Registered User
It definitely recoils, but nicely. once I’d put a hundred pellets through it settled down to a nice ‘crack’:Originally Posted by Vernal
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.
may also be employed in conjunction with a drawn reciprocation dingle arm, to reduce sinusoidal repleneration
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.
Registered User
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.
Dodgy Diana User
Agree with everything Muskett said. Had my first Sport in 82, and have owned at least one ever since.
may also be employed in conjunction with a drawn reciprocation dingle arm, to reduce sinusoidal repleneration
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.
Registered User
I agree, the more efficient new seals available often push the power over the limit when fitted to rifles with the original FWB springs.
Dodgy Diana User
You guys have a point there. The 124/127 was always a 13-14 ft-lbs rifle, slightly throttled back for the U.K.
Nails Mc Fugger
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 workin fact sometimes you struggle to get them under 12
Registered User
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.
Basherati
What to do with a FWB 124 .... easy sell it to meit 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
Registered User
The fwb sport was a nice gun but it was nothing special I've owned many over the years it had its faults and to be fair the barrel lock up was piss poor its trigger unit was average at best its plastic sights are rubbish and the recoil was not good if you could shoot one in the day accurately you were a superstar a modern day lightweight Springer in the same class say a hw95 or hw99s are far superior in all departments ie build quality trigger mech and overall accuracy but the fwb was a pritty gun.
Dave.
Award-winning Airgun Anorak
Agreed Alistair. I've worked on 7 or 8 Sports and this was certainly the case. Except strangely enough for one, owned by the late Ed W, whose Sport I agreed to fettle as part of a deal (for a BSA no.8 sight I think it was).
The rifle had stubbornly refused to go above about 8 ft/lbs, much to Ed's distress. I tried a Maccari sping, a Maccari seal, a Maccari Arctic spring, FWB factory seal and spring, polishing the piston and cylinder, etc etc. I just couldn't get more power whatever I did and finally had to admit defeat!
Vintage Airguns Gallery
..Above link posted with permission from Gareth W-B
In British slang an anorak is a person who has a very strong interest in niche subjects.
Registered User
yup 100%. The only one I ever had that didn't make good power (as you know), was one fitted with an undersize Maccari piston seal. A properly sized seal was fitted and more than enough power was available
Always looking for any cheap, interesting, knackered "project" guns. Thanks, JB.
Registered User
Well, an enormous amount of advice, and thank you very much to everyone who has contributed. The one thing that i am absolutely convinced of after reading it all is that I shall not be disappointed that I have at last achieved the status of "Sport owner". It seems that I can't go far wrong if I try an original spring and seal, and if I don't like the result at least I shall have a base to work from in trying other measures, so I will give that a whirl to start with. As I said, I should like to keep it within the spirit of its time if possible - I wonder what tinkery new owners in the seventies did to improve it? And, not that i can work to their standard, but what was done to an Airmasters tuned one?
Registered User
Another class airgun at the time was the original 45 it was a great airgun had it all it was strong accurate decent trigger good barrel and even though it used a similar ball detent breech lock up system as the sport it took a lot more force to open than a sport which if a fly landed on the barrel it would open the 45's only downside was it was an ugly mother.
Dave.
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