OH boy! Picked up the rifle to see why I was missing and squirrels were winning. My customized rear sight fell off! And I cannot find it...yet. Or maybe never. Enough snow on the ground and plowing to possibly making it a sure fire loss. So, here's the dilemma. Can someone direct me to possibly finding my old...very old...emails where, I'm pretty sure, I had photos posted of my home-modified rear peep sight? I'm about as sure as I'll get that I had the same "DickB" address and the forum was, as I recall, devoted to Diana's and that, now, seems something of the past. I see a few names that I recall: Hector, Jim in SWMO, Red Feather. Perhaps someone might recall me (Massachusetts, squirrel control guy, .22 Diana 34...break barrel, and the Williams peep sight as well as a sight insert to make the focus smaller).
BTW: Hi to Hector down there in CT and Jim way over there in Missouri. Red Feather, I thought, was once a member and then suddenly running a new website...and now?
If I don't find the peep assembly, the plan is to redo it, as best as I recall, from scratch. It was mostly soldering (and that's what seems to have somehow broken loose), some finagling on getting some stock brass pieces to fit, perhaps, into the Williams groove on the underside. (Think safety rivet, maybe a few screws!)
Some fond memories on this build, especially from the guy who sold the peep insert who said most customers he had wanted to see the target, often charging them in some far off continent, and not dilly dallying with finding the target in a scope. BTW, I still have an unloved scope in the barn workshop that needs a home.
Cheers! DickB
Hi Dick. When I first read your post I vaguely remembered the thread you started on the DWC about your modified Williams peep. After a bit of searching I did find a thread there where I posted some pics of your modified Williams sight for you. Unfortunately, Photobucket wiped them out on the forum. But don't worry! Being the pack rat that I am I still have copies of those pics!
Here's the link to your thread on the DWC. Maybe there will be some info in it that will help you duplicate what you had before.
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thedianawerkcollective/why-34-and-how-many-models-t13792.html
And here are your pics. Hope they'll be of help to you. There were 5 altogether but these were the only ones of the Williams peep. The other 2 were of the front sight and butt pad.
Don’t know how much metal content was in your peep part but if you think you have a good place to start, could try one of those heavy duty magnets.
Recently I was reblueing a mount and forgot 8 3mm screws under the suds and dumped babies out with the bath water in 4 inches of snow. Magnet found every one of them. Did melt some of the snow with a propane torch first though. Just a thought
@straitflite Good idea using a strong magnet to help find a missing item...
I've bought several small strong magnets from KJ Magnetics over the past few years... for various applications.
The first ones that I bought were small round ball and cylinder magnets that I used to change (lower) the pitch of jaw harps that have a round loop on the spring trigger... yeah, who would have thought ! ?
I've bought several small flat magnets too for various uses.
They have a category for "Fishing Magnets" here:
https://www.kjmagnetics.com/products.asp?cat=20
i'm not sure all that was lost but i thing this base would be a far better starting point
BROWNELLS DOVETAIL SCOPE BASE STOCK | Brownells
How about a metal detector.
Just like I thought! Jim is a Gem. Thanks, Jim, a whole heap. That peep sight arrangement was working just fine. Got it zeroed in and it was perfection. Then, along the way, I'd guess some tip over of the gun and what not and it was out. And after that it was a bit chancy. But still functional. There was a need to raise the peep sight higher than it went by adjustment and that mean rebuilding the rear of the homemade platform. So that's what I have to do, when I get things back together.
I have on order a new Williams peep sight. FP-AG-TK. Some people sell a cheaper version that doesn't have the knobs on it. The tech guy at Williams said that version lacks, beside the knobs, the click-click for adjustment. Then I figured out the adjustable peep sight that screwed into the old Williams. That was a Merit adjustable iris. Ed at Merit has, he said on a phone call, just reopened the Merit Corp. for business and the only sight he had in stock was, he asserted, just the one I want and probably had. A Hunter's version. That is in the mail.
The old arrangement came off, I'm fairly sure of this, because I relied on the set screws of the Williams to hold it. With hundreds of shots on the jolting spring powered Diana, those set screws worked loose and I believe that the assembly of Williams/Merit fell off. Where? When? There's about 2' of snow here, and I've shoveled to the ground the few spots that were suspect. If/when I find it perhaps that'll be an excuse for a second air rifle? One with a secure, non-cocking barrel.
The plan now is to get the new parts in hand, size things out for elevating the mounting platform on the Diana 34 Classic and do some target shooting to zero the sight in.
Before I found Merit again (originally, I vaguely recall, it was Hector who recommended them and probably Williams too) I found some arrangements that looked straight out of the Olympics biathlon. Made in England. Here's a photo. So, Cheers, and thanks to all for suggestions.
Forgot! This all started with a ruckus in the chicken yard. One was gone. The next day there was a lynx or a bobcat stalking and leaping and just missing a chicken. Got the Diana out but had no intention of hitting it, just scaring it. Rarely seen and when we did see it we were delighted. Then it sulked away as wife and I banged on the side of the house. Later, it circled around and was perhaps 100 yds. away thinking "chicken". So a few shots, upwards high into the sky to just scare it...which did not cause it to run away. But, I'm thinking that upward shot was probably not with the rifle against the shoulder and maybe the spring recoil went to the peep sight and off it came. Maybe.
Hey, Dick. I'm still kicking and so is the Dianawerk, barely after transitioning to Tapatalk. Feel free to drop in. Kind of a messy platform compared to the old Network 54. And no need to join. Glad Jim found your sight in the archives. And I hope you discover where it went once the snow melts. I can relate. Years ago I was playing with the kids in the front yard when I realized my keys were missing. Looked everywhere through the snow but no luck. I had to rekey all the locks. Sure enough, once it melted...... Maybe you will have better luck.
Hi again, Dick. I meant to respond to this the other day but got sidetracked (New toy showed up). Sorry about that. I hope the combination of that old thread on the DWC and the pics will help jog your memory so you can replicate or even improve what you had on your 34. Good luck and be sure to show us how things turn out for you.
Jim, here's a photo of the not yet finished redone Diana34Classic peepsight mounting that I'm hopeful will work. Got it up a bit and back a bit more. Now about 5+" back from end of factory dovetail on the barrel. Since photo I've filed down solder and painted it matte black. In a few days, maybe, sighting in!
Good luck with it! Hope this one holds up better than the last time. Even though the last one did get you thru a few years of use! ? ?
