Diana Mauser K98 Air Rifle

I like everything about this rifle! Mine is the .22 cal. and it shoots very well with the H&N Sniper Magnum, 17.9 gr.. Pyramyd Air, added a Leapers UTG optic, 3x9x40 for 20/$20 and using the RWS Hobby .22 pellets, 11.9 gr. (Yes, light wt. I know.), but it pushed them out the barrel at an average 950 fps thru all 20 shots. For my backstop I was using 3/4" plywood covered by 2x1.0" pieces of dense rubbery shipping material made for heavy item cushion, plus 3 sheets of cardboard and within 10 shots with JSB Diabolo, domed pellets 18.13 gr, I had to add a sheet of brass plating because the plywood was busting out the back side. This rifle does have some wgt. at 9.5 lbs but i didn't buy it to carry through the woods, I bought it to pop targets from a rest...and believe me, it does that very well!

No idea...Love it as it is! Can't promise everyone will, but for me a 63 yr old man, who has stayed halfway fit, and loves to shoot, it's perfect!!

My wife came out on the back porch while I was shooting this fine rifle and asked if she could shoot it too. My wife is 60 yrs old and weights >< 125 lbs, and hasn't fired anything more than a well used (extremely low psi), Daisy bb gun for the last 40 yrs; I was happy to let her shoot it, but I did need to cock the rifle for her, (about 35 lbs of pressure to cock,). So, to keep her record separate, I put up a fresh Dirty Bird, splattering, target. After her first shot, one of three she fired, she said, "A pellet rifle shouldn't kick like this!" Now, I was firing at targets 35 yd's. out 105 feet! 1.5" red center on my targets. She put 3 shots within 1 5/8" from center, all 3 easing closer and closer, the 3 can be covered by a nickel, this reminded me of why I married her, always full of surprises. She acted like it was no big deal! I went Ape s--t! I have that target with all info. on the back: date, time, distance, pellet and of course, (Our), Diana K98 Mauser. Love it!!

Love the style, but the performance is fantastic. A little awkward and heavy, but it is a tack driver. Not hold sensitive, so it shoots great off a bag which given its weight is a good thing.

I wish it came with Weaver or picatinny rail instead of the standard dovetail. The adaptors rise the scope a little high. The stock is not exactly the same as a K98, it uses a cheat at the fore end but who cares. Looks great. The front sight is fantastic and metal, but the rear lacks some adjustment and does not feel up to par. Scoped it regardless.

Super powerful springer. Exceptionally accurate. Almost boring or routine because you hit almost everything once you get it zeroed. Fairly heavy, takes some getting used to the weight.

Very nice looking and accurate i have the 22cal

Here's the bad part i have received two of these so far waiting the 3rd one now first two broke then need too change the way there building these rifle

Like said had two so far both broke

I was initially drawn to this rifle as a WWII replica. It fits the category I'm interested in collecting. And it appeared to be a quality, German made gun.. which was a bonus, especially as that's where the historical firearm was produced. I was pleasantly surprised that it would prove to be my finest springer. The quality and craftsmanship are excellent. I have the .22 cal model, and I shoot it with open sights. (I feel it's more historically accurate without a scope.) It has the best accuracy of any airgun I own... easily grouping well at 30+ yards. Mine likes Predator GTO leadfree pellets. Clever use of the underlever to mimick the original bayonet lug. I purchased an aftermarket K98 reproduction leather sling which fit nicely in the stock cutouts. Again, lending a hint of historical accuracy. Wood finish is more "red" than other european beech wood stocks I have, giving a rich appearance. Mauser logo, and trigger are excellent.

Others have correctly noted the trigger guard is plastic. But only your hands tell you that. It does not detract from the looks or experience. If I changed anything, I suppose this would be it. But not a big deal. I shoot unsupported/offhand, and while the gun is heavier, it doesn't bother me. In fact, I like the weight.

This is simply an excellent gun. You could buy it for the quality and shooting accuracy alone.

But if you're into historical replicas, especially WWII ones, as I am... this gun is an absolute must-buy. Get it! I'm especially pleased they made it as a quality gun, and didn't go cheap on the quality. Next up: hoping someone comes out with a quality M1 Garand...

