Meet the new Diana Airking, a magnum class side-lever cocking, fixed-barrel, spring-piston tack driver made in Germany that any airgunner would be proud to own. Available in either .177 or .22 caliber there is also the option for a natural beech stocked version or an eye-catching black and red laminate stock. I’ve liked laminated stocks since they first came on the scene for production rifles back in the late 80’s (I understand laminated stocks were first placed into service on German K98 carbines back in 1937…). They aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but have stayed the test of time due to their advantages. Not only can they be had in a myriad of color combinations, they offer strength and dimensional stability over standard wood, plus resistance to damage from most chemical and environmental exposure. The flip side is that they add a small amount of additional weight to the package. In the case of this Airking Pro over the beech stocked version we are talking less than one-half pound. The laminate version is a hefty rifle at 10.25 pounds; however, it offers some great design features for someone in the market for an accurate fixed-barrel springer. This one should not be overlooked.
First is the well-respected T06 trigger, a two-stage adjustable unit that is smooth as all get-out. Second is Diana’s “Retrograde Brake Mechanism” which claims to make the Airking almost recoilless. The mechanism allows the entire receiver to slide backward 15mm upon firing, absorbing most of the recoiling force. Unfamiliar with this technology, I thought it might be distracting, but it really wasn’t and seems to do a great job of reducing the felt recoil. It is important to remember to account for this rearward movement when setting up the eye relief distance on a scope. Third is the ratcheting anti-beartrap mechanism which I really liked because it captures the cocking lever at multiple points in its travel. Especially nice since the cocking effort on this gun is quite stout. It allows for a change in hand position for better leverage during the cocking stroke. Additionally, when closing the action there is a “stair-step” strip of metal attached to the release lever on the left side of the action that limits the lever from snapping back should the sear somehow get tripped. Being stepped, it stops the return of the lever along several points if the release is not held down until the lever is almost back alongside the receiver. Very clever and practical solution to a potentially dangerous problem.
Other niceties include plenty of 11mm dovetail rail with several stop pin holes, an automatic safety, a sling stud in the fore-end for attaching a bipod. There is no rear sling stud. The loading port provides a generous amount of room but longer scopes or scopes with large objective bells may get in the way. It is shipped with a muzzle weight held in place by two socket head screws. A rear sight adjustable for windage and elevation is attached to the receiver and in the kit is a muzzle weight with a front sight blade that can be moved along a ramp to adjust its height. And, Diana provides a two-year warranty on the Airking.
Rated by Diana at 900fps velocity for the .22 and 1100fps for the .177, it is powerful and would make a great hunting rifle for small game. The rifled barrel of the Airking is 17.3 inches long with an overall length coming in at 44 inches.
The only drawbacks to the Airking so far have been its long, heavy cocking stroke; I’m a full-grown adult male and find it a good workout to cock this thing. Hopefully, it will become a bit easier as the gun breaks in. The other relates to the Owner’s Manual, which is actually just a pamphlet. The instructions are relatively clear, but it references the T05 trigger rather than the T06, which has more adjustability to it and that information is missing. Second, there is a small, numbered schematic on the back and no corresponding parts listing, so that might have been a nice touch if it had been complete.
Spring-piston guns typically require a break-in period of several hundred rounds. Where I live the weather has been less than conducive to me being out on my range as it was buried under feet of snow, plus this is getting rather lengthy, so I will break this review blog into two parts and follow up next month with how it handled and shot. Stay tuned… Because it is so new to the market, AofA doesn’t even have a page on it up on their website yet. I hope I’ve whetted your appetite and if you are interested in one of these Diana Airking rifles right away, please give them a call at 480-461-1113 and I know they will be happy to speak with you about it.
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