL the way through. In this way, you could position it where you need it for fitting your eye and it would be much deeper. It should offer just as much surface area for the stop pin as hanging it off the front would.

    I probably have missed something obvious as I am new to this. Also, I have access to nice drill presses and metal working equip. Maybe that is the limitation for many.

    What do you think?

    Regards,
    Francis Marion

  24. francis,

    Because there is a coiled steel mainspring inside that thin metal tube! The reason Diana puts a built-up scope mount on the rifle is because there isn’t enough metal to machine dovetails into. There’s not enough room to hold a stop pin well, either.

    B.B.

  25. B.B.,

    I think you misunderstand me. I am not going to drill into the tube, even I can see the disaster there.

    I would TAKE OFF the base and drill through ONLY it, then remount it with locktite. The new hole should offer as much metal surface area for a stop pin as the front would. No?

    If you are worried about the stop pin touching the tube itself, you could put a piece of black tape under the hole as a small “spacer”, but it would contact the tube hanging off the front too. No?

    Again, I might misunderstand myself.

    What do you thinK?

    Much Obliged,
    Francis Marion

  26. B.B.,

    I think you misunderstand me. I am not going to drill into the tube, even I can see the disaster there.

    I would TAKE OFF the base and drill through ONLY it, then remount it with locktite. The new hole should offer as much metal surface area for a stop pin as the front would. No?

    If you are worried about the stop pin touching the tube itself, you could put a piece of black tape under the hole as a small “spacer”, but it would contact the tube hanging off the front too. No?

    Again, I might misunderstand myself.

    What do you thinK?

    Much Obliged,
    Francis Marion

  27. B.B.,

    Thanks for all your help. It is appreciated.

    Based on my reading, I would suspect you would recommend adjustable rings like B2 for this 34 rather than the weavers my dad left me… correct?

    Some quick hitters on that point:
    1- Based on my retapping the mounting base for the stop pin as described above, do I still need a one piece B2, or does it matter?

    2- I assume the ring height is just to accomodate the scope rec diameter like a normal rifle right, in which case you want as short as you can get away with. Is that right or is there an advantage to going taller?

    3- Will Pyramyd print “school supplies” on my receipt so my wife won’t know what I am spending on this air gun verses a professional exterminator?

    Last, if you are interested, I can email you pics of the mods I do to the mounting base and the final product if it would help the bloggers.

    Many for putting up with this newbie,
    Francis Marion

  28. Francis,

    The Weavers won’t fit a Diana scope base without an adaptor, so they are out from the start.

    There is no advantage to a higher scope. It introduces greater cant error, so lower is better.

    If you have a good deep hole for a stop pin, two-piece rings/mounts are always preferred over one-piece, because of far greater mounting flexibility.

    The wife we leave to you, but remember that wives are good people to have around.

    B.B.

  29. I recently bought a RWS Panther 34 .177 with scope . I’ve been reading that if you use the screw at beginning of the rail as a scope stop it will shear off (I had this happen on my .22 Beeman so I can believe it). I also read that the ONLY solution is to buy a one piece mount and hang the pin at the ramp, hence the mount is half way off the rail. After more research I found RWS makes a scope stop. My question is should I buy the RWS one piece mount with pin or the scope stop (does it even fit in the screw hole?)I am also not sure if the screw on the scope stop goes into the whole where the screw is now or if it just clamps onto the rail like the mount. Thanks
    MMalvin

  30. MMalvin ,

    This is a well-known flaw with RWS Diana air rifles. The only solution is to hang the scope stop pin in front of the scope base on the rifle. Also be prepared to pout many thousandths of an inch of elevation on the rear ring of the mount, because RWS Diana barrels have a lot of droop.

    Clamp the one-piece mount to the rifle and hang the vertical scope stop pin IN FRONT of the rifle’s base. The mount will not be halfway off the base. At the most it will be off by 20 percent.

    B.B.

