Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Air Guns Old Diana air pistol - Info needed

Hope someone here might know a little about this air gun? Maybe even a visit to memory lane
This was my Granddads, I forgot I even had it. Spotted it way back on the bottom shelf of the gun safe looking for something else. Cleaned up real nice and discovered it is .22 cal. Need to buy some pellets and see how she shoots. It feels real strong and has a bit of a kick to it!











All that I can find on it is DIANA, Made in Germany and the
big D in a circle with arrow. No model number or caliber?

I e-mailed Diana, hope they respond, cant find anything on this pistol other than a sold one on Gun broker, the seller thought it may be a Model 3?

I really need to know what is safe to use to clean/flush out the spring area of old oil/debris and what type and how to properly oil it once cleaned?

I bought some .22 cal pellets at BassPro and some crossman pellet oil, not sure if I should use the crossman oil or not?

Someone on the Yellow forum will know what that gun is for sure.
So you're in Vegas too?

Yes, I live in Vegas. What is the yellow forum?

Post the same question and pictures here.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/79537/
Someone will have your answer, I gaurantee it.

Any good heavy oil on the spring would be ok. To lube the piston, make sure it is a silicon base oil( high flashpoint oil). Put a few drops in the vent hole(where it aligns with barrel when barrel is closed) hold muzzle up and work barrel back and fourth a few times to spread oil, do not go so far as to cock. It should be good to go then. The only thing is considering the age is that you might need a new piston seal and possibly a barrel breech seal( usually an o ring_

Sounds like a recipe for the gun to deisel. You're suppose to use moly on the spring, NOT Silicon oil. You're going to burn whatevers left of the piston seal
using that stuff, and make it sound like a .22LR going off. You're better off using the Pellgun oil instead.

its a Diana 5, an early one, very nice, good shooter.

Silicone oil only if it has a leather piston seal. Proper would be to remove the end cap(CAP UNDER SPRING PRESSURE!! ) pull the piston,moly the sides of the seal & lube the spring(Maccari black tar) And might as well replace that +40 year old piston seal too if your gonna shoot much.

Know about dieseling, that's why I said silicon on the piston. It does not matter what is on the spring, that is not where dieseling occurs. Dieseling occurs inside the cylinder where air is being compressed.

At one time there was a "diesel" rifle made, cannot remember who made it, but it had a small injector that injected a very tiny bit of ether into the cylinder. I read that it gave very high velocities and the pressure created would actually recock the mainspring. Piston seal life was poor.

When that gun was made they were not using moly in lubes like now. A good heavy oil or very light grease on the spring is ok. I have a later model that looks much like that as well as a Fienwerkbau 124 and 300, and none of the factory literature that came with the guns specified moly on a spring.

New seals are always a good idea.