This is a well made rifle with an excellent trigger that's adjustable to the shooter's needs, and with stunning accuracy that holds its own with my TX200HC and HW97K. The K98 is about as heavy as them, though the Mauser's weight leans more toward the muzzle, making it ideal for bench shooting. The owner's manual includes trigger adjustment directions that are easy to follow, though a very small screwdriver, such as those used by jewelers, is necessary to adjust the two screws inset into the trigger blade. A specialized tool kit is included with the rifle, though the screwdriver will not fit the adjustment screws. Overall, this rifle is a superb piece of work.

Nothing

Mine is a .22, and after testing a number of pellets for accuracy, the finest pellets I shot are Air Arms Diabolo Field Heavy, 18gr.

I was quite surprised to learn that my rifle is a drooper, needing a UTG droop compensating mount for a T06 trigger to get me on target.

The rifle seems mostly well made and solid. Cocking effort is not excessive. Trigger is reasonable for a simulated military rifle, though that might be faint praise given that most military rifles have vague, long trigger pulls with a lot of pull weight.

The balance is terrible. I have a military K98 built in 1938, and the balance difference is like night and day between the Diana replica and the original rifle. The replica is muzzle-heavy. So much so that shooting it offhand is not very much fun for me. But it does make me appreciate the fine balance of the real K98 all that much more, so I guess in a way the Diana replica is useful in one respect. Shooting off the bench is a better experience. The rifle is reasonably accurate if I do my part, though (again), the real 98K is much better in this area as well.

If you are looking for a clone of the real Mauser 98K that is much less expensive to shoot, don't bother with the Diana replica. This rifle is deeply disappointing from that standpoint. If you are simply interested in an air rifle that is styled like the 98K for shooting off of a bench rest at 15-25yds, this could work for you. Given the price, I was hoping for a lot more.

Looks and feels close to my 98K 8mm rifle. The adjustable front sight was a nice touch.

Should have had a metal trigger guard ( I know, that's nitpicking, but, Hey, this thing was expensive). Actually, I think there should not be any plastic on this rifle.

Fit and finish was very good. Remember this is a replica of a military gun, so don't expect it to look like a Mauser designed and built for civilian hunters. The operation is very much like a Diana 460 magnum, so I won't get into that. The accuracy of this rifle is just like the 460 ( which I also have) that is to say, very good. Hitting a 1 1/2 inch target at 50 yds. is very easy and consistent using a 3X9 scope. The mounting rail is canted a small bit to the right side, but, not enough to return the gun. I didn't try the open sights because of bad eyes. Chrono. tests show 765 fps ( ave) with Exact 14.35 gr. vs. 780 for the 460. 700 fps for Falcons vs. 730 for the 460. Note, my 460 is tuned for accuracy so the velocity is about 100 fps slower than when new. For me this thing is great, it is very much a conversation starter when others see it . Then when they see it hit a small object ( like a plastic pill bottle at 50 yds.), they are impressed, as I was. For me, it's a keeper

It looks good.

Spring to gas piston, its horrible gun to shoot. Horrible recoil and TWANG!. More power! Its not even close that powerfull as specs says. Its way too expensive, i feel like i wasted my money for gun wich should really be worth like 200$. This is my first Diana airgun and im very sure its my last Diana. Triggerguard is PLASTIC..What a shame!! This rifle is not balanced well, front of gun is very heavy, and rear is very light wich makes it hard to shoot accurate shots while standing. Dont make same mistake that i did and do not waste your money to this toy.

Those open sights are rubbish, you really need scope for it if you really want to hit somewhere, but make sure the scope is solod because of horrible recoil...

This is a very accurate rifle and fun to shoot. Diana has done a fine job with the fit and finish with this one.

Very hard to service. Upon finishing maintenance, I began to reinstall the stock. Wow, that was a pill. It took me 2 hours to reinstall 3 stock screws. I still could not get the 2 washers in the right place at the forend of the stock. I found it next to impossible.

PA service is A+ to begin with. I got this rifle with the intention of shooting open sights to keep the Old School look. I then decided to add some new school with a Limb Saver but pad. I then polished and cleaned the barrel, and as usual with most airguns the barrel was nasty. I pulled out my chronograph and got very erratic readings with H&N FTT & JSB 18.13 grain pellets, but the JSB 15.89 gran pellets was the ticket. LO 773.40, HI 796.20, AVG 781.12, ES 22.80, SD 6.86. PA got me a good rifle, no spring twang! As this rifle breaks in I am confident the ES & SD will go down.

As said before, I would love a sling.

I got the .22 because I thought the .177 might shoot the pellet faster than I wanted and the .22 in my experience has a smoother shot cycle. I might add a scope, but if I do it will have to be period specific.