  31. Hi,

    I had ordered this RWS Panther before reading this review. I not only returned the rifle over the scope B.S. but I will not ever buy this brand regardless the quality of the rest of the gun. I will buy Walther or Webly & Scott Ltd. in a springer or Benji in a PCP gun. I’ve ruled out CO2 for a few reasons but mainly the need to keep buying and installing CO2 ..leaks, etc. Thank you for this review. The gun has many good points but the scope and unusualy excessive barrel droop makes it a total loser to me. The Game CFX? A sales rep at Pyramid told me to avoid that gun for a .22 because it was designed as a .177 originaly and it wasn’t changed enough with the .22 barrel to acomidate the new caliber properly …said it had very inconsistant FPS rates in .22 and conversly was outstanding in the .177 caliber.

    I have my desire set on the upcoming Walther Flacon Hunter Edition in .22. It looks very promising and the price looks really good especialy with that scope. B.B. what are your expectations for the Walther Falcon Hunter Edition?

    Respectfully,

    HedgeHocker

  32. HedgeHocker ,

    I have seen and held the Walther Falcon Hunter at the SHOT Show. It looks to be very well made and is certainly a rifle I hope to test soon. I think I will test it in .25 caliber, only because it is available, but the .22 should be just as nice.

    B.B.

  33. Hi BB,
    Just got a Panther in .22 cal. installed scope with 2 piece rings, after 400+ shots, the scope and rings stayed put. The reason for the 2 piece rings is as BB had said was for mounting flexibility.
    Here’s how I did it; 1st-replace the stop pin with same diameter as
    the shallow stop hole. 2nd-drill a hole through the other ring and drop a stop pin same as the 1st.
    To Francis, it’s almost imposible to remove the Diana base to drill the hole through,if you have a Diana you will know what I’m talking about.
    As to the “droop” I think Diana made the droop to simplify POA to POI as near as possible with or without scope thus eliminating the 2″ and 1.5″ low sighting in thing..
    Just my opinion & experience, not saying I’m right.

    Hank

  34. BB

    Any other rifles out there in 22 cal that comes close to this rifle with the same trigger feel and adjustments? I read everything and that barrel droop makes me scared unless it can be set up correctly.

    I like the 34 Panther but I want the barrel on the Panther Pro (no sights better grip when cocking) if it comes on a 22 cal. Do they make Panther pro in 22 cal?

    Thank you once again

    Gino

  35. BrianAG618: I have been reading this article on the Diana RWS 34 Panther, and where everyone is either complaing about the gun with it’s so called scope/barrel drop or how to mount a scope correctly. I am a trained HIGH POWERED Live Ammo Shooter, and the Rws 34 Panther is only the 2nd Air Rifle I have ever owned. The first was a Sheridan “BLUE STREAK” 5m/m Cal, which I purchesed New in the mid 1960’s (currently being re-worked by Pyramya Air after 40+ years of use)and the 2nd Air Rifle was purchesed on the recomendation of one of Pyramyd AIR Sales reps (Paul). The only change I made in his recomendation was the scope, and I went with the Leapers 3-9X32 AO scope because it was a scope I have used in the past. To stop the scope creep as you folks call it, I mounted a GAMO SCOPE STOP on the rear of the scope mount base, again with the reps advise, and to put it simply, there is NO SCOPE CREEP. This RWS 34 has much better feel and control as well as better balance, then most of the long range, high powered weapons I have fired, and I am more then happy that I went with the sales rep’s recomandation (Paul). Out of the box with only a few clicks on the Rear Micrometer Sight it was hitting dead ctr at 35/ 40 yards. I then sighted in the scope using a Laser Bore Sighter, and again with only a few clicks she was hitting dead ctr at the same range, most of the time. Yes it took some getting use to, and as I was trained I fired, lets just say many rounds to get the feel of the equipment, I found that to hit dead ctr, again as trained, I had to use the MIL DOTS, do not always depend on just the Cross Hairs, I ended up with tight groups on my new set up (June 2008)by simply raising the scope by 1 MIL DOT and not depending on the Cross Hairs them selves. It takes many hours of shooting, and I mean 8+ hours a day to perfect the skills of scope shooting. (Read the book Marine Snipper, and any and all information you can find on this shooter, the book is based on, and YES IT IS A TRUE STORY)and you will understand the requirements and disapline of becoming a a National CUP Winner,(1,000 yards) Scope shooter/ Marine Snipper. To stop scope creep use a SCOPE STOP, to prevent barrel drop, learn how to use your equipment properly. And with that note, I have read the specs on the New Scope Elevation Compensator Mount MNT-DN034 (for the RWS Panther 34 Rifle) that both Pyramyd AIR and Leapers are working on, I find it a very interesting way to help mount a scope, and correct a lot of scope shooting mistakes. I can not wate to get my hands on one of these mounts and try it out myself, but again it is only another tool to help a shooter, shot better, the real tool is to know your equipment, what it can and can not do, and make the needed corrections, and most of all, as I was told when I was taught how to shoot, pratice, pratice and more pratice (as with every thing in life). Your equipment must become part of you and every thing you do with it must be 2nd nature to you, only to breathing. Sorry I went on, but after reading these comments, I had to say some thing. As I stated read the book I mentioned, it is a thru story, “Carlos” is a real person (hero), and even to this day, no one has ever broken his record, yes this man was half crazy, you have to be to mount a scope on a 50 Cal, Machine Gun just to be able to hit your target at slightly over 2,000 yards, yes I said, a scope on a 50, and a record shot at just over 2,000 yards, with all hand me down parts and equipment that he used at the time. And all your questions about shooting with a scope, be it a high power live ammo weapon, or whats getting to be high powered air guns, the rules of shooting remain the same, with adjustments made for the only real thing that accounts for each and every shot, the SHOOTER THEMSELFS. Thats it I said my piece, so please quit shooting the messenger, he is only giving you his best advise from his years of experance.

