I have 2 54s. Not the Pro version. I use the Diana ZR scope rings and bases to saver the scope too. The addition I would make that the reviewer glossed over. The "muzzle brake" is not a muzzle brake, it is a harmonics stabilizer that tunes the barrel vibrations to near zero. Tweaking that will actually improve the accuracy substantially. My third air rifle is the famous FWB300SU. It also has a zero recoil system. The FWB was the Olympic standard for decades until PCP was developed. ALL three of my rifles will shoot less than 1/4 CTC" groups at 30 Yds - outdoors with wind. I shoot 10shot groups rather than 5. The caution that I give to those interested in the 54 Air King is that the red laminate stock has proven to be easy to break at the hand grip. This usually happens in shipping so BE careful. The Beech stock hasn't shown the same issues.
I’ve got several Diana’s all are my favourite.. renowned scope killers wished for the air king. Good solid German engineering that will last a life time I’ve owned a 48 since the late 80’s still going strong👍👍👍
This is the best review I have seen so far , I bought My Diana 54 Air King Pro a few weeks ago and I am amazed by the accuracy, In my opinion this rifle is underpriced, What a beautiful master piece , My 54 Air King Pro is my ultimate go to rifle,
Here in the UK (sub 12 Ft/Lb rifle energy) is the norm. I have the Diana Mauser K98 in .22 Cal. This also has T06 trigger which I find is way better than the Weihrauch HW97 Rekord trigger, which is highly rated by many airgun shooters. I still have the K98 where the HW 97 has moved on. Great review as always. Stay safe.🇬🇧🇺🇸
@@buijs1967 The K98 is pretty replica of the real steel, both in weight and balance. Having shot the British Lee Enfield rifle back in the 1970’s this was indeed the nature of these rifles. I don’t have any problem shooting the K98 using the artillery hold.
I love the spring gun reviews JC. I have a good many German spring guns, the Diana’s are some of my favorites. The rail system is amazing to shoot. The TO6 triggers are awesome too. Thank you for the great reviews.
Hi JC, this is without a doubt a true German Diana. And this was very noticeable in your review. A century-old and famous brand . Five star weapon and review. Have a nice weekend.
Indeed, Diana is an excellent brand. I had a Diana 52 a few decades ago, which I found to be extremely accurate in .177 caliber and 18 ft/lbs. An important aspect to mention is that the spring retained safety mechanism to stop a sudden return of the piston requires a small extension on the right hand side to be pushed down prior to returning the sideways .operated cocking lever. Apparently, many owners of the mod. 48 and 52 failed to do this at the time, and bent the cocking lever by trying to force it closed. I guess this may be common sense, but it should be mentioned with regard to this mod. 54 air rifle.
Had my eye's on one for a few year's, have to be .177. Alway's get great reviews, as is your AGD Review, makes me want one even more now 😀 🕉 from the UK 🇬🇧
I grew up shooting and loving Diana air rifles (now 71). however, I am not a big fan of springers since the piston came out. I have 15 PCP air rifles, but I hunt with a hatsan break barrel with a piston. I wish they made these air rifles with a piston. I would be the first one in line to buy.
Great video! I have the RWS 48 .22 cal I bought brand new with a date stamp of 06/95 so I don't have the fancy trigger. I have literally shot hundreds of Jackrabbits at night in the Nevada desert. The rifle is heavy of course and the recoil never bothered me. I guess it is just a matter of getting used to. I have a 6-18x50 Swift scope on a two piece high mount and shot a Jackrabbit at 84 yards, measured with a laser range using the JSB Exact Jumbo Diablo pellet. This brand and specific pellet performs best in my air rifle. Anyway, great video!
I took your advice and ordered a moderator for my Hatsan Jet 1 from Buck Rail. I received a shipment notice from them within a few HOURS ! The moderator arrived yesterday and I couldn't be more pleased. Now when shooting indoors, instead of a ringing in my ears, all I hear is the pellet hitting the target. Thanks for turning me on to such a great source, and keep the terrific reviews coming ! I hope you'll have a chance to review this great little pistol / carbine, its perfect for eliminating the invasive Iguanas here in the Florida Keys.
