Diana as a brand is German in origin, hailing from Mayer and Grammelspacher dating back to 1890, and the company certainly has a colorful history. The Model 27 first saw the light of day way back in 1910; although its early form followed the basic blueprint of the day, with no forend to speak of, just the butt section (God we’re so spoilt these days!). Sold around the world under various guises (namely Original, Beeman, Hy-Score, and Milbro) it’s all part of the identity crisis suffered by Mayer and Grammelspacher through two world wars!
My second-hand example is branded ‘Diana’ with ‘Made in GT. Britain is also proudly emblazoned across the cylinder, and the plot thickens here. After World War II, Britain secured all the tooling, machinery, and importantly, the drawings for Diana airguns, and the Millard Brothers took up the baton, manufacturing airguns from their plant in Motherwell, Scotland. Records for the Model 27 seem confusing, and I’m not entirely sure whether it came via this route, but it’s likely.
#restoration #ww2 #diana