Diana Model 16 Disassembly, Part 1

Well I finally found an airgun at a yard sale. In the past couple of years I haven’t seen anything but the most common Crosman and Daisy airguns for sale. Finding something Derrick and I haven’t already torn down is harder still! So I was happy to find a Diana Model 16 “rifle” (it’s a smoothbore) at a yard sale yesterday. I have always wanted one because of the odd hinge system for the break barrel. It is definitely sized for a small child. This one is postwar as it’s made in Great Britain rather than Germany.

That’s a 2’ ruler.
DIANA      MOD. 16      MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN

Most of the screws use the cool looking, yet annoying to remove, slotted nut.

That’s a front sight!

This is the unique hinge. Notice that the barrel locking detent is in the cocking arm, not the receiver or barrel.

You can see the piston sear.

There is a bit of rust…The breech washer is carried by the receiver rather than the barrel assembly.

Removing the trigger guard. I don’t like that it relies on a wood screw, as this does need disassembly from time to time. That said, the screw hole was not stripped.

I used snap ring pliers to engage the slotted nut while I removed the cross bolt/trigger pivot. See my spiffy new Panavise? It came in handy.

Front screws have a lock washer…it doesn’t want to come out of the wood.

Action removed.

The spring rests in an angled pocket in the stock.

The only real damage to the stock was a small chip in the butt.

The trigger.

Removing the cocking arm pivot bolt.

Punched out the retaining pin. There is no preload on the spring.

The pin.

Had to tap the end cap off, it’s a friction fit.

Not particularly exciting.

The spring & piston wouldn’t come out.

Problem #1, the edge of the slot is folded down past the end of the spring guide. Not sure if this is intentional.

What’s up with all of that lint?

The spring guide also has a twist detent…

Now it comes out…I had to rotate/pry it with a stout pick.
More to come…