  36. B.B.—
    Hello. I am a novice to airgunning and I feel that, according to it’s description on pyramydair.com, and your blog, that the RWS 34 Panther would be a good gun for me. I am hopefully going to buy it soon, and I was wondering
    A)Should I get a barrel cleaner, like you used, and lubricant?
    B)What pellets do you reccomend?

    Thanks,
    Newshooter

  37. Newshooter,

    Which caliber rifle will you get? I can’t recommend pellets without that.

    You can clean the barrel with JB Bore Compound if you like, but it also takes a solid cleaning rod and a new brass brush. Or you can just shoot the gun 500 times and it will smooth out on its own.

    You don’t need any lubricant for this rifle when it’s new. However in a year or two a drop of silicone chamber oil down the transfer port would be good.

    B.B.

  38. hey b.b. Cristobal here.
    I might be asking a really tough question, but which gun has better accuracy, the rws 34 panther, or the gamo cfx? I was gonna ask in your cfx blog, but i decided to ask here. Not really much into the trigger of the cfx (got the grtiii mod for another gun, but don’t have the cfx) and how different each gun is in the exterior and the stocks, though both synthetic. But which gun is accurately better? you can also put in both the .177 and .22 cal.s in the rws 34 against the cfx, as it is (well you know) only .177. or maybe in odd chances, both guns are closely accurate to each other? ok, thanks.

  39. Cristobal,

    Both rifles are equivalent, but perhaps the 34 is slightly better. However, being a breakbarrel, it requires a better hold to be accurate.

    I’ve only tested the 34 in .177, but I would assume the .22 would be just as accurate.

    The CF-X in .177 is great, but in .22 it doesn’t generate as much power as advertised.

    B.B.

  40. B.B.
    I’m torn between the 34 Panther Striker combo and the Benjamin Super Streak. Per your reports, it seems that both are about equally accurate (in your expert hands), and the Benjamin has a bit more foot-lbs of force. I will be mostly plinking and target….with the occasional pigeon control shots. I am willing to spend the time to become a very good and accurate shooter. I really enjoy shooting my older pump pellet/bb gun.

    The cost between the two isn’t enough to help my decision. I’m willing to spend a few bucks now to ensure I don’t regret my decision later on. I know the Benjamin is little heavier also.

    This is my first adult pellet rifle, so I don’t have any personal experience on the subtle differences among brands.

    You must get this all this time…but which do you recommend?

  41. Tobster,

    I recommend the 34 because of the easier cocking effort. It’s also the easier rifle to shoot, though both rifles require a lot of followthrough technique to get great groups. That is true of all breakbarrel springers.

