Valuation please, Feinwerkbau FWB 124

[Nige]

Thanks for all the info and suggestions lads
I've already had several offers to buy via PM and to clarify things..
I bought the rifle from a collector in England, Portsmouth to be exact, so it's not a European rifle as such, I simply had it delivered to my house in Spain
Apart from the usual marks, there is definitely no Mk1, Mk11 or any other mark on the breech or anywhere else, I have lost the info somewhere, but shortly after I bought it, I contacted Feinwerkbau with the serial number and was informed that it was a Mk1 from the late 70's, probably 1978, but this cannot be guaranteed or even verified I don't suppose, even so, the rifle is in superb condition and you only have to cock and fire it to tell the quality.

Cheers
Nige

[nice one]

ok they maybe worth what people are prepared to pay but if most had the chose between precharged and a OK antiquated springer i doubt you would get a Penny for it .

[steveyb]

Each to his own I have pre charged and springers and my fav gun is my FWB sport 127 like a swiss watch

[OLD JUD]

ok they maybe worth what people are prepared to pay but if most had the chose between precharged and a OK antiquated springer i doubt you would get a Penny for it .

First and formost this is a valuation thread mate, the OP wants advice on the value of his gun, not negative comments.

The board members do have a free choice between PCP's and springers, and this one is one of the very best, therefore it won't be around for long once the OP has put a price on it.

[mallyally]

I bet even short armed long pocketed MALLY would snap at that one. If it was a leftie I'd have a go.

ATB
Ian

£100 like to see a few come allong at that price

[ken69]

The rifle on it's own has got to be worth at least £250, probably more if someone wants it bad enough. I have 3 FWB's and even with all the little faults consider them to be the best springers I have ever owned. They stand head and shoulders above the likes of anything BSA could offer at the time. I seem to remember a FWB sport stock going on evil bay for £150 not long back.

[red bob]

i have always been of the opinion that every man has the right to pick and choose according to his taste ,but one cant help but notice how some find it neccesary when confronted by an overwhelming body of appreciation [124/127] have to get negative interesting to note the praise for the fwb did not include negativity towards other marks/models ;this i conclude gives an indication of the maturity of the typical fwb owner of which body im pleased to be a member.

[mallyally]

i have always been of the opinion that every man has the right to pick and choose according to his taste ,but one cant help but notice how some find it neccesary when confronted by an overwhelming body of appreciation [124/127] have to get negative interesting to note the praise for the fwb did not include negativity towards other marks/models ;this i conclude gives an indication of the maturity of the typical fwb owner of which body im pleased to be a member.

AMEN to that brother

[Hsing-ee]

ok they maybe worth what people are prepared to pay but if most had the chose between precharged and a OK antiquated springer i doubt you would get a Penny for it .

I sold my PCP and bought two Feinwerkbau Sports. True, it takes more skill to shoot the Sport accurately, but then I don't have to keep a diving cylinder in the flat/car-boot, and it is just less trouble to maintain and own.

Perhaps your childhood memories are influenced by the fact that they are those of a child, i.e. someone with no experience or discernment.

I am sure if you were to handle and use a Feinwerkbau Sport now, with the improved modern pellets, you would recognise what a fine example of the gunmaker's art it is.

If you were to strip one down you would appreciate that the barrel is perfectly rifled, and no suprise here as it is the same one that graces the FWB300, the Olympic match rifle. And you would see the precision-bored cylinder which has been honed to perfection. And the elegant piston that Bonnie & Clyde says is so well made it does not need a rear PTFE bearing.

It is very light for a full power spring gun, only 7lbs, and the cocking pressure is half that of Weihrauchs of similar power. The balance is perfect and it is easily shouldered and brought to aim, making it a pleasure to shoot.

True, there are some faults with the rifle, but these are treatable and minor in nature, most rifles need some tweaking to perfect them.

If a 'mint' or superb condition one comes up for sale for say, £250, then a sensible person might look at what is available in terms of modern offerings. The Weihrauch 99S is slightly cheaper and the Weihrauch 95K is slightly more expensive. They are excellent guns but both are heavier and harder to cock than the FWB. Of course they have the superb Rekord trigger, but many people would still prefer to spend their cash on the FWB in preference to the HWs as it is such a classy little rifle. PCPs don't enter into it.

A decent break-barrel springer is less troublesome and far less expensive than a PCP. A PCP made to the same spec as a FWB Sport would cost at least £400, then there is another £150 for the tank, tenner a fill for the air, yearly maintenance bills for the gun to keep it safe, and all the fun of filling and power-curves to enjoy. The Sport, once it is set up, will shoot consistently with superb accuracy for tens of thousands of shots with nothing more than a little oil on the breech-bolt and breech latch. It's a piece of excellent engineering which would cost about £350 if it was on sale now. And that's why people will pay over the odds for them.

