Shooting the Diana Model No.16 Air Rifle

I was surprised to find during a visit to my Grandma and Grandad's today an air rifle in a cupboard in their hall. I was told it had been my Great-Grandad's and dated from the 1930s. He, my Grandad and my Great-Uncle all shot it but it has not been used for a good 40 years or so, keen to find some way of spending a day of my ridiculously long holiday, I offered to take it away, strip it down and clean it. However, having done that I drove past a hunting shop and invested in some targets and .177 pellets and had a bit of fun.

It was a good laugh, though the sights are very basic (a gap on the barrel and a point on the end of the barrel) and a bit off. I highly recommend it for someone looking for a basic air rifle with no thrills. Good for kids as well

 

Tools of the trade - air rifle, hammer (and nail), Bisley targets and .177 pellets

 

Star of the show, a Diana Model No.16 originally owned by my Great-Grandad and bought in the mid-1930s

 

It says 'Original' though I'm not sure, it might be a copy of a Diana. However it does also say 'Made in Germany' on the barrel

 

Snow on the ground and quite a bit of wind to deal with

 

It's a break-barrel rifle which has a leather pad in the breach as it was produced before the invention of rubber O-rings

 

All targets shot from 10 yards away, which looks like this....

 

 

....or this, depending on what you choose to focus on!

 

1st attempt from 10 yards: 13 shots, 54 points

 

2nd attempt: 10 shots, 67 points

 

3rd attempt (couldn't hang the target so it's lopsided): 13 shots, 57 points

 

4th attempt: 11 shots, 74 points

 

 

5th attempt: 10 shots, 66 points

One knackered tree at the end of it!!!

 

A good afternoon of shooting!