Feinwerkbau 65 - stored for decades - issues

[AmBraCol]

A friend's mother was a competitive shooter here south of the Canal and north of the Equator. She passed away a few years ago and when her sons were going through the house they found her old FWB 65 in a drawer, apparently neglected since she moved to a FWB Modell 2. The elder son and I were looking it over and when I went to cock it it was very stiff. The cocking arm then stuck open and would not close. After messing around with it a while, a bit of a stiff shove to the arm freed up movement and allowed the action to close. But then it would not fire. The pellet was removed from the chamber and now I've got a FWB 65 cocked but non-fireable. I've endeavored to cock it again - to make sure it was fully engaged - and the arm swings back completely but the sear still will not release.

So, my question is, what should I be looking for and careful of when disassembling this pistol? Removing the bottom portion should not have an effect on the firing mechanism, but should allow one to examine it - if I'm reading the exploded view diagram right. Any suggestions from those who've been inside of a FWB 65 before are welcomed. No, we do not have airgun smiths 'round here so there's no one else to send it to. I've done some work on carbines and such, but this is the first time I'm going into a FWB 65 and I'd appreciate any "heads up" help you could give me.

Thanks!

[Rover]

Before opening it up, I would put a few drops of a non-dieseling oil into the chamber and let it sit in different position. The 65 has a metal "piston ring".

I'm sure that in your climate, things have rusted a bit

[AmBraCol]

Thanks, I've got it soaking, we'll see what we shall see tomorrow under good light.

By the way, one video I saw on youtube had a sound like a ratchet when they cocked the Modell 65. It sounded like some kind of "bear trap" mechanism. Is this typical of the 65? There was no such sound when I cocked this one.

[kevinweiho]

When the sear of the pistol can be released again, the pistol definately needs a rebuild. All the seals are deteriorated and have gunked up the compression cylinder, you should have the spare parts at hand, (piston, breech, buffer, metal piston ring, dual mainsprings, FWB special grease). You can order these parts directly from Feinwerkbau, they have an excellent aftermarket service. NEVER try to disassemble or force a cocked pistol!. A few years ago, Mark Cones provided a complete disassembly of the FWB 65:

http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread.php ... u-Model-65

Clean all metal parts with denatured alcohol to remove old oil/grease before installing the new seals. Apply small amounts of FWB special grease where necessary before assembly.

[David M]

Once you start to cock a FWB65 the piston has to be fully pulled aft before the cylinder
can be reclosed.
You can not partly open then close.
If the pistol is cocked fully and will not fire, you can remove the lower frame to manually
release the piston, but be aware the piston cylinder assy is under a very large spring tension.
This can be dangerous if you dont know what you are doing.
I sugget to get the pistol to a gunsmith who has worked on them before.

[Dr Mandible]

A broken detent lever could also be the culprit. This is the part of the trigger mechanism which blocks trigger release until the breach is fully closed. There is a tab of metal directly under the rear of the barrel which is pushed forward by the buffer on the lower portion of the breach face when closed. If this tab has broken off or the buffer is missing then this part of the mechanism is not being disabled. If this is the case you will need to remove the lower 'frame' portion of the pistol to manually activate the lever and operate the trigger. The above link to Cones' breakdown is very good for helping you disassemble the pistol however I don't think it covers disassembly of the trigger group (could be wrong I haven't looked at it for a while). Basically I disassemble the trigger group I work from the front to the rear. Just make sure you take lots of pictures if you are unsure what goes where, lay parts out in a clear order and don't mix up the springs. For replacement parts I've always dealt directly with FWB and have always had very good and prompt service.

[AmBraCol]

A broken detent lever could also be the culprit. This is the part of the trigger mechanism which blocks trigger release until the breach is fully closed. There is a tab of metal directly under the rear of the barrel which is pushed forward by the buffer on the lower portion of the breach face when closed. If this tab has broken off or the buffer is missing then this part of the mechanism is not being disabled. If this is the case you will need to remove the lower 'frame' portion of the pistol to manually activate the lever and operate the trigger. The above link to Cones' breakdown is very good for helping you disassemble the pistol however I don't think it covers disassembly of the trigger group (could be wrong I haven't looked at it for a while). Basically I disassemble the trigger group I work from the front to the rear. Just make sure you take lots of pictures if you are unsure what goes where, lay parts out in a clear order and don't mix up the springs. For replacement parts I've always dealt directly with FWB and have always had very good and prompt service.

