Feinwerkbau
Encyclopedia
Feinwerkbau (ˈfaɪnwɜrkbaʊ), often abbreviated FWB, is a German
manufacturer of firearms (including air gun
s). It is aimed mainly at competitive ISSF shooting events
, including some contested at the Olympic Games
as governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation
(ISSF).
The company currently offers three distinct product lines: air pistols and rifles
, small caliber .177
and .22 lr
rifles and competition pistols as well as two muzzleloading
black powder smallarms, chambered in .36 and .44. It also offers several accessories, an archery
trigger release and high-precision industrial machining and manufacturing services. Feinwerkbau has on-site service staff available at various European shooting events.
The name Feinwerkbau is German, which translates to "fine worksmanship".
“Broomhandle” pistol. Because of post-war sanctions, there were few opportunities to develop small arms in Germany during the 1950s and so the fledging company spent its first decade concentrating on the manufacture of precision parts and machines (particularly electro-mechanical calculators). In the late 1950s they returned to their original design focus with the development of the first truly successful recoilless target air rifle (an area which was excluded from the weapon manufacturing restrictions but which could tap into the undiminished German interest in target shooting). This was launched as the LG150 in 1963 and was followed with their first air-pistol in 1965.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
manufacturer of firearms (including air gun
Air gun
An air gun is a rifle , pistol , or shotgun that fires projectiles by means of compressed air or other gas, in contrast to a firearm, which burns a propellant. Most air guns use metallic projectiles as ammunition. Air guns that only use plastic projectiles are classified as airsoft...
s). It is aimed mainly at competitive ISSF shooting events
ISSF shooting events
The International Shooting Sport Federation recognizes several shooting events, some of which have Olympic status. They are divided into four disciplines: rifle, pistol, shotgun and running target....
, including some contested at the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
as governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation
International Shooting Sport Federation
The International Shooting Sport Federation is an organization that governs international shooting sports. While far from the only such organization, it is the one that is a member of the International Olympic Committee and so it is in charge of the Olympic shooting events. Not all ISSF shooting...
(ISSF).
The company currently offers three distinct product lines: air pistols and rifles
Air gun
An air gun is a rifle , pistol , or shotgun that fires projectiles by means of compressed air or other gas, in contrast to a firearm, which burns a propellant. Most air guns use metallic projectiles as ammunition. Air guns that only use plastic projectiles are classified as airsoft...
, small caliber .177
.177 calibre
.177 caliber is the smallest size of pellets widely used in air guns, and is the only caliber generally accepted for formal target competition. It is also sometimes used for hunting small game, and in field target competition, where it competes with .20 caliber and .22 caliber rifles...
and .22 lr
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have...
rifles and competition pistols as well as two muzzleloading
Muzzleloader
A muzzleloader is any firearm into which the projectile and usually the propellant charge is loaded from the muzzle of the gun . This is distinct from the more popular modern designs of breech-loading firearms...
black powder smallarms, chambered in .36 and .44. It also offers several accessories, an archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
trigger release and high-precision industrial machining and manufacturing services. Feinwerkbau has on-site service staff available at various European shooting events.
The name Feinwerkbau is German, which translates to "fine worksmanship".
History
The company was established 1949 by Karl Westinger and Ernst Altenburger, both former employees of Mauser where Westinger had been responsible for an important design improvement to the Mauser C96Mauser C96
The Mauser C96 is a semi-automatic pistol that was originally produced by German arms manufacturer Mauser from 1896 to 1937...
“Broomhandle” pistol. Because of post-war sanctions, there were few opportunities to develop small arms in Germany during the 1950s and so the fledging company spent its first decade concentrating on the manufacture of precision parts and machines (particularly electro-mechanical calculators). In the late 1950s they returned to their original design focus with the development of the first truly successful recoilless target air rifle (an area which was excluded from the weapon manufacturing restrictions but which could tap into the undiminished German interest in target shooting). This was launched as the LG150 in 1963 and was followed with their first air-pistol in 1965.
Air Rifles
- FWB 110 4.5mm target rifle, sidelever springer
- FWB 124 4.5mm air rifle, >800fps
- FWB 127 5.5mm version of the FWB 124
- FWB 150 4.5mm target rifle, sidelever springer, manufactured ??-1968
- FWB 300 4.5mm target rifle, sidelever springer, recoilless, 460fps
- FWB 300S 4.5mm target rifle, sidelever springer, recoilless, 640fps
- FWB 600/601/603 4.5mm target rifle, sidelever, Single Stroke Pneumatic (SSP)
- FWB 700 4.5mm target rifle, Pre-Charged Pneumatic (PCP)
Air Pistols
- 65 recoilless
- 80 recoilless
- C-20
- P44 4.5mm match pistol, PCP, 500fps
- P58 4.5mm 5-shot semiautomatic match pistol, PCP
- FWB 100 match pistol, single lever, single stroke pneumatic, introduced in 1988
- FWB 102 match pistol, dual lever, single stroke pneumatic, introduced in 1992 replacing the FWB 100
- FWB 103 match pistol, removable single lever, single stroke pneumatic, introduced in 1997 replacing the FWB 102