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Thread: What to do with a FWB Sport 124

  1. #1
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    What to do with a FWB Sport 124

    Ever since I got my 300, I have been an admirer of the sheer quality of FWB, and after I had shot Gary's V-Mached 124 at a Boinger Bash I knew I had to have one. The 124 is not too common, and it has taken me all summer to find one, so I really had to buy the first one I saw advertised. Getting it home, I took stock of what I have got - an early mark 1 with no sights, but a very nicely re-blued barrel and cylinder, a pleasant trigger fitted with a metal blade and a decentish stock which does need a bit of work to remove a few annoying marks, and will probably have to be refinished. The bad news was that it was only producing 9.4 ft lbs, and the firing cycle felt and sounded like a toy train crash, so my initial hopes of not having to dismantle it were scuppered from the start. Inside I found a spring of unknown origin, with only about an inch of preload (a bit of a shock, as I had prepared for about 4 inches) and what I believe to be a Maccari seal fitted to a piston which has rather been through the wars - it has marks which suggest it has been gripped in a vice a few times in its life. Fortunately the marks all seem to be inwards, and have not made any visible scratches on the inside of the cylinder. A simple polish will leave the piston quite usable.

    So what should I do now? Plan A was to restore it to original spec with an original spring and seal, which I thought with its long preload should give a nice soft firing cycle, but I have since been advised, on the very best authority, that the 124 had a reputation as a scope wrecker, which implies an unpleasantly heavy recoil. Plan B is a V-Mach kit, which I know to make a very pleasant gun, but is a long way from the original. But are there other things I could do, or other tuning kits I could use which would let me enjoy the gun without losing the spirit of the original? I am not looking for ultimate performance, I would just like to get pleasure from a fine old lightweight sporting rifle.

    Advice from experienced FWB users would be greatly appreciated.

  2. #2
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    Ive never known a 'Sport in reasonable tune (NOT fitted with a dustbin killer spring ) wreck a scope. The Maccarri Old School mainspring was a lot shorter than the original but it did the job well.

    ATB
    Ian
    Founder & ex secretary of Rivington Riflemen.
    www.rivington-riflemen.uk

  3. #3
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    Hi,
    If you can get an original spring I’d fit it with a replacement seal from John Knibbs.
    I recently bought a 124 in very good condition. I fitted a new seal and kept the original (4’’ of preload) spring, and now it does 11.7ftlbs and is extremely accurate.

    FWB designed these with a long, weak spring for good power with a very easy cocking effort. They shoot really well and I’m of the opinion they should be shot as they were originally designed to be shot, and not tuned with after market kits. (My modern springers are tuned though)

    But that’s just me!

    Enjoy,

    Matt.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by ptdunk View Post
    Hi,
    If you can get an original spring I’d fit it with a replacement seal from John Knibbs.
    I recently bought a 124 in very good condition. I fitted a new seal and kept the original (4’’ of preload) spring, and now it does 11.7ftlbs and is extremely accurate.

    FWB designed these with a long, weak spring for good power with a very easy cocking effort. They shoot really well and I’m of the opinion they should be shot as they were originally designed to be shot, and not tuned with after market kits. (My modern springers are tuned though)

    But that’s just me!

    Enjoy,

    Matt.
    Chambers list an "original" spring and seal - I presume this means they comply with the original spec?

    I like the idea of the original spec, and am glad to hear assurances that it is not likely to be excessively harsh

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Vernal View Post
    Chambers list an "original" spring and seal - I presume this means they comply with the original spec?

    I like the idea of the original spec, and am glad to hear assurances that it is not likely to be excessively harsh
    It definitely recoils, but nicely. once I’d put a hundred pellets through it settled down to a nice ‘crack’:

    https://instagram.com/p/Bjz-RPgn3p0/

    It’s crazy accurate, I won our clubs Classic pre-1986 HFT comp with it with open sights.

    I found it quite tricky to find a sweet spot with the trigger.
    After a lot of adjusting I settled for a quasi-2 stage where the trigger pull ‘thickened’ just prior to let off.
    It’s predictable and works for me.