What can one buy for £100 new? A poor-quality Chinese rifle or a cheap CO2 gun. A second-hand Feinwerkbau Sport is in a different league to them, and worth alot more.

[I. J.]

I love this section of the BBS. 39 posts and not one 'you knob head' type comment.

ATB
Ian

[Garvin]

I love this section of the BBS. 39 posts and not one 'you knob head' type comment.

ATB
Ian

You clearly haven't been reading between the lines Ian.

Great post from Hsing-ee. I didn't know Dave B&C had said that about the piston. Interesting, Steve Pope told me he was doubtful about the value of buttoning the FWB Sports.

[edbear2]

I sold my PCP and bought two Feinwerkbau Sports. True, it takes more skill to shoot the Sport accurately, but then I don't have to keep a diving cylinder in the flat/car-boot, and it is just less trouble to maintain and own.

Perhaps your childhood memories are influenced by the fact that they are those of a child, i.e. someone with no experience or discernment.

I am sure if you were to handle and use a Feinwerkbau Sport now, with the improved modern pellets, you would recognise what a fine example of the gunmaker's art it is.

If you were to strip one down you would appreciate that the barrel is perfectly rifled, and no suprise here as it is the same one that graces the FWB300, the Olympic match rifle. And you would see the precision-bored cylinder which has been honed to perfection. And the elegant piston that Bonnie & Clyde says is so well made it does not need a rear PTFE bearing.

It is very light for a full power spring gun, only 7lbs, and the cocking pressure is half that of Weihrauchs of similar power. The balance is perfect and it is easily shouldered and brought to aim, making it a pleasure to shoot.

True, there are some faults with the rifle, but these are treatable and minor in nature, most rifles need some tweaking to perfect them.

If a 'mint' or superb condition one comes up for sale for say, £250, then a sensible person might look at what is available in terms of modern offerings. The Weihrauch 99S is slightly cheaper and the Weihrauch 95K is slightly more expensive. They are excellent guns but both are heavier and harder to cock than the FWB. Of course they have the superb Rekord trigger, but many people would still prefer to spend their cash on the FWB in preference to the HWs as it is their such a classy little rifle. PCPs don't enter into it.

A decent break-barrel springer is less troublesome and far less expensive than a PCP. A PCP made to the same spec as a FWB Sport would cost at least £400, then there is another £150 for the tank, tenner a fill for the air, yearly maintenance bills for the gun to keep it safe, and all the fun of filling and power-curves to enjoy. The Sport, once it is set up, will shoot consistently with superb accuracy for tens of thousands of shots with nothing more than a little oil on the breech-bolt and breech latch. It's a piece of excellent engineering which would cost about £350 if it was on sale now. And that's why people will pay over the odds for them.

What can one buy for £100 new? A poor-quality Chinese rifle or a cheap CO2 gun. A second-hand Feinwerkbau Sport is in a different league to them, and worth alot more.

So.....are they any good then???

[Muskett]

Hsing-ee
Couldn't have said it better myself.

And if you want to learn to become a great rifleman then the FWB is just about the best way to learn good marksmanship principles; which you can then apply to just about anything you can shoot be it a gat gun, 50 cal, or even RPG.

PCP's are modern and great for what they do but are lazy in terms of marksmanship technique. Funnily, my son (14), who can shoot just about any rifle he pretty well he wants, commandeered mine to the point I had to get another!


http://i820.photobucket.com/albums/z...9/IMG_3951.jpg

[Hsing-ee]

So.....are they any good then???

Well, they are not for everyone. They are quite hold-sensitive so take a bit of practice to get used to, and you will need to get parts from specialist sources like Maccari and Bonnie & Clyde. But they are as good as any modern break-barrel in terms of performance and better than nearly all of them. Also, for smaller adults, women and youths they are a great choice for an all-day rifle. They come with sling-swivels as standard which is a nice touch too.

[edbear2]

Well, they are not for everyone. They are quite hold-sensitive so take a bit of practice to get used to, and you will need to get parts from specialist sources like Maccari and Bonnie & Clyde. But they are as good as any modern break-barrel in terms of performance and better than nearly all of them. Also, for smaller adults, women and youths they are a great choice for an all-day rifle. They come with sling-swivels as standard which is a nice touch too.

I know mate, I was just trying to be a bit ironic..your first post was the most comprehensive, fair minded and informative, covering all the pro's and con's of this excellent gun, write up that I have read for a long time!!!!