FWB 110. The original owner never used it, he preferred a FWB 150 or 300. I've fired it a few times, but still has it's original seals that I'd guess would crumble quickly? 
Upvote 0
Other Rare production airguns?
- Thread starter specie
- Start date
That FWB 110 reminds me of the TS45, whose action I believe was at least aesthically based on the sidelever design of the Feinwerkbau.
Upvote 0
The TS 45 must have been the first Chinese sideleverand makes sense they copied the Feinwerkbau. I still have a couple which I got from Paul Landrith in the late 80s. Decent plinkers but sketchy with the open breech, had one close suddenly on my palm years ago.
Upvote 0
Yes, they are prone to snapping close because of a inherent flaw in the design whereby a pellet can drop through an opening in the underside of the breach and get lodged in the ratchet teeth of the anti-bear trap bar, seen here from one of Tom G's posts on the rifle.
The smushed pellet prevents the safety pawl from engaging with the teeth when the sidelever is being pulled back. If you're not careful or rushing, this can cause the bar to slip and send the piston flying forward unless you can catch the cocking lever. This has happened to me more than once, luckily without a finger in the open breech. The force is enough that it can bend the milled cocking lever. Its non uncommon to find these rifles or their B5 AK look-alike successors with chewed up stocks near the tip of the cocking lever for this reason. Its a tell tale sign of a negligent misfire. Here's my XS B7 (same design) with a replacement lever and the original bent one.
Upvote 0
That may be what happened when my TS45 closed on my hand, it was @25 yrs ago and don't remember if I had lost a pellet which may have fallen down in the mechanism. I have seem some with no antibeartrap, but with a second lever on the left side of the breach which blocks the compression tube from coming forward. Seems like they should all have that mechanism. Good to see that XS B7, yours looks in good shape. My cocking lever of my b7 bent also but I beat it back to shape with a rubber mallet.
Last edited:
Upvote 0
Thanks! It was in better shape before the lever slammed forward!
You're right about the safeties employed on the other side lever guns. The SAG built B4-1 and QB58 had two "ears" that would lift from the bottom for the breech to prevent the compression tube from moving forward unless a button on the underside of the stock was pressed. But I've seen those sheared off and rendered ineffective. The QB57 take down had the lever you mentioned that pops down from the side of the breech when the cleared by the comp tube, this seems a lot more effective.
Last edited:
Upvote 0
It's a hoot to look through the old ARH catalogs and newsletters.
I do recall a couple stories of guys who got their NRA Distinguished Expert badges with HW 30's or Diana 27's - those classic mild-mannered sporters really give up very little to the pricier match guns of their day!
Upvote 0
The San Anselmo models are the rarer versions of the 124/127. There were 2 different stamps for those (not Jnc) and one has a bit of a typo.
Upvote 0
Just to clear the matter up in Regard the Whiscombe.Gecado (Diana 65) LH stock.
https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/gecado-diana-65.225819/
Not sure if you would consider Whiscombe a production gun and not sure how many he made but they are still rare air. There are a few on Ebay now. asking $7500
I actually knew John and had long discussions with him regard his very early prototype builds of his duel piston design, making 2 types.
His idea was to build the initial 2 concept models, get a report out in the Airgun World magazine for his market reasearch (which he did) and then get BSA to manaufacture it and sit back on the royalties.
However, John had no success with the manufacturers because they thought it too expensive to make and 2 complex to assemble. So he went into production himself in his small workshop.
Incredibly John built and sold 450 guns....retaining the 2 prototypes for himself.
So a genuine production gun but not as rare as you might think.
John was a great contact but I did feel it a touch heavy..
Upvote 0
I recognize it immediately.Yes. Very simple. BSA were getting a bit more serious about sights around the same period.
just had to remember your small screwdriver and a hammer/punch to zero in
Have another interesting one in pieces on the bench. View attachment 434329
I’m sure you’ll be able to guess what it is from this one piece. No 126
Might need some advice about what to do with the stock. It’s a bit scruffy!
I saw a bsa break down for sale a while back . Thought about it but didn’t end up going after it. Perhaps I should have?
I sold my Breakdown pattern recently. I'm moving on from a lot of my vintage stuff. Just don't feel like hording and making them my idol. Somebody has the right amount of money they go. A few at a time.
Those sights are much earlier than BSA airgun sights
Upvote 0
Here is some data on the FWB 12X models.
Out of 84 examples collected with the different Beeman stamps.
25 had the San Anselmo stamp: which is 29.76 %
53 had the San Rafael stamp: 63.09 %
Only 6 with Santa Rosa stamp: which is only 7.14 %
Upvote 0
no idea where that info came from but I mentioned there are 2 different type stamps from San Anselmo. That would skew things quite a bit and add yet another variable.
Upvote 0