Feinwerkbau Custom Sports

Feinwerkbau - Mastersport FTS.

With thanks to Dale for these pics

and to Robin and Paddy for these pics.

Feinwerkbau custom Bowkett Sport 

Thanks to James, who said about the Bowkett barrel locks:

There is further information on the simple inexpensive system used by Bowkett on the Facebook JB Fanpage. He fitted it to FWB's, HW80's Original 45's etc. The idea behind it was, with a standard rifle, that when closed the underside of the breech sat on a shelf and was held there by a spring loaded ball or plunger. When the rifle was fired the breech bounced on this shelf. A few thou. bounce at this end of the barrel was multiplied out at the muzzle. This also made some boingers pellet fussy as the pellet often determined the firng characteristics. The solid bar of the lock swung to one side and after the rifle was cocked pushed back with the knurled nut clamping the breech block to the shelf which was fixed to the cylinder part of the rifle. Simple and effective as well as being economical at the time for the princely sum of £15.
FAC HW 80's really benefitted from the JB lock. Venom used to sell quite of few HW 80's beefed up to FAC levels. They recommended either RWS flat head (Squirrel on the tin lid)or H&N Baracuda. Some pellets even shook the safety catch on when the rifle was fired. With a JB lock fitted this widened to scope of pellets that could be used with consistent accuracy. 

Feinwerkbau - Venom Sport 

With Jim Macarri 'Venom' stock(?)

Feinwerkbau - Airmasters Mastersport.

Richard Welham posted this on the airgunbbs.com:

"Airmasters was started by my father John Welham and his brother Dave. 

"Frustrated with the hopelessly unreliable targets we were shooting in the early days of field target my dad decided to design a target that was as close to 100% reliable as possible. The consequence of this was the company ‘Knok Down Targets’ formed in 1982. These they made together in my dad’s garage until Webley showed an interest and Dave then found a CNC producer to make them.

"We were quite successful at Field Target, and it was not long before Dave was taking on tuning work. This led to the development of the Mastersport at the end of 83. Dave did all the tuning work on the FWBs and he was fantastic at it.

"Dave developed a silencer, the alloy ‘Phantom’ and with the targets selling reasonably regularly through Webley they took the plunge and decided to go full time, this was at the end of 84.

"They found premises in Hibbert Street in Luton and me and my Dad fitted it out in March 85 opening in May 85, Airmasters was born. 

"By this time Dave was fully focussed on manufacturing accessories. Trigger shoes, steel silencers, trigger guards, cocking aids and finally scope mounts. I had just finished a City and Guilds engineering course so was in an ideal position to take over the mechanical work on our custom guns. 

"My father, John, was the stocker, in my opinion he was the most innovative, and technically the best that there’s been. I took over the mechanical side of producing custom rifles in April 1985, finishing in January ’89. By '85 most of the work required was on HW77s, so practically all the custom 77s we produced were made by myself and my dad which is a really nice thing. The shop was closed and Airmasters wound up in 1990. Essentially, we just didn’t make enough money.

"The three of us put everything into our work, perhaps too much sometimes, sweating the details beyond what was really necessary at times. But we did get some nice results.

"‘Stalker’ was our designation for anything ‘sporting’ with a shortened barrel. So you can add ‘Stalker’ to any of the break barrels.

"We made all sorts of one offs, but in addition to Mach’s comprehensive list I can add the following that were offered on general sale.

"We made one Original 45 Stalker, I would love to find that, it was beautiful. Several Vulcan and Victor Stalkers and at least one Mastersport Tyro 335.

"There were also the AA Shamal FTS, FTX and FTXS"

A custom rifle sold by Dave Welham of Airmasters.

Feinwerkbau Sport with Rekord trigger.

With thanks to Richard for these pics of an FWB Sport with a Weihrauch Rekord trigger.

Feinwerkbau - Custom Parts.

