What's wrong with the FWB Sport?

[maximus]

oh yes the mk3....The dan dare zap gun bit mirrored the angular lines of the forend with a for-sight that could be used as a pole-axe for dispatching pigs or even removed and used to hold 2 pieces of wood togther, you know, like a NAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jonnyone]

the lump of iron on the end was there to prove to detractors that there is NOTHING wrong with the barrel lock up

Doh- I KNEW there must be a positive come out of it somewhere

Its a Sport after all????

Lol
Dave

[jonnyone]

oh yes the mk3....The dan dare zap gun bit mirrored the angular lines of the forend with a for-sight that could be used as a pole-axe for dispatching pigs or even removed and used to hold 2 pieces of wood togther, you know, like a NAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel sooo much better about that lump of metal already

Dave

[Herpquest]

Those who own or have owned and regret selling a Feinwerkbau 124 Sport, KNOW that they are still the best springer ever made.
The 'knockers' are those who either can't find one, or can't afford to buy one, or know sod all about springer air rifles, so their opinions are irrelevant anyway!
ATB,

Eric

[maximus]

suppose they're ok for weeklings who can't manage a mans gun like an 80

[Herpquest]

suppose they're ok for weeklings who can't manage a mans gun like an 80

I've got all of the 'manly' Weihrauchs as well!

[I. J.]

Ive also got a couple of Weihrauchs, including a HW95, gathering dust alongside my well used 'Sports.

ATB
Ian

[Muskett]

I. J. same problem and even my son who could have had anything he wanted chose another Sport. Sure they are not perfect but they are the ones we reach for. Simples....

Have to try a 95, if I can find an older one. The Omega is nice too but still not better; not the same.

[Herpquest]

Ive also got a couple of Weihrauchs, including a HW95, gathering dust alongside my well used 'Sports.

ATB
Ian

Not too well today Ian?? That must be the biggest understatement you have ever made!

ATB
Eric

[I. J.]

Not too well today Ian?? That must be the biggest understatement you have ever made!

ATB
Eric

O.K. O.K. So the Weihrauchs are under six inch of dust and rusting.

ATB
Ian

[RustyBuzz]

IIRC, Richard Welham (who knows a bit about the FWB Sport) described it as a 'scope wrecker' (or words to that effect).

Tiz true, back in the early days of ‘FT’, before I changed to Zeiss, I got through half a dozen Tasco 611’s a year. However it should be noted that scopes in those days were pretty poorly constructed, I’ve yet to have a modern scope fail on a 124. In my experience 127’s, with their gentle nature, have never suffered from this problem.

I think it’s hard to compare the build quality of the Sport with a modern HW. If Mr W can press it, roll it, stamp it or extrude it he will. Everything on the sport is machined to a standard not found on any other sporting rifle apart from perhaps the modern Air Arms offerings. Sure the safety and trigger blade is not to the same standard as the rest of the rifle but compare the FWB & HW side by side, component by component and you can’t deny the superiority in build quality of the FWB. Where HW excel is in design, not engineering.

Having said that I think that the HW85 was the natural successor to the Sport, super rifle, easier to shoot and with the choked barrel every bit as accurate.

The Original 45 is also a cracking rifle, every bit as capable as the Sport and perhaps even more individual, but for me, you still can’t beat a good 124.

[mallyally]

Tiz true, back in the early days of ‘FT’, before I changed to Zeiss, I got through half a dozen Tasco 611’s a year. However it should be noted that scopes in those days were pretty poorly constructed, I’ve yet to have a modern scope fail on a 124. In my experience 127’s, with their gentle nature, have never suffered from this problem.

I think it’s hard to compare the build quality of the Sport with a modern HW. If Mr W can press it, roll it, stamp it or extrude it he will. Everything on the sport is machined to a standard not found on any other sporting rifle apart from perhaps the modern Air Arms offerings. Sure the safety and trigger blade is not to the same standard as the rest of the rifle but compare the FWB & HW side by side, component by component and you can’t deny the superiority in build quality of the FWB. Where HW excel is in design, not engineering.

Having said that I think that the HW85 was the natural successor to the Sport, super rifle, easier to shoot and with the choked barrel every bit as accurate.

The Original 45 is also a cracking rifle, every bit as capable as the Sport and perhaps even more individual, but for me, you still can’t beat a good 124.

which is exactly what i said days ago
but perhaps less eloquently

[DM80]

how can the FWB sport be compared to say the MK1 HW80 from the same era the only thing the sport had going for it it was much lighter than the HW80 i see it like this the sport had cheap weak plastic opensights a poor trigger and useless safety unit not just the plastic blade units the whole range mk 123 were way inferior to the HW record unit the sports barrel breech bolt and lockup assembly were inferior to the HW80' the sports barrel was no more accurate than an 80 i remember buying new FWB sports in the late 70's early 80's they were twangy and horrid to shoot from the box and needed a fair bit of tuning to make them shoot nice i think i've owned around 20 sports over the years they all got sold on i still own a 30 year old MK1 HW80 no plastic bits on it shoots and looks as good today as then and you can still get parts history shows which was the best spring gun if i remember the HW80 finished the sport off as with the other top airguns around at the time original 45/bsf 55/HW35/BSA S models etc they all died a lingering slow death only serious competition to the 80 came from another and even better HW the awsom 77

Dave.

[RustyBuzz]

how can the FWB sport be compared to say the MK1 HW80 from the same era the only thing the sport had going for it it was much lighter than the HW80 i see it like this the sport had cheap weak plastic opensights a poor trigger and useless safety unit not just the plastic blade units the whole range mk 123 were way inferior to the HW record unit the sports barrel breech bolt and lockup assembly were inferior to the HW80' the sports barrel was no more accurate than an 80 i remember buying new FWB sports in the late 70's early 80's they were twangy and horrid to shoot from the box and needed a fair bit of tuning to make them shoot nice i think i've owned around 20 sports over the years they all got sold on i still own a 30 year old MK1 HW80 no plastic bits on it shoots and looks as good today as then and you can still get parts history shows which was the best spring gun if i remember the HW80 finished the sport off as with the other top airguns around at the time original 45/bsf 55/HW35/BSA S models etc they all died a lingering slow death only serious competition to the 80 came from another and even better HW the awsom 77

Dave.

Maybe it’s the North/South thing that Jim sometmes talks about Dave, but my experience selling airguns back then was that the 80 did very well pre’77’ but it didn’t, as you say, finish off the competition. It was the carbine version of the ‘77’ that did this.

Down south the Sport was dominant in FT. It’s record is hard to deny winning the first 4 national titles. True the 80 did well with the likes of Richard North and co but at 12ftlbs the Sport was the most successful break barrel - fact.

It’s a difficult rifle to shoot, it doesn’t work for everyone. One of my shooting buddys back then, Terry Wheeler (who incidently won a national title with a 45), couldn’t shoot them to save his life. My Father John could never get the best from the Sport. Lots of talented airgunners just can’t get on with the FWB. I understand your frustration Dave because if they don’t work for you the loyalty they engender is, and always will remain, a mystery.

[maximus]

Terry Wheeler's 45 was .22 as well!!!!!!!! I knew he was a good un but did not know he won a national title. Hope he's still alive and kickin'. I had a mk 1 80 when I was about 13 (I have always been 'robust') A mate had a FWB, he did not like my 80, I think he felt threatened by it as they looked like a FWB on steroids!