Olympic Target Air Rifles

Olympic Target Air Guns

Beeman / FWB 603 World Class Target Air Rifle

Air Guns by RWS: Model 54 Air King Recoilless Side-Lever High Velocity Air Guns

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When a shooter reaches the world class level they typically only look to one source to provide their air guns - Beeman-Feinwerkbau. The new Beeman/FWB 603 Air Rifle, which had a sneak preview at the Centennial Olympics, is now available with all the medal winning quality that is synonymous with the Beeman and Feinwerkbau names. Improvements include a revised stock mounting system and the latest in vibration reduction. A compensator siphons off a minute amount of air and displaces any and all vibration to give the ultimate in follow through. It is this type of technological advancement that allowed this air rifle to win the first gold medal of the 1996 Olympic games.

The Beeman / FWB 603 series air guns are next generation single stroke pneumatic air rifles. The cocking stroke was designed to flow with the body. The large handle fits the palm comfortably, and the power stroke is towards the shooter, not awkwardly away as some other brands. Consequently, cocking the Beeman/FWB 603 is much easier than other single stroke pneumatics, leading to less effort which can raise the heart rate, tire the airgun shooter, and lower the scores.

One of the most unique aspects of these air rifles is the laminated stock. This handsome stock is constructed from hardwoods and hard rubber. Each layer is cross laid to each other and the result is a stock so rigid that stability is assured regardless of humidity or temperature changes. Wood air gun stocks absorb moisture or dry out causing subtle changes in shape and altering the point of impact, but the Beeman 603 stock completely eliminates this problem. Feinwerkbau even tested the materials by holding a stock underwater for days, and it still held it's shape! There is even an improved three point mounting system for the action.

The cheek piece and butt plate on these air guns are now more adjustable than ever. Not only can the cheek piece be moved up or down in a full 30mm range but can also be canted top to bottom or bottom to top by 20 degrees. The left to right can be canted 15 degrees and the entire unit can be moved 5mm left or right. The butt plate has a similar range of adjustments making this air rifle a custom fit to any shooter of any size or shape.

Feinwerkbau air guns have always been recognized as having some of the finest triggers ever designed, and the Model 603 Air Rifle is no exception. Pull weight adjusts from approximately 3.5 ounces to a bit more than a pound, and there are adjustments for pull-off point, initial travel, finger length, and even lateral position. Now both the trigger and trigger slack weight are separately adjustable with small knurled knobs located in the trigger guard. Adjustments can be made with the turn of a finger, no tools are required, and even be changed in the middle of a match! A new dry firing device has been included for easy practice of position and trigger control, and a lighter firing pin gives an even faster lock time than before.

The Beeman-FWB 603 air guns appear to have a long 25 inch barrel, but in reality that is only a shroud. The rifled inner barrel is only 16.6 inches long with the remainder a wide, hollow tube that does not touch the pellet once it leaves the rifled barrel. So what is the advantage of the short barrel? The answer lies in shooter motion once the shot is fired. The longer the barrel the more opportunity the shooter has to move, even ever so slightly, and to pull the rifle off the target. The three barrel weights on the end are moveable allowing the shooter to balance the air rifle to their preference. Finally a new front sight with an increased aperture was added.

With all these features, and accuracy of 0.04", it's no wonder why the Beeman/FWB 603 is the target air rifle of choice. Already adopted by several members of the United States Shooting Team, as well as other competitors around the world, the 603 is destined to visit the medal stand quickly and frequently!

Specifications Summary:

Beemam-FWB Model 603 Match Air Rifle; caliber .177, pneumatic, recoilless, single-shot, side-lever cocking, micrometer match sights included; cocking effort 19 lbs; velocity 570 fps; weight 10.8 lbs; barrel length 16.6" with 8" shroud extension; overall length 43"; laminated wood full-match stock; no safety.