Modified o-ring piston head and floating spring guide by John Bowkett

Modified piston with brazed bronze (?) rings at the rear, by Airmasters/Dave Welham in the FWB Mastersport

With thanks to Jules for these pics:

Breech barrel lock by John Bowkett

V-Mach tuned Feinwerkbau Sport 

Feinwerkbau Modell-124 Custom Select (Beeman). 

Courtesy of Leonardj. 

Feinwerkbau Modell-124 Beeman custom (UK import).

With thanks to Ian for these pics.

Feinwerkbau Modell-124 (Beeman with ARH stock) 

This rifle sold recently on Gunbroker (US) for $911.00.

Beeman Maccari Tyrolean FWB 124 

This rifle spotted on Ebay in the US.

Feinwerkbau 127 Custom Sport 

Wth thanks to Scott for the pics, which he posted on the AVA. It has a Steve Corcoran stock and custom chequering.

Feinwerkbau Sport Mastersport 

With thanks for Richard for this pic. He describes this rifle as "National title winning Mastersport, Set back 2 stage trigger, Tasco 2-7 with Apel FWB one piece".

Walnut Feinwerkbau Sport custom 

With thanks to Ian and Andy.

Feinwerkbau Sport (Tyrolean stock, engraved) 

With thanks to Geoff.

Feinwerkbau Sport (custom Don Robinson stock) 

More proof, to my eye at least, that Don Robinson was a truly awful stock maker!

With thanks to Mike B.

Feinwerkbau Sport custom stock (various by same maker) 

Feinwerkbau Sport custom (Don Robinson, "made for Prince Charles" - I'm guessing that the fact it's not in Charles's possession means he didn't want it...?) 

Pics copyright NRA Museum.

Feinwerkbau 124 Mastersport 

Another similar Mastersport: 

Feinwerkbau Sport .20 cal 2-shot custom 

This peculiar rifle made by James Maccari in the US.

Feinwerkbau Sport Queen Bee-style stock 

Made by Gary Goudy in the US.

Feinwerkbau Sport (striped walnut) 

Feinwerkbau Sport (custom bull barrel) 

This rifle was built by James Maccari in the US.

Various Feinwerkbau Sports in custom Tyrolean stocks 

Feinwerkbau Sport in custom Weatherby-style stock 

Feinwerkbau Sports in custom Turkish walnut stocks (x2) 

This first one by stockmaker Jan Kraner.

Feinwerkbau Sport in Welham LH stock  

Feinwerkbau Sport Queen Bee (Beeman) 

Feinwerkbau Sport (carbine barrel, Venom silencer) 

Custom Feinwerkbau Sport 124 (with HW35-style breech lock) 

Spotted on Guntrader.co.uk.

Engraved Sport (beech stock, chequered) 

Spotted on Guntrader.

Feinwerkbau Sport floating spring guide and top hat 

Feinwerkbau Sport (thumbhole stock) 

Feinwerkbau 124 (Beeman, custom stock) 

Feinwerkbau Sport Beeman Custom Shop 

With thanks to Matt.

Mastersport (Richard Welham) x2 

And another:

Feinwerkbau 124 Sport tyrolean 

Stock is myrtle.

Feinwerkbau 124 Sport tyrolean 

Feinwerkbau Sport 125 (Beeman Collection) 

I think this is one of a small number of Sports made for Beeman in .20 cal. although it is (mis)labelled as being a .22 cal.

Pics copyright Rock Island Auctions.

FWB Sport Beeman Custom (fleur-de-lys_chequering, Beeman Collection) 

Pics copyright Rock Island Auctions.

Feinwerkbau Sport in ARH stock (Beeman Collection) 

Pics copyright Rock Island Auctions.

Feinwerkbau Sport (Maccari stock and trigger) 

With thanks to Kenneth.

Feinwerkbau Sport custom (Jan Kraner thumbhole stock) 

Feinwerkbau Custom Sport (Jan Kraner stock, Beeman San Rafael) 

Feinwerkbau Custom Sport 127 (Steve Harper, .25 cal)