Easter with the FWB300S Junior

Yesterday I finally managed to leave the city and spend an afternoon shooting on my friend's land with my new FWB300S Junior. The Junior is slightly shorter and lighter than the standard 300S, and was intended as a 10 metre match rifle for children and smaller adults. The action appears to be the same as the 300S, but the barrel lacks the muzzle weight, and the stock is made from beech rather than walnut, with the length of pull being reduced to about 30cm.

This rifle was made in 1982, and the stock has a step in the forend. This step did not appear on later rifles, their stocks being more like the standard 300S. I found the step to be very comfortable, and prefer the look to the later rifles. The pistol grip is stippled and the forend is fitted with an accessory rail, as on the standard 300S. The length of pull is a little short for me, so I will look at extending it by about 3cm with a spacer and longer screws.

I think this example was previously owned by a shooting club, as it shows a lot of use; the varnish has been rubbed from the stock and the metalwork is pitted along the top of the cylinder.

The breech seal is blue, so not original, but this does not necessarily mean that the internals have been replaced too - this thread on American Vintage Airguns is worth a read with regards to the internal parts. With this in mind, I have bought a service kit from Waffencenter Gotha. Following advice on AirgunBBS, I chose a standard kit over any of the tuning options; smoothness and minimal wear are more important to me than higher power.

I have not fitted the kit yet, as I wanted to see how the rifle shoots first (and, I must be honest, I have not plucked up the courage to attempt to strip it!). Sights are the usual match dioptre type, with a 1.1mm iris (replaceable) and a globe at the front. The rifle arrived fitted with a 4.1mm element, which I expect is ideal for 10 metre match shooting, but as I intend to use it at longer ranges, I changed this for a 3.6mm globe. This proved to be perfect for shooting paper targets and beer cans from 30 to 50 metres.

The dioptre sits on standard 11mm scope rails, which I think extend further forward than those on my 1976 FWB300S. I may well fit a 4x32 scope in the future. The photo below also shows the cocking lever and its release catch - note the lever is much shorter than that of the FWB150, and the catch is of a simpler design, on the top rather than the end of the lever. I find it easier to use than that of the FWB150.

The dioptre is of a slightly different design to that on my FWB150; I wonder how many variations Feinwerkbau went through up until the FWB300SU?

As it has come from Germany, power is within their limit of  7.5 joules (about 5.5 ft.lbs). While this might seem low, it's perfectly adequate for accurate fun shooting out to 50 metres. Cocking effort is minimal, and with the lighter weight and pleasant balance of the rifle I could shoot all afternoon quite happily. The trigger is excellent, noticeably better than the (very good) trigger on my FWB150. 

There is a slight twang from the springs on releasing the shot. This is quite normal for Feinwerkbaus, and I think it is probably a result of the fact that the springs are not lubricated - I have read that the rifle was designed to be run dry. Accuracy is excellent, as expected. When the wind was up, hitting the 10x12cm plate from 50 metres was a challenge, but as soon as it was calm I was knocking it consistently, with a few centimetres of holdover. The rifle did however show that it is in need of some attention; it seemed that sometimes it would recoil on its sledge a little too freely, maybe as if something in the recoil absorption mechanism is worn or needs tightening. When holding it vertically, a slap on the butt causes the action to drop back to its rearmost position. If anyone has any suggestions as to how to remedy this, please let me know. 

Overall, I am extremely happy with my FWB300S Junior. It's accurate and it handles very nicely. I even quite like its battered appearance. Sorting out the mechanical wear and tear, extending the butt by 3cm and adding a light 4x32 scope might make it the perfect long range fun rifle.