FWB 300S, lost power

[dtdtdtdt]

Here is a better view of the whole action area.  Hopefully right side up this time!!!!

Note the rail that the scope is attached to.  It came with the rifle and it's iron sights.  It serves as the scope mount base and grooved receiver all at once.  You can see that the objective bell on this scope is both short and not too big.  I looked hard to find this scope for exactly the reason you describe.  Straightshooters.com sells this Clearidge scope if that is of interest to you.

[indyducati]

Guys,

From a little googling, it seems the FWB 300RT had an extended loading port.
Looks about 9mm larger than my 300SU. It is biased toward the cocking lever.

Steve

[dtdtdtdt]

My FWB300SU loading port size is 59.5mm long, centered on the top of the rifle with no bias to either side.  I have no easy way to measure around the curve so looking straight down I get 24.3mm wide without the curvature - measured to the inside of the tube and just outside the piston tube. 

I agree with grauhanen that milling the slot out would affect rifle value for resale.  However, it's your rifle not mine!!! 

Good luck with it!

[yellow boy]

always wondered what made a "BUBBA"

yb

[dtdtdtdt]

Yellow Boy:

Please do not get me wrong.  My comments were intended to support your plan to take any modifications slow rather than doing something irrevocable unless absolutely necessary.  I did not and would not suggest that you would "bubba" the rifle.  I understand that you have the same kind of care and respect for fine machinery that I do!! 

I had the same experience with a bigger and longer scope and really was frustrated at a 90+% drop rate on insertion of pellets.  I tried making tools, using tweezers, pellet tubes, and several different scopes before I concluded that the shorter, smaller diameter scope was the best solution.   I invested in the smaller scope and have been happy with it since.  Look at the piston tube length by comparison to the RWS54 piston tube length.  If you look at the picture I put in, you can see that I could move the smaller scope back far enough to completely clear the loading port but that would be too far back for correct eye relief considering my hold. 

As you know the 300 is much less powerful than the 54 and has a much shorter effective range.  The 3-9x scope is completely adequate compared to some of bigger scopes that I see in use on more powerful air rifles. 

As I get older, I wish it were a bit higher power but can still shoot 1 hole groups at 17yds (50') all day with it so have only my eyes to blame when I miss. 

I have a 4-12 on my RWS54 and am happy with that too.

Good luck. 

[yellow boy]

DT,
THANKS FOR YOUR REASSURANCE THAT I HAVE NOT INADVERTENTLY ENTERED "BUBBAHOOD" (yet).  MY MOST RECENT TRY WAS ORDERING A SCOPE ELEVATION COMPENSATION MOUNT FROM P.A. THINKING TO MOUNT IT UNDER MY STANDARD MOUNT, RAISING THE SCOPE FOR MORE CLEARANCE AT THE LOADING PORT.  BUT THIS IS NOT GOING TO WORK BECAUSE THE UPPER RAIL IS A DIFFERENT SIZE.  (MAYBE THIS IS APPROACHING "BUBBHOOD" AGAIN).  SO I'M BACK TO LOOKING FOR A WAY TO GAIN SOME ELEVATION OF MY SCOPE.  ANY WAY THE QUEST CONTINUES.......
YB

[indyducati]

Gentlemen,

I'll add a bit of data to the scope mounting conundrum.

I used a Burris Timberline 4.5x14 on my FWB 300SU
I very happy with it.  The parallax will adjust from 
7 yards to Infinity and beyond !  It's only 11.3" long.
My complaint is the long eye relief 3.7" to 5"
I've found a decent compromise, between eye relief
and loading port clearance.
Overall, I'm pretty happy.

I've also received a Macari Arctic spring for my rifle yesterday.
I'm expecting the seals soon.   Hopefully, I can find a local
chronograph and get a baseline before I rebuild.

Steve

[yellow boy]

Sounds and looks like a good fix.
yb

[dtdtdtdt]

Boy do I feel stupid!!!  I told you about the rail and rings I had on my FWB300SU.  However, I was cross-threaded (early onset CRS) with one of many earlier tries at getting the right scope position and height right.  I just went to the gun safe and LOOKED at the current configuration that is shown in the pictures I posted.  I ended up with a BKL 260 11mm groove, medium height single piece rings &  base. I didn't find it necessary to get a drooper type but they are available as are taller ones.  ANYWAY it works great and I recommend it with my short scope.  Several vendors sell it for approximately $55.  I think you could get a 40mm objective scope in place if you wished.   I guess I had tried to forget the pain..... 

The story of how I got the rifle is a hoot:  My shooter daughter competes in air rifle internet matches worldwide.  She shot with a member of the British National Team for a while.  He hurt his back badly and had to stop rifle competition and wanted to sell his rifles.  I had always wanted a FWB300 and he had one for sale.  He works at Heathrow Airport in London in their security office.  He sent it me in Chicago in a regular gun case covered with match stickers and a piece of tape saying: "NOT A FIREARM."  It was sent Royal Mail under a SECURITY seal.  It left London Friday midnight, at Monday 8AM my postman showed up at my door in Chicago with the rifle case.  I signed for the rifle and in conversation he told me that he shot for the Pakistani Army Team and he was curious as to what I got!.  I explained that it was an air rifle from a UK shooter.  "Could he see it?"  Sure! Opened the case, got out the rifle and its bits and showed it to him.  He then told me that the case had been x-rayed numerous times and that Postal Inspectors had been involved.  Since it was under Royal Mail SEAL they couldn't legally open it.  He then departed.  It dawned on me that he hadn't given me the rest of my mail so I went to the box at the curb and saw him in deep conversation with a couple "suits" at the end of the block.  I think that I would have had a visit from the Postal Inspectors or FBI if it hadn't been an air rifle. 

[Meann-Machine]

Cool story Dave.