Feinwerkbau 150 age date please

[zooma]

I have a couple of absolutely mint condition FWB 150 match rifles that I have owned for several years but have no idea when they were manufactured.

The first is a bull barrelled type with the number 40183. This rifle has a black alloy accessory rail fitted for use with a bipod etc (unmarked and never used)

The second is a Tyrolean stock with a standard barrel with the number 7921. This rifle does not have the accessory rail fitted but has a short recess under the front of the stock - thought to be for use with some sort of bolt-on accessory weight ?

If anyone can help with the production dates for these two I would be very pleased to find out just how old they are.

When I bought these two rifles in Germany it was suggested that they had not been used and (surprisingly for me) I have never shot either of them since I have had them - I usually like to exercise all of my collectable rifles but these two have been kept "precious" in a rifle rack in my office.

This will change as I am going to take them to RMTC and shoot them both ( maybe not on the same night) as I think they need some exercise!

I will be taking a couple of beer towels with me to put underneath them when I rest in-between shots as I don't want to mark them in any way - but I really do want to shoot them and enjoy them before I have to sell one of them sometime in the future.

[18 Wheeler]

Mod.150 DoM estimates:
7921...late 1964
40183...mid 1968

The fore end cutout is indeed for an accessory weight (photo of my 150T), it looks a little unfinished, but that is how they left the factory. You can see the same in the always excellent Vintage Airgun Gallery.

Frakor also added the relevant page of the manual to this AVA thread (scroll 1/2 way down the page) showing the two versions of this weight and the extra weight which fits inside the fore end for those rifles with the appropriate cut out. Page 2 of the thread also has photos of both items. HTH

[Wadhill1]

Modell 150

FWB 150 -- 0620 -- ?

FWB 150 -- 2624 -- 10/63

FWB 150 -- 4732 -- 4/64

FWB 150 -- 5769 -- 6/64

FWB 150 -- 5857 -- 6/64

FWB 150 -- 6451 -- 7/64

FWB 150 -- 6776 -- 8/64

FWB 150 -- 8971 -- 1/65

FWB 150 -- 12337 -- 6/65

FWB 150 -- 13141 -- 8/65

FWB 150 -- 15759 -- 12/65

FWB 150 -- 16279 -- 1/66

FWB 150 -- 17623 -- 3/66

FWB 110 -- 22667 -- (ohne Rücklauf)

FWB 150 -- 31257 -- 11/67

FWB 150 -- 32660 -- 1/68

FWB 110 -- 32905 -- (ohne Rücklauf)

FWB 150 -- 35795 -- 4/68

FWB 150 -- 36601 -- 4/68

FWB 150 -- 41035 -- 10/68

FWB 150 -- 41597 -- 10/68


HTH
Charles

[zooma]

Mod.150 DoM estimates:
7921...late 1964
40183...mid 1968

The fore end cutout is indeed for an accessory weight (photo of my 150T), it looks a little unfinished, but that is how they left the factory. You can see the same in the always excellent Vintage Airgun Gallery.

Frakor also added the relevant page of the manual to this AVA thread (scroll 1/2 way down the page) showing the two versions of this weight and the extra weight which fits inside the fore end for those rifles with the appropriate cut out. Page 2 of the thread also has photos of both items. HTH

Thanks for the info! ...and the superb pictures of your 150T .

My 150T looks exactly like yours but with two small differences:

The fore end cut-out is varnished like the rest of the stock - yours looks like the varnish has been removed or maybe it was masked-off during the finishing process to give a better fit for the accessory weight? Perhaps this was a slight difference in the stock finishing that changed with the manufacturing year?

My 150T does not have the "bull barrel" but the standard (lighter weight) barrel - although my 1968 rifle (not a Tyrolean) does have exactly the same bull barrel as yours!

Can you let me know if your 150T is a newer or earlier model to my own please? I am assuming they made both barrel types throughout the production life of the 150 models depending on the order book?

[18 Wheeler]

...The fore end cut-out is varnished like the rest of the stock - yours looks like the varnish has been removed or maybe it was masked-off during the finishing process to give a better fit for the accessory weight? Perhaps this was a slight difference in the stock finishing that changed with the manufacturing year?

...Can you let me know if your 150T is a newer or earlier model to my own please? I am assuming they made both barrel types throughout the production life of the 150 models depending on the order book?

Cutout: The 150 I owned moved to a new home a couple of years ago. I refinished the stock, but do remember that the cutout was unfinished and judging from the main areas of inletting that looked to be its original condition.

It was a 1966 model, #20068 iirc.

To the best of my knowledge sleeved and unsleeved (2lb weight difference) barrels were available throughout production. They are fixed, not removable like those on most match rifles. Presumably easier to manufacture, whilst the sledge system would necessitate a more robust system than on other makes of recoilling rifle?

There are some handy links at the end of post #1 in my FWB 150 thread. Including a more up to date serial number list with acknowledgements.

HTH