Inside the Feinwerkbau Model 65

[Cones]

I was trying to get a better idea of the manufacturing date of this particular model 65.

I found this statement on another forum.

Ulrich Eichstädt

Before 1972, when the first (after-war) german gun law was introduced, it wasn't necessary to number airguns like firearms (some manufacturers did, others didn't). Also the early FWB pistols (before 1972/73) don't carry the "F in pentagram"-sign, which is required now to show that an airgun has less than 7,5 joule muzzle energy (around 5.5 ft/lbs, only in germany).

Although it wasn't really necessary to mark the "F" on air pistols (and air rifles) for export, it is possible that due to the more easy way of manufacturing that all models are marked.

So IF you have a FWB 65 with an F, it was made after 1973 (the year the F-mark was used first, even though it was introduced before)

The quote "RA" in the e-mail's head stands for Rainer Altenburger, the sales manager (and co-owner), who surely knows what he says (but of course he could make mistakes, anyway, too...)




My pistol serial number 30307 does have the F mark shown on it so it could be around 1973-1974 as it is a lowish serial number.

F-Mark
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v..._0830Large.jpg

Serial Number
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v..._0833Large.jpg

Thanks

Mark

[Nikkormat]

I was trying to get a better idea of the manufacturing date of this particular model 65...

Garvin gave me some useful dating info on this thread. There's also a good thread on the AVA forum here.

Please keep us posted on your progress, Mark. Anything FWB related is always worth a read (great website you have there, by the way).

Matt

[Taylor]

Good stuff Mark. Some useful and informative photographs.

You may find some information to help with dating on the Yahoo group FWB Model 65 Airguns

[Cones]

Good stuff Mark. Some useful and informative photographs.

You may find some information to help with dating on the Yahoo group FWB Model 65 Airguns

Yes, I forgot I joined this group a while back. I will change my email notifications and try to keep up with it a little more.

Thanks

Mark

[Cones]

A Few Targets from last night.

This time shot indoors.

The sight modifications with the needle files have helped. I was going to buy a new front and rear sight. But considering the way it shoots at the moment I don't think it will improve my actual scores by doing so. It will just improve the looks of it.

The old worn in look is beginning to grow on me more. I may polish the barrel a little more to get rid of the last of the blueing and some of the pitting.

The first targets are all shot using RWS R10 Match

92
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v...ts001Large.jpg

91
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v...ts002Large.jpg

92
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v...ts003Large.jpg

87
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v...ts004Large.jpg

87
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v...ts005Large.jpg

91
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v...ts006Large.jpg

90
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v...ts007Large.jpg

87
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v...ts008Large.jpg

90 This target shot using Geco's
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v...ts009Large.jpg

The Geco's seem to group slightly higher on the target than the R10's do, even though the velocity is a about 20-30 fps less. I wonder if it is due to them being in the barrel longer as the pistol is shot and any movement affecting them more?

Thanks

Mark

[Cones]

Garvin gave me some useful dating info on this thread. There's also a good thread on the AVA forum here.

Please keep us posted on your progress, Mark. Anything FWB related is always worth a read (great website you have there, by the way).

Matt

Thanks.

That date thread helps a lot.

# 72,294 has been manufactured in June 1975

So with the 'F' mark only after 1973 and my serial number of 30307 it makes my pistol around the 1974 point with reasonable certainty.

Thanks

Mark

[diathermic]

Great post Cones! What an amazing number of pins they used, you're a brave man. Also like seeing you are making good use of those cases.

[Cones]

Great post Cones! What an amazing number of pins they used, you're a brave man. Also like seeing you are making good use of those cases.

That is the case that came with the pistol! It needs some more foam in it really. Good for holding bits when you take them apart though.

It now lives in a shiny new case.

Thanks

Mark

[Cones]

Feinwerkbau Model 65 Strip Down Guide

Tools
Metric Hex Keys, Metric Ball driver Hex
A Decent Screwdriver set (Not some old chewed up thing) with cross point and flathead tips
Parallel punch set. Nylon Headed hammer.
Kitchen Roll
Cotton Buds
Brunox Turbo Spray or similar light Oil for cleaning metal parts
A few plastic containers for all those numerous parts
A non scratching plastic tool for removing the ‘E’ clips with. I used an old orange peeler
A clamp for removing the spring. This needs to be long enough to clamp the length of the pistol plus another 70mm or so to gently release the spring pressure.

Dismantling the Pistol

NEVER attempt to disassemble the pistol in the cocked state

Remove the Two grip screws and the two half’s of the grip.
Remove the two cross head screws at the front sloping section next to the serial number. Note that these are different sizes and the long one goes towards the back.
Remove the two hex screws inside the handle section. (You will need a modified short hex key or ball driver for this)

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v..._0853Large.jpg

The bottom part of the frame should now come away from the main body of the pistol.
The bottom part of the pistol contains the trigger and this can be removed by taking out the two flat head screws.
In the remaining top half, you should now be able to see the mechanisms that control the anti-bear trap, Trigger weight, Recoil slide release and the two slide carriages.

Front Slide block
To detach the front slide you need to remove the 4 ‘E’ clips that retain the two rail pins. These are a little tricky to get at, but by working the slide backwards and forward you can get to them. If the pins are stuck then you may have to wait until the rest of the pistol is stripped so you can push them out from the inside of the breech area.
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v..._0896Large.jpg

Rear Slide block
This is again retained with two ‘E’ Clips you need to remove them from either end of the pin then slide out the pin towards the rear of the pistol. Be careful that the shims do not slide into the ‘E’ clip groove and stop you from sliding the pin out. My pistol has 4 shims installed on the front of the pin and 1 installed on the back.
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v..._0886Large.jpg

These shims are important for removing any play in the slide mechanism. Without them the slide would not lock fully home and you would get consistency errors from shot to shot. On reassembly I found that I had to push down slightly on the part that slides over the end of this pin to compress the four shims. This then enabled me to refit the shim and ‘E’ clip at the other end.