I can tell you without a doubt, this is one of my favorites. I picked it up over the summer for around $700. Recently, I took it apart and tuned it. It really didn't need it, but a light hone and lube kept it really smooth.
JC thanks for that great review. I have no experience with air guns so I just ordered the Model 48. I almost went with the Air Arms TX200 until I saw this review. I like the native iron sights on 48 and the side cocking lever that alows use with a bipod. I have too many scoped rifles and look forward to low cost target shooting with open sights. I looked at PCP but damn who wants to fuck around with an air compressor or hassle with filling a dive tank and I'm not getting on a hand pump.
Nice video you did there! I also own a D 54, shooting at 50m with the H&N 18's at the farm here. Realy nice and fine looking gun to shoot with and great accuracy👌🏽😁.
You are the person who tested the most air rifles I know off, so I don't know of a more qualified person to ask this question. If you can have only one .22 springer/gas piston air rifle for walking in the field, hunting, what would that be? Things like weight, good enough accuracy, and cost might be important. It is not that I am looking to buy a new rifle, I have enough already, it will just be interesting to know. Why I ask about springer rifles is because they are mostly self-contained.
Breakbarrels are my favorite. I really like the Diana 54, but it is a bit heavy for the field. If I am strictly looking for a field hunter, the Gamo Magnum G3 is a tough one to beat. You have power, a nice trigger (with my Trigger Screw Kit), a 10-round magazine, and it is reasonably priced. I'm actually going to put out a video of my top 5 breakbarrels this summer. Keep in mind, the Gamo is not my favorite, but it would be my choice based on your criteria 😉👍🏻
With this classy Diana from the Performance line you can be sure that it is 100 percent German made with ditto European parts. I am currently looking forward to the buyer experiences of the Xr200, the latest member of the Diana PCP family.
What a beautiful beast, and truly a one of a kind classic. For a spring powered air rifle, 23 foot pounds of energy is wild, and the accuracy is just incredible. I have one Diana and the T06 trigger is one of the best. There's just something super cool about spring powered guns, in my opinion. PCP and Pneumatics are definitely much, much easier to shoot accurately (in general), but I find the nature of shooting springers (and the basic action of levers and springs followed by one shot) very cerebral & relaxing, as well as always challenging. Cool video, and hey, btw, I am currently wearing a super comfy AGD Don't Tread on Me T-Shirt. Like the Airking, they are also made with excellent quality and easily worthy of 5 stars.
I really appreciate your continued support and thank you for the comments! This is certainly an enjoyable rifle to shoot and the best part is you don't need an outside air source 😉 👍🏻
hello JC it's a nice looking rifle built like a tank and again a nice review. but I still waiting cometa fenix 400 or airforce international model 94 in .177 cal .i love you JC may god bless you and your family amin.
had one in 0.177 . very hard on scopes and can be tricky when not shot in a fairly horizontal position. however a great springer . Alternative in the heavy hitting departement is the HW 90 ram. Hard to cock and also very heavy but accurate and extremely reliable.
Oo the best on the planet? Man that's a tuff one! I have a 48 and a 54 both are Amazing! That being said , I think it's a matter of preference . One are you shooting wftf sub 12fp or open sub 20fp. Huge differences. I mainly shoot a finely tuned HW97K at 12 fp and the rifle is incredibly accurate. I also was able to shoot my buddies AA TX200 which is also amazing. All of these air rifles are incredibly accurate but, each has its own hold/sensitivity. It's really up to you on which one feels more natural for the you to shoot accurate. I have to say it's like learning to ride a bike when you were younger. Once you figure it out you don't forget it. Try some open field target competition then try WFTF competition. I guarantee you will see what rifle is more accurate for you. Especially when you are not shooting with a bi or a sand bag. That's the real test. Thumbs up JC 👍 another great review
Mornin JC! Man what a beautiful rifle. 😍 It looks like an absolute joy to shoot. Watching it move in the stock during shot cycle is really cool. When you get tired of it you can ship it on over to me! 😆 🤣 Happy Shooting my friend.
