FEINWERKBAU SPORT and the ANSCHUTZ 335

[craigy]

ive got a fienwerkbau sport 127 gettin fixed at the moment wasmy first air rifle when i was 14 m7y dad got it me not realising that it was abit saufght after when in mint condition i think hepayed about 40 pound for it.

[jonnyone]

I think if you are to compare both the '335 and the Sport against one another, then you need to set some criteria. Are you for example comparing them as sporting air rifles or general plinkers?

I own 3 Sports and 3 335s. I think that for sporting use, then you need to tinker with the '335 a tad to get it nearer 12 ft llbs (especially in .177). I have done this to 2 of the 3 335s I have. They achieve 12ft llbs pretty easy but do lose some smoothness- its a trade off that must be accepted. A professional tune by one of the top tuning houses may achieve the 12 ft llbs a bit smoother however.

The Sport on the other hand achieves the limit with ease and can maintain smooth firing cycle to boot.

Accuracy wise, I think there is very little between the two rifles- but I would say that if it came down to it, the 335 would just take things in the accuracy stakes.

The 335 does have an extremely good breech lock up, which of course is an area that older Sports can suffer due to wear. On the down side, as Ian suggested above, the 335 does have an Achilles heel as regards to the lug welds on the rear fixing bracket. Take it from someone who has witnessed one of these failures first hand- it can be quite harmful to both rifle and more so the operator!

I have 2 of the 3 335s of mine converted to ptfe heads and this does release power, but as stated above its at a slight cost of smoothness. Consistency is improved however.

Bottom line is that if going hunting, I reach for the Sport. If going for a fun plink and hopefully to shoot some nice tight groupings, I take the 335. As I do more of the former than latter, the Sport just edges this rifle in my books.

Dave

[Muskett]

I have shooting two 124's and a late 335 .177 and a Omega .22. My Sports are old school and new school basic tar and molly tuned. Both untuned, the Omega is the most twangy followed by the 335 (a tune job in the new year).
For springers they all shoot extremely accurately and you feel they want too. However, all of them are hold sensitive and will throw pellets out of a cluster by 1/2 an inch without hesitation. The Anschutz lags behind in power noticeably but is only 5m behind in practical ranges.
All the triggers are good to fair but not a Record. The Anschutz the lightest, the Sport more predictable and the Omega I'll have to leave as I haven't shot mine enough to decide.
Stock ergonomics the Omega is hard to beat for a full sized rifle, just superb. The Sport MKIII later deluxe stock is my favorite but then I've used it for ever. The early Sports stocks and weight were perfect for a hunting rifle. The Anschutz are as already said a bit slaby, and the stamped chequering and finish poor in comparison. Looks wise the Omega a Sport are equals; shame no walnut and they all look best with full length barrels.
They all take scopes well with arrestor studs. Open sights off the Anschutz is the only one I couldn't find a screw hole cover.
They all cock smoothly without much effort and non are exactly heavy weights.

The HW 77 does shoot better but then weighs a ton. HW 80 should be better but isn't. Theobens are on par if not has the slightest edge on overall performance. I don't own an Air Arms Pro Sport which is the rifle I most want to compare all the above with.

Nearly all .22LR will beat the pants off a spring air rifle because the bullet is out of the barrel so much faster. All 12/ftlbs air rifles take an age to get the pellet out which make it so much more challenging.

[pennineway.fswo]

Before those awful PCP's came along, the FT shoots in Yorkshire used to include as a side shoot, a 50 yard- 20 shot competition on paper targets

At the time I owned both the FWB127 and an Anschutz 335 also in .22

The FWB had 2 ftlbs more energy than the 335, but the 335 was the gun I always chose for this competition and picked up quite a few gongs. Better trigger and it held its zero because of the better engineered breech.

