Making a Feinwerkbau Model 65 Kick like a Mule.

[RobinC]

I used to use my 65 blocked and also on 1380 gms as c/f practice back in the good old days when we shot centre fire. I then bought a Walther LP53 specificaly for centre fire practice.
I did also try it recently and the scores were fairly similar as long as the concentration was on technique, I don't think the recoil was as fierce as the LP53.
All good fun.
Robin

[Garvin]

I've never seen a mod 65 advertised with this sort of damage to the main frame (out of many hundreds for sale over the years on eGun, including 'parts' guns) and I'd be surprised if the 65 wasn't up to repeated use with the anti-recoil mechanism blocked. I suspect the feature was dropped on the model 80 more because by the late '70s/early '80s, competition for that market was hotting up and the cost/competition downsides of including it were too great.

[zooma]

Thanks for your replies to my thread question everyone.

These Model 65's are getting to be quite old ladies now, and they may not appreciate being shaken about quite so much as when they were younger - but I will give it a try for the MPL series as it still looks like it could be the best possible choice as a recoiling match pistol....but I will be keeping an eye on it - just in case!

[Garvin]

Another thought occurs - didn't FWB keep making the mod 65 with recoil option well after the 80 was discontinued? More evidence there was no frame weakness perhaps...

[I. J.]

Sod the pistols 'frame weaken'.

I'm delicate you know.

ATB
Ian

[zooma]

Another thought occurs - didn't FWB keep making the mod 65 with recoil option well after the 80 was discontinued? More evidence there was no frame weakness perhaps...

Yes that is very true - the Model 65 continued to be available alongside the Model 80 for some time during the 70's when I bought them both from new ( not together I hasten to add - but over a couple of years or so).

[zooma]

I have found one of the higher front sight blades for use on a Model 65 with the blocking plate.

Does anyone have one of the little sqaure shaped blocking plates and screws by any chance?

I have a Feinwerkbau workshop manual from 1978 and it shows the blocking plate as part number 16.015.1 and the screw to hold it as part number 16.016.1

Anybody.......?

[Garvin]

Yes that is very true - the Model 65 continued to be available alongside the Model 80 for some time during the 70's when I bought them both from new ( not together I hasten to add - but over a couple of years or so).

I checked back in my FWB info folder and found a post by Joe "Jeweller" Tousignant with an email from Feinwerkbau Westinger & Altenburger GmbH, dated June 2001, saying:

The FEINWERKBAU air-pistols Mod. 65 were produced
from 1965 - 1998, the air-pistols Mod. 80 from
1977 - 1986 and the air-pistols Mod. 90 from 1982
- 1992.

Another FWB email said:

From air-pistol Mod. 65 we produced approx.
145.000 pcs.,
from air-pistol Mod. 80 approx. 48.000 pcs.,
from air-pistol Mod. 90 approx. 20.000 pcs.

I have one of the blocking plates and screw somewhere (not for sale) which I can dig it out if you want pics/dimensions etc?

[zooma]

I checked back in my FWB info folder and found a post by Joe "Jeweller" Tousignant with an email from Feinwerkbau Westinger & Altenburger GmbH, dated June 2001, saying:

The FEINWERKBAU air-pistols Mod. 65 were produced
from 1965 - 1998, the air-pistols Mod. 80 from
1977 - 1986 and the air-pistols Mod. 90 from 1982
- 1992.

Another FWB email said:

From air-pistol Mod. 65 we produced approx.
145.000 pcs.,
from air-pistol Mod. 80 approx. 48.000 pcs.,
from air-pistol Mod. 90 approx. 20.000 pcs.

I have one of the blocking plates and screw somewhere (not for sale) which I can dig it out if you want pics/dimensions etc?

Thanks for the production info - I had no idea the production period for the Model 65 was so long compared to the Model 80 - no wonder there are so few of them compared to the Model 65 - but I am surprised about the number of Model 90 pistols made as I thought they were deemed to be a bit of a flop - but then they did take 10 years just to make 20,000 so I guess the sales could be described as "steady".

The blocking plate pictures with dimensions would be interesting as it should be simple enough to make a replica - but I would like to know the length of the supplied screw and the thickness of the plate to see how much screw thread was held in the casting.