A little while ago I posted a picture of a Diana 25 & a few replies mentioned the model 27, 35, & 50, so I thought I'd dig out an example of them & pop a picture on here. The model 35 is a 35b with the splendid sights they came with but it has a diopter sight on the end of the cylinder which I had put there just because it's an easy/ lazy way to store it. It's not something the the 35b came with but it could be used if the middle/ normal factory fitted sight was removed. The model 27 is a pre war one, & I suppose it might be fairly unusual as I think most pre war model 27's were not half stocked. The 50 is a bit of a lump, big, heavy, very solid construction with lots of chequering & deep fore end, quite different to some examples of the 50 such as a 50E which has slimmer woodwork & is plainer, although rather elegant in its simplicity. Its pictured with the standard sight mounted at the rear with the rubber eye cup in place.
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the Daily hi thread
Diana /Original 27+35+50
- Thread starter lamin8
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the 27 and 35 must be the most underrated air rifles in history. with very little written about them .accurate with a great trigger power . but some look down on them ,if webley and milbro had made rifles to these standard they mite still be in business.
Backgardenplinker
Member Extraordinaire
Nice trio! Your model 50 looks like mine 
Next to the mod 45 here.
Next to the mod 45 here.
the 45 is my favourite break barrel of all time ,
Love the 45, I've two and a half of them!!
John
One of the few problems with forums like this is they make you think you want something.......I'd never really thought about wanting a 45 but now I kind of do. Never fired one before bit now i have a hankering for one, i like the stock shape & if the triggers on them are good i could be tempted.
I like the card cutting, only tried it a couple of times with a pre war BSA for a bit of fun & an experiment.
Used to sellotape a 2p piece to a bit of cotton & let the cotton hang over the bull on a pistol target, challenge was to cut the cotton on the bull, that rarely happened, or make the 2p dance by hitting the cotton over the bull at 6yds or 10m with pistols, HW70 or LP53 in those days. Not a lot of money changed hands.....we tended to win back what we lost, or loose what we won but it kept us occupied & a fun way to practice the pistol shooting technique, single handed unsupported as a training exercise.
I like the card cutting, only tried it a couple of times with a pre war BSA for a bit of fun & an experiment.
Used to sellotape a 2p piece to a bit of cotton & let the cotton hang over the bull on a pistol target, challenge was to cut the cotton on the bull, that rarely happened, or make the 2p dance by hitting the cotton over the bull at 6yds or 10m with pistols, HW70 or LP53 in those days. Not a lot of money changed hands.....we tended to win back what we lost, or loose what we won but it kept us occupied & a fun way to practice the pistol shooting technique, single handed unsupported as a training exercise.
yes it has a good trigger not as good as the 3 ball bearing on the 27 35 50 but still a good unit. the 45 will out shoot most of today's rifles and in it's day it was top of the tree in accuracy above the fwb 124 or 335 hw 35 I have the 4 in .177 for years the 80s. a big brut and not the best looker .h@n pellets they like most type it will shoot silhouette ftt ,the inside benefit from a upgrade .if a nice one comes along in .177 I will be tempt to make it 2 45 .
Backgardenplinker
Member Extraordinaire
Personally I'd say the trigger on the mod 45 is about the same kind of level as the 3 ball trigger but it's very different in feel and I've probably not got either adjusted perfectly. Both have nice clean stages. My mod 50 is less pull weight but a bit more creep on 2nd stage release than the mod 45. Neither are amazing like a rekord or somthing so don't expect that.
The mod 45 is a bigger rifle which is quite unbelievable! Similar weight too. Way more power and easy to make power too. Yet to really shoot the mod 45 that much but 5 shots at 25m easy under 5 pence using a scope, it seems very accurate. The mod 50B is low powered and difficult to scope but is accurate at shorter ranges with the diopter. Completely different rifles to compare.
The mod 45 is a bigger rifle which is quite unbelievable! Similar weight too. Way more power and easy to make power too. Yet to really shoot the mod 45 that much but 5 shots at 25m easy under 5 pence using a scope, it seems very accurate. The mod 50B is low powered and difficult to scope but is accurate at shorter ranges with the diopter. Completely different rifles to compare.
junglie2022
Member Extraordinaire
Some nice old originals there in your pic, love the older hand chequered stocks.
The pre war 27 if it's like mine has a different trigger and can be dry fired by just cocking the trigger without compressing the main spring,I think they call it a striker trigger,anyway it's adjustable and very nice.27s in all their forms are very nice rifles.The early milbro/diana 27 has the same striker trigger so is worth looking out for.
Pearse
Super member
45 is an excellent rifle. I had one in the 90s which I carbine and it made a great indoor/outdoor allrounder. Had a 50 as well, bought just for loving the look of it!
MDriskill
Super member
The trigger adjuster screw on the classic ball-sear triggers does not change pull weight per se; it regulates the transition point between the pull stages. To shorten the second stage on your model 50: 1) undo the lock screw; 2) slowly back out the adjuster screw (i.e., anti-clockwise) until the second stage suits you; 3) re-do the lock screw.
MDriskill
Super member
I really love the classic ball-sear Dianas! Unpretentious in appearance but top quality where it matters: barrel, sights, trigger, handling. UK shooters will be familiar with the "Diana" and "Original" brands, but you may also find them marked Beeman, Condor, Donor, Gecado, Geco, Hy-Score, Peerless, RWS, or Winchester!
I have 3 model 50's, 2 model 35's, and this silly number of model 27's (the top three pre-date the ball-sear design):
I have 3 model 50's, 2 model 35's, and this silly number of model 27's (the top three pre-date the ball-sear design):
junglie2022
Member Extraordinaire
Wow that's a goodly bunch of 27's you got there!
MDriskill
Super member
I absolutely LOVE your model 50 stock; it's the later version of the model 50/b - basically a slimmed-down version of the full-race model 50M - and impossible to find here in the US!
Earlier 50/b's simply added the upgraded match sights to the plain sporter stock.
Backgardenplinker
Member Extraordinaire
It is a nice stock and haven't wanted to do anything to it other than oil it despite it being a bit dinged and tired. Guess I was lucky the rifle came up for sale locally so right place at right time. I don't think the 50b is seen to often in the UK either.
Will have to shoot it again soon
Tom Gaylord has stated that the D27 is his favorite airgun of all time (and he has shot most springers ever produced), and I recall Mike as well giving highest remarks for the 27. They are swell endorsements!
Staffy1
Super member
Whats the 50 like to shoot ??? I had a BSF 54 underlever and always wondered what the 50 might shoot like. My 54 was super accurate at about 9ftlb
MDriskill
Super member
The 50 shares powerplant and trigger with the model 35 barrel cocker. It's quite a bit heavier than the 35, and the long transfer port and loading tap do rob some power, but these features also make for a very smooth-shooting rifle! I also have an S54; the 50 shoots less hard but is quite accurate, and the classic ball-sear trigger is lighter, crisper, and more predictable than the BSF's.
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the 27 must be the most copy air rifle of all time .even today you can see it in chinese and turkish rifles who must be inspired by it. just not the class or quality ,webley milbro with there attempts fell we'll short ,