FWB 300/300S fans, here is an odd observation.....
Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 1:34 am
I can honestly say that I have worked on dozens, if not hundreds of the FWB sledge action rifles over the years - the model 150, the model 300, and the model 300S. I had not however, noticed the interesting detail that I did today.
While I was preparing both an FWB 300T, and an FWB 300ST for rebuilds, I happened to notice something that struck me as very odd. The anti-beartrap ratchet bars on the two guns were noticeably different in the area of the engagement tab that fits into the compression chamber slot. Examination of the compression chambers of both guns revealed that the slots were different widths as well, corresponding to their respective ratchet bars. The difference in dimensions is significant, and one would logically theorize that there should be correspondingly different part numbers, however, searching through all my paper schematics, as well as various PDF files, downloaded directly from the FWB website, I was unable to find any difference in the part numbers. Certainly an engineering change that would affect parts interchangeability would logically be reflected by a part number modification, or so one would expect.
The following pics have been annotated to show the gun that the respective parts were present in, and the difference in dimensions of the associated parts.
The ratchet bars. These are listed as FWB part number 1500.001.1 in all my documentation, from the model 150, right through to the model 300S (and it's many variants - SU, RT, etc.)
The compression chambers. These are listed as FWB part number 1500.120.1 in all my documentation, again, covering from the model 150, through to all of the model 300S variations.
Has anyone else ever encountered these differences in the noted parts, and does anyone have, or know of any schematics for the model 300S dated later than 1988, where these parts are perhaps noted as having different part numbers from those that I have quoted above?
Obviously, I will now be checking all subsequent FWB sledge action guns that I work on to gain a bit more info on this anomaly.
While I was preparing both an FWB 300T, and an FWB 300ST for rebuilds, I happened to notice something that struck me as very odd. The anti-beartrap ratchet bars on the two guns were noticeably different in the area of the engagement tab that fits into the compression chamber slot. Examination of the compression chambers of both guns revealed that the slots were different widths as well, corresponding to their respective ratchet bars. The difference in dimensions is significant, and one would logically theorize that there should be correspondingly different part numbers, however, searching through all my paper schematics, as well as various PDF files, downloaded directly from the FWB website, I was unable to find any difference in the part numbers. Certainly an engineering change that would affect parts interchangeability would logically be reflected by a part number modification, or so one would expect.
The following pics have been annotated to show the gun that the respective parts were present in, and the difference in dimensions of the associated parts.
The ratchet bars. These are listed as FWB part number 1500.001.1 in all my documentation, from the model 150, right through to the model 300S (and it's many variants - SU, RT, etc.)
The compression chambers. These are listed as FWB part number 1500.120.1 in all my documentation, again, covering from the model 150, through to all of the model 300S variations.
Has anyone else ever encountered these differences in the noted parts, and does anyone have, or know of any schematics for the model 300S dated later than 1988, where these parts are perhaps noted as having different part numbers from those that I have quoted above?
Obviously, I will now be checking all subsequent FWB sledge action guns that I work on to gain a bit more info on this anomaly.