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Diana 48/52 Bullpup

Thought id share a few pics of my recent project gun. It started off as a standard UK spec 1990 48/52 in 5.5mm, and ive spent the last 6 months picking away at the conversion....

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The cylinder is now sleeved down from 28 to 25mm, running a lightened TX200 piston (200gr) and the stroke has been shortened to 80mm. Following this the SCR was out and despite fitting a 3mm restrictor the cycle still felt a little slammy, so the TP was sleeved down to 2.8mm, giving an SCR of around 1:1000.

Not what most of you guys are accustomed too I know! But it now makes a very comfortable 11.5fpe on a Titan No6 spring at 15mm preload, and recoil is no more than a gentle nudge in the shoulder.

The trigger linkage is of a pull type design using a lightweight 2mm carbon fibre rod, so all of the 1st and 2nd stage feel of and adjustment of the original T01 trigger is still present.

The barrel was cut to 10", and the shroud has a 1 peice baffle with 3" of chamber that reflexes to the rear. The 28mm ID Ali tube was powder coated at home in textured black using a Tribostatic gun.

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The stock is American maple that has been ebonised, aged and oiled, and the final action finish is a custom mix midnight gold Cerakote.

Its all far from perfect, but its my first full conversion and stock, so on the whole quite happy how its come out 😊

Thanks for looking 👍
That is just unbelievable!!!!
 
Stunning build, sir.... ! You have a ton of talent!
I hope you will share more of your work!
Thank you Rob 👍

Posted another project a few months back (shrouded/ tuned 77k in homemade walnut stock) and have just started on a ground up concealed underlever build.

I built the prototype action last year....

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..... running a 21mm skirtless piston (145gr), 4.5mm LW barrel and Rekord trigger set.

The Rev 2 version has a 22mm piston (allowing more spring options) with a 4.5mm Weihrauch barrel, and as before will also run a Rekord trigger unit. Once complete and tuned I'll make another stock from English walnut, similar to that of my 77k, and pop a thread up 👍
 
Just amazing stuff and every time I see this level of craftsmanship, I'm always curious about the shop and the equipment used. It must truly be amazing to have that level of skill and ability.
Going to go back on your posts to find the 77 project as I have missed it

My home shop is nothing exciting (and neither am I I'm afraid!) Just have an old Smart and Brown manual lathe, and entry level Sieg bench mill.....

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I don't have any formal training (have learnt the hard way many times!) and I'm positive real engineers/ gunsmiths would grimace at my approach, but it matters not.....its having a go that counts👍
 
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Thanks for the pic!! 'Exciting' is relative and to be honest, I find it much more impressive that level of work done in a small 'unexciting' shop by someone with no formal training. There are things there that catches my eye. The wooden parts bin on the table... I've always thought those looked classy.. and then the table with the two toolboxes stacked. That level of organization is what I desperately need in my shop. I've got crap tucked away haphazardly.
I've got the same mill, but sadly, my machining skills are about half a notch above that of a chimp with a Dremel! The lathe is beautiful though... I just have a cheapie bench model that I've never been able to turn much with. Likely more on me than the equipment at this point. It sees very little use. The mill is used in my knifemaking, but not for much else.
 
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Thanks for the pic!! 'Exciting' is relative and to be honest, I find it much more impressive that level of work done in a small 'unexciting' shop by someone with no formal training. There are things there that catches my eye. The wooden parts bin on the table... I've always thought those looked classy.. and then the table with the two toolboxes stacked. That level of organization is what I desperately need in my shop. I've got crap tucked away haphazardly.
I've got the same mill, but sadly, my machining skills are about half a notch above that of a chimp with a Dremel! The lathe is beautiful though... I just have a cheapie bench model that I've never been able to turn much with. Likely more on me than the equipment at this point. It sees very little use. The mill is used in my knifemaking, but not for much else.

I suspect you are being a little hard on yourself fella! As much as I'd like to pretend my workshop is super organised and OCD clean, the truth is it has only ever been that tidy ONCE, hence the photo! 😂

Here ya go Rob, a photo of it today.....

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I can't find anything either 😁👍
 
Interesting conversion. Was the cylinder modified to make it UK legal?
Have you chronographed it? Got any examples of accuracy ie targets shot with it?
Inquisitive minds want to know. ;)
In the UK they limit output by sticking a restrictor under the TP seal and popping in a weaker spring, but they leave the piston weight and stroke length as is, making for a very sluggish cycle.

I sleeved the comp tube in mine from 28 to 25mm and modified a TX piston (mentioned in OP) so with the hefty weight the cycle is pretty gentle now.

Power is around the 11.5 mark and whilst I chronied it to death during tuning I don't have any strings saved on my phone anymore.

As for accuracy/ groups.... Its just about the worst gun to shoot from bench that I've ever experienced 😂. I don't have any pics, but after a while I was able to get 25mm groups at 25y standing/ rested against outbuildings etc, but it was hard going.

I love the gun and loved doing the conversion, but in all honesty.... I'm not sure I'd pup a springer again 😊
 
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In the UK they limit output by sticking a restrictor under the TP seal and popping in a weaker spring, but they leave the piston weight and stroke length as is, making for a very sluggish cycle.

I sleeved the comp tube in mine from 28 to 25mm and modified a TX piston (mentioned in OP) so with the hefty weight the cycle is pretty gentle now.

Power is around the 11.5 mark and whilst I chronied it to death during tuning I don't have any strings saved on my phone anymore.

As for accuracy/ groups.... Its just about the worst gun to shoot from bench that I've ever experienced 😂. I don't have any pics, but after a while I was able to get 25mm groups at 25y standing/ rested against outbuildings etc, but it was hard going.

I love the gun and loved doing the conversion, but in all honesty.... I'm not sure I'd pup a springer again 😊
25 mm at 25 yards is not horrible and you can work on accurizing it right?
 
Sorry for the slow reply gents, not been on for a while as was having a break (obsessing over projects has a habit of upsetting my wife and getting in the way of life in general!)

Anyway, many thanks for all of the kind words it really is appreciated :)
No worries!! Thanks for sharing this stunning pup of a project with us!! Will there ever be an option of acquiring one? Would be amazing in the woods for us stalkers...❤️🙌
 
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