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Thread: Actual performance of the Fawke 80, 90 Rifle?

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    Actual performance of the Falke 80, 90 Rifle?

    Been reading my newly acquired 1957 copy of W. H. B. Smith’s book on Airguns. Fasinating thing about this book in the back he is testing many of the guns of this time and they are new and unaltered by years of potential repair and change. It’s interesting that he tests the Falke 90 in .177 and he was surprised that the power averaged only 585 fps? Given these are so rare and probably collected more than shot does anyone have a similar or different experience?
    Last edited by 45flint; 24-04-2018 at 10:56 PM.

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    They do more than that, they are about a 9 fpe gun in .177, or about 720 fps. I think with the right spring and maybe a nylon piston head conversion it will do 11. It is basically a heavy duty, better quality version of the Airsporter with a much nicer trigger and an elm stock.

    If you look through Smith's book the velocity readings are consistently down on what you would expect from the rifles. I think he has the HW35 (might be wrong) shooting .22 pellets at 490 fps. The Falke has a leather piston head which can take many thousands of pellets to size properly, this might have reduced the power . The accuracy is way down as well, this was not a typical example he was using.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hsing-ee View Post
    They do more than that, they are about a 9 fpe gun in .177, or about 720 fps. I think with the right spring and maybe a nylon piston head conversion it will do 11. It is basically a heavy duty, better quality version of the Airsporter with a much nicer trigger and an elm stock.

    If you look through Smith's book the velocity readings are consistently down on what you would expect from the rifles. I think he has the HW35 (might be wrong) shooting .22 pellets at 490 fps. The Falke has a leather piston head which can take many thousands of pellets to size properly, this might have reduced the power . The accuracy is way down as well, this was not a typical example he was using.
    They didn’t have 7 grain Hobbys back then? Maybe I missed it but for all his testing and measurements etc. I don’t see him mentioning pellet weight?
    Last edited by 45flint; 24-04-2018 at 12:31 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by 45flint View Post
    They didn’t have 7 grain Hobbys back then? Maybe I missed it but for all his testing and measurements etc. I don’t see him mentioning pellet weight?
    No they didn't have any good pellets at all back then.

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    1. Smith wrote a great book, but, a bit like Wesley, I think you have to take some of his findings with a pinch of salt. Especially when they don't match later research.

    2. However, this is a helpful reminder that the much-sought-after Falke may trade more on its rarity than its performance. A similar effect may apply to the BSF S54 in comparison to other contemporary underlevers that sold for longer in larger numbers, like the D50, Airsporter, MkIII. Let alone the ultra-rare Anschutz sporter version of the Hakim. In collecting, more desirable does not always equal better.

    3. Very open to views from others, but as I see it, almost all pellets until the 60s were indifferent (posh word for bad).

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    Quote Originally Posted by Geezer View Post
    1. Smith wrote a great book, but, a bit like Wesley, I think you have to take some of his findings with a pinch of salt. Especially when they don't match later research.

    2. However, this is a helpful reminder that the much-sought-after Falke may trade more on its rarity than its performance. A similar effect may apply to the BSF S54 in comparison to other contemporary underlevers that sold for longer in larger numbers, like the D50, Airsporter, MkIII. Let alone the ultra-rare Anschutz sporter version of the Hakim. In collecting, more desirable does not always equal better.

    3. Very open to views from others, but as I see it, almost all pellets until the 60s were indifferent (posh word for bad).
    Just finishing reading a review of the BSF S54
    https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2006...r-of-the-past/

    Seems these quality guns in the 1950s weren’t in a speed competition, it’s what I find charming about my early Diana 50. Beautiful heavy quality gun doesn’t have to strain to give you power you rarely need. Different era when Chronys were in Universities.

  7. #7
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    Falke FKN brochure

    This is an description of FKN (Fernkauf Nord - arms-dealer in the 50ies).
    It says below:

    "deadly shot on a small raptor up to 55 m possible"

    As a owner, I do not doubt that.

    https://sta.sh/0whjd26pkgw


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    Quote Originally Posted by aimless View Post
    This is an description of FKN (Fernkauf Nord - arms-dealer in the 50ies).
    It says below:

    "deadly shot on a small raptor up to 55 m possible"

    As a owner, I do not doubt that.

    https://sta.sh/0whjd26pkgw

    I am a bit fascinated by that 50s period when German airguns were in significant part branded to dealers (FKN, Burgo, etc) rather than their manufacturers, wondering how that came about and then how it changed.

    Sign of the times that "small raptors" (merlin?) were regarded as legit quarry. Also, I thought German law (maybe later laws?) did not allow airguns to be used at all for pest (or in the case of "small raptors", "pest") control? Interesting. When did that change?

    And, finally, reliable 55 metre kills on quarry with a iron-sighted 10-11 ft-lbs springer? Nope. Just not going to happen, even with a Venom tuned custom HW77 with a 24x scope.

    Similar to some British adverts, like the original Webley claim that the MkII Service had an "effective range" of 80 yards. Which was only true if the measurement of "effective" was, after some experimentation with sight settings, putting most pellets onto a packing crate, rather than precisely through a small mammal's cranium.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Geezer View Post
    Sign of the times that "small raptors" (merlin?) were regarded as legit quarry. Also, I thought German law (maybe later laws?) did not allow airguns to be used at all for pest (or in the case of "small raptors", "pest") control? Interesting. When did that change?

    And, finally, reliable 55 metre kills on quarry with a iron-sighted 10-11 ft-lbs springer? Nope. Just not going to happen, even with a Venom tuned custom HW77 with a 24x scope.
    I think the translation is a bit loose. My google translate burped out 'small predators', I think it may be that the German word is not a direct match for 'predator', and that might be similar to that for vermin i.e. things that prey on human foodstuffs etc rather than meat-eaters like snakes and lions, so I think it might be that the Germans were suggesting that it could kill rats and mice at 55 yards. The German for main-spring in an airgun translates to 'feather'!

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