Bonehead BBS

[Hsing-ee]

Three rifles that are consistently undervalued:

The Feinwerkbau 300-series recoilless springer. Possibly the finest fixed-barrel non-hunting air-rifle ever made. Consistently changes hands slowly and at a far lower price than heaps of utter, utter rubbish.

The Walther LV55. Possibly the finest non-hunting recoilling springer. As above.

The Baikal IJ38. A sturdy, well engineered springer for juniors or beginners that is extraordinary good value, yet sells far more slowly than C02-powered crepe suzette at twice the price and half the quality.

Buy quality kit, don't be a bonehead!

[Topi]

The Feinwerkbau 300-series recoilless springer. Possibly the finest fixed-barrel non-hunting air-rifle ever made. Consistently changes hands slowly and at a far lower price than heaps of utter, utter rubbish.

They are very popular in Germany, due to their bomb-proof reliability. (And the fact that in Germany the power limit for licese-free air guns is at 7.5 Joules, i.e. what a 10 m air rifle puts out, thus making used match rifles a good choice for plinking as well.) However, even in Germany an FWB 300 in good condition can usually be found for much less than a normal, recoiling springer.

BTW, anybody tried the Chinese, Tech Force-branded FWB 300 copy?

The Walther LV55. Possibly the finest non-hunting recoilling springer. As above.

You lost me here. I don't know this model.

Do you mean the LGV or the LG55 or LGV/55?

Cheers,

-Topi

[I. J.]

The Baikal IJ38. A sturdy, well engineered springer for juniors or beginners that is extraordinary good value, yet sells far more slowly than C02-powered crepe suzette at twice the price and half the quality.

Buy quality kit, don't be a bonehead!

Once again Im in total agreement. (This must stop). The club had a IJ38 donated to them many years ago. Since then it has done sterling service at various side shoots (it has no sights fitted ) and the only maintenance the occasional wipe over with an oily rag.

Mind you. It goes without saying that anything with 'I.J.' in its title is bound to be great.

ATB
Ian

[Gareth W-B]

Mind you. It goes without saying that anything with 'I.J.' in its title is bound to be great.

... Yep, without saying ...

[rockdrill]

The Feinwerkbau 300-series recoilless springer. Possibly the finest fixed-barrel non-hunting air-rifle ever made. Consistently changes hands slowly and at a far lower price than heaps of utter, utter rubbish.

Don't go spreading it around, otherwise we won't be able to pick up any more quality bargains...

[Sam Vimes]

I've mucked about with the FWB 300 and agree that it's a stunning rifle. However, I suspect that I'm one of many that will never buy one or have any use for one, which is why prices are relatively low. It's almost no use whatsoever at an outdoor club, a bit of plinking perhaps. No good for HFT or FT and absolutely out of the question for hunting.
The mad keen 10m shooters are only likely to use them on nostalgia trips or perhaps as a beginner's/club loan rifle. Maybe if bell target really makes a come back then perhaps it'll find a niche. Otherwise, this and other similar fine rifles are destined to be undervalued pieces until the out and out collectors deem them old enough and worthy enough to push the prices back up.

[Stuart_B]

Bought a 300s a short while ago. Its a bit pitted, the stock has seen better days but it was given a new re-seal before I bought it. Its just such an accurate gun to shoot it surprises me every time I use it. Plus there's something about a non recoiling springer that appeals to me Quality peace of kit.

[Muskett]

No use to anyone outdoors. Too heavy for youngsters to plink with Totally outclassed by more modern target rifles Plenty, in outstanding condition

So, no real value. Can't see that fact changing.

[rockdrill]

I've mucked about with the FWB 300 and agree that it's a stunning rifle. However, I suspect that I'm one of many that will never buy one or have any use for one, which is why prices are relatively low. It's almost no use whatsoever at an outdoor club, a bit of plinking perhaps. No good for HFT or FT

I used to have the same opinion, until I bought one.