    B.B.

  42. Tobster, the Super Streak is a Chinese made pseudo-knockoff of the Gamo Extreme. It’s probably made by BAM, who also makes a copy of the old Gamo Shadow/220/440 action for Crosman (the Quest and variants).

    I’ve had a number of BAM, Shanghai, and Diana guns apart. I can say with confidence that the QC on the Diana-made RWS guns is a lot more consistent than the Chinese-made rifles, which tend to be hit-or-miss. And since you seem to be thinking about long-term ownership, you can be virtually certain that 20 years from now you will still be able to get springs and seals for the ’34. I wouldn’t bet on the same being true for the Super Streak.

    If you get the ’34, just check your breech seal!

    /blog/2008/4/shimming-a-diana-breech-seal/

  43. B.B. and Vince:
    Great! Just the kind of feedback I was looking for. Thank you.

    You’re correct that I intend to use this rifle long into the future. I appreciate that you included that information in your response.

    Thanks for the tip on the breech seal also…I’m new this springer world, and this blog has been immensely helpful. thanks again.

  44. BB

    My Panther Pro compact will be arriving on Friday.

    Fun Fun Fun ! I will send you a blog on that as well. For now I am ready to give a blog on the Gamo Big Cat .177 cal. with 4-16X40 Center point scope and yes with GRT3 trigger and lastly tuned by Jay from Florida with spring swap, machined etc.

    I have the before and after take on it as I have shot a few Big Cat Gamo’s then I found mine.

    Awesome rifle so far.

    🙂

    gino

  45. Hello,

    I’ve been searching around here and the airgun forums trying to find exactly what I need to scope a wood stock Diana 34 in .22.Mine shoots too high to correct for elevation with the open sights so I don’t need the drooper mount.I’d like to get everything “right” the first time as far as mount, rings and scope for not much more than $100.I would like to use the open sights as well if possible.Is there any easy way to put an adjustable front sight on it?

    Thanks for any help or info.

  46. Ducky,

    Let me try to help.

    First lets talk about your open sights. You have the elevation on the rear sight cranked all the way down and the pellet is still striking higher than your aim point. Correct? At what distance are you shooting? How high is the pellet striking in relation to your target?

    These answers will not only potentially help us with your open sight problem but could lead to the best mount, rings and scope for your gun.

    In the meantime, here’s a good article that B.B. wrote. May not help you but it can’t hurt:

    /blog/2005/12/how-to-sight-in-an-airgun-with-open-sights/

    Look forward to hearing from you.

    kevin

  47. Ducky,

    Let me just add to what Kevin has said by saying that scope mounts that allow you to use the open sights are cheap and often not what you want. While the concept sounds intriguing, they don’t work out that well in practice. I advise against them.

    A 34 that shoots HIGHER is very rare in a Diana, UNLESS the gun suffered a sudden barrel closure. Sometimes people get curios to see how fast the barrel will close when the trigger is pulled with the barrel broken open. It always bends the barrel up and the only solution is to bend the barrel back down again.

    If your gun has had this happen, you need to straighten the barrel. It’s not difficult to do, but it does take some effort.

    What do you think about that possibility?

    B.B.

  48. Ducky, BB is right. It sounds like a case of bent barrel. But with open sights any sort of bending is semi-self correcting, so if you are really shooting high with the rear sight all the way down you might have a pretty severe case of it. Try looking down one side of the gun with your eye pretty close to the rifle. You should be able to see any bend in the barrel severe enough to cause this sort of problem.

    Another thing to look for – the front sight is a raised metal tube with a post in it. That post is just a section of the tube that was punched out and bent up. It is possible (although it generally doesn’t happen by accident) that the tang gets pushed rearward which starts bending it back down – lowering the sight and raising the POI. The very tip of the sight should be somewhere close to the center of that tube.

  49. B.B.
    Got my Panther 34, put a few hundred rounds through it already…and having a great time. I’ve got my scope sighted in at 33 yards, now I’m experimenting with different pellets. was very surpised to find today that 8.3 RWS superdomes hit 7-8 inches higher than my 7.9 crossman premiers. both pellets gave tight groupings, but I can’t believe the difference in elevation. is it possible that the RWS has that much less drop over the same distance? I guess I need to pick one brand of pellet, and stick with it.