DING, DING, DING, DING!!! We have a winner! This morning I picked up the pistol from where I'd left it propped to allow the lubricant to set overnight and started examining it in good light, looking for how everything works. As I looked into the loading port I could see a gap under the barrel (as described by Dr Mandible) and could see how there SHOULD have been a tab sticking up to allow the detent to be pushed forward to allow the pistol to fire. That tab was (is) missing and explains the stray bit of metal that fell out the other day when we opened it up for the first time in ??? years. So now I'll have my friend place an order with FWB for part number 1600.143.1 - Sperrscheieber/Detent lever as well as the seals. Thank you Dr Mandible for confirming my analysis. It was good to see your post when I logged in to relate what has turned up (so far).

Is the following list the correct one to order from FWB, in order to have a complete set of new seals plus new mainspring for this pistol?

1500.128.3 Rechteckring/Sealing U1
1600.124.3 Puffer/Buffer W1
1600.125.3 Dampfer/Damper U1
1600.122.3 Dichtring/Sealing ring X1
1600.127.3 Druckfeder/Compression spring V1

Again, MANY thanks for your assistance.

Also, thanks to those reminding me of proper safety precautions and the importance of utilizing the services of a qualified gunsmith. The main issue, however, is that I'm the best qualified gunsmith in the area (scary thought, that). At least I've a healthy respect for spring powered mechanisms and an understanding of the different principles on which these mechanisms work. One thing my father taught me was, "If someone else can do it, so can you." Observation, inquiring as to what may not be obvious at first and going slow are all important. The Good Lord willing I'll whip this eventually. When I've got more time on hand I'll go ahead and tear it down further to check condition of the rest of the internals. Thanks for the heads up and the links, it is all VERY welcome. Oh, and is there a part number for the FWB grease used in reassembly? Does FWB usually have all the parts in stock? Thank you all in advance for any further assistance on this project.

[kevinweiho]

Yup, the description and part numbers you mentioned are correct, FWB grease is 1750.010.3 Spezial Gleitfett 4g. They have all the parts you require, and if they don't have it, I am pretty sure they can make it for you. The part that is giving you problems is the tab that broke off that allows the sear to disengage when the breech is closed.

[6string]

Hasn't the FWB65 been out of production for a long time?
If so, that really says a lot for Feinwerkbau that they still provide parts/support!

[AmBraCol]

Hasn't the FWB65 been out of production for a long time?
If so, that really says a lot for Feinwerkbau that they still provide parts/support!

Indeed. They got right back to me following my inquiry. So far haven't ordered parts as my friend also has a FWB 300S he wants me to reseal as well, so we haven't asked for the updated price quote yet. So far they have been wonderful to work with. We'll see how it goes once we concrete the order and send payment.

[Misny]

A friend's mother was a competitive shooter here south of the Canal and north of the Equator. She passed away a few years ago and when her sons were going through the house they found her old FWB 65 in a drawer, apparently neglected since she moved to a FWB Modell 2. The elder son and I were looking it over and when I went to cock it it was very stiff. The cocking arm then stuck open and would not close. After messing around with it a while, a bit of a stiff shove to the arm freed up movement and allowed the action to close. But then it would not fire. The pellet was removed from the chamber and now I've got a FWB 65 cocked but non-fireable. I've endeavored to cock it again - to make sure it was fully engaged - and the arm swings back completely but the sear still will not release.

So, my question is, what should I be looking for and careful of when disassembling this pistol? Removing the bottom portion should not have an effect on the firing mechanism, but should allow one to examine it - if I'm reading the exploded view diagram right. Any suggestions from those who've been inside of a FWB 65 before are welcomed. No, we do not have airgun smiths 'round here so there's no one else to send it to. I've done some work on carbines and such, but this is the first time I'm going into a FWB 65 and I'd appreciate any "heads up" help you could give me.

Thanks!

I really like your byline.