Feinwekbau 300S?

[Agentum]

FWB 300S that cam in the early 70s and was made into the end of the 90s really even if on order in the end.

This imo was the best massmanufactured springer ever built, very high quality parts and walnutstock on most, even if it is painted originally, they did not choose the best parts or something but i guess there was a reason to choose walnut even for an 10m matchgun.

This aitgun have a special thing, it can be tuned for more Power than what they had, that put it aside over other recoiless springers like Diana 75 (complicated giss system) or Ancshutz LG380 (a very short cylinder to ger a faster locktoime).

The 300s also has a real matchtrigger, better than some PCPs even of today and a lot better than any modern springers, Rekord or CD is good triggers but can't touch the FWB at all.

Here in Sweden we have a limit of 7.4FPE for not having to get a license for a airgun so here it is common as a Maccari spring easy takes it up to that and even some more without it loosing anything.

But taking it up to 12FPE is not possible, the triggerhook will not be safe and probably break.

Some has made them work at 9.6FPE.(but that would then be a licensegun here).
In targetshooting i Think these guns is as good as any PCP in the same Power really, and BR and FT competitions had have a lot of them as they is plenty and quite cheap today.

But in UK, has these old matchrifles any following at all? i mean they can't get the Power you use for FT, and i guess all of you in that game shoots with PCPs not any springers?

Just out of curiosity.

[Hsing-ee]

Yes, lots of people love these rifles here. They are a bit under-priced for what they are, as you point out they are superb bit of engineering. A few people have tried to get them uprated, few have got more than 7 fpe out of them although I believe there is a French chap who has got 10 by putting a very strong spring in his.

I had a couple, including the Junior version, which I wish I had not sold.

For your country's laws I cannot think of a better air-rifle. Somewhere on the Beeman website there is advice saying that unless you want a rifle for hunting or FT, buy a Feinwerkbau 300 and it will last forever and give superb accuracy and enjoyment.

Truly a 'classic' spring air-rifle.

[paul4be]

you use for FT, and i guess all of you in that game shoots with PCPs not any springers?

There are a lot of people who shoot FT and HFT with springers

[Hsing-ee]

There are a lot of people who shoot FT and HFT with springers

Sure they use springers but few people would use a FWB 300 in competition as it is in the non-recoilling class and doesn't make enough power relative to the other rifles. It did win one of the early FT competitions in the 80s, Ian Law used one. I think a few American shooters use them for FT.

[paul4be]

Sure they use springers but few people would use a FWB 300 in competition as it is in the non-recoilling class and doesn't make enough power relative to the other rifles. It did win one of the early FT competitions in the 80s, Ian Law used one. I think a few American shooters use them for FT.

Yep, fully agree, just replying to the query about people using PCP's rather than springers in FT

[elewis411]

FWB 300S that cam in the early 70s and was made into the end of the 90s really even if on order in the end.

This imo was the best massmanufactured springer ever built, very high quality parts and walnutstock on most, even if it is painted originally, they did not choose the best parts or something but i guess there was a reason to choose walnut even for an 10m matchgun.

This aitgun have a special thing, it can be tuned for more Power than what they had, that put it aside over other recoiless springers like Diana 75 (complicated giss system) or Ancshutz LG380 (a very short cylinder to ger a faster locktoime).

The 300s also has a real matchtrigger, better than some PCPs even of today and a lot better than any modern springers, Rekord or CD is good triggers but can't touch the FWB at all.

Here in Sweden we have a limit of 7.4FPE for not having to get a license for a airgun so here it is common as a Maccari spring easy takes it up to that and even some more without it loosing anything.

But taking it up to 12FPE is not possible, the triggerhook will not be safe and probably break.

Some has made them work at 9.6FPE.(but that would then be a licensegun here).
In targetshooting i Think these guns is as good as any PCP in the same Power really, and BR and FT competitions had have a lot of them as they is plenty and quite cheap today.

But in UK, has these old matchrifles any following at all? i mean they can't get the Power you use for FT, and i guess all of you in that game shoots with PCPs not any springers?

Just out of curiosity.

Hi there, there are lots of fwb 300 s rifles being used in the uk for bell target use, i have one myself and there must be another 30 at least being used in the bell target league that i shoot in, hundreds if you count all the leagues in the uk. A true legend amongst spring powered air rifles and built to last many many years without any significant problems...Lewis...

