RidgeRunner’s Diana 34.
This report covers:
- The kit
- Spring grease
- Old spring guide
- This rifle is brand new!
- After the tune
- Safety issue
- Velocity
- Cocking effort
- A word about Vortek
- Summary
Today we’re going to tune reader RidgeRunner’s Diana 34 with a Diana PG4-Steel tune kit. I knew this kit was modular but I forgot how modular. It took me about 90 minutes to install the last (non-Vortek) tune in this rifle. Today took 23 minutes. I know because I timed it. And pictures were taken during that time, too.
Now, Diana 34s are not difficult to work on if you have a mainspring compressor, but it’s next to impossible without one. Fortunately I have a good one that B-Square used to sell. Somebody is missing the boat by not remaking that compressor! However, here’s the deal. All the guys who say today they would pay $250 for a nice compressor like this one will run and hide if one is actually sold. Mainspring compressors are like colonoscopies; you know you need one but nobody wants to get in line.
The kit
This PG4 kit comes with a mainspring, a steel spring guide, a top hat for the piston a small jar of grease and the instructions.
This is how the Vortek PG4 kit arrives.
And here are the parts. The spring guide is on the right is steel and houses the back of the mainspring. The white top hat on the left fits inside the Diana factory piston. I didn’t have to take the barrel off because this kit just slides inside! The grease is for the exposed spring coils, because those inside the spring guide are already lubed.
I have installed several of these Vortek tune kits, but this is my first exposure to the PG-4 Steel. Years ago I learned a useful expression from the Springman, Jim Maccari . When a spring guide was on the mainspring tight he called it “nailed on.” This PG4 is certainly that! On both ends the mainspring is either on or in the guide incredibly tight!
Spring grease
The kit arrives with the rear part of the mainspring that’s inside the steel guide already greased.
The mainspring coils inside the spring guide are already greased.
At this point I was debating whether to use the brown grease that Vortek always sends with their kits or the red grease like Tune in a Tube. I opened the small jar of grease and what to my wondering eye should appear but RED GREASE! Apparently Tom Gore has upgraded to the tacky red grease, leaving me with no decision to make.
It’s not necessary to choose between greases, as this Vortek kit comes with tacky red grease.
Old spring guide
I told you wrong in Part 3 when I said the original spring guide was broken. It wasn’t. It looked that way but on close inspection this time I see that there really is a thick black washer that fits over the base of the spring guide. It hasn’t broken off the guide’s base like I thought. The washer is beveled to accept the spring guide.
The mouth of that black plastic spring guide was bent over and deformed by the piston rod from cocking. It would have straightened itself out in time by pushing the plastic out of the way, but I fixed it by lightly reaming the end that the piston rod fits into.
This rifle is brand new!
RidgeRunner — I have discovered why this 34 was hard to break open. The rifle is brand new. It has never been broken in! The ball bearing is still stiff and needs exercise to work in. Sometimes it breaks open easier than other times for me, and that is a sure sign she’s breaking in. I remember having similar problems with a Beeman C1 made by Webley and with several older Gamo breakbarrels. This one also needs lubrication that I will do.
I went online and researched this issue and discovered that several owners report the same thing — a rifle that’s extremely hard to break open. After a break-in they report that the same rifle breaks a lot easier.
After the tune
Wow! From the first shot I can tell you this is a very nice tune! I estimated it took no more than 27 pounds to cock and perhaps less. I waited until after the velocity test to test the cocking effort.
The rifle now shoots very smoothly, but I can feel a pulse from the piston lunging forward and then stopping. There is no vibration! This is a fun rifle to shoot. It’s what I wanted for RidgeRunner. This 34 is larger than my HW 30S and it recoils more, but the amount of vibration, which is none, is the same. Only a TX200 Mark III is smoother at this power level, and that’s due to the design of the TX piston.
Safety issue
After firing the rifle several times (and it’s so easy to cock that it’s like eating peanuts) the safety refused to disengage. I took the barreled action out of the stock and could see nothing wrong with the trigger. But when taking off the safety it helps to push it both in and up with your thumb at the same time. Sort of wipe it up. It goes off lightly and easily and is off when it barely sticks out of the black plastic end cap.
The safety is off in this photo.
Velocity
Once again this isn’t really a test of this Diana 34. It’s a confirmation of the rifle’s performance after installing these new parts. I tested it after the first tune in Part 4 and what we saw wasn’t what we wanted. The velocity with Crosman Premier 10.5-grain domes started out at 921 f.p.s. and dropped in a more-or-less straight line to 759 f.p.s. after just 13 shots. The rifle vibrated like all of the older Diana 34s did and the cocking effort was 32 pounds. Let’s see how it is now.
Wowie, wow, wow wow! RidgeRunner, this is the nicest Diana 34 I have ever shot. I lubed the ball bearing detent and the rifle now breaks open as easily as my HW 30S! Here are two strings of shots.
Shot……..Vel.
