Beeman 800.
This report covers:
- What is it?
- Giss
- Power
- Diana 72
- Trigger
- Sights
- Summary
Today we begin looking at an air pistol whose origins are shrouded in the past. It was made by Diana who also sold it under other names like Hy Score, Winchester and others, as well as their own. It is basically a Diana model 6 target pistol. I have reported on the model 6 in the past, but that was one in Hy Score model 816 clothes.
From this point on I will call the pistol either the Beeman 800 or the Diana model 6 — just to confuse you. Actually I do it because the Diana 6 is far better known than the Beeman 800.
What is it?
The Diana 6 is a recoilless spring-piston target air pistol. It looks a lot like its sister, the Diana model 5 that is a conventional spring-piston pistol, but where that one is common, the Diana model 6 is scarce. And among all the model 6 variations, the Beeman model 800 is the rarest of all.
Diana’s model 5 pistol looks like the model 6 but isn’t recoilless.
Diana model 6 (Beeman 800).
Giss
All Diana recoilless target pistols and rifles use the Giss contra-recoil system in which a dummy piston moves in the opposite direction of the main piston to counter the recoil.
The round knobs on both sides of the model 6 spring tube are giveaways that the pistol has the Giss system. These are the anchor points for each piston — the real one and the fake one used for counterbalancing. Notice that the model 5 doesn’t have these.
Power
Of course we will learn the power of this particular air pistol when I test the velocity, but when I tested the Hy Score 816 it averaged 416 f.p.s. with RWS Hobby pellets. That’s about where I expect this one to be.
Diana 72
The Diana model 6 pistol was also transformed into the Diana model 72 target rifle by the addition of a rifle stock and a longer barrel. I tested the Diana 72 for you in 2014 and mine averaged 427 f.p.s. with Hobbys. Although the rifle seems to have a longer barrel than the pistol, the muzzle end of what looks like the barrel is freebored — bored out larger than the rifled barrel. The barrel lengths between the pistol and rifle are virtually identical.
The Diana model 72 recoilless target rifle was just a model 6 pistol in rifle clothes.
Trigger
Reader Yogi loves the trigger on his Diana model 10 target pistol. The trigger on this model 6 is almost as nice. It’s a two-stage trigger with a clean break in stage two. Not all model 6 triggers break cleanly but this one does.
Diana model 6 trigger. This one is a Beeman 800 trigger and the blade differs ever-so-slightly in appearance from other Diana 6 triggers.
Sights
The model 6 is a target pistol. You expect it to have target sights and it does — sort of. The front sight is a globe that accepts inserts, so that part is normal. But the inserts do not go up to the center of the globe, so that part is not normal. In practice the front sight works well.
Diana model 6 front sight with insert.
The rear sight is adjustable in both directions and has the typical Diana choice of 4 different notches,
The Diana model 6 rear sight has four notches that can be selected. Just pry up on the plate and rotate.
Summary
Diana’s model 6 target pistol, which in today’s case is a Beeman model 800 target pistol, is an unusual and highly desirable air pistol from the past. In future reports we are going to see how this one performs.
Confused readers must be thinking there’s something wrong with your eyesight if the only differences between a Diana model 5 and 6 are those gear covers. Surely that’s a 6G (there is a companion 5G) and a model 5 (there is a 6 that does look very similar)?
I’m no expert on these – I don’t know if there are other changes in going to the ‘G’ variant in 1978, or if those grip assemblies are in practice interchangeable – but as I understand it going to the 5G and 6G is regarded as a definite new variation.
iain
Iain,
I am not expert either. That is a Diana 6G.
This information is courtesy of the Blue Book.
That is correct, the model 5 in the header photo is an earlier version. The “G” versions of both guns have the same basic action, but the one-piece synthetic grip/frame morphed to metal frame with separate grip panels.
The earliest versions of both gun actually had a wood grip/frame. Here is my 1960-ish model 5.
Don’t know what to say here other than I really like my RWS Diana (5G) P5 Magnum. My go to pest pistol.
I have a question for all.
About the same time the P5 Magnum came out there was a similar pistol that had a built-in recoil system.
I could not make up my mind, so I got both. I forgot who made it and what it was called. Browning, Beeman, Benjamin?
I spent a half hour looking for it a while back and gave up.
I may have lent it to a neighbor for pest control, but he is dead and gone now and my pistol may have been lost.
Any idea out there about what it was?
Never mind, I found it with the key word ‘recoil’. It’s a Browning 800 Express pellet pistol.
BB,
I am very glad that you found your round tuit for this air pistol. 😉
RR,
Yes, I did find it.
People seem concerned about what kind of Diana model 6 it might be, I am not. For me the models are all the same. Yes they have different grips and sight attachments, and perhaps some different shapes to the outer package but it’s the basic airgun underneath that I am interested in. They all work with the Giss system and that is what I want to convey here.
BB
BB,
That is what is important.
The pistols that Bob M refer to are models that came about loooooong after the models to which you are referring to in your blog.
I know that BB does not like the pointed front sight. he much prefers the squared off one. I myself prefer the pointed sight as it gives me a more accurate aimpoint. I think this is the sight that is also preferred by the Germans/Europeans.
Hey, what can I say. I like the old timey perlkorn sights. With these pointy sights I do not have to guess where the center is. I also do not care for those glowy thingy sights either.
Hello, my name is RidgeRunner. I am a dinosaur.
Hi RidgeRunner.