  50. Tobster,

    You’ve just encountered one of the great mysteries of airgunning. Different pellets hitting different places in the same gun.

    You’re very smart. Most seasoned airgunners try many different pellets to learn which groups best in their gun, then stick with the most accurate pellet and adjust their sights/scope to shoot that pellet.

    Did you know that there are many other airgunners like you currently discussing things just like this on the current blog?

    You posted your comment under an article B.B. did on your gun in 2007. B.B. writes and airgun related article every day (Monday-Friday) and at the bottom of the article if you click on “comments” you will be among airgunners, like yourself, that are asking and answering questions of each other and sharing airgun related experiences. You can access the current article/blog here:

    /blog//

    Look forward to seeing you there!

    kevin

  51. Tobster,

    Come join us at our current blog. You’ll get to meet and talk with a whole bunch of VERY knowledgable folks who are more than willing to share their knowledge with you and me. See you there Mr B.

  52. I don’t think the barrel is bent as I bought it “tuned” from a well-known professional tuner.I assume he would have bent it if that was the issue.I searched airgun forums after I bought it and saw the same seller was asking why several Diana 34s he had would shoot high with a straight barrel.
    It hits about 5″ high at 30 yds.

  53. If I decide to buy this gun, should I get the droop compensation base all together, or should I try to scope in first to see if it really needs it?
    If the base is a must, I’d rather to order it with the gun to save time and money.

    Also which base should I get? MNT-DN034 which is designed for this gun and comp. for 20.7″ @ 30yd, or
    MNT-DN460 which is for other guns, and comp. for 17.1″ @30yds.
    I ask that because I read a review say the DN034 over-comp. DN460 is a better option.

    Another question is: there are a few 34P combos for sell, e.g.
    34P Pro;
    34P Pro compact;
    34P with scope;
    34P striker combo; (1 year warranty)
    So what are the differences between them beside the scopes?
    Why the last one only has 1 year warranty?
    Unfortunately, there is no detail info on scopes? So there is no way to know what brand/model they are? Are they RWS usually?

    Thanks a lot.
    Kelvin

  54. B.B.

    After months of drooling over its pictures and reading your D34P blogs several times, I have got my 34 Panther in .177 cal.

    Many thanks for your valuable inputs. One question has been lingering in my mind and now I finally ask you….

    why is the D34P not in the list of FT air rifles ? Thats what I will use it for.

    Manish
    Mumbai
    India

  55. Total neophyte when it comes to guns. Raised right outside NYC so our idea of wildlife was the occasional pigeon. Now out in rural/suburban area, have a dog with an open piece of property and coyote have become more prevalent. Read on a NY State Wildlife Comm. piece that using an air rifle would work. Wouldn't kill them but would give them the message they are not wanted. So, my questions are:

    1. You have more experience with wildlife so what do you think about this idea?
    2. Do I use a 22 Cal.?
    3. I don't want to spend much more than $200 so do you have a suggestion as to which gun?
    4. Want to make sure I can take multiple shots in case he gets made more than hurt (or if there are multiple coyote at the time).
    5. Is there a better "power plant" than others i.e. CO2 etc.?

    Sorry if these questions are very basic but I have no idea what I am doing when it comes to this. Can't use a "powder type" rifle (if that is how they call it) because neighbors are too close (property size about an acre). Would appreciate any help or advice you can provide.

    Thanks.

  56. Totally Lost,

    Using a pellet rifle would definately "sting" your yote, and probably penetrate his hide also. Which could result in a festering wound.

    You might want to consider a paint ball gun. Would give a good "sting" without any penetration. You'd have the added benefit of knowing how many yotes you're dealing with cause of the spot(s) on them left by the paint balls.

    I'd suggest reposting your questions on the current blog where you'll reach a MUCH LARGER AUDIENCE and probably someone who has the same problem you do and has a solution that'll work for you. /blog//

    Looking fwd to seeing your question there also.

    Mr B.

