Restoration of old gun. Advice or recommendations please?

thenashlegend

Hey lads, never posted in this section before but I'm looking for some help with an idea of mine. There's an old pellet gun that belonged to my grandad, it's been in the house for as long as my mother can remember (so fifty years + at this stage) but possibly even longer.

I was at the house today and got it out for a look but sadly its starting to rust as its in a damp room and hasn't been properly looked after for years. The rust isn't deep, only on the surface and the timber is as solid as the day it was made. I just think it would be nice to get it restored, if not back to working order then definitely to a state where it could be placed in a cabinet as an antique/ornament, especially since it's owner passed away recently.

I took a picture of it, here >>

I'd just like to get some opinions on what could be done or where it could go to be restored (around Mayo or Connacht if possible), if its a job for a professional or is there something that would clean it up at home?

I cant make out a manufacturing company printed on it, all I can see is "Diana" and "Made in Gt Britain".

Any help would be appreciated!

deeksofdoom

correct me if i'm wrong, but I think that some of those old Diana's can be worth a bit of money to collectors.

thenashlegend

I don't know what it might be worth to be honest but I think the family would rather hold onto it as a reminder. I know its a bit of a cliche but it's the sentimental value

garv123

The first thing you will have to do with it is get it licensed in your name since its a firearm or else its illegal for you to have it.

If you want to have it deactivated to store as an ornament you will still need a permission cert from the super.


It would be a nice project to tackle yourself if you were into that. The rush wouldn't take long to take off the barrel with some 1200 wet sand paper and you could have all the metal parts reblued and tackle the wood yourself to bring it back to life. A gunsmith could look over the internal workings and see what can be done for it.

rowa

A gentle rub with some fine (0000) steel wool and some thin oil like 3 in 1 will remove the rust if its not to bad, the stock should be easy enough to clean up. Any dates or numbers on it ?

thenashlegend

The rust doesn't appear to have gone too deep, as it was rubbing away in my hands today. Like some of you have said already I think a gentle polish or rub of oil would remove some of it!

I don't actually have it with me now but I couldn't see any numbers on it, possibly because of the rust! But if I can get it cleaned up sometime I'll update ye and see what ye think!

rowa

Model 15 maybe ?

http://www.gunstar.co.uk/Air-Rifles/Diana-model-15-gun-for-sale-gs75439.aspx

http://www.co2air.de/wbb3/index.php?page=LexiconItem&id=1115

recipio

Its a Diana model 15. The originals were made pre war in Germany. Milbro bought ( or took ) the original factory machinery and set up in Scotland after the war where your gun was almost certainly made.
This is a slightly more upmarket version of the Diana junior model which had a removable barrel.
Clean it with steel wool and WD40 unless you want a full re- blue.A nice memory to have but I'm afraid not very valuable.

LeinsterDub

Improper restoration takes away a lot or all of the value of an item . I know you don't want to sell but it maybe be best to get it valued first before you do any thing. Hate for someone to tell you owe that could of been worth 30 grand if you haven't ruined by having a go yourself

rowa

LeinsterDub wrote: »

Improper restoration takes away a lot or all of the value of an item . I know you don't want to sell but it maybe be best to get it valued first before you do any thing. Hate for someone to tell you owe that could of been worth 30 grand if you haven't ruined by having a go yourself

They go for 30-60 quid in the uk so not very valuable, apart from sentimental value that is.

LeinsterDub

rowa wrote: »

LeinsterDub wrote: »

Improper restoration takes away a lot or all of the value of an item . I know you don't want to sell but it maybe be best to get it valued first before you do any thing. Hate for someone to tell you owe that could of been worth 30 grand if you haven't ruined by having a go yourself

They go for 30-60 quid in the uk so not very valuable, apart from sentimental value that is.

Awh get the sandpaper out so!

slug gun

I agree that its a Diana Mod 15, and when I looked in WHB Smith's refrence, it was there, so dates around the 1950/1960's. I don't think they carried a serial number as such, but if still legible, there might be a date of manufacure stamped onto the butt of the stock. (eg. 6 54 indicating june 1954).

My feelings on restoration is only to gently remove some surface rust, as suggested, and wipe down the stock. I like to see the character and history of these old airguns.

But straight away if your going to keep it, get it licensed. It was made as a youth trainer/toy in the UK, but in Ireland its a firearm and needs a cert!

thenashlegend

Thanks for all the replies! Didn't expect near the amount that I've received! As for the restoration I think I'll give it a rub of some WD40 the next day I'm over there and see how it goes! Surprisingly the barrel broke very easily when I opened it to take a look inside, I wonder could it ever be brought back to working order or would parts or knowledge for the gun have died out now?

I'm not too sure about sanding the wood, depending on the results of the wd40 and steel wool I might just leave the gun with an old used look.

rowa

http://www.airgunspares.com/store/category/64/520/DIANA/

http://www.gunspares.co.uk/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=24364&cat=15

thenashlegend

Thanks that looks great actually

tac foley

thenashlegend wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies! Didn't expect near the amount that I've received! As for the restoration I think I'll give it a rub of some WD40 the next day I'm over there and see how it goes! Surprisingly the barrel broke very easily when I opened it to take a look inside, I wonder could it ever be brought back to working order or would parts or knowledge for the gun have died out now?

I'm not too sure about sanding the wood, depending on the results of the wd40 and steel wool I might just leave the gun with an old used look.

Great find! As for using WD40 - I don't advise it- WD40 is a moisture displacer, not a proper gun oil by any stretch of the imagination. The best advice has already been offered - VERY fine steel wool - or bronze wool if you can get it and very light oil. When found by a shooting pal after losing it for over forty years, my Diana Model 22, a slightly posher version of your gun, was greatly improved by this method, and then furniture-waxed over the finished surface. The wood came up with very fine grade sandpaper and a few applications of Birchwood-Casey stock wax. It's a firm favourite with new shooters around the ages of 6 to 8, and easily shoots through both sides of a bean can -after removing the beans, of course, at fifteen yards or so.

First, though, get it licensed....

tac

Steve012

Love those type projects!, worth it in the end, getting a cert can be a pain "member of a range etc .. Lovely gun!

recipio

If you are really keen, there is a great little book called 'Air rifle and pistol - maintainance and repair' by Q Cobham.
It has a complete stripdown and service on a Diana 16 which is identical to the 15 apart from cosmetic differences.

tac foley

recipio wrote: »

If you are really keen, there is a great little book called 'Air rifle and pistol - maintainance and repair' by Q Cobham.
It has a complete stripdown and service on a Diana 16 which is identical to the 15 apart from cosmetic differences.

Yuppers - the Model 16 has a one piece wooden stock - mine got busted when it fell off the back of a motorbike and got run over by the #84 bus coming up behind us just outside Greystones in 1962. My dad fixed it with a couple of metal plates and woodscrews, and yes, I still have that one as well

Sadly, I no longer have my dad.

tac

recipio

tac foley wrote: »

Yuppers - the Model 16 has a one piece wooden stock - mine got busted when it fell off the back of a motorbike and got run over by the #84 bus coming up behind us just outside Greystones in 1962. My dad fixed it with a couple of metal plates and woodscrews, and yes, I still have that one as well

Sadly, I no longer have my dad.

tac

Ah.........I had a Diana junior bought for 21 shillings circa '64. It had a removable barrel and would only take those cup shaped milbro 'slugs'. To load, take the barrel off at the muzzle and insert pellet at the base.
I wasn't too pleased when I discovered it wouldn't take standard pellets ! Disappeared 'like out youth too soon.'