Weaver M2.5 Universal Firearms Scope?????

[larrupin]

I have this scope that I got as part of some trading and swapping years ago that I just ran across digging through some stuff.
Only markings on it is in White Lettering on the tube of the scope as follows:
M2.5
Universal
Firearms
Made in USA
by Weaver

I think I had it on a 22 years ago but it is not very bright and really seems like either a cheapo knock off or else Weaver had a real cheap line back a ways. I have googled a little but didn't come up with anything.

Can anybody educate me on this thing?

Thanks

Larrupin

[swheeler]

I can't help with the "universal" but I had a Weaver K2.5 on my 375 H&H 1993 vintage and it was an excellent scope, clear and held a zero thru hundreds of rounds of 270 Horn and RX15 at 2700 fps plus.

[larrupin]

thanks for the reply swheeler, I know weaver makes some great scopes, but this "M" model isn't one of them. Just curious to see if anybody could shed some light.

larrupin

[Fishman]

Is it a steel tube like the k2.5? I have a 4x "Ted Williams" that is a re badged Weaver so they did farm out their scopes and let others badge them.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

My Scope Book shows a K 2.5 Weaver, and a K 4 Weaver, with several reticules available for each. Universal Firearms may be a vendor or distributor, or ultimate seller, like Wards, Sears, etc. The earlier models(starting 1947) had the exposed adjustments for W & E while the 1953 and later models had the waterproof W & E with screw on covers as we know them today.

I have both powers of the later models, one simply Weaver El Paso, the other "CHALLENGER" , Weaver El Paso. I use and like them both......most appropriate for vintage Marlin lever guns and similar. I have the 4X on a 35 R, and find the 2X is great on a CZ 22 LR trainer for squirrels after the leaves fall. I would think Weaver did the markings and packaging, even when the scope was sold by Universal Firearms or Ted Williams, etc.

BvT

[larrupin]

Here are some pics of the scope, sorry for the low quality, cell phone pics.




I don't know much about this scope. It has been laying around here for ages and I just haven't messed with scopes much at all. It just surprised me that for a Weaver it is not very bright. For reference I have a cheapo NC Star 4x that I also got in trade and it is much brighter than the weaver? Maybe I need to properly clean the lenses could be dirty and cutting down light transmission?

Thanks for the information.

Larrupin

[W.R.Buchanan]

That is a newer Weaver K2.5. This is evidenced by the newer caps on the dials as opposed to the older caps shown below on my older K2.5.

As far as the scope not being clear there can be two or three problems.

First: the lenses are dirty. Clean them with a Tissue or toilet paper or a cotton swab.

Second: the Scope has lost it's seal, the Nitrogen has been depleted, and normal air has gotten in. This will make the optic fog up easily and generally be less than clear.

Third and the most serious is that the lenses have become Delaminated.

The lenses in scopes are multi-element lenses meaning that the objective (front) lens and the Eyepiece lens are made up of several smaller lenses that are glued together to make a "Chromatic Lens" which doesn't distort colors. You can Google a more comprehensive description of Chromatic lenses which is actually kind of interesting and will help your knowledge of optics in general.

In the case of my K2.5 both of these lenses have become delaminated (see pic) and looking thru the scope it looks like a real foggy day.

There is a fix for this and it involves sending the scope to a repair facility where they will disassemble it, clean everything up re-laminate or replace the lenses, and then reassemble the scope. Which effectively means it is new inside.

This does not upgrade old optics (unless they replace the lenses with new ones made recently) it simply restores them to their original level of efficiency. There is still a significant difference in performance in lenses made 50-70 years ago and ones made in the last 10 years. Even the cheapest Chinese lenses now will transmit a higher percentage of light than lenses made 50 years ago and this can be attributed to advanced lens materials and coatings. It should be noted that once you are above 90% light transmission it takes a machine to see the differences. IE: difference between a $100 scope and a $2000 scope.

Still a Weaver K2.5 in good condition is a viable optic for a levergun or other rifle used in the woods or other close range situations. They are very well made optics and if taken care of will last for a very long time. Scopes are not made like this anymore for good reason. Nobody could afford them! Also new scopes are generally not re-buildable, these are.

Next question is where do I send my older scope to get it repaired. Well, Weaver ain't gonna do it, and the biggest bummer is that the guy who was formerly a Weaver Employee in El Paso who did fix older scopes,,, died.

But not to worry, our wonderful NRA publication "American Rifleman" in it's current issue (April 2014) has a short article on Pg. 46 that gives the name and address of an outfit that is taking up the slack.

For those who don't get AR here's the outfit's contact info.

Iron Sight Inc. 4814 S. Elwood Ave Tulsa OK 74107 918-445-2001

Hope this helps.

Randy

[larrupin]

Wow, great information, thanks Randy!
I will dig it back out and try cleaning the lenses thoroughly and see if that helps. It is not foggy as much as just dim, which as my own light gathering ability is decreasing I notice more.

Thanks again,
Larrupin

[Reaper]

At one time Remington 788 package rifles came with bases, rings and a 4X Universal scope for less than $80.00. I still have one with fine crosshairs mounted on a Remington 552 BDL. It hasen't changed zero in over 40 years. Ron

[W.R.Buchanan]

I was somewhat taken a back to find out that Iron Sight's lead time was 13-16 months and after talking to the guy I decided to look around for someone else.

He has 1200 scopes backed up waiting and that was before the American Rifleman article. I talked to them for about 20 minutes and got a pretty good idea of why they have such a backlog, and it's not because they are so good that everyone is sending them work. They have serious lack of labor problems and aren't willing to change the way they do business in order to get qualified people to work for them. Can't seem to find good help willing to work for effectively nothing, which is kind of odd since Tulsa has a very large labor pool to draw from. I'm sure they do good work but I'm not willing to wait that long to get anything done.

I found someone else who has the know how and a good reputation, and only a 2-3 month backlog.

http://lkscoperepair.webs.com/

He is a little more expensive than the other guy,,, but the idea of having to wait a year and a half to get my scope back was a definite deal breaker.

I'll let everyone know how this works out.

Randy