1…………..649
2…………..643
3…………..650
4…………..660
5…………..648
6…………..658
7……………665
8…………..641
9…………..665
10…………664
The average for this string is 655 f.p.s.. At that speed the 10.5-grain Crosman pellet puts out 10.01 foot-pounds at the muzzle. There is a 24 f.p.s. difference between the slowest and fastest shot, but as I look at this string I can see a trend. This tune is breaking in! Let’s see a second ten shots with the same pellet.
Shot……..Vel.
1…………..676
2…………..678
3…………..681
4…………..686
5…………..678
6…………..660
7……………671
8…………..673
9…………..689
10…………685
The average for this string is 678 f.p.s. If you couldn’t see it before you sure can now. This tune is breaking in. At the average velocity this pellet now generates 10.72 foot-pounds at the muzzle. The low to high variation is 29 f.p.s. Still breaking in. This pellet is heavy and lighter pellets develop more power in springers. This tune will get up to around 12 foot-pounds with a 7.3 grain pellet, and even this one will break 11 foot pounds in time.
Cocking effort
This rifle now cocks with 25 pounds of effort. You read that right — 25 pounds! I am so pleased.
A word about Vortek
I said it before but it bears repeating. Tom Gore, the owner of Vortek, is an airgunner. Better still — he is a spring gunner. He understands. This PG-4 Steel tune-up kit is the finest one I have ever tested for a Diana and I am thrilled that I also bought one for my HW50-S. That will get that rifle back to what it was before Weihrauch tried to turn it into a mini R9. I will probably also put one of these in my Diana 45. I can’t wait to see what that one does!
Summary
This was a brief excursion into the world of “make mine better.” And I want to thank reader RidgeRunner for trusting me with this pristine spring rifle.
Happy Independence Day. I have never been the first commenter on here ☺️
Doc,
Happy Fourth!
It’s still the fourth here too.
BB
So B.B.,
Are those peanuts still in the shell?
Hope the ES tightens with use.
-Y
Yogi,
From what I see now this rifle should shoot within 20 f.p.s when fully broken in.
BB
Tom,
What kind of oil did you use to lubricate the ball detent? Ballistol or something heavier?
Siraniko
Siraniko,
I used Whiscombe honey, which is heavier than Ballistol.
BB
Tom,
I would have thought a lighter oil or Kroil would be better then Whiscombe Honey (Made by mixing two-thirds Hoppes Gun Oil with one-third STP Engine Treatment by volume) for a sticking ball detent.
Siraniko
Siraniko,
It seemed to me that the oil I used should be one that lasted. All I can say is it fixed things.
BB
BB,
Hopefully you have pleased the Goddess Diana and she will reward you with a successful pest hunt.
BB,
THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU! What you have done to that 34 will most likely mean it has a permanent home here at RidgeRunner’s Home For Wayward Airguns. I can hardly wait until she is home again.
Very likely I will replace that front globe sight with a Weihrauch, although I will likely give that perlkorn globe a good tryout first. This gal may end up with a low powered scope on it also. I am already getting the feeling she is going to be my go-to for short ranges.
I still have to find new homes for some of these gals. It is getting pretty crowded around here. I guess I will have to put a more serious effort into such. Really, it is hard to see any of them move out and go to a new home. Just so you folks out there do not waste your time and mine, there are only two people who can get there hands on this air rifle now. One of them has already been trying it out. 😉
Just so you folks out there in airgun land know, it is my intention to write a guest blog or two concerning the further adventures of this gal here at RRHFWA.
RidgeRunner,
That is good news for all of us! Do you have an aperture sight you could try on your 34? I look at the long elegant lines of this air rifle, and it looks like the sight radius would be a mile long with a peep. Perhaps between shooting it as is and installing a scope. The benefits of a long sight radius are unquestioned, but I believe I have never read an experiment to test it. You could even begin with the stock front sight and finish with the perlkorn.
Just a couple suggestions. I’ll be hasppy to read about anything you choose to do with this speciman.
Michael
Michael,
The front sight on this 34 is a globe style perlkorn sight. It is pretty basic in construction, and you cannot swap out inserts. The rear sights are located on the barrel block at the hinge point and you can rotate the sight notch.
I may have a rear aperture sight I could mount on this. Perhaps the one for the Diana 50 will work on it. I have a Williams peep on the HW30S and the longer sight radius does indeed improve accuracy. I may even perform the experiment of which you suggest. It sounds like fun to me.
RidgeRunner,
I hope she makes it back home to RRHFWA safely!
I look forward to your Guest Blog.
I hope you include some different pellets and the resulting targets.
shootski
Shootski, I’m going to be in the DC area next week with the family. I’ve packed the calendar with sight seeing, museums, historical stuff, and some nice restaurants. What would you recommend to a tourist in your neck of the woods?