@@AirgunDetectives Yup. It had me staring at it's backing up barrel thru the whole plinking session.😁 Funny I noticed that. I did not know about that actual feature before you told us about it at the conclusion portion. This Diana was not familiar to me from before. But seemingly a one damn fine of a rifle.😊👍🏻 Thanks for this one!
it is very interesting that this is a spring piston and not a "IGT piston" nor is it a PCP rifle. I would never have imagined this kind of accuracy and consistency could be possible in a "simple" spring rifle. Obviously, wrong about that!. Having said that, it's pretty obvious what is going on here: a. single barrel to receiver milled unit. this helps to understand the inherent design and thus accuracy and consistency problems with most break barrel rifles. b. very precise barrel craftsmanship. You can never overcome a poorly made barrel! c. trigger precision...self explanatory d. "recoilless technology" ,,,honestly I do not even understand this beyond basic "bedding" methods. But apparently, it's very top quality. e. precision components and manufacturing of spring piston and piston chamber. A few grams of defects can mean the difference between a dime or a dollar bill....or worse! It's apparent that Diana has done all the right things to consistently manufacture high quality internals. f. weight...many shooters are somewhat off put by a rifle that is heavy. But the reality is that while it does get cumbersome to carry a high mass rifle, high mass rifles will ALWAYS be capable of accurate shooting. This is a fundamental physics proven reality. Personally, I would not be concerned with the labor of carrying a heavy rifle in the deep wood if the results are that I am far more likely to put a pellet on target each and every time. This is simply a choice. I CHOOSE to shoot accurately. A heavier rifle, properly balanced, is going to contribute to that goal nearly more than any other factor. If you want to shoot accurately, a heavy rifle is going to produce that. g. aesthetics and psychology..okay, I know..this isn't an area that is "popular" to discuss but it needs to be examined. If I feel good about my equipement/gear, I have a positive mental attitude. If I am bringing a gun that I cannot PROOF in the target range, I will have less confidence ..and that translates into mental fatigue...and stress. A very accurate consistent dependable rifle is going to allow you to be confident..and that brings the joy of shooting experience into reality. I will buy one soon.
I love these legacy premium rifles, but with the incredible line of newer Gamo IGT rifles and their impressive customer service, its hard to justify 700-800$ for a rifle with overall lower practical performance than the best Gamo offerings like their Swarm Magnum or any of their magnum IGT cylinder offerings
Hi Miles, Actually, in comparison, the Diana 54 is like a well-built German made BMW, Porsche, or Mercedes. The Gamo is like a nice, dependable Toyota. There is absolutely no comparison in build quality. The 54 is designed to last for generations. Don't get me wrong, I like the Gamos a lot, but the 54 is in a class of its own. Happy shooting, and I really appreciate you tuning in 👍🏻😉
Hello, if you just bought a .22 break barrel air rifle and you were going to choose one pellet type to go hunting with without testing, which pellet would that be?
Great video as always, how would you say the D54 compares to the Weihrauch HW97 & the Air Arms TX200 for performance and fit/finish & overall quality ? I'm ready to buy !
The fit and finish on the TX200 is clearly #1. The 97 and the 54 are about the same. The 54 is a true Magnum and is clearly the most powerful. You also get a harder cocking effort. That being said, the zero recoil is absolutely amazing! They are all 5-star rifles!👌🏼😉
@Airgun Detectives-Airgun Reviews yes sir, I have 1 of those, but it raises my cheek weld too high. It's a side of the chin weld. Not comfortable nor very repeatable. With that drooper mount, I'll have to add a cheek riser, which means I'll have to drill holes in that nice stock. I'm really trying to stay away from that, J.C. I don't think shimming will do the trick either. Why can't Diana/RWS just stop building those guns with a rail parallel to the barrel? Thank you, though, for your reply. It was pretty prompt. I wish you gentle breeze and moderate barometric pressures.
