Here we go, the most popular air rifle sold by RWS – the Diana RWS 34.
This gun has had a decades-long great reputation, and air gunners all over the world simply love it when they witness its awesomeness with their own eyes.
Although RWS 34 doesn’t have some of the fancy features of modern guns in the market today, it still stays on top of the best-seller lists in air rifle stores in the USA.
Fun fact: A few years ago, the New York State Field Championship (target distance 55 yards), was won with an RWS 34.
And we are talking about shooting against more powerful and expensive air rifles that cost thousands of dollars, yet the RWS 34 still manages to beat them all!
Diana RWS 34 – Guntype
This is a spring-piston gun.
Read more about spring-piston guns’ pros and cons, and how spring-powered guns compare to other types of air guns in this post.
(For more on the in-depth comparison between gas and spring piston, see this post.)
Diana RWS 34 is a break barrel gun. In order to cock it, you need to slap the barrel downward while holding the gun upward, insert the pellet and swing it into its original position.
It may sound complicated at first but when you get used to it, it will become second nature.
Besides, break barrel guns give you unlimited shooting capacity.
You can shoot tens of thousands of rounds without worrying about running out of power like CO2 or PCP air rifle.
In addition, this is a single-shot action gun i.e. you can only shoot once at a time.
Single-shot action gives you control over the type of pellet you shoot and, in fact, it makes you a better shooter as you get used to having to make your first shot count.
The barrel has 2 types of caliber (the internal diameter of the bore, measured in inches):.177 (4.5 millimeters) and .22 (5.5 millimeters).
Both calibers are ideal for plinking paper targets and spinners.
The .22 cal should be your choice for small game hunting and pest control.
=> For more on the differences between .177 & .22 and which jobs they do best, see this post.
Furthermore, the barrel is rifled with helical grooves inside so it makes the bullet spin before it exits the barrel
(For more on things you should know about air rifle barrels before buying, see this post.)
Stock
The stock is made of handsome beech wood.
Beech stock gives you lots of advantages:
First, beech stock is heavier, denser, and harder than other types of hardwood so it has good impact resistance.
Second, it has a beautiful wooden texture.
When looking at the beech stock, you will notice that its texture is uniform and gorgeous.
Meanwhile, the hue is soft and smooth and it looks great too.
For more on the in-depth comparison between synthetic and wood stock, see this post: https://airgunmaniac.com/synthetic-vs-wood-stock/
The stock is ambidextrous so you will have no problem shooting it whether you are a lefty or righty.
Moreover, this rifle has a Monte Carlo stock with a raised comb and low heel.
Monte Carlo stock has lots of advantages including improved accuracy ( the shooter’s eyes are lined up more naturally with the sight), some recoil absorption, and therefore faster follow-up shots .
Sight
If you are a fan of traditional open sight, you’re going to love the RWS 34.
The front sight is Trugglo fiber optic.
Moreover, the rear sight is fiber optic, too.
It is fully adjustable for windage (allowing you to adjust the sight left and right) and for elevation (allowing you to adjust t up and down).
You don’t need a scope when a useful fiber optic sight is already there!
Trigger
The real jewel of the RWS 34 is the redesigned trigger, now named TO6.
The TO6 is so smooth and exceptionally light.
With a trigger pull of only 1 lb 3.6 oz, it is the best trigger you can find.
The trigger alone is worth all the money spent.
It’s very light travel, nice clean break, and light pull, and is adjustable, too.
In other words, the evolution of the T06 trigger is the icing on the cake.
It’s hard to improve upon perfection and I don’t see where any changes would be necessary.
Velocity, accuracy and power
The maximum velocity of this gun is 1000 FPS in .177 cal and 800 FPS in .22.
These are high-end velocities compared to other air guns on the market.
The Chrony Test gives us the results as follows:
In .177 caliber:
| .177 Pellet | FPS |
|---|---|
| 8.8 grains pellet | 880 |
| Crosman Premiere 10.5 gr domed and Benjamin 10.5 gr HP | 790 |
| Crosman Premiere pointed | 1016 |
| JSB Exact RS | 917 |
| H&N Field Target Trophy | 886 |
| H&N Baracuda | 787 |
| Gamo PBA Raptor | 1010 |
| Beeman Crow-Magnum | 730 |
In .22 cal:
| .22 Pellet | FPS | FPE |
|---|---|---|
| 11.9 gr RWS Hobbies | 724 | 13.86 |
| RWS Superdome 14.5 gr | 685 | 15.14 |
| RWS Super H-point 14.2 gr | 678 | 14.49 |
| 15 gr pellet | 680 | 15.41 |
| Crosman Premiere 14.3 gr | 654 | 13.58 |
| RWS Superdome 14.5 gr | 659 | 13.99 |
| JSB Exact heavy 18.13 gr | 557 | 12.49 |
As you can see, the actual numbers meet the advertised velocities and are quite consistent among different pellets.
(For more on the in-depth comparison between .22 and .25 caliber, see this post.)
How about accuracy and power? To answer this question, let’s look at the shooting tests.
