Scope ID

[dromia]

Anyone able to ID this scope for me, its reputed to be a Weaver but I haven't seen any marks, El Paso or otherwise on it in the limited handling I've had of it.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/adamsutherland/Slazenger%20Model%2024/090204091341735-1.jpg





http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/adamsutherland/Slazenger%20Model%2024/090204091341735-5.jpg




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/adamsutherland/Slazenger%20Model%2024/090204091341735-4.jpg



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/adamsutherland/Slazenger%20Model%2024/090204091341735-3.jpg

[45nut]

I am more interested in the rifle................ :)

[dromia]

The rifle is a Slazenger Model 24.

After WW2 Lithgow SAF in Australia was trying to keep its skilled labour force, so they did a deal with Slazenger to make the Model 24 based on No1 Mk111* actions, there was just over 7,000 made and they were done in .22" Hornet as this one still is.

Unfortunately a previous owner chopped a couple of inches off the barrel to remove the foresight ramp and removed the converted rear leaf sight to fit the scope.

It shoots really well and I'm having it recrowned at present.

I'm onto a nice untouched one in Oz at present to keep this shooter company in the collection. :-D

Seeing as how I know something of the rifle I'd like to have some knowledge of the scope as well. :mrgreen:

[beemer]

I looked through Old Rifle Scopes and didn't see anything exactly like it but the book doesn't have a lot of pictures. Although I can't really tell from the picture I was thinking maybe it has a power booster attached to the front.

beemer

[dubber123]

The adjustment knobs sure look like an old Weaver.

[Bent Ramrod]

Dromia,

It should be an early post WWII Weaver K-4. The only other one of the series was the K-2.5 and that one didn't have the bell on the objective lens.

You've probably noticed that the screws move the individual crosshairs rather than the scenery behind them, which means shimming if you want to keep the intersection in the center. Nonetheless, it was a marvel for its time: coated lenses, gathering light instead of darkness, and not much heavier than the Weaver 330s and 29Ss that the series replaced.

If you can find a copy, "The Gun Digest Book of Scopes and Mounts" by Bob Bell is a great reference on this kind of stuff.

[buck1]

The adjustment knobs sure look like an old Weaver.

Same here. I bet its a JC higgens or some such store brand, made by weaver. That would explain the " no markings"....Buck

[dromia]

Thank you gentlemen. :-D

It is a dandy little scope and quiet bright, with surprising light gathering, the reticule is a post and hair and as you say it moves in the scope as you adjust it. I had to shim it on the mount to centre it.

Ordered a copy of Bob Bells book on the netty so I look forward to reading that.

I'm not a big scope user mainly fixed power Pecars at 4x magnification for staliking and No32s for my No4T.

I've been on the lookout for years for a Lyman or Parker Hale Target Scope though, but ones never come my way.

I've collected around a dozen Pecars over the years for fitting to my rifles when my eyesight goes which is happening with frightening rapidity now. :(

These modern scopes are frightening as they have more knobs and dials than mission control at NASA.

Hell the beast would be away by the time I'd set all that stuff, fixed power KISS for me I think.

[Bret4207]

I have an ancient Weaver K4 that looks similar, but the front end is wrong. Is it possible that's a Litschert or other power booster on there?

[woody1]

Ancient Weaver K2.5 + power booster. Regards, Woody

[dromia]

Interesting, anyone able to tell me any more about power boosters?

[beemer]

They were made to increase the power of of lower power scopes for target or varmint shooting, usually from about 2 1/2 to 6 or 8. Some were made to screw on the bell like a sunshade ,most were a bell that increased the objective dia. and included paralax adjustments. Leupold, Bushnell and Litschert were some of the makers. Prices ran from $20-$30 in the 1950's.I have never used one but have seen a few over the years at shows.

If that is what your scope has maybe you can tell us how well it works. I think older scopes are interesting but the good ones are out of my price range. I just wish I still had some of the Weavers I have owned

beemer

[Depreacher]

I have an early Bushnell 3X9X32 that also moves the crosswires instead of the image. This is because the crosswires are in the front focal plane (IE they are on the front of the erector tube). The bad thing about this arrangement to me is that as the power is increased the crosswires get bigger, which I don't like. They also APPEAR more off center as the power is increased. I like them on the rear of the erector tube where the stay centered, and only the image moves. Oddly enough, Countersniper makes their $2300 sniper scopes with the reticule on the front focal plane. They say it works best this way. Whatever. Depreacher

[beemer]

I also have a scope with the non centering crosshairs. It is an old Weaver K4, but not as old as the one dromia has. I have it on an old Savage 25-20. There is a proper way to zero them in. The crosshair is centered in the scope and a Redfield type base with the back windage adjustment is used to set the windage the elevation is set close by using shims on the base, the crosshairs are used to fine tune the zero.

I have read that variable scopes with the crosshairs in the front focal plane do not shift zero when the power is changed. It might not be as big a problem now but some of the older variable scopes would shift several inches at 100 yds when changed. I have a V9 Weaver that moves the zero straight up 3 inches when moved from 3 to 9.

beemer

[HORNET]

If the crosshairs are on the front focal plane on scopes with multiple aiming points (such as bullet drop compensation or mil-dot types) then the feature works the same regardless of magnification. Otherwise, you can only rely on its accuracy for rangefinding, etc. at a specified magnification. IIRC, that's what Cabela's claims on a couple of their scopes.

[Paul B]

I'll agree with the post WW-2 Weaver, probably made prior to IIRC, 1949 when Weaver started putting caps onto cover the adjustment screws. I still have a very early post 1949 Weaver K-4 that I don't use anymore. I did have a Pre 64 Winchester M70 in .264 Win. mag that had the early style Weaver where the reticle moved visibly in the scope picture. The gun also had a special mount that allowed you to center the crosshairs and make the windage and elevation correcting via the scope mount.
I'll also agree with the comment that it may have been made for Sears, but will add Montgomery-Ward as well.
IIRC, it was sometime in 1949 that Weaver made the chance using caps over the adjustment screws and possibly sometime in the 1950s when the reticle was fix to stay in one place visually while adjustments were made.
Paul B.