Feinwerkbau 124

[BlueSteel50]

 I'm in the process of deciding  if I should by another springer I have a  Beeman R1- 177~ R10 .20~ R8 177 & Weihrauch HW50S -22   and am looking at a really nice Feinwerkbau 124 .177~ looks to be 95+%  can't do a hands on but the photos are rally nice. Would be my first Feinwerkbau . It's a  SAN RAFAEL model. I know I read the original  seals  go south, the seller said he shot it a month ago and it's fine . You never know until it's in your hands. Anyone fill me in on what would be a good deal and how much trouble and cost it would be to rebuild it if the seals are shot. Thanks a lot guys . OH YEAH how do you pronounce it      ~~BS50~~

[TimmyMac1]

Budget $200-250 for the rebuild with shipping both ways. JM's Old School kit is what I use unless he changed the name. 124's are worth about $300-400 depending on the condition and version.
Not as good a trigger as an HW but the build quality and lightweight combination is nice. Should be part of any proper springer collection. Definitely a classic. Beeman seems to think the San Rafael guns are the most desireable but I think Generics(non-Beeman marked guns) will be the most scarce found in the USA in 40 years time. At the end of the day a FWB is a FWB regardless of the load that got blown your way by Doc BB.
The stocks were nicer early on and Walnut was the wood of the early Deluxe models.
Easy to cock and pleasant to shoot.

TimmyMac1

[Motorhead]

Already owning some fine HW's ..... You betcha, go after that 124 !!
There are some tricks to know opening one up for service if / when needed, but would be NO deal breaker either way.

[Acapulco]

I'd say go for it too...If the price is right. FWB 124 deluxe(checkering, palm swell, sling attachments, spacers in stock) is a quality made,  nice shooting rifle.

My lefty 124 deluxe w/ Beeman scope/rings/scope stop, trigger shoe and Beeman muzzle break


What is his price on the gun?

[Nod]

It is a great gun, go for it !!  By the way it is pronounced :  Fine-work-bow (as in the bow of a boat). I put a JM kit in mine and it shoots like a dream.

[Calmark]

I say go for it and buy that FWB 124.  Even if the seals are bad and need replacing, a Maccari kit and a little time should get the 124 back in business.  Even with a full-power kit, these Feinwerkbaus are very easy cocking and make a decent amount of power.  I put in the ProMac slightly softer, 12 fpe kit into mine and it really improved the feel of the rifle.  Its also now easier to shoot accurately since the torque from the original spring threw things off slightly.  By the way, mine was bought in 1983 by the original owner and I'm still using the original factory seal as far as I know.  It was slightly loose, but working fine, so I kept it.   Its a later San Rafael stamped one in the 42K serial number range.

[BlueSteel50]

Price is at $435 shipped with a hard case  almost no marks in the wood the metals is like new was bought new has the metal trigger coming with it and some pellets It's the STD not deluxe model, don't know if it was rebuilt or not, seller said  it was his Brothers and he shot it about a month ago and it was fine. thinking if he bought the metal trigger maybe he had the seals redone ,then again maybe he was just going to. never tore any down but  from wht I pulled up online it don't seem to big a deal  less than $150 in parts and including moly & tar. would be real tempting to put a butt pad on it and custom up the plain stock .but then I'd probably ruin the values.?~~BS50~~   

[garczar6]

I found a like-new metal-trigger model and had Mike at FD put in Maccari kit. Super rifle: vibration is gone, even easier to cock and STUPID accuracy. With JSB 7.9's at 25yds. ( distance to Martin house), i can surgically remove starlings.  All time airgun classic for sure.

[Acapulco]

Looks nice and clean. Keep us informed with the purchase.

[TimmyMac1]

Price is at $435 shipped with a hard case  almost no marks in the wood the metals is like new was bought new has the metal trigger coming with it and some pellets It's the STD not deluxe model, don't know if it was rebuilt or not, seller said  it was his Brothers and he shot it about a month ago and it was fine. thinking if he bought the metal trigger maybe he had the seals redone ,then again maybe he was just going to. never tore any down but  from wht I pulled up online it don't seem to big a deal  less than $150 in parts and including moly & tar. would be real tempting to put a butt pad on it and custom up the plain stock .but then I'd probably ruin the values.?~~BS50~~   

IMO it is not OK if it shot a few times. The repair will set the guy back a few hundred to have it done by a Pro and to say it may not be tuned is to say it may be worth 250 instead of $435. A Standard model is not worth what a Deluxe Walnut model is worth and the price being asked here is IMO too much for a Standard model that has been rebuilt. If it has not been freshened up it is no way worth $435 unless the Hardcase is worth a few hundred. I think a Clean Standard would fetch maybe $350 if it has been done already and half that if it needs the $150 tune up plus shipping both ways.

TimmyMac1

[BlueSteel50]

 I'll know  probably what I got with in a week  ,figure they are getting harder to find in nice cond. and the price will continue to climb. so it's kind   of an investment toy. ~~BS50~~

[tjk]

Not too sure I agree with some of the said statements made this far.  As an owner of a few FWB Sporters, both 124's and a 127, I would say the FWB Sporters in 90% condition or better are well worth more than $300 to $400 regardless of what condition the internals are. Springs and seals are consumables and will eventually need to be replaced. Most of the Sporters that Beeman marketed and sold came with the same stocks regardless if they were the deluxe model or the standard model (minus the white spacers).  And the plain jane euro styled stocks are just as nice. The only other defining difference of the two are the breech block sling swivel.  IMO this doesn't make the deluxe way so much better than the standard model. Nor should a standard models'price be reduced a lot because of the lack of this little extra factory bling. Unless one were to invest in a Paul Watts tune, you'd be better off to tune them yourself. Besides, they are pretty dang clean from the factory to begin with. Paul actually corrects out of round comp tubes,.....can't say I've ever heard of any other 'tuner' out there that performs such a task. And to slap a brake hone in an FWB comp tube don't cut it either. The triggers can be set to shoot a lot better than most owners realize. Again having a trigger rework by Mr Watts is the safest bet and worth the cost of his tune.
$435 for the Sporter in question seems to be a dang good deal IMO. Hard case of no hard case. Two things to consider as well. They haven't made the Sporters for more than 25 years so they will become more rare as time rolls on. From an investment standpoint, you can't go wrong with one. And the main reason I think the rifle for sale is worth the asking price is the Match Grade Barrel!!! Feinwerkbau probably makes, has made, and still makes the finest barrels available. I say buy with confidence. You won't be sorry.

[BlueSteel50]

Well I got the tracking # so it's on the way ,spent 4 hrs moving snow today anymore of that stuff and I won't be able to shoot it till spg. everything I got hurts ,the only good thing about getting old is it beats the other option  ~~BS50~~

[VillageSniper]

  I just purchased (last September) a very similar 124 sport, serial 36XXX.  I sent it on down to Paul Watts for his Adv. tune, tuned for smoothness, with barrel realignment (the barrel was pointing a little left).  I bought it for $250 and it needed work.  I really wanted it and so I offered the older gentleman an amount I thought he wouldn't refuse.  I put an older 4X32 AO Bushnell Sportview (purchased for$30 from the same gentleman) on it with a Sportsmatch OP22 one piece mount.  It also wears a tactical cheek pad by Eagle Industries, which does make the standard stock feel so much nicer and I get a consistent cheek weld this way.

Vs