The FWB on the other hand (at close on 12 ftlbs) was first choice for hunting

I can't comment on the Omega. My brother in law had (and still has) a .22 Omega that he won in a 'spot the difference' AGW competition. He never impressed me with its accuracy but perhaps he was just a ####*p shot and so I never bought one

John

[hwvixen]

Many many moons ago....probably nearly thirty,I had gone down to my local club shoot (Stour Vale Woodsmen) for the weekly "shoot" & was drawn to go around the circuit with the then British champ at that time.Can't remember his name,but nice bloke.I had the collecting bug even then & went around with a Webley Supertarget...he used his FT FWB 127 (I think?) don't think it was a 124.Needless to say...he shot the pants off me...mind you,I never was a very good shot!As far as I can remember from what he told me,the FWB was standard except for the trigger being "worked on"

Does anyone remember what his name was..?He must have been one of the very first British champs?

Wouldn't it be interesteing in seeing a list of the British FT champs & what guns they used from it's very earliest beginings...does anyone have such a list?You would get an insight to when PCP's took over from the springers...

Very interesting post by the way.

[Hsing-ee]

Does anyone remember what his name was..?He must have been one of the very first British champs?

Probably Ian Law. He started out with a FWB300S and then realised that the 6ft/lb power was not great for a windy day and for the 45 yard targets so he got a FWB Sport.

The most common rifles in the very early days amongst the winners were the FWB Sport and the Original 45, some HW35s as well. There are lists of the guns used in the AGWs of the time, ask IJ to post them up. This was in the days before the HW80 and HW77. One shoot I went to saw John Whiscombe with his early prototype rifle made of two BSA Mercury cylinders welded together!

[I. J.]

I have been tempted to put in the HW50 spring and increase power but I would hate to lose the smoothness.

Mike95

I was also tempted to increase the power of one of my HW55s and went down the bigger spring, nylon piston head route (from the original leather head). I wasn't brave enough to alter the transfer port size. I didn't like the end result. For the very small increase in power I had increased the recoil and lost some of the accuracy.
Didn't Weihrauch produce another full power break barrel rifle with a barrel locking system ?

Looks wise the Omega a Sport are equals; shame no walnut and they all look best with full length barrels.

Yes, a real shame.

ATB
Ian

[hwvixen]

I.J. you are a real temptress...I would give my right ballcock to have a peep into your "airgun room"....what wonders one would see.!

I (pre Xmas) toast your enthusiasm & love of all things twangy..

[coburn]

The winner is the HW80. I had a mate who had had a 335 for years. Two weeks after shooting my 80 he went out a bought one as a replacement for the 335.

Oh I am suprised no one has mentioned the superb BSF S70 in this thread, surely a contender. I agree about the HW55 though, the thinking mans air rifle.

[mallyally]

The winner is the HW80. I had a mate who had had a 335 for years. Two weeks after shooting my 80 he went out a bought one as a replacement for the 335.

Oh I am suprised no one has mentioned the superb BSF S70 in this thread, surely a contender. I agree about the HW55 though, the thinking mans air rifle.

no one mentioned a BSF s70 ( or HW 80)
because the original poster didnt ask about those models
the BSF is a cool gun IMO but the 80 is just a lump and not in the same league as the others
and dont even start me on the pro sport ( had one hate them )

[I. J.]

The winner is the HW80. I had a mate who had had a 335 for years. Two weeks after shooting my 80 he went out a bought one as a replacement for the 335.

The HW80 is better for F.A.C. Why have all that power potential and extra weight when the '85/95 provides the same but lighter.

no one mentioned a BSF s70 ( or HW 80)
because the original poster didnt ask about those models
the BSF is a cool gun IMO but the 80 is just a lump and not in the same league as the others
and dont even start me on the pro sport ( had one hate them )

Agreed. Move over MALLY - make room for me in the bomb shelter.