Hello RidgeRunner, my name is Henry and I was a dinosaur too . . . . except that my eyesight doesn’t cooperate. I like pointed front sights but lately red dots are becoming much more friendly.
Henry
Hi Henry,
I have one of those red dots in my collection somewhere. They have just not “connected” with me. I may have to pull it out sometime and try again.
BB, I am looking forward to the rest of this series. I have a 6G which I love most of the time, and not so much on occasion when it sends a flier with no waring. The Giss system in it is amazing, ingenious, well made and . . . inconsistent. I didn’t dare to go inside yet, but one of these days it will happen.
Henry
B.B.
I have a Diana 5G and 10M, guess I need a 6G now too?
All great pistols and WAY better than the over barrel cockers that will pinch your hand.
Shooting pistols is great fun, much harder than a rifle…
-Y
Yogi,
You must be referring to the Weihrauchs. I have no experience with them. I have had and do have several Webleys though and have never had that problem.
Yogi,
Is the Beeman 800/Diana 6G a nice air pistol? Oh yeah.
Do you need one? Probably not, but if you can get one, go for it.
If you’re thinking that the Weihrauchs are finger pinchers (a.k.a. a Beeman P-1 overlever), you’re doing something very wrong or unusual. The compression of the spring is on the opening stroke of the over lever, NOT the closing stroke like a Gamo P-45. If you pinch your fingers on the closing stroke of a Weihrauch 45/Beeman P-1, I don’t know what to tell you (the over lever just falls back and all one needs to do is press it down till the “hammer” locks. The pistol’s hammer is the catch that secures the over lever/barrel.
I have pinched fingers with the Gamo P-45 because the closing stroke is the pressure stroke for the single-stroke pneumatic. One HAS TO compress with an open hand or one CAN experience good pain!
LFranke,
I myself have never pinched my fingers with any air pistol. I am trying to figure out which type that Yogi is talking about.
Yes, RR, I don’t know either. I’ve gotten nipped by the P-45, on the pistol side, and the 22. Benjamin pumper rifle due to inattention to hand placement. One only does that a few times and finally wises up. The worse air pistol-related “injury” I’ve had is “tennis elbow” from shooting the Beeman P-1 (a Weirauch 45 in drag) in long and enthusiastic sessions. The tendon that runs outboard along side the elbow bone would remind me that it is not used to such “fun.”
That fun had gotten worse since I put a x2 power pistol scope on the P-1 to sharpen my shooting picture. These old eyeballs with their pseudophakia (post-cataract lens replacements) tend to have some problems with the pistol’s short sight radius. Because of the scope, it makes cocking the P-1 more difficult because of grip problems (not insurmountable, but certainly not as good as when it was just the top structure of the original configuration.
Maybe Yogi will enlighten us with his misadventure? It’s heart-warming to know that I’m not the only one who has issues every once in a while in the basement range!
I do have a question. Who is Vasilios Nacopoulos? According to Midway USA and the Postal Service, this person lives at my address, but I have serious doubts about that.
I suspect that I do indeed know who it is, but Midway USA seems to be a bit confused and they do not live at RRHFWA or RRHHMM.
RidgeRunner,
Vasilios = Basil or William (Bill) in Greek.
I would file a formal complaint with your Postmaster and Midway. If that doesn’t clean it up get your free Credit Reports ( https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/free-credit-reports ) file a Fraud Report with your P.D. and/or Sheriff.
hth
shootski
Belay that order. Mystery solved, RR. Please check your email.
Roamin Greco,
Belayed ;^)
I was taught that the best Orders are the ones that need not be given. He was a wise Chief Petty Officer and i was an ignorant Ensign; but not for long.
shootski
BB,
It looks like the Diana 5G and the Beman 800 weren’t meant to be competitive 10m pistols given their pistol grip. Are the grips better than they look regarding 10m competition? It also seems strange that Diana would put a recoilless system in a pistol that wasn’t meant for 10m competition?
Brent
Hi All, Brent is correct; This pistol is no legal 10 meter air pistol. I first started 10 meter AP decades ago
with a Diana 6M. That pistol is capable of 10.9 scores. What makes the model 6 illegal for ISSF 10M AP
is the front hooded sight. No optical sights allowed, and that includes fiber optics, red dots, scopes etc.
The 6M has the same shrouded barrel cocking weirdness as the model 10; which means every time you
cock and load a pellet, you must twist your upper body to keep pointing the AP toward the target.
doesn’t seem bad at first; until you add up the sighters and 60 shots. I never looked forward to more of
this whenever I qualified for the finals. The side cocking FWB model 65 was much easier to compete with.
Tony
paw080,
FWB Model 65 Mk II with Don Nygord’s short barrel…
always wanted one.
Tony did you know Don?
shootski
Hi Shootski, I’m sorry I have taken so long to reply. The answer to your question is; I knew him but he didn’t know me… I read and assimilated as much from his shooting notes as I possibly could. Studying so many
other shooter’s ISSF pistol shooting advice also goes without saying. I started pistol competition in the early 1970s; receiving training from the Master Bullseye shooters that frequented the L.A. Gun Club range located in Redondo Beach, California. That was too long ago.
Tony G
Does anyone know what scope the 6S (plastic stock, no wood) came with? I have one that is presently wearing a red dot sight but am really curious about what the original sight was. I have tried several searches of the web, without luck.
Thanks for any direction or help you can give.
Bill
“…the Giss contra-recoil system…”
BB, I think that system is one cool piece of engineering. 🙂