Roamin Greco,
Tomb(s) of the Unknown and perhaps at the changing of the Guard.
https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Visit
Nearby:
https://www.rosslynva.org/do/netherlands-carillon-live-concerts1
Marine Corps War Memorial
https://www.nps.gov/gwmp/learn/historyculture/usmcwarmemorial.htm
https://freetoursbyfoot.com/sunset-parade-marine-corps-memorial/
https://boatingindc.com/key-bridge-boathouse/
Upriver is serene and downriver are the Mall and Memorials with views most tourists never see.
https://www.kennedy-center.org/?gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwqZSlBhBwEiwAfoZUIFPheZ9epJGEe7K6pzBv2wEKImNVYegqXMY0KNHGw4jRxu7DPAG3JxoCIHgQAvD_BwE
https://www.nramuseum.org/
https://dcist.com/story/19/01/30/the-exorcist-steps-are-now-a-historical-landmark-but-not-because-of-the-exorcist/
You only have a week!
Most folks who live around here know they will never see it all, eat at every restaurant, or do every activity that is possible. So just make sure to have fun and be flexible.
Also this town was built on a swamp…be prepared for HEAT & HUMIDITY in spades day and night.
shootski
Cool; I’m looking forward to that; BB has done a great (yet hardly unexpected) job here! 🙂
Oh, I almost forgot. Sun Optics was making the Square B spring compressor for a period of time. I know because one of them is here at RRHFWA. They are real nice.
In fact, they can still be had.
https://www.sunopticsusa.com/spring-compressor-st1700/
I thought they had been discontinued too. I’ve been trolling for a secondhand one with no luck so far. Thanks for the link. And congrats to you on your tuned up Diana 34.
If you are going to do guest blogs, I would really like to see the workings of that trigger.
Would not let that Diana walk away from Casa FM either, if it resided here, which it doesn’t. It’s getting to be Casa HW around here in any case.
FM,
There is nothing wrong with HW. I would not mind a couple more, especially with the “old” stocks.
RR,
I could cry when I see what they have done to the HW35E stock. Its elegant, classic finger grooves are gone, replaced with an advertising billboard pressed into the forearm.
Some people may love the new design, and good luck to them, but to me it’s the New Coke of Weihrauch stocks.
If a picture is worth a thousand words…… Coming from me they would all be bad. I actually got a little queasy when I saw that, compared to the traditional hw35 stock.
I have an hw54 El barracuda
That wears an hw35 stock. Comparatively that one is the Mona Lisa….. The new one is just a moan.
One man’s opinion Frank B
Frank,
You have a HW Barracuda? Wow! Those are extremely rare. Lucky you!
How much muzzle energy does yours produce, with and without ether?
Maybe the new style HW35E stock will grow on me eventually, but I am very glad I bought an old style one a couple of years ago.
The finger grooves, as well as giving the rifle its ultra-cool 1950s looks, are also very comfortable to the touch and condusive to linear recoil when held lightly.
Hi Bob Ryan!
Like all my air guns the barracuda has a crazy story.
I actually purchased it from an airgun collector in Canada.
I am in Huntsville Alabama.
In other deals we have explored the difficulty level of sending an air gun North to Canada. Trust me it’s quite complicated.
A truly ironic twist….. He shipped the barracuda here
With zero difficulty!
I was thrilled when I got it because all the metal work was pristine. The bummer was
This was a rifle that clearly rode in an old school back window of the truck rifle rack.
To quote Tom it looks like it had been chewed on by angry beavers.
To soothe my aesthetic sensibilities, I purchased a beautifully figured hw35 stock
Which it now wears.
I cannot quote muzzle energy numbers right now. I am currently physically limited as to what is possible.
If you care to discuss this further or wish to give it a new home……
Please hit me up at Frank bhsv
@I would love to hear from you and send some pics!
If Bob declines, I have an idea I would like you to consider. You can find me at:
My handle then the number one at g then mail dot com.
I’ll drop you a line when I can wrestle up some time this evening.
You like what I did there? You know cuz of your name….. Frank B
Thanks for that pun. I appreciate your humor. 🙂
RG,
I will try to remember to show the trigger assembly when I do one.
They had been discontinued for a time. They are really nice working mechanisms. The price has more than doubled since I bought mine, but it is most worth it if you are going into a sproinger. There are very few it will not work with.
I guess this one is a good alternative, but will not work with such air rifles as this one.
/product/air-venturi-rail-lock-spring-compressor?a=7764
RR,
I think the Air Venturi spring compressor will work with a Diana 34. It might require an adaptor, but I use one with my old B-Square compressor anyway.
BB
BB,
If it will clamp onto that rail and still reach. Now the newer 34s it might work on with an adapter of some sort.
BB
Glad you found the reason this rifle had varying cocking effort. I enjoyed this series and congratulations to Ridgerunner who is a lucky boy.
Deck
Ridge runner….. Whatever will you do.
This one is coming back but it is no longer wayward. I hope it gets along with the others.lol
Hope you had a great Independence Day!
I honestly think of you anytime one of my old springers makes me smile.
Of course I think of Tom as well.
I owe most of my experience with airguns to his mentorship.
Enable enable enable. Frank B