Rear sight
The rear sight is removed with the ‘E’ clip and washer located on the other end of the windage adjustment knob. Remove the clip and then turn the adjustment screw to wind it out of the rear sight. Be careful not to lose the tiny ball bearing and spring located under the knob. The thread is left handed as well.
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v..._0845Large.jpg

The height adjustment knob can again be removed after taking off the ‘E’ clip on the end of it. It again has a tiny ball bearing and spring.
The sight width adjustment screw can now be removed and the thin metal slot depth adjustment piece slid off the sight.
The rear sight spring is removed by undoing the hex head cap screw.

Front Sight
The front sight metal blade can be taken out after removal of the front retaining screw
The front sight housing is held in place with a tapered pin. One end of the pin will have a slight gap visible on the side next to the barrel. This is the end you need to use a parallel punch on to remove the pin. The housing should now slide off the barrel.

Cocking lever
The lever is retained with a single screw located at the back of the top slide under the rear sight. The flat headed screw may have been retained by a couple of punch marks to the main frame. But you should still be able to turn it out carefully. Once undone the lever can be removed from sliding breech.
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v..._0879Large.jpg
The catch for the cocking lever is removed in a similar manner, with the screw releasing the catch along with the spring.
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v..._0877Large.jpg

Main Spring
With the above components removed (Especially the rear sight) the main spring can be accessed by first clamping the pistol between the front of the barrel and the rear block that the cocking lever and rear sight were attached to. Please use wood blocks or plastic clamps to avoid marking the pistol.
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v..._0900Large.jpg

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v..._0901Large.jpg

Be aware that the spring is under considerable pre-load even when not cocked (NEVER attempt to disassemble the pistol in the cocked state)
The top screw pin (Located at the top rear of the slide) can now be undone. You may have to adjust the clamp pressure to allow the pin to be undone. Too little or too much pressure will trap the screw and make it difficult to turn. Once the pin is removed you need to gently release the clamp pressure and the spring will push out the rear block from the main body of the pistol.
You can now remove the spring and the piston. The sliding breech is still retained by the trigger group components which we will move onto next.

Trigger Group Components
The main trigger group on this pistol is rather complex compared with most other air pistols. That is due to the several features it provides. It provides two different pull weight adjustments, an anti bear trap ratchet device while cocking, a sliding plate to block the trigger operations unless the breech is fully closed and a release system for the sliding rail recoil mechanism. In addition to the normal trigger sear operation!
Due to this there are a LOT of individual trigger components

I suggest that before you try and take the trigger system apart that you ask yourself first if you really need to? If so then proceed with care.
Please take notes of each components position and ideally use a digital camera to take clear photographs of the items in place and as you remove them. As the parts resemble a Chinese style puzzle box one removed and without the detailed notes and photographs good luck putting them all back!

First time round I removed the pins in what I thought was a reasonable order. With hindsight I think it may be easier to remove them in sequence starting from the front of the pistol. With re-assembly starting from the back and working forwards. Some components like the sliding trigger blocking plate do need to be installed before some others though.

There are a few springs that need to be unhooked where possible; others are slid over the retaining pins. Look at where these go and try not to mix the springs up as they are different although similar sizes.
Once you have removed the trigger group components then the sliding breech can be removed from the pistol.

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v..._0917Large.jpg

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v..._0918Large.jpg

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v..._0932Large.jpg

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v..._0935Large.jpg


Cleaning
I cleaned all of the components, except the piston and breech with Brunox but any decent light oil will be suitable. Cotton buds help get into the awkward places and clean out any accumulated crud and debris. Then I wiped everything clean using kitchen roll and clean cotton rag.

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v..._0875Large.jpg

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v..._0876Large.jpg

The spring and piston in these pistols is designed to run free from grease or lubrication.
The trigger components can be lubricated with a tiny amount of Feinwerkbau Special grease, but this may pick up dust and debris over time, so I have just left the tiny amounts of residual oil on them from the cleaning process.
I did lubricate the slide rails and the cocking pin and release catch pin with Feinwerkbau Special grease.

Barrel Seal and Piston Buffer Replacement
The piston buffer and barrel seal may need replacing. Older seals are white in colour, newer ones are blue or green. There is also a small plastic button on the sliding breech that may also need replacing. This presses in and releases the trigger blocking mechanism when the breech is closed.
The button and barrel seal can be replaced without dismantling the pistol, so if that is all that is needed to restore normal operation it may be worth trying that first.
If plastic debris is found in the barrel then the piston buffer could need replacing, which does mean you have to dismantle the pistol.

Re-assembly is the reverse of the assembly. Don’t forget to put the breech back into the pistol before you re-assemble the trigger group.


Comments and additional information is always appreciated.

Thanks

Mark

[Cones]

This is the exploded view with all the part numbers.

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v...plodedView.jpg

Thanks

Mark

[tictoc-gizmos]

I too have a model 65 in need of repair . It is missing the shoulder screw and the cocking lever is off . the spring it out of it and Im worried that the sights might have been damaged from the former owner disassembly incorrectly .

I was thinking about sending it to airgunwerks in USA for repair . does anyone know of this company , he is from TN USA and a 2001 shooting champ . is this gun worth fixing? or how much to replace all seals and gaskets along with a few screws and tweeking .