I just purchased a nice used Firebrand bow.

I'm not sure if this is the 'Discovery' model or not (see pic).

It has a cast riser.

Anyone have ANY idea what year(s) Firebrand might have been making THIS particular model and IF it IS a Discovery (or not)?

Thanks...

PS I know Monster Bows is now making cables and such for these out-of-manuf bows now...
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=162238 388&albumID=741148&imageID=6962674

and: http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=162238 388&albumID=741148&imageID=6962672
See pics at:

Sorry, don't do MySpace. The Discovery was about 39" tip to tip and had a short riser, with a brace height of close to 8". The Intensity was 43" tip to tip, had a reflexed riser, and a 6 3/4" brace height.

It's a Discovery for sure. But I thought all the Discovery's were machines and not cast risers.

???

Thanks,

They had the Discovery first. They were cast risers, but in not so close pics, looked somewhat like machined. They had 3 bows that I'm aware of. The Discovery, the Intensity (both cast risers), and the Colorado, which had a machined riser. I got the Discovery when Firebrand was offering to send you one for 10 days, and then you could send it back if you did not want it, which is what I did. Not a bad little bow. Very low recoil and pretty quiet. Lots of system friction and a late peak to the draw, which is why I did not want to keep it.

Wow - I love mine. Smooth draw - rock solid wall, light, short as hell. no wheels or cams. And looks as close to a recurve as you can get for a modern bow! Monster Bows has a forum and I see guys are still looking to buy-up used Firebrands!

Priceless!

Doubtful your love affair will last long if you shoot it much. I had an Intensity - had many, many problems and send it back several times. Joe nailed it on the head, the design causes friction and stresses that will eventually cause the bow to fail. Hence, why the company is no longer around. Mine failed at the hinge limb connection/area. The limbs kept going out of alignment and finally broke while I was shooting after sending it for repair the 3rd time. Take my advice, send it to Monstor Bows and have them re-work it before you shoot it much and you then will have a dependable bow that really is "priceless" and that you love for a long time. The guys you refer to that are buying up all the Firebrand bows they can find are doing it for that reason, not because they are good stand alone bows.

Rework it how?

I don't shoot that much. I don't shoot 3D, limit shots to 25 yrs or less and use a Keller sight.

I see you've been on their forum. Do some searching or just contact them direct. Here is a link that describes what they do: http://www.monsterbows.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=143

It is a little pricey, but you'd have a bow that was sweet and would last a long time. What you own now, in its current state, won't. I'm tellin' ya, it doesn't matter what you're using it for, as long as you shoot it, it is wearing on the parts. The problem is the system causes too much torque on the limbs and hinges and they will fail. It causes them to put pressure on one side of the limb and twists them at the hinge. Sort of like cam lean on a wheel bow, but the FBT design can't take it. Monster Bows fixes this essentially by converting it to a shoot through cable system. They make the FBT what it should have been all along.

why doesn't someone just manuf a 'beefier' power limb?

having a 'shoot thu' system has to be a big PITA when trying to nock a second arrow, etc.

Because it would slow the bow down a lot on a cam-limb bow and put even more stress on the hinge due to weight. A shoot thru system is not as big a PITA as some say it is; it just takes getting used to like anything else. Martin still manufactures those systems for those that want it, and many do because it relives the strain and cam lean on the cams. Oneida gets around it by using the cams above and below the sight window, Darton solves the cam lean problems as best they can with their harness/yoke system on their new bows.