Initial Review Of The RWS Diana P5 Magnum (RWS Model 5G Magnum)

Hello, and welcome to my blog. This blog is about the scientific method: I gather data on the performance of various airguns, and analyze it. Then I do it again and again. Each time, I compare the new data to all of the previously gathered data, to see if there are any noticeable trends, similarities, or differences. I also use data gathered from other sources (i.e., other reviews posted on other blogs) so as to provide the reader with a "second opinion," from an unbiased, unrelated party. All data from secondary sources will be properly credited and linked.

EDITORIAL NOTE: (03-21-2014) I have revised this post somewhat, deleting links that are no longer active, and making the occasional comment as well. Revisions will appear just like this, in light red text.

The first review that will appear here is my review of the Diana P5 Magnum Pistol (RWS Model 5G Magnum.) The second part is in parenthesis, because the box that the pistol came in was marked "RWS 5G Magnum," but the top action of the pistol clearly cites the model number as the "RWS Diana P5 Magnum." I am a librarian by profession; when cataloging books, a librarian goes by two main sources when looking for the proper title of a book: the title page, and the title page verso. ("Title Page Verso" simply means "the back of the title page.") What the dust jacket or book cover says is irrelevant (and often quite different from the official title!)

The RWS Diana P5 Magnum Pistol, with cocking extender attachment.

Thus, using the same principle, what is stamped on the gun supersedes whatever the box says. But since many people refer to it as the 5G rather than the P5, I chose to include the box citation in parenthesis, to indicate that it is an unofficial designation for the P5.

On other forums, I go by the handle HCAirgunner. The HC stands for "Hard Core," in reference to the extensive research that I perform on each gun before I purchase it, and to the rigorous testing that I put the gun through afterwards.

Here is the Pyramyd Air blog post about the P5 Magnum pistol:

http://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2005/11/diana-p5-magnum-air-pistol-from-rws.html

as well as this re-printed article:

http://www.pyramydair.com/article/Fast_and_accurate_Testing_the_RWS_Diana_5G_Magnum_P5_pistol_March_2009/58

It should be noted that the P5 is a discontinued model, having been replaced by the LP8.

You can see a review of the LP8 (also by Pyramyd Air) by following this link:

http://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2009/09/rws-model-lp8-magnum-part-3.html


I believe (but am not 100% certain) that the following reasons led to the discontinuation of the P5:

1) There was a safety recall of the P5 in April of 2008. Details are here. EDITORIAL NOTE: (03-21-2014) One of the P5 pistols I originally bought was part of this recall; Umarex fixed it quick at no cost, and I haven't had a problem since.

2) The gun had no scope rail, forcing those who would want to add one to modify the gun with machine tools.      EDITORIAL NOTE: (03-21-2014) I have now done the same to my P5 pistols. Look here.

3) The safety mechanism was awkward, and non-ergonomic for some people to operate. (Personally, I found the safety mechanism quite user friendly and easy to operate, but I seem to be in the minority.)

4) The grip that came standard with the pistol was a right-handed groove type, which made the pistol cumbersome and difficult to use for left-handed shooters. (Personally, I agree; I think that such grips ought to be sold as optional equipment, and that ambidextrous grips should come standard.) EDITORIAL NOTE: (03-21-2014) I have solved this problem by ordering the left handed grips, and then swapping out the right sides, which creates an ambidextrous grip, making the gun considerably more comfortable to shoot.

5) Some people found it hard to cock, and worried about breaking the fiber optic sights on the muzzle break. (Me too, but I solved the problem by buying the cocking extender from Umarex. Now, cocking the pistol is fast and easy, and I no longer run the risk of fouling the sights.)

6) Most people believe that the 700 fps claim is unattainable. If you have already read my posts elsewhere on this blog, then you know that the gun does approach 700 fps (averaging about 669 fps with the RWS HyperMax 5.2 grain pellets.)

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EDITORIAL NOTE: (03-21-2014) The Hyper Max pellets WILL get you close to the 700 FPS that is promised on the box, and they weigh JUST ENOUGH that they aren't hard on your gun. (Pellets that weigh 4.9 grains or less will place additional stress and "wear & tear" on your spring; pellets that weigh 5.0 grains or more won't. That's why RWS makes their "light pellet" heavier than most other manufacturers.) However, I wouldn't shoot anything under 7 grains nowadays, because retained energy at the point of impact suffers greatly in lighter pellets. Look at the following post for details:  

http://thescientificairgunner.blogspot.com/2013/09/some-interesting-data.html

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As for accuracy, the P5 performed well at the shooting range (the masthead picture for this blog is a picture of the P5's initial groupings,) however, I still have work to do in this area, because I believe that A) my P5 isn't sighted in perfectly yet, and B) I am not the world's best marksman by any stretch of the imagination. The next time I visit the shooting range, I intend to shoot a lot of targets, and the results, of course, will be posted here.

That's all for now. I hope you enjoyed reading my initial assessment of the Diana P5.