Feinwerkbau AW93: recoil shock buffer

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 9:51 am

I'm considering the acquisition of a Feinwerkbau AW93. I heard a few users of that pistol complaining about the durability of its recoil shock buffer. They were saying [two owners] that this rubber piece shatters to bits after a few weeks of use.

Is there any truth in that statement?

bjsulla · Post by **bjsulla** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 11:37 am

I have been using mine for more than two years and fired more than 8000 shots and I don't have any problems at all with the buffer.

The AW93 is very popular in Sweden and I have never heard of any problems with the rubber in the recoil absorber.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 1:08 pm

Glad to read that. Thank you buddy!

dflast · Post by **dflast** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 11:10 pm

Mine has given me no trouble at all in 3 1/2 years and going on 6,000 rounds.

But I'm mystified by the original reason for this thread. There is no rubber buffer at all in the AW93 recoil absorber - it's all done with springs. The only synthetic working parts in the entire action are two white plastic (nylon? teflon?) guide bushings and a bearing shoe mounted in the slide and none is subjected to any impact loads. Are the "few users" dry firing onto the red plastic chamber insert/safety flag and breaking that up?

-David

bjsulla · Post by **bjsulla** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 7:14 am

Hopefully you can see this picture. There is a difference between the old "heavy" version and the new "light" version. I have marked the rubber part that is also spring loaded.

dflast · Post by **dflast** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 12:59 pm

Aha! Quite a bit different from my '05 steel version. I'm behind the times as usual....

-David

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 2:43 pm

That input is very much appreciated. Thank you guys!

Those two shooters have the heavy version. Their guns have the same rubber part and spring setup than our friend bjsulla has in his light version.

So here I have two more questions:

#1 Does that rubber piece [recoil reduction system] need any sort of special attention?

#2 Should I buy the heavy or light AW93? To my regret both AW93 are the heavy versions [from about 2007 / 2008] so I cannot try the light one.

bjsulla · Post by **bjsulla** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 4:11 pm

It is my understanding that if you are to buy a new AW93 only the light model is available since the other is discontinued.

Since it is possible to change between the two different recoil absorber some of my friends have tried to use mine and there is not that much difference. I would guess that it is only noticeable when using the pistol over a period of time.

The only maintenance I do is basic cleaning and a couple of drops of oil on the moving part and that seems to be enough.

There are two good reviews of the two versions of the AW93, unfortunately they are only available in Swedish. Perhaps it might be possible to get a decent translation from babelfish or google. I post the links if you might want to give it a try.

http://arne.nohlberg.com/artikel_aw93_light.htm
http://arne.nohlberg.com/artikel_feinwerkbau_aw93.htm

dflast · Post by **dflast** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 4:53 pm

I can't speak to the maintenance question #1 because I've got the older version, but like bjsulla I keep the damper clean and lightly oiled.
As for #2, I believe the light absorber is intended to quicken the cycle re ISSF rapid fire use now that .22 Short RF pistols are a thing of the past & if that's what you're shooting the main reason to prefer it. Basic physics would suggest that a heavy absorber would beat up a rubber buffer more than a light one.
The slide is really flying when it hits the damper - you can plainly see in the attached pic why a soft insert might be thought a good idea - but I don't know of any actual reliability issue arising from battering without one.
-David

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 7:53 pm

Thanks a lot! That's exactly the kind of information I have been looking for.

The aluminum alloy used in the light version is it a good one?

I want this pistol to shoot ISSF Standard Pistol. [Must I add or remove any 40-gram weights?]

I was asking about the heavy and light versions because there's a slight chance that I can find both guns for sale. Good to know the light version is the only one being currently manufactured!

dflast · Post by **dflast** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 10:28 pm

I wouldn't think the aluminum alloy quality would be an issue. It's not an especially highly stressed part, and FWB has been pretty good about material specification - their alu rifle stocks for instance are considerably less fragile than the Anschutz competition....

Don't concern yourself about weight rules - the only limit for a 25m pistol is a maximum of 1400gm and you'll be comfortably short of that in either case.

-David

Peter Skov · Post by **Peter Skov** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 2:54 am

As far as I know they stille produce the heavy version also.

I have a heavy from 2007, and it also has the rubber buffer.

Best regard
Peter Skov

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 3:18 pm

In that case I'll go with the heavy version [all steel alloy] unless there's a specific reason for going with the light one [aluminum alloy].

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 7:11 pm

I have the heavy one with the rubber and I have no probs whatsoever.I have done about 10.000 shots.
Don't take the light,only usefull for ladies and juniors.
Buy it without a grip and install for eg.a Rink.Standard grip is crap.
They do like to be kept clean and well lubricated.Also clean the hammer,you have to remove the grip A friend of mine had the slide broken due to not enough lubrication.It is stressed more.
If you unarm after firing on an empty chamber (when you're done shooting) pull back the slide as far as possible so it still fires if not you end up with a flat spot where the hammer strikes the underside of the slide.
When cleaning pay attention to the little spring in the slide stop,it's easily lost.
When adjusting the trigger don't set it too dry.You will end up with full auto.
Conclusion,would I buy it again:yes.Good looks and feel,lovely trigger

bjsulla · Post by **bjsulla** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 12:35 pm

I strongly disagree that the light one is only for ladies and juniors. It is perfect for shooting slow fire during long period of times. It is also possible to add more weight easily for rapid fire events. The possibility to add more weight is not available on the heavy model.

I agree that the standard grip needs to be replaced. I had the chance of trying both the Rink and Nill grip and ended up selecting the Nill one. This is purely a matter of taste and Rink has a wider selection of different grip parameters.

The older version had a problem where the slide could crack. This should be solved by later models by adding more material around the recoil spring and more rounded corners on the inside of the slide. A change of recoil spring once a year is also recommended to avoid problems.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 4:26 pm

If you add weight what's the use buying a light???Result is about the same.But the heavier normal weight dampens recoil better.More mass takes more force to move.
I liked the rink better because it's very easy to adjust with the 2 screws,others don't have that.
But what version or grip you buy is personal.
I didn't know the slide was altered.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:03 pm

The reason for buying a light is that you have a freedom of chose. You can easily add the weight that is required, the key to success is not always to dampen the recoil but to have a pistol that suits your personal preference. Recoil is not always a bad thing but inconsistency is.

jipe · Post by **jipe** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:25 pm

I completely agree with this: with a light pistol you can add weight to adjust the weight and balance to your taste while with an heavy one you cannot remove weight, no adjustements are possible.

Rink has two advantages:
- more parameters to adjiust the grip to your hand.
- the palm rest that can also be adjusted in tilt while on the other grips you can only move it up an down

deadeyedick · Post by **deadeyedick** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:35 pm

Guest

Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 3:03 pm Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The reason for buying a light is that you have a freedom of chose. You can easily add the weight that is required, the key to success is not always to dampen the recoil but to have a pistol that suits your personal preference. Recoil is not always a bad thing but inconsistency is.

I also agree with this. I have owned several AW93's, and if I were to buy another it would be the light version without doubt. Jipes comments regarding the Rink grips are also on the money IMO.