What is the proper way to cock the FWB 300?

[R1lover]

What is the PROPER way to cock the FWB 300?  Experience and opinions are welcome but I am hoping to find someone with THE answer from FWB.

I emailed the below question to FWB and received back an image from the owner's manual instructions (which I already have) basically saying hold the gun here, push on that, pull on this and load.

My question specifically is, should the muzzle be pointed down following the shot so the action slides forward and locks in position before cocking

OR

should the gun be held level or pointed up following the shot so the action remains in the rearward, unlocked position when cocking?  I have seen it done this way on YouTube and do realize that using this method will force the action forward to the point of locking at the end of the cocking handle stroke.

My concern is that the locking mechanism (perhaps someone can point it out to me in the attached schematic) may only be designed to secure the action from sliding back and forth when making ready to shoot and is not designed/intended to hold the action in place against the force of thousands of reward pulls on the cocking handle to compress the main spring.

[Hoosier Daddy]

I hold mine level.. on the bags or bipod on the bench.
ALWAYS put my right arm in front of the cocking lever and hold the forearm with that hand then load the pellet with my left hand.

[MDriskill]

To the best of my knowledge, it doesn't matter (which may be indirectly implied from FWB's reply?).

Letting gravity do the work (i.e., muzzle down after shooting) is, on paper, a bit less stress on the components, compared to having the cocking lever force it forward. But these guns are so over-designed I doubt I'd live long enough to see a problem.

I've had a couple 300S's which bypassed the issue - the alignment and/or lubrication of the action rails was such that the action instantly bounced back forward to the latched position when the gun was fired.

The only issue I've ever heard of cocking the FWB match springers is on the earlier models 150 and 300. Those have longer cocking levers, with a swinging latch handle to unlock the lever - different from the push-down latch on the 300S. The latch hinge pin or return spring (parts now quite hard to get) can be damaged if this handle is used to pull the lever back too enthusiastically; instead you should grab the lever by its solid knurled section for the main stroke. 

A 300 is shown in the pic.

[dtdtdtdt]

I hold the rifle with the barrel pointing up so I can see into the loading port easily.  Press the pellet into the chamber with my thumb firmly.  Fold the lever forward until it seats.  Rarely will a pellet fall out of the chamber doing i
!t this way.  When it does, I turn the rifle over and shake until the pellet falls out.

Regarding the anti-bear trap device to keep the bolt from closing. When you cock the rifle you should hear a series of clicks.  that is the safety device for making sure you don't get a finger clipped off or pinched.  I haven't dismantled my rifle to see exactly how it works but in over 20 years, it hasn't done anything nasty.  One time I dug into the literature to for sure that there was a safety latching system and found reference to it so am sure its really there!!

[Pneumatic-Addict]

I think I'd have to take one of mine apart in order to figure out what parts of the diagram do the locking.  Someone that has done a lot of work on them would know.

I usually push the action forward with my thumb after taking a shot.  I figure that it's easier on the gun's internals than letting the entire weight of the barreled action do it by lowering the muzzle.  But does it reduce stress enough on the gun's internals to make any difference in the longevity of the parts?  Who knows.  It reduces stress on me to hear a click, rather than a clank    That's part of the joy of these guns; they're so relaxing to shoot! 

This morning I tried cocking the gun with and without the action locked in the forward position.  I don't have a spring gauge to take measurements with, so it was a very subjective test; but to me, it felt like it took more effort to cock the gun when letting the lever do the work of pushing the action forward.  More effort = more stress on parts?   And does it really matter?  I don't know.

[airgunbuff]

I have a old FWB 150 pretty much same as the 300 and have had many 300s pass thru my hands. for over 45 years I have always but the stock on my leg when sitting with the barrel pointed up and cocked the rifle... never a problem with thousands and thousands of shots thru many different 150s and 300s
kindly
ron

[MDriskill]

Re-reading Dave's post makes me realize that I actually do the same thing most of the time - push the action forward with my thumb after a shot.

For the record, the FWB's really have two cocking safety devices. Besides the lever retaining ratchet, this little button under the cocking lever pops out to block the trigger. It is engaged any time the lever is not completely closed and latched.

[joe139]

Good to know I have a 300 on the way I will be carefull when I cock it not to pull on the latch thanks

[Hoosier Daddy]

Re-reading Dave's post makes me realize that I actually do the same thing most of the time - push the action forward with my thumb after a shot.

For the record, the FWB's really have two cocking safety devices. Besides the lever retaining ratchet, this little button under the cocking lever pops out to block the trigger. It is engaged any time the lever is not completely closed and latched.

Interesting... never noticed that before.

[bberg7794]

Can I add to the OP's question?  Is there a way to decock a 300S without firing or dry firing it?

[dtdtdtdt]

Not likely.
. 
If cocked and closed without a pellet in an inappropriate place just reopen the action and put a pellet in it.
Best to shoot one more pellet.   I suggest a backstop of bunch of wadded up newspaper, magazines, telephone book, a full trash can or a bucket of water. If you have the little felt plugs that Beeman sells for cleaning the bore insert 2-3 in place of a pellet and shoot it into a trash can.