  57. Totally Lost,

    Either shoot to kill the coyote (recommended) or leave it alone (also recommended). Do not shoot to "sting," because the wound could go septic and kill the animal painfully. I once had to kill a deer that another hunter had shot in the leg a month earlier. The leg had festered and the deer was walking three-legged.

    Shoot to kill or don't shoot at all. With a wild animal there is nothing in-between.

    To kill a Coyote I don't recommend an airgun unless you already own the right one. A .22 rimfire does a much better job on an animal that can weigh 35 lbs.

    B.B.

    B.B.

  58. B.B.
    Thanks for your response. Never would have thought about what you and Mr. B. posted. Will definitely take this into consideration. As Mr. B. suggested, I posted the question on the latest blog to get other responses. One last thing: don't know if I can just leave them alone. The coyote are becoming acclimated to the area. Rear neighbor has large black lab. However, it is fenced in – wire fence. I saw the coyote because the dog was barking alot – does so somewhat frequently so I never pay attention. The coyote (20), laying no more than 30 feet, just stayed there looking at the dog. Quite clear they know the dog can't get them – almost like the coyote were taunting him.

  59. Totally Lost,

    Coyotes are pack hunters. They are marking that black lab for a kill. When you can see them in the daytime, they are too bold.

    I would remove them.

    Restrictive game laws have allowed coyotes and wolves and even mountain lions to repopulate areas where they haven't been seen in 100 years. The humans they come in contact with now do not understand how they operate, which promotes a dangerous situation.

    I recommend you research the coyote, so you know more how they operate and what to expect from them. Think, dingo, as in "The dingos ate my baby!"

    B.B.

  60. B.B.,
    I have two questions regarding the 34 panther. First is where is it made? I have found contradicting information online and from other people I have talked to on this. Some say China and others say Germany. I'm hopping Germany. Next question my wife as well as I will be shooting whatever air rifle I choose. She is of a smaller statue at only 5'4" and cocking effort is a big concern for us. There aren't any stores nearby that carry the 34panther but we have looked at the gamo whisper and we both liked the feel and low cocking effort. In your opinon what gun would be easier for her to cock and use?
    I like the RWS from a quality stand point and have mixed feelings on the Gamo. Any help and advice you could offer would be much appreciated.
    Thanks,
    Split

  61. Split,

    The Panther is made in Germany and I do not recommend it for your wife. Why do you need all that power?

    Get a Bronco and have some fun. I have people shooting dime-sized groups at 25 yards and loving every minute of it.

    Accuracy and ease of cocking over power.

    B.B.

  62. Split,

    The RWS 34P is indeed made in Germany, and it's an industry classic. The Chinese produce the Ruger AirHawk that is a very faithful imitation of the RWS 34. I happen to own an AirHawk, and it's a handful. I don't mind cocking it, but my wife who is 5'10" and 125# would have trouble doing so for an extended session. In his reports on the 34P and the Whisper, B.B. measured the cocking force as 31 lbs and 35 lbs respectively, though he did say that the Whisper felt easier to cock because of better leverage.

    I can't speak for the shooting characteristics of the Whisper, but my AirHawk (RWS 34 clone) takes a lot of technique to shoot well. It's a great rifle, mind you, but not the easiest to shoot accurately. When you do use proper technique though, it's very satisfying.

    My personal choice between the 34P and the Whisper would be the 34P because it's trigger is better. Gamo triggers are known for being generally scratchy with lots of creep in the second stage. Most folks replace them in short order. Heck, even B.B. did!

    Hope this helps.

    Bobby

  63. Thanks BB and Bobby,
    It looks like we'll be getting the whisper. If I was getting two of them one for her and one for me I would deffinetly get the bronco. I like the look of the stock and blonde color plus that light cocking feature would be great for a day of fun. When is the big brother for the bronco scheduled for release and can you release any detials on it yet BB.

    The reason I need one with a little higher power is to take care of the over population problem we are having with the crows and magpies at my place and the gopher problem at my grandparents place.

    Once agian thanks for your quick response,
    Split

  64. Hi B.B,

    I bought an RWS Panther 31 (same as the 34) here in South Africa about three weeks ago, and after putting 1200 pellets of different kinds through it, it is still not grouping properly.

