Diana 56TH

About the Diana 56TH

The Diana 56TH (Target Hunter) is a German side-lever, spring-piston air rifle manufactured by Mayer & Grammelspacher (Diana) of Rastatt, Germany. Available primarily in .22 (5.5mm) and also .177 (4.5mm), it is a single-shot, fixed-barrel rifle cocked by a side lever. Its defining feature is a sliding 'sledge' recoilless system in which the entire action moves rearward by roughly 10mm under a scope on firing, giving the shooter a near-recoilless, dead-still aim point without any external charging equipment. Built around a heavy beech thumbhole semi-target stock with a raised dovetail scope rail and the adjustable T06 two-stage trigger, the 56TH is regarded as one of the most accurate spring-piston field-target and hunting rifles ever produced.

Diana, founded in 1890 in Rastatt, Germany, is one of the oldest airgun makers in the world. The 56TH carried the company's spring-piston tradition into the high-end field-target market, its recoilless sliding-action design solving the hold-sensitivity that plagues most spring guns and earning it a reputation as a precision target and hunting rifle.

Diana 56TH specifications

Marketed in North America under the RWS brand as the RWS Model 56 Target Hunter. Muzzle energy varies by market between roughly 16 J (around 12 ft-lbf) in test data and higher in unrestricted markets. The heavy sledge action makes it one of the most stable but heaviest spring rifles on the market.