Velocity for a Feinwerkbau 124 sport

[Ohio Rusty]

I inherited many years ago a Feinwerkbau 124 sport from my Dad. The seals were shot and he somehow cracked the stock at the wrist. A liberal slathering of superglue seemed to fix the cracked stock issue. Eventually I will drill in from the bottom of the grip and put a screw up inside reinforcing that crack. So I sent off the 124 to Baker Airguns here in Ohio and it is on the way back. They tested the gun and it fired a 11.5 grain pellet at 649 FPS. That seems kind of slow to me. Does anyone know what the normal velocity is for this airgun ?? Being it is a Feinwerkbau, it should be super accurate.
Ohio Rusty ><>

[GBertolet]

I have a 1980 catalog from the old ARH. They list the FWB 124, at 825 fps, in .177 caliber. Of course they don't give a pellet weight. Most factory specifications, were using the lighter pellets, to boost the velocity, for a sales gimmick. You didn't say what caliber yours is in. If it is a .177, the 11.5 gr pellet is a very heavy one, and it will drag down the velocity considerably. Provided Baker installed a new mainspring, and seal, the velocity may not be that far off from specs, of that weight pellet. Lighter pellets will boost the velocity considerably. If your airgun is a .22 caliber, the velocity is probably about correct also.

In it's day the FWB 124 was considered a top of the line airgun. Today they are considered classics.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Yes, when I bought my HW35, it was between that and a FWB124. I liked both but the FWB was $20 more so I bought the HW35.. Both were rated at around 800 FPS with normal 8.5 gr .177 pellets. 11.5 gr pellets are heavy and I have some of these that Beeman used to sell as "Silver Jet". they are 11.5 gr. I haven't chrono'd any from my guns.

https://www.amazon.com/Haendler-Natermann-Pointed-Pellets-Caliber/dp/B00NW9KL7I/ref=pd_lpo_2?pd_rd_i=B00NW9KL7I&psc=1

That gun now that it is rebuilt should last you forever, just treat it like your best firearms, keep it clean, It lives in your safe, and you don't treat it like a BB gun. You need to get some proper Cylinder Oil for it to keep the Piston Seal Juiced up, that is a key factor in longevity. Also they get dried out when left sitting for long periods of time. Like German Cars they like to be used. A couple of drops of the cylinder oil is all it takes to keep the velocity up. Get some proper Pellets! JSB and H&N are the good ones.

Back in the 70's the FWB 124 and HW 35 were considered the best Sporter Type Airguns made. IMHO they still are and both are still made still made. Here's the 124. The .22 cal. version was the FWB 127.
https://www.airgunsofarizona.com/spring-piston/feinwerkbau-fwb-sport/

Randy

[chutesnreloads]

Yes, if it's a .177 rated at 8oo fps, then 649 with that heavy pellet may be better than new. My old Spanish made Beeman rated at 1000
was only getting that much from the 11.5 grainers

[Ohio Rusty]

Interesting information about cylinder oil. So where does one lube the 124 to keep it top notch ?? This is my first experience with the airgun.
Ohio Rusty ><>

[GBertolet]

The oil goes in the transfer port. That's the hole in the cylinder tube, that aligns with the barrel's bore. A few drops of silicone oil, that's designed for airguns. Older airguns had leather piston seals, that asorb the oil, keeping them soft and pliable. Also, during the firing cycle, small amounts of oil vapor are given off, which are burned, by the high compression, think diesel engines. The combustion adds to the airguns power. Keeping this seal moist is imperative. Too much oil is bad also, as it can detonate, damaging the seal, and mainspring over time. A little goes a long way. Silicone oil is available on ebay.

Beware, you have to cock the gun to get access to the transfer port. Keep one hand on the barrel at all times, when you are accessing the transfer port. If you brush against the trigger, or some other action, the barrel can snap shut (bear trapping), and you don't want your fingers in the way. Holding the barrel prevents this.

[W.R.Buchanan]

The oil goes in the transfer port. That's the hole in the cylinder tube, that aligns with the barrel's bore. A few drops of silicone oil, that's designed for airguns. Older airguns had leather piston seals, that asorb the oil, keeping them soft and pliable. Also, during the firing cycle, small amounts of oil vapor are given off, which are burned, by the high compression, think diesel engines. The combustion adds to the airguns power. Keeping this seal moist is imperative. Too much oil is bad also, as it can detonate, damaging the seal, and mainspring over time. A little goes a long way. Silicone oil is available on ebay.

Beware, you have to cock the gun to get access to the transfer port. Keep one hand on the barrel at all times, when you are accessing the transfer port. If you brush against the trigger, or some other action, the barrel can snap shut (bear trapping), and you don't want your fingers in the way. Holding the barrel prevents this.

You got most of this right, Especially the part about Bear Trapping, and since I have a chunk out of the web of my right hand that required a Skin Graft to repair, all I can say is avoid that at any cost! It actually hurt really bad!.

The part about the oil detonating is the wrong part. The whole purpose of the "Silicon Based" Air Cylinder Oil is that it "Won't Detonate." Or Diesel. Any Petroleum Based Oil will Diesel. Do avoid that and if it happens you will know it as the gun will sound like a firearm,,, because in that case, it is a Firearm.

If you go to Pyramyd Air or AG of AZ they sell the proper oil. They also sell "needle point oilers" to dispense the oil down the hole in the front of the air cylinder.

Hope this helps

Randy

[chutesnreloads]

Keep in mind this is done sparingly. Only a drop or two and you can shoot a few tins of pellets between oilings.
Since the gun was just refurbished, it'll be a while before it needs attention

[GBertolet]

W.R, the oil is the fuel, it does burn every shot, just like in a diesel engine. Several hundred PSI, does light it off. It provides a significant amount of power the spring airgun puts out. When the leather seal gets dry, the power drops off. How much, depends on the airgun. Any of the airgun oils will detonate, if used in excess. A little goes a long way. Better to lube often, using a few drops at a time, than to flood the cylinder. True, that oils designed for spring airguns are best to use. They have a higher flashpoint. A few drops of oil after every tin of pellets, is usually sufficient. Trial and error will tell you, what is optimum for your airgun. Ideally, you should see a very light golden haze, barely visible, in your barrel after firing. You try to keep it at this level, for best performance.

[BLAHUT]

Did they put in the old type of leather seals or a new rubber replacement seal ? I had one of my air pistols go down, because of the wrong oil on the new rubber seals.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I don't know where you got your info on these oils ? The whole purpose of the silicon based oils is that they Don't Detonate/Diesel. I have been using this oil in my HW35EB since 1978 when I first got it. I have cleaned the barrel maybe twice in 45 years and the last time was not too long ago and I ran one patch thru and it came out gray, and the next one was clean. The first time was with the little felt pellets they sold. You could never find them after you shot them thru the barrel and they broke the sound barrier and made a crack, so I don't know what they looked like,.

Weihrauch built an attachment for the .22 caliber version of the HW35. it was called the "Barakuda" and it injected a drop of Ether behind the pellet just before firing to detonate at the moment of firing and increase the pellet velocity to around 1300 fps. It was very hard on the breech seal so they stopped making it. It also changed the class of the gun to "Firearm" which caused problems in Germany where Firearms are heavily regulated. The Barakuda attachment is a highly sought after piece of history and is worth more than the guns it came on.

Anyway we will have to disagree on the oil issue.

Randy