    I'm only able to get 2.5-3" 10 shot groups with it at 25 yards, even using the artillery hold. I have a Leapers 3-9×50 mil dot scope on it and currently I am using JSB Exacts and JSB Heavies in it. I have also checked all the screws and scope mounts.

    Any ideas on what I could try to improve the groups?

    Thanks,
    Michael

  65. Michael,

    I would try cleaning the barrel. Use JB Non-Embedding Bore Cleaning Compound, if you can get it. Scrub the bore 20 times in both directions with a brass brush loaded with JB paste. That usually fixes things for me.

    B.B.

  66. Michael,

    Have you tried cleaning the barrel per B.B.'s intructions?/blog/2005/11/improving-accuracy-with-a-spring-piston-airgun/

    Let us know if that helps. Please post your reply on the current blog which is found here/blog// Not many people are monitoring the old blogs, this on was written in 2007. You'll reach a MUCH larger audience there.

    Mr B.

  67. Mr B,

    I've ordered the JB paste that B.B recommended and I'll give it a try. Hopefully that will improve things a bit.

    I'll let you know the results in due course.

    Michael

  68. Mr B & B.B,

    Firstly I hope you (B.B) get better soon!

    Well the JB compound and cleaning kit arrived and I scrubbed the barrel with the brass brush and the paste as per the instructions.

    Unfortunately the jag that came with the kit was a wool mop and not one that I could use patches on to remove the paste.

    I did the best I could to get most of it out, but couldn't get all of it.

    The groups were terrible in the beginning. In the region of 8" at 20 yards.

    They slowly started getting better the more I shot with it. I guess what was left of the paste was getting worked out by the pellets.

    However, the best I could do was to get them down to around 2".

    Yesterday I saw some CZ Diabolo Lux wadcutter pellets in the shop and decided to try them. Jackpot!

    I am now get groups of around 0.3" with 5 shots at 20 yards. One nice hole. The JSB Exacts and the heavies still won't group any better than 1.5-2".

    It seems any pellet (pointed, round nosed, hollow point) other than a wadcutter just will not group. Any ideas why?

    I have never tried any wadcutters in the rifle before, so I'm not sure if it is specifically the pellet or a combination of the cleaning together with the different pellet that has made the difference.

    If you have any other suggestions to get other types of pellet to group, I'd love to hear them.

    Thanks,
    Michael

  69. Michael,

    Each gun seems to have their own likes and dislikes when it comes to pellets. I've never heard of one liking only wadcutters, but there's a first for everything.

    BTW, this is a great writeup on the frustrations of finding a pellet that will shoot well. I only wish that you had posted it on todays blog so that more folks could see it. Only a handful of us get notified to comments on older posts.

    Happy shooting!

    Bobby

  70. Michael,

    Bobby's right. Please repost yours at/blog//

    It's weird though, almost like of the paste is still in tbe barrel–maybe. Can you buy the piece that holds a patch for the end of your cleaning rod?

    Mr B.

  71. I realize this is a very old thread, but perhaps you're still monitoring the comments.

    I'm new to airgunning and my son is shooting air rifle for 4H, so it's open sights only. We also shoot Appleseed together so we have a couple of .22 Liberty Training Rifles with TechSights peep sights.

    I'd like to put peep sights on an RWS 34 Panther. The rifle currently has no sights at all. Hoping not to break the bank.

    For a rear right, the Mendoza Diopter sight for 11mm dovetail looked good and is reasonably priced ($29). If this would be appropriate for the RWS 34, what could I use for a front sight?

    Or could you perhaps suggest an alternative rear/front sight combination?

    Thanks and best regards,

    David

  72. David,

    Gee, you made it tough. The 34 Panther, which is no longer called that (it's now just the 34P) has no good way of putting a different front sight on. Did you remove the ramped front sight that came on the rifle, or did the rifle come with a muzzle brake and no sight on it?

    The best solution is for you to buy and install a replacement front sight. It attaches with a single screw, as long as you can get the barrel free of whatever is on there now.

    Unfortunately this sight is a fiberoptic, so it is inaccurate, but with a black marker you can turn it into a fairly nice front post sight.