    Cheers,
    Matt.

  6. #6
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    One thing with old Sports is the trigger sear spring, the one that goes between the sear and the safety. This can become bent and cause an unreliable trigger. Make sure you replace it when you strip the rifle, and if you are a perfectionist, machine up a tiny teeny little guide for it so it doesn't bend.

  7. #7
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    Some time ago I talked to Maccari who was "The Man" on Sports. He basically said that power was more luck than anything! Be happy from anything from 9.5 to 10.5 so long as it was smooth. The reason given was that the Sport was done in batches and each time it depended on what tubes and machining set up was done that month, the early ones being far less easy to get any power out of.

    Whatever the real reason its true that they behave best just smooth, and its difficult to force full power out of them. Others may know and have got them to shoot well and at full power but they are as difficult as the HW35E. Just the way it is.

    The Sports sold very well in both 124 and 127. For collectors there are mint ones to be found. There are plenty of used in every condition, most being just excellent. Many a barrel might not be absolutely straight but that doesn't effect accuracy. Annoyingly every trigger is a tad different and all have some squidge. Bust the safety catch slide and thats trouble as no one does replacements.
    If you desire a mint one then buy one, best to keep them that way. If you want one to shoot any will do, and tuning any which way you like makes no real difference to any sell on price. They are popular and change hands regulary enough, loads to choose from and a bit like buses. Get a good one and they deliver, but all are a bit twitchy and not the most forgiving beingso light weight. Their handerling, pointability is why I love them. If you want something easy get a brick of a HW77/80. Because Sports are flighty they are fun shooting, best shot standing unsupported. Try and tame them by tieing to a bench they are going to give you grief.

    Scope wise a 4x40 for the 127 and a 3-9x40 or 45 for the 124 look and handle best. Apel cross pin mounts look fantastic though Sportsmatch or a one piece will hold the scope securely enough. Most scopes have to be quite far back on the mounts so the rear mount is butted up on the turret block in the middle. They excel within the farmyard though can do a tad further.

    To sum up. I don't think they are worth trying to make "as new" again as there are mint ones to be had. For a shooter just get a tidy one. I do think tinkering and tuning is a worthy exercise but you might not get 11.9ft/lbs. Lots of ways to tune. Original springs and pston seal greens ones tend to work. Anything else can be a bit of a challenge, and luck. To get a tune result might take someone who really knows how to advance tune.

    Anyhow, I just love Sports. However, there are easier rifles to shoot.
    Last edited by Muskett; 22-09-2018 at 08:20 PM.

  8. #8
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    Agree with everything Muskett said. Had my first Sport in 82, and have owned at least one ever since.

  9. #9
    Hsing-ee's Avatar
    Hsing-ee is offline may also be employed in conjunction with a drawn reciprocation dingle arm, to reduce sinusoidal repleneration
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    Quote Originally Posted by Muskett View Post
    Some time ago I talked to Maccari who was "The Man" on Sports. He basically said that power was more luck than anything! Be happy from anything from 9.5 to 10.5 so long as it was smooth. The reason given was that the Sport was done in batches and each time it depended on what tubes and machining set up was done that month, the early ones being far less easy to get any power out of.

    Whatever the real reason its true that they behave best just smooth, and its difficult to force full power out of them. Others may know and have got them to shoot well and at full power but they are as difficult as the HW35E. Just the way it is.

    The Sports sold very well in both 124 and 127. For collectors there are mint ones to be found. There are plenty of used in every condition, most being just excellent. Many a barrel might not be absolutely straight but that doesn't effect accuracy. Annoyingly every trigger is a tad different and all have some squidge. Bust the safety catch slide and thats trouble as no one does replacements.
    If you desire a mint one then buy one, best to keep them that way. If you want one to shoot any will do, and tuning any which way you like makes no real difference to any sell on price. They are popular and change hands regulary enough, loads to choose from and a bit like buses. Get a good one and they deliver, but all are a bit twitchy and not the most forgiving beingso light weight. Their handerling, pointability is why I love them. If you want something easy get a brick of a HW77/80. Because Sports are flighty they are fun shooting, best shot standing unsupported. Try and tame them by tieing to a bench they are going to give you grief.