Both! They are each amazing! It's hard to pass up the TX200. The finish, the trigger, etc. The 54 is a bit more difficult to cock. But it's simply amazing to shoot. They are both outstanding, and you can't go wrong with either.
I have been shooting air rifles for over 30 years, I also own this model with the ole standard walnut stained hardwood stock. For hunting with this rifle it depends on how you wish to hunt, want to still hunt squirrels then it is ideal, get a little aftermarket carry around tripod rest and walk in and sit down. Sit up your tripod and use your rangefinder and mark various landmarks, a stump down there, a tree with a patch of moss over there, a patch of dead grass , whatever, find your ranges, know your hold over and you are all ready for a limit. This is one of the FEW that I can have confidence in up to 80 yards. Want to stalk rabbits, nope, best hire a porter to carry it around for you. Grin! There are many opinions on BEST and recommendations are risky, AND BEWARE of the elusive power equation. More power is never a good thing for the most part. Magnum spring guns take a lot, a whole lot of practice, practice, and more practice. A beginner will simply get frustrated and may give up air gun sport altogether. So at the end of 30 plus years, having owned almost all of them, my favorite that has endured the test of time, is my HW 95 in .22, shooting the Predator GTO 11.75 no lead pellet. I have fully adjustable sports match rings and a Hawke 6/24 AMX scope on it and 5/8 inch groups at 50 and 60 yards are fully consistent with it. It achieves a little over 18 FPE and is laser accurate. For the average hunting expedition almost all your shots will be under 35 yards. Even that squirrel up in the top of that tree is within 20 yards. Walking fence rows or open fields for rabbits, most of them will be under 50 yards. With .22 and the GTO sight in at 40 yards, from very close to 40 simply point and shoot, at 50 one mark on the scope hold over will do. At 60 it takes three of those little marks, a joke, I once had a helper and he could not read or write, I would tell him I need this board five big marks, and two medium marks and three little marks......Chuckle. Beware of power in these new Nitro piston guns, what is advertised is not for beginners, and even us ole timers must take one, learn it and practice with it for some time to master them. Cheers Kit
In comparison to the 54, I dislike the 48. The 48 just doesn't do it for me. I actually got rid of the 48 a couple years ago before I even purchased the 54. The 48 was accurate, I just didn't like the recoil.
just noticed when you are shooting that the whole metal component is stepping backwards !!! my guess is this is what is causing the non recoil nature of this gun
I tell this story from time to time but there was the story in England parts of Britain were they have these friendly gatherings and friendly competition shoot on the weekends very informal they will let the pcps shoot against the break barrel Springer's and many times the first or second and third can be Springer's that are the winners against PCP now that probably shocks you that's very common that Springer's in the right hands and a Tune can compete with PCP up to 50 yards now Beyond 50 yards that's where pcps really shine
I don't see a place for this gun anymore. Back in the 80's it was AMAZING. Super high velocity -for back then-, excellent accuracy, a great trigger and nobody cared much about the weight back then because of everything else it could do. Today with the proliferation of super accurate far more powerful, lighter weight PCP rifles why buy the Diana 54? This gun is over $800.00 on Pyramid Air which is a whole lot of money compared to what is available today
One key factor...you do not need an outside air source and you get PCP type accuracy with no recoil. I appreciate you tuning in and thanks for leaving some comments 👍🏻😉
I agree. I've got a couple springers, but since I bought a FX independence (a PCP gun that needs no external pump/compressor) a few years ago, I haven't looked back.
This gun is just simply The Coup De Gras when it comes to power and zero recoil in a springer. I've owned the Same Airking Pro for about 9 months . And it's definitely a good shooter.it Actually shoots Crosman Premiers pretty well and cheap to shoot also. I'm actually trying film a video weather permitting shooting at KYL targets @50yds. I have done more than a few clean sweeps of all targets . I can attest to its accuracy. Well worth the money.
Two things that would put me off of this rifle…….that crazy side lever arrangement and the fact that the safety has to be disengaged before every shot. An automatic safety is the most stupid thing ever.