    B.B.

  73. Hi B.B.

    The rifle came with no front sight at all. Sounds like a factory replacement is the best way to go.

    I'm surprised how hard it is to find a peep sight front/rear combination for the RWS 34, given how popular it is.

    Thanks for your help.

  74. David,

    Pyramyd AIR has the replacement sight you need. And I hope they also have the screw. But the Mendoza peep sight might be just a little too high for the RWS front sight. If that happens, you can glue a piece of dark plastic to the rear of the front sight to raise it up as high as you need, thus lowering the point of impact.

    Good luck,

    B.B.

  75. Hello B.B. Rick over at Pyramyd wasn't sure exactly which replacement part was correct. He wondered if you might be able to provide a part number or a link?

    Thanks again for your help!

  76. Thank you BB for your help. I got my used RWS 34P. I immediately mounted a Mendoza rear peep sight. For a front sight I scavenged one off my my Ruger Air Magnum. It fit perfectly. Then I ground down a 4 mm machine screw (25 mm long) for a front sight and ran that into the stop-screw hole on the front sight assembly. That gave me enough elevation that the Mendoza sight could be set at mid-level. I shot some decent groups with that lash-up.

    I do have a question about the trigger, if you're up for it. This trigger is much lighter than that on my Ruger Air Magnum. I take the travel out of the first stage, but then there's a sort of detent where I have to ease it back and there's a small "tick" or "click" (not audible, just tactile) and then it's in position to break lightly and cleanly for the second stage. Only problem is that easing it back into that "detent" area is a little tricky for me and I have accidentally fired the rifle by pulling it past that. Is this normal T-05 behavior or does something need to be adjusted there?

    Thanks and best regards.

  77. thepalmhq,
    ,

    Yes, you are describing a typical Diana T05 trigger, but you have sensitive fingers. Many people cannot feel that "tick" as you describe it. That is the hesitation before the let off.

    Can it be tuned out? Probably. Can you learn to shoot the trigger with it in? More likely. I have several rifles and a couple handguns that have the same kind of tactile feel and with many of them I am so used to the feel that I can control it.

    B.B.

  78. Great feedback. If that's normal for a T-05 then I'll just leave it alone. It's nice in a way to have that detent, because then you know you're right up against the second stage and it's ready to break. It just takes some getting used to.

    Thanks again for your helpful reply. I am a total novice at air rifles, having owned my Ruger Air Magnum for all of a month and now the RWS 34 for a few days (although not a novice shooter). I have learned a lot from reading your blog and I appreciate your willingness to help.

    Thanks and best regards,

    David

  79. Thank you for the blog on the Diana 34PI recently purchase a Diana 34 .177 with a Beech stock, along with a Leaper 3-12X44mm scope and UTG drooper rail. This combination seems to work quite well, producing 1/2″ groups out at 40 yards (on relatively calm days). The best pellet in my D34 are Air Arms 8.4 gr and JSB 8.44 gr pellets, producing a muzzle velocity of 850 fps. Next best are Air Arms 10.3 gr and JSB 10.34 gr pellets, which produce a muzzle velocity of 750 fps. Crosman Premiere HP are OK and fast (above 900 fps), but my groups open up at 30 yards to 3/4″ verses 3/8″ for the JSBs and AAs pellets. Artillery hold is a must for accuracy, as well as red locktite for stock, rail, and open site screws.

    I read in this blog that your Diana 34 P shot Crosman Premiere Lites the best, but these pellet do not shoot well in my D34. They seem to be too tight for the breech. I have tried shoot the Premiere Lites deep seating the pellets (with a Bic pen) or seating the pellet flush with the breech, but I get large vertical groups (1/4″ wide and 1″ tall). Any idea what is going on? I know that the JSB/AA pellets fit well in the breech and shoot best when the skirt is flush with the breech. Thanks.

    • fjjoachim,

      Welcome to the blog.

      A vertical group at 40 yards means a velocity variation. That tight breech may be causing it, or your barrel just doesn’t like Premiers. At any rate, what you are doing seems to be working fine, so keep on doing it.

      B.B.

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