    Scope wise a 4x40 for the 127 and a 3-9x40 or 45 for the 124 look and handle best. Apel cross pin mounts look fantastic though Sportsmatch or a one piece will hold the scope securely enough. Most scopes have to be quite far back on the mounts so the rear mount is butted up on the turret block in the middle. The excel within the farmyard though can do a tad further.

    To sum up. I don't think they are worth trying to make "as new" again as there are mint ones to be had. for a sgooter just get a tidy one. I do think tinkering and tuning is a worthy exercise but you might not get 11.9ft/lbs. Lots of ways to tune. Original springs and pston seal greens ones tend to work. Anything else can be a bit of a challenge, and luck. To get a tune result might take someone who really knows how to advance tune.

    Anyhow, I just love Sports. However, there are easier rifles to shoot.
    I agree with most of what you say, but the FWB Sport has always been full power and all the ones I have had put out over 11 fpe, some of the .22s were OTT and had to be reigned in. They are REALLY not difficult to get 12 fpe out of and I am surprised both you and Maccari claim this. Ask RustyBuzz, his Dad Dave Welham must have prepped hundreds of them.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hsing-ee View Post
    I agree with most of what you say, but the FWB Sport has always been full power and all the ones I have had put out over 11 fpe, some of the .22s were OTT and had to be reigned in. They are REALLY not difficult to get 12 fpe out of and I am surprised both you and Maccari claim this. Ask RustyBuzz, his Dad Dave Welham must have prepped hundreds of them.
    I agree, the more efficient new seals available often push the power over the limit when fitted to rifles with the original FWB springs.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hsing-ee View Post
    I agree with most of what you say, but the FWB Sport has always been full power and all the ones I have had put out over 11 fpe, some of the .22s were OTT and had to be reigned in. They are REALLY not difficult to get 12 fpe out of and I am surprised both you and Maccari claim this. Ask RustyBuzz, his Dad Dave Welham must have prepped hundreds of them.
    Quote Originally Posted by ptdunk View Post
    I agree, the more efficient new seals available often push the power over the limit when fitted to rifles with the original FWB springs.
    You guys have a point there. The 124/127 was always a 13-14 ft-lbs rifle, slightly throttled back for the U.K.

  12. #12
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    of all the springers I have ever tuned (hundreds ) The sport is the easiest to get 12 ( and over ) Ft Lbs out of with hardly any work in fact sometimes you struggle to get them under 12

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by mallyally View Post
    of all the springers I have ever tuned (hundreds ) The sport is the easiest to get 12 ( and over ) Ft Lbs out of with hardly any work in fact sometimes you struggle to get them under 12
    Agree on the usual power level and chance to exceed the limit.

    But surely the easiest is the HW80, especially as many “legal limit” 80s were sold back in the day making more than 12 ft-lbs? The Webley Tomahawk (21 ft-lbs in FAC trim), AA Pro-Elite and Diana 48/52 and probably the 460 are also in the running.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hsing-ee View Post
    I agree with most of what you say, but the FWB Sport has always been full power and all the ones I have had put out over 11 fpe, some of the .22s were OTT and had to be reigned in. They are REALLY not difficult to get 12 fpe out of and I am surprised both you and Maccari claim this. Ask RustyBuzz, his Dad Dave Welham must have prepped hundreds of them.
    Probably because all bar one of mine have been 124's. 127's might just be easier.
    As pellet placement and accuracy fills the bag then that is what Sports do well; power rather irrelevant.

    Forgot who it is but someone has twenty?? or so?? Wonder if he would know.

  15. #15
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    What to do with a FWB 124 .... easy sell it to me it is a lovely gun Gary has done a good job with his and so has Mally with his I think they've both posted what they did on here somewhere

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