[bigtoe01]

An American tuner has taken the 300s to 12fpe with a new comp tube and piston with increased stroke. I have increased the stroke on my 300s now by 10mm which is easy enough additional air to give me 11fpe with a HW55 spring..however I just need a new comp tube now without the ratchet slot fully machined thru the tube to take advantage of the extra stroke I have.

You do NOT need to use huge springs like Maccari has supplied for the 300s, the key is stroke addition.

I have also changed the seal from the piston ring to an O ring setup on mine, this alone gave me 50fps gain with the same stroke, when I maxed the stroke to the edge of the ABT slot I was up over 720fps with 8gr pellets. Im using a spring very similar to a HW55 spring in my 300s. My next experiment will be to machine the piston head further back and size a vortek vac25 seal to fit, this will be not only sized down but also the face will be machined to have way less lost volume...this may push the power a little higher still

My 300s was a german club gun, beach stock which was cracked and heavily pitted action, it however stacks pellets at 40yards...gun cost me 110quid to import from germany ...hence im using it as a test mule. When I have 11fpe from it I will get it blued and search out a new stock. I may even shorten the barrel down to 15inches as I know this will allow some power pickup also.

Awesome guns...everyone should own a 300s

[DoctorBoudreau]

An American tuner has taken the 300s to 12fpe with a new comp tube and piston with increased stroke. I have increased the stroke on my 300s now by 10mm which is easy enough additional air to give me 11fpe with a HW55 spring..however I just need a new comp tube now without the ratchet slot fully machined thru the tube to take advantage of the extra stroke I have.

You do NOT need to use huge springs like Maccari has supplied for the 300s, the key is stroke addition.

I have also changed the seal from the piston ring to an O ring setup on mine, this alone gave me 50fps gain with the same stroke, when I maxed the stroke to the edge of the ABT slot I was up over 720fps with 8gr pellets. Im using a spring very similar to a HW55 spring in my 300s. My next experiment will be to machine the piston head further back and size a vortek vac25 seal to fit, this will be not only sized down but also the face will be machined to have way less lost volume...this may push the power a little higher still

My 300s was a german club gun, beach stock which was cracked and heavily pitted action, it however stacks pellets at 40yards...gun cost me 110quid to import from germany ...hence im using it as a test mule. When I have 11fpe from it I will get it blued and search out a new stock. I may even shorten the barrel down to 15inches as I know this will allow some power pickup also.

Awesome guns...everyone should own a 300s

Does the ratchet slot prohibit the extra travel? I've never had mine apart (only had it a month). Did you fit your O-ring right where the existing metal ring is or did you machine the piston back further and make a new head? I found some places in Germany that sell the spare compression tube and piston for the 300 - would be an interesting project. 11fpe would be wonderful but I'd be pretty happy with 9-10 fpe too. If you'd care to post pictures and measurements I'd love to see how it was done. I have no illusions of taking up the 300 any higher power than 9-11fpe - just a little more oomph would be helpful for benchrest.

-Casey

[NickG]

I bought mine a short while ago, and it shoots superbly, The trigger is the best I have used. I would like it a bit more powerfull but cant bring myself to take it apart, Its so good as it is

[bigtoe01]

Casey

The ratchet slot limits the stroke....moving the piston face back to just past the slot may be ok with the ratchet...you would need to test this.

The 300s piston is very hard, you need to anneal the nose, then you dummy build with no piston ring and buffer and measure up where the face of the piston lands in regards to the ratchet slot. Once you have the piston marked up you machine a new nose for it after machining the existing nose back. The name of the game is to drop the O ring seal just in front of the ratchet slot and have 1mm face on the piston past it...no more.

Machine the front face of the piston to resemble a Walther LGU seal...it aids flow into the TP

One way to fix the nose is to drill into the piston and tap m5, then wind in an m5 rod, then wind on the new nose...this way you can loctite it all up and you get no screw on the face of the piston.

Use a 2mm CS O ring, 20mm ID, 24mm OD.

The nose on my piston is made from Phoshor Bronze.

To give you en example of how much stroke I have achieved when you cock the gun, the side lever comes back near a full 180deg, i had to mod the lever to allow it to do this.

When I get back to the rifle I was considering making a spring loaded peg ABT that sticks out the underside of the stock somehow, not looked at it properly yet, i know the stock ratchet will probably not work right now as the comp tube comes a lot further back.

