FWB AW93 - Help Please

[David Levene]

I have been asked a question about the latest AW93s. I haven't looked at one to see if the answer is obvious but am sure someone here will know.

Is it possible to disable the automatic slide hold-open after the last shot.?If so, what's the easiest way?

Thanks

[Fortitudo Dei]

Yes - it's easily done.

You can either do it so it is reversible or something more permanent. The mechanism / lever which operates the hold-back on the last shot is on the right-hand side of the pistol. By taking off the grip all is revealed.

To make it easily reversible, simply remove the hold back lever mechanism by removing the little split ring which holds it onto its pivot. This also means that you will unable to manually operate a hold-back so you would have to revert to sticking a shell case in to hold the slide back for RO inspection.

If you still want to be able to manually operate the hold-back, the fix becomes more permanent as you will have to grind down the lower tab which is normally pushed up by a rising "button" on the magazine on the last shot to engage the slide. FWB would probably sell you a replacement lever if you then wanted to on-sell the pistol and didn't want to degrade its value too much.

AW93a shows the mechanism down. AW93b shows it having engaged the slide lock. Easy peasy.

[David Levene]

That's great.

Very many thanks.

[Spencer]

...so you would have to revert to sticking a shell case in to hold the slide back for RO inspection???????

You should not even joke about this - somebody might not realise that you are joking.

Spencer

[Mike Taylor]

Why "joking"?
As an RO, I've inspected countless pistols to ensure the chamber was empty. I've no problem with the slide being held back (open) with an empty shell case, so long as I can see the chamber. Now a 'live' round is an entirely different matter. I would not accept that as a hold-open device.
Mike T.

[Guest]

...so you would have to revert to sticking a shell case in to hold the slide back for RO inspection???????

You should not even joke about this - somebody might not realise that you are joking.

In my books, "shell case" implies the case component of a round i.e. it has no projectile or powder i.e. it is empty. Just about every one I know has grabbed a used .22 shell case off the ground or bench to hold back a slide at one time or another. No R.O I have ever come across has ever said anything against the practice.

[PaulT]

Thanks for the posts.

I must confess I am reluctant to make any amendments to the pistols as they are functioning perfectly and last shot-open an irritation. As their deployment is sport pistol, so fire on recoil is not required.

I was hoping the was a user adjustment that could be made that did not feature in the documentation. I don’t like the idea of having to use a material to hold-open though.

Thanks again for the posts.

[Fortitudo Dei]

Interestingly, the hold-back mechanism was the only major change that FWB made to the original Haidurov design - and it took them several years before they introduced it. None of the Russian target pistols I have seen were ever (in their original form at least) fitted with any form of hold-back system and I suspect East European pistol shooters have been holding their slides open with spent .22 cases for generations.

[Spencer]

Why "joking"?
As an RO, I've inspected countless pistols to ensure the chamber was empty. I've no problem with the slide being held back (open) with an empty shell case, so long as I can see the chamber. Now a 'live' round is an entirely different matter. I would not accept that as a hold-open device.
Mike T.

Why not use an empty case to keep the action of a semi-automatic ‘open’?

1. At the completion of a series, or when a shooter wishes to put a pistol on the bench (i.e. not actually firing), the breech must be empty and the action open – 8.2.5.1, 8.2.5.6
2. It is fairly common for semi-automatic target pistols to not have an operational ‘slide hold-open’: to comply with the requirement for the action to be open it is usual with these pistols to use some other object
3. Not every range official always minutely inspects every pistol every time (should or would is the basis for a separate discussion)

So far, so good…

4. If a shooter expects a range official to accept an empty brass case propping the action open, the shooter is training that range official to accept the appearance of a brass case in the action of the pistol.
5. Familiarity breeds…
6. We now have a range official who under pressures of competition could accept a pistol with a cartridge in the breech (Yes! Range officials are under competition pressure and can get competition nerves)
This not hypothetical, it can, and has happened

The pistol should be ‘obviously empty’ to anyone in the area.

Spencer

[Spencer]

Interestingly, the hold-back mechanism was the only major change that FWB made to the original Haidurov design - and it took them several years before they introduced it. None of the Russian target pistols I have seen were ever (in their original form at least) fitted with any form of hold-back system and I suspect East European pistol shooters have been holding their slides open with spent .22 cases for generations.

I have not seen a case used to prop open the action at an ISSF championships for many years (and I get to a few as a range official).
I have the occassional shooter use this 'method' during practice, but they are asked to use something else more suitable (and comply).

In AUS it might happen in the boonies, but I would be surprised if it happened at a state or national championships.

Spencer

[bryan]

So spencer, you saying I live in the boonies? My pistol has manual hold back still in tact, but have seen shell casings used on other members pistols, often of a greater caliber than the pistol, but I see your point and will raise the issue. you never know, you might get lost one day and turn up on our door step!
what about one jammed in the slide to hold open, not action?

bryan

[Walter]

Electrical tape around the slide, at the area of the catch. Make sure the tape doesn't scrape the frame.

[xtreme]

As a RO, I would never accept an empty case holding the slide open.
Has the shooter just had a malfunction and, not thinking, just put the pistol on the bench? Just use some other object to prop the slide open. Is it that hard to do?
Mark

[JamesH]

I must confess I am reluctant to make any amendments to the pistols as they are functioning perfectly and last shot-open an irritation. As their deployment is sport pistol, so fire on recoil is not required.

I was hoping the was a user adjustment that could be made that did not feature in the documentation. I don’t like the idea of having to use a material to hold-open though.

Is it a big deal to get a second latch, grind off the leg at the bottom - no last shot hold open -> manual hold open.
Is that a circlip to remove? Seems a simple change, although I guess getting pistol parts is hard.
Keep the original latch just in case.

Alternatively get a different diameter pin for the mag made up.

[Fred Mannis]

The pistol should be ‘obviously empty’ to anyone in the area.

Spencer

Here in the US, at NRA matches, the use of colored nylon 'weedwacker' line inserted into the breech and visibly extending out the muzzle is fast becoming the norm, in addition to locking the slide back. I expect the NRA will write it into the rules. Clubs in my area often set out a tin containing lengths of line and request that all shooters use it. Cost is fractions of a cent. Even with pistols that do not have a slide hold-open device, a length of line protruding from the muzzle and a not fully closed breech shows the pistol to be 'obviously empty' to any in the area.

Some companies are now offering devices that insert into the chamber and show a flag as well as holding the slide back about 1/4".

[Walter]

There's no need to go through such convolutions. I used tape for about a year while waiting for a replacement spring. It worked fine.
Even without the slide held back, orange weed trimmer cord through the barrel and out the chamber should be good enough for a RO.

*Edit*
¡Fred, you beat me to it by a few minutes while I typed!

[SteveT]

I have 2 AW93 magazines with small buttons and 2 with the large buttons as seen in the pictures above. The small button mags do not hold the slide open. I would gladly trade you 2 small button mags for 2 large button mags, but shipping back and forth to the UK might cost as much as replacement buttons.

Regards,
Steve Turner

[PaulT]

We thought the magazines were the answer to this as we did not want to modify the pistols at all. Getting some spare mags is simple.

A picture of both mags would be really appreciated so we can see the difference and know what to ask for(!)?

BTW - Thanks for the kind offer but we have several FWB’s so some magazines at the next major match will be fine.

[Walter]

Here's the part numbers for the mag parts.
It doesn't show different buttons. The mags complete are very expensive.
It's difficult to understand the part numbers from the picture.