The common shooting groups are:
- 0.185” at 10 yards with RWS Super H-point,
- 0.556” at 20 yards with RWS Super-H Point,
- Dime size at 20 yards,
- 0.247” at 10 yards with RWS Super H-point 14.2 gr,
- 0.26” at 10 yards with RWS Super H –point 14.2 gr,
- 0.615” at 20 yards with RWS Super H-point 14.2 gr,
- 0.556” at 20 yards with RWS Super H-point 14.2 gr,
- dime size at 25 yards,
- 1” at 45 meters,
- dime size at 25 yards,
- 1/4″ at 40 feet,
- 1-2” at 100 feet,
- 3” at 35 yards,
- 1” at 20 yards,
- 2” at 50 yards with RWS Superdomed,
- nickel size at 50 yards,
- dime to quarter size at 20 yards,
- 1/4” at 10 yards,
- half-dollar group at 30 yards,
- 1 1/2” at 20 yards,
- ickel size at 50 yards,
- less than 1/4″ at 40 feet,
- 1/4” at 20 yards with JSB Diabolo 13.43 gr,
- 1/4″ at 20 yards with RWS Super dome 14.5 gr.
- 1” at 50 feet,
- nickel size at 10 meters,
- 1/4″ at 15 yards,
- same hole at 30 yards,
- 1.5” at 35 yards,
- 1” at 50 yards and 1.5” at 72 yards with JSB Heavy,
- 1/4″ at 60 feet with H&N FTT,
- dime group at 25 yards,
- dime size at 20 meters,
- bull’s eye at 40 yards,
- dime size at 20 yards,
- 5/8” at 20 yards.
Moreover, this gun can:
- go over 12cm in depth into the raw meat at a distance of 6 meters with H&N Baracuda .177
- blow a Coke can up at 20 meters with H&N Baracuda
- kill birds at 30 yards
- kill squirrels at 50 yards
- punch a Meisterkulgen pellet through both sides of a metal coffee can at 10 yards
- shoot soft drink cans at 70 yards
- kill prairie dogs at 25-40 yards
- put a nice size dimple on a solid brass padlock
- nail a squirrel at 35 yards with JSB Exact 7.8 gr dome
- and punch through 0.5” ply board with RWS Superdome.
Bottom line: this gun is extremely accurate and hits with serious authority so it has more than enough power to deal with common pests like squirrels, possums, skunks, etc.
Loudness
This rifle is very quiet.
It has hundreds of customer reviews without a single complaint about noise,
So you can shoot this gun on your property without bothering the neighbors or bring it to the hunting field for a stealthy hunt.
Shooting Ability
The effective shooting range of RWS 34 is up to 50 yards.
It can be used for target shooting, small game hunting, and pest control.
Warranty
As of this date, the Diana RWS has a lifetime warranty.
Specifications
- Caliber: .22/.177
- Velocity: 800 FPS with .22, 1000 FPS with .177
- Loudness: 3- Medium
- Barrel Length: 19.5”
- Overall Length: 45.0”
- Shot Capacity: 1
- Cocking Effort: 33lbs
- Barrel: Rifled
- Front Sight: Fiber Optic
- Rear Sight: Adjustable for windage and elevation
- Scopeable: 11mm dovetail
- Trigger: Two-stage adjustable
- Buttplate: plastic
- Suggested for: Small game hunting/Plinking
- Trigger Pull: 33 lbs
- Action: Break barrel
- Safety: Automatic
- Powerplant: Spring-piston
- Function: Single-shot
- Body Type: Rifle
- Weight: 7.5 lbs
- Length of Pull: 13.75″
Customer review
There are bunches of positive reviews on the Diana RWS 34.
They love its accuracy, power, and fantastic design.
Besides, shooters really emphasize the solid construction of this gun.
It’s excellently fitted and finished and better than most air guns.
For example, one shooter comments that you cannot feel any joint between the buttplate and the stock – evidence that lots of care are taken during the sanding process.
The bluing on this rifle is dark and even, and the overall metal finish is perfect as well.
The aesthetic design makes this gun look very slender, smooth, and beautiful.
That’s not all, many people tell interesting stories about how Diana RWS stands the tests of time.
Those owners have had Diana for 20,30 years and it holds on to its original velocity over the Chrony test after a few decades.
One shooter’s story is about how his friend has used the RWS to shoot squirrels and bats for 15 years
And it continues to do amazingly well under the extreme African climate.
Do you think the lifetime warranty is just for fun?
Nope, one customer somehow managed to bend the barrel into a C shape after 15 years of use
And Diana not only replaced the damaged barrel but also performed the overall checkup and returned it for free!
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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Price
The RWS 34 has a price of about 200 dollars.
It is a reasonable price for a gun that has an attractive design, is hard-hitting, extremely accurate, and can last for decades.
If you are not an air gun collector and just want a one-size-fits-all rifle that gets the job done, this is an excellent choice for the money.
Conclusion
Diana RWS 34 is one of the best air rifles in the market.
RWS is known for standing behind their air gun, their warranty is always viewed as the best in the business, and their well-made rifle sells like hotcakes.
RWS could cheapen up this $200 gun with a lawyer trigger, plastic adjustable rear sight, and crappier wooden finish but they didn’t.
It has an awesome trigger, luxurious fiber optic sight that breeds confidence, and great construction with a beautiful finish.
This is a gun you enjoy bragging about to other shooting pals!