[DoctorBoudreau]

Casey

The ratchet slot limits the stroke....moving the piston face back to just past the slot may be ok with the ratchet...you would need to test this.

The 300s piston is very hard, you need to anneal the nose, then you dummy build with no piston ring and buffer and measure up where the face of the piston lands in regards to the ratchet slot. Once you have the piston marked up you machine a new nose for it after machining the existing nose back. The name of the game is to drop the O ring seal just in front of the ratchet slot and have 1mm face on the piston past it...no more.

Machine the front face of the piston to resemble a Walther LGU seal...it aids flow into the TP

One way to fix the nose is to drill into the piston and tap m5, then wind in an m5 rod, then wind on the new nose...this way you can loctite it all up and you get no screw on the face of the piston.

Use a 2mm CS O ring, 20mm ID, 24mm OD.

The nose on my piston is made from Phoshor Bronze.

To give you en example of how much stroke I have achieved when you cock the gun, the side lever comes back near a full 180deg, i had to mod the lever to allow it to do this.

When I get back to the rifle I was considering making a spring loaded peg ABT that sticks out the underside of the stock somehow, not looked at it properly yet, i know the stock ratchet will probably not work right now as the comp tube comes a lot further back.

OK, I think I get the picture now. Just to be sure, in the attached picture of a comp tube - which one is the ratchet slot... #1, correct? So essentially if you stroke the piston the face/seal can't come past that.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...300comtube.png

And it appears this is the piece that is "ratcheting" into that slot on the comp tube?

http://www.waffencenter-gotha.de/sho...00S::1388.html

Shown here too: http://www.network54.com/Forum/40594...dd+observation.....

Typing as I think here....after re-reading your post and the one from the vintage forum linked above I think I get it now. Essentially you'd want a solid comp tube without any cutout so the piston can go back further unimpeded. Obviously this eliminates the ABT mechanism. Perhaps a comp tube with the slot further back would work? Or a new ABT ratchet? Or are the dimensions internally just not cut out for that? I'm suspecting not if you are talking about eliminated that slot and attaching some other kind of ABT. I wonder if a TX style one is doable - perhaps on the left side of the action.

[bigtoe01]

Casey, the slot limits the amount of air the piston will compress, so limits the power. My piston comes back over the slot by a fair way but the air it compresses on the whole is wasted...what I do get is faster piston acceleration so it still makes a tad more power when it does start to compress to the transfer port and not out that slot.

yes the bottom wide slot is the ratchet slot, the one on the side is for the cocking lever...that one is fine

im not sure if a slot further back would work, it may just do....i have just done away with the abt on mine for testing etc.

[DoctorBoudreau]

Casey, the slot limits the amount of air the piston will compress, so limits the power. My piston comes back over the slot by a fair way but the air it compresses on the whole is wasted...what I do get is faster piston acceleration so it still makes a tad more power when it does start to compress to the transfer port and not out that slot.

yes the bottom wide slot is the ratchet slot, the one on the side is for the cocking lever...that one is fine

im not sure if a slot further back would work, it may just do....i have just done away with the abt on mine for testing etc.

Have you run into any issues with clearances for the cocking groove in the piston? As you shorten the head this could be an issue at the front of the piston?

What's the OD of the comp tube? Any way a 25 mm piston could be fitted or at least 25mm head by boring the comp tube? Maybe I need to keep thinking about a side lever ProSport :-)

[NickG]

Casey, the slot limits the amount of air the piston will compress, so limits the power. My piston comes back over the slot by a fair way but the air it compresses on the whole is wasted...what I do get is faster piston acceleration so it still makes a tad more power when it does start to compress to the transfer port and not out that slot.

yes the bottom wide slot is the ratchet slot, the one on the side is for the cocking lever...that one is fine

im not sure if a slot further back would work, it may just do....i have just done away with the abt on mine for testing etc.

I have not had mine apart, so this may be cods wallop but how about a shallower blind, anti bear trap slot, and trim the peg down, you could fill the slot up with liquid metal to try it. t may end up too shallow to be safe though.

[bigtoe01]

I have not had mine apart, so this may be cods wallop but how about a shallower blind, anti bear trap slot, and trim the peg down, you could fill the slot up with liquid metal to try it. t may end up too shallow to be safe though.

I thought about filling the slot some how, not sure what product to use though, i was considering one of the jb weld products...then i thought why not just fill it with silver solder maybe and hone it gently on the inside.