Diana Model 27 Update

Since my last post, I have discovered several things about my new-to-me Diana Model 27.

1) It is indeed circa 1930's, most likely one of the first ones made, probably 1934 or 1935.

2) D. R. P. a. is indeed a patent declaration. D. R. P. stands for Deutsches Reichspatent. The letter "a" at the end stands for "angemeldet," which means registered or declared; it's the German equivalent of what in the U.S. would be "patent pending." Collectors call this version of the Model 27 the "D. R. P. version," because it is the only Model 27 to bear the D. R. P. stamp; the stamp was no longer used after 1945. Since mine says "patent pending," then I am the proud owner of one of the first D. R. P.s to ever be produced.

3) It is indeed .177 caliber, contrary to what I originally thought.

4) I acquired a rear sight for it, and a friend of mine found a spring and put it all in for me. The sight doesn't fit perfectly, which leads me to believe that perhaps it was made for one of the post-WWII 27's. But it's close, and I believe that with a little filing, it could be made to fit snug.

5) Since the sight isn't perfect, I haven't been able to try for groupings yet. But I did shoot it several times through the chronograph, and I have to say that I am quite pleased. This little gun averages around 620 fps with 8.2 grain Meisterkugeln pellets! That's excellent for a spring that is 76 years old!

All that is left to do now is to clean it really well, and finish the rear sight. When I can shoot groupings for it, I will post the results here.

My New Acquisition

I recently acquired this little gem: the Diana model 27 pellet rifle. I am not sure when it was made, because there are very few markings on the gun. The rifle has no safety catch whatsoever, and the stock is solid wood, and the mechanisms are all steel. There isn't a serial number anywhere on the rifle that I can see. Only the markings "Diana Model 27" and "D.R.P.a." The absence of both a serial number and of the safety catch lead me to suspect that the rifle might be pre-WWII, possibly 1920's or 1930's.

The barrel and the body have extremely slight surface rust in some areas, but these little blemishes do not affect the working of the gun itself. The same is true for the wooden stock; it has a myriad of tiny scratches and bumps, but these are cosmetic issues. The rear sight is missing; there is a little "shoe" for it, but it is as if someone took it off for some reason.

I was told by the dealer that the rifle "still shoots," although he did not elaborate any further. When I broke the breech, there was a light coating of oil on the breech seal. I have yet to shoot or chronograph the gun at all. In fact, I am not even positive of the caliber. From just "eyeballing" it, the rifle appears to be .22 caliber. (The hole looks a bit big to be .177, but I could be wrong.)

When I get some spare time, I plan to shoot it a bit, and see how it's held up over the years. Until then, here are some pictures of it. Please forgive the photo quality, these images were taken with my cell phone.

My "new to me" Diana model 27 air rifle.

There is a metal "shoe" where the rear sight should be.

Closeup; you can see some of the stock's dings and scratches.

The Goddess Diana.

D.R.P.a. (I believe this is a patent declaration.)