ATB
Ian

[hwvixen]

Thanks Hsing-ee,
Guess that was the geeza...I did hear many years later that someone had bought a secondhand FWB with an inscription plate on it saying it had been that very gun...but I suppose it could have been a tale...?Dave & Ivan were experimenting at the time with HW55T's & BSF's from what I can remember...?They were good times...wished I'd kept all my Venoms from those early days.!

[Gareth W-B]

I don't own an Air Arms Pro Sport which is the rifle I most want to compare all the above with.

I do and, without wanting to upset the apple cart I don't favour it over my tuned Sports or Omega. .

don’t even start me on the pro sport (had one hate them)

Agreed. Move over MALLY -- make room for me in the bomb shelter.

Sorry I.J. and Mally my friends, but I own a ProSport .177, and although I don't like Air Arms as a company, I have to say I rate it very highly. It performs perfectly and is incredibly accurate and over the last three month since buying it off Paddy, has become my second favourite sub 12ft.lb springer after my Omega (and just ahead of my aforementioned .177 LG335 ). No good for stalking however, as are a pig to load on the move (unlike a good old fashioned break-barrel), although the weight that people always moan about does not bother me a jot . Now where is that bunker you mentioned as am about to cudgel my way in and getcha . Ha ha ha. Atb: G.

[RustyBuzz]

Many many moons ago....probably nearly thirty,I had gone down to my local club shoot (Stour Vale Woodsmen) for the weekly "shoot" & was drawn to go around the circuit with the then British champ at that time.Can't remember his name,but nice bloke.I had the collecting bug even then & went around with a Webley Supertarget...he used his FT FWB 127 (I think?) don't think it was a 124.Needless to say...he shot the pants off me...mind you,I never was a very good shot!As far as I can remember from what he told me,the FWB was standard except for the trigger being "worked on"

Does anyone remember what his name was..?He must have been one of the very first British champs?

Wouldn't it be interesteing in seeing a list of the British FT champs & what guns they used from it's very earliest beginings...does anyone have such a list?You would get an insight to when PCP's took over from the springers...

Very interesting post by the way.

I think that person may have been me, I don’t remember much about that day but we went to a couple of stour vale club shoots at the invitation of BT, and I did once shoot a good round there with a 127. Ian Law shot a 124 never a 127 so I don’t think it could have been him. Rex Brown had a beautiful 127 but suffered from nose bleeds north of Watford. If it was myself, “hello, nice to hear from you after 25 years?”

The 124 is a remarkable rifle, but not everyone can get the best out of them. Even some of the best shots, in my experience, just can’t get on with them. Terry Wheeler, for example, won just about everything going with his .22 45 in the early 80’s but just couldn’t master the 124. He saw how successful we were using them and when his source of ammo dried up for his 45, he tried a number of times but something about the 124 didn’t work for him.

As to whether the sport is better than the 335, all I can say is that in my experience yes it is. FT was extremely competitive even in those early pre 77k days and if a rifle gave you any advantage it would have been used. It’s a matter of fact that the 335, as good as it is was never used with any great success. In that small but wonderful window of time before the 77 swept all before it, the 124 was king and the dominant prize winner at national level.

Long live the king!

Richard

[BTDT]

Does anyone remember what his name was..?He must have been one of the very first British champs?

It would have been Richard (RustyBuzz). He was ace on tin chickens, but went completely to pieces when faced with a Worcestershire rabbit.

As to whether the sport is better than the 335, all I can say is that in my experience yes it is. FT was extremely competitive even in those early pre 77k days and if a rifle gave you any advantage it would have been used. It’s a matter of fact that the 335, as good as it is was never used with any great success. In that small but wonderful window of time before the 77 swept all before it, the 124 was king and the dominant prize winner at national level.

Long live the king!

Richard

I don't remember the 335 being used by anybody much in contention because of the low power, Richard. By the time we'd made the power respectable, the HW77 had arrived.

Having shot both the 335 and a 127 recently, I'd say that the better of the two is the one that better suits the individual shooter.