As standard it wasn't spectacular, but with the addition of a Maccari kit the rifle was somewhat improved, with a power hovering around 7.5ft.lbs. It is surprising how effective this is on an FT course. On the zeroing range it knocks down and resets 55yard targets no problem and the groups at long range are very good.

I now have several FWB300's, the best one to date is my Universal, re-sprung with a POK spring this one gives a consistent 695fps +/-5fps for a steady 9ft.lbs with JSB's (the rifle still works within its design capability and doesn't use the entirety of the recoil sledge track). In fact I am confident enough in this one to start using it for FT in the SWEFTA league shoots next year.

http://www.airrifle.co.za/picture.ph...pictureid=3888

BTW - Germany and Hungary have classes in FT for low powered rifles and they seem to shoot OK with them.....

[rockdrill]

No use to anyone outdoors.

See my post above.

Too heavy for youngsters to plink with

Guess you haven't seen the FWB300 Junior.

http://www.airrifle.co.za/picture.ph...pictureid=3754

Totally outclassed by more modern target rifles

In ease of operation / convenience yes it has been outclassed by the pcp rifles, but they are still a bloody accurate rifle, from a rest there will be very little in it.

[BSFNUT]

In the late 1970's ASI (then the UK FWB importer) claimed a 'world record ' for rabbits shot with an air rifle .

They had an advert running in Guns Review .

The gun ? A FWB 300 using ASI Masterpoint pellets most of which were claimed at ranges up to 25yards - This was at Dunwich, Suffolk.

Food for thought

[BigDuncs]

Plenty of 300s still in use on the 10m circuit.

[Sam Vimes]

I used to have the same opinion, until I bought one.

As standard it wasn't spectacular, but with the addition of a Maccari kit the rifle was somewhat improved, with a power hovering around 7.5ft.lbs. It is surprising how effective this is on an FT course. On the zeroing range it knocks down and resets 55yard targets no problem and the groups at long range are very good.

I now have several FWB300's, the best one to date is my Universal, re-sprung with a POK spring this one gives a consistent 695fps +/-5fps for a steady 9ft.lbs with JSB's (the rifle still works within its design capability and doesn't use the entirety of the recoil sledge track). In fact I am confident enough in this one to start using it for FT in the SWEFTA league shoots next year.

http://www.airrifle.co.za/picture.ph...pictureid=3888

BTW - Germany and Hungary have classes in FT for low powered rifles and they seem to shoot OK with them.....

Dale,
iirc the one I used was a running boar which was POK! resprung and doing around 9ft.lb. However, as nice as it was, there won't be many that would seriously use one for FT/HFT. I certainly wouldn't and I doubt that 95% would even contemplate using a rifle, no matter how good, running at that level. Besides, I suspect that you might just about qualify as one of those collectors/enthusaists that I was talking about!

[rockdrill]

However, as nice as it was, there won't be many that would seriously use one for FT/HFT. I certainly wouldn't and I doubt that 95% would even contemplate using a rifle, no matter how good, running at that level.

I suspect that there are a lot of people who automatically take that view because we do seem to be conditioned to a certain idea, rather than experiencing something different.......

[Sam Vimes]

I suspect that there are a lot of people who automatically take that view because we do seem to be conditioned to a certain idea, rather than experiencing something different.......

I think you may just have a point there. I suspect it's a rather universal one too. There are more than one or two excellent guns out there that are totally ignored by the vast majority for no good reason. I also believe that there are plenty of rifles that sell for little real reason other than hype and fashion. Shooters can be a right fickle bunch. A word or two from the right people can make or break a product. Sometimes they deserve to be pilloried because they really aren't very good but sometimes they should be a success but aren't. I'd put up Theoben gasrams as an almost completely dead horse as far as the cogniscenti are concerned. Webley products, almost no matter what they do, seem to have gone the same way. There have been plenty of others over the years too. I'll decline from naming the supposedly super duper stuff that have been a roaring success.