Scope & Ring repairs.

[Molly]

Two items fellows.

1. Those inexensive rings that seem to accumulate like coat hangers because they don't take standard 6x48 screws? I found that (at least on a couple of mine) the proper screw is metric, 4x0.7. The local Ace Hardware carries them, though I had to grind the heads to a slightly smaller diameter. But now I have a set of rings I can toss on the ocassional 22 that were essentially free. Ace also has a tap for it if you need it too. You may have known it, but I didn't.

2. I just got a note from Weaver-Scope-Repair saying that they are going out of business in two weeks, and they don't know anyone else doing the work. I once got a good job of a scope repair from a fellow in West Virginia, but that's been 10 or 20 years back, and I have no idea who did it, or where he is now. Anyone got any suggestions to offer?

Molly

[Scrounger]

That was likely Dick Thomas at Premier Reticule in WVA, but I don't have a current address.

[Bret4207]

Two items fellows.

1. Those inexensive rings that seem to accumulate like coat hangers because they don't take standard 6x48 screws? I found that (at least on a couple of mine) the proper screw is metric, 4x0.7. The local Ace Hardware carries them, though I had to grind the heads to a slightly smaller diameter. But now I have a set of rings I can toss on the ocassional 22 that were essentially free. Ace also has a tap for it if you need it too. You may have known it, but I didn't.

2. I just got a note from Weaver-Scope-Repair saying that they are going out of business in two weeks, and they don't know anyone else doing the work. I once got a good job of a scope repair from a fellow in West Virginia, but that's been 10 or 20 years back, and I have no idea who did it, or where he is now. Anyone got any suggestions to offer?

Molly


AW CRAP!!!! And here I sit with 4-5 Weavers I wanted to get off to them. This sux!

[quack1]

Molly- There was a guy that advertised regularly in Rifle and Handloader magazines that did scope repairs. I believe he was in Ohio. I can't remember his name, and can't look as I am at work, but if you have some back issues you should be able to find his ad without too much trouble. Or maybe someone reading this thread could find one of his ads and post his address.

[Junior1942]

See http://www.abousainc.com/ I've sent them two Redfield Widefields at different times/years, and they did good work on both. One didn't cost much more than return shipping, and the other one cost $110. Point is, they could have charged me $110 for simple repairs to the first one and I wouldn't have known the difference.

PS: when I got the scopes back they both looked and performed like brand new scopes.

[Morgan Astorbilt]

Maybe Gil Parsons will take up the slack. Contact Parsons Scope Service. He did a good job on my old B&L 6-24 Balvar 24, and a customer's 8X Hensoldt Wetzlar claw mount scope I sent him.
Morgan

[STP22]

I believe Mr Parsons will not work on any import scopes, including the "current" imported Weavers. For the El Paso vintage Weavers, Bill Ackerman (a former Weaver emplyoee) can re-build/repair them.

Premier Reticles use to convert Leupolds, but did not do any repairs. They no longer accept new work, as they have discontinued their association with Leupold.

www.premierreticles.com

[Scrounger]

Here's Bill Ackerman's contact information, if he's still in business.
Optical Services, Co
Attn: Bill Ackerman
PO Box 1174
Santa Teresa, NM 88008
Phone: 505-589-3833
E-mail: oscope@aol.com
Power Boosting & Reticle Change

[Molly]

Ok fellows, I sure got what I was asking for: More scope repair sites than you can shake a stick at! Some are general repair shops that will work on ANY scope, some specialize in particular brands / types. You'll just have to contact them and ask. Here's the list, with contact information, for those who might want to copy / paste it into their own files for future reference.

Take care
Molly

ABO (USA), INC.
14041 SW 139TH CT
MIAMI, FL 33186.
http://www.abousainc.com/
Repair Information: 305-860-4858
Customer Service: 305-859-2010
Fax: 305-232-7359
Tasco Rifle Scope / Pistol Scope / Binoculars / Spotting Scope / Telescope / Micro Scope
Redfield Rifle Scope / Pistol Scope / Binoculars / Spotting Scope
All Other Brands Optical Products

Don Miller
PO Box 400639
Hesperia,Ca.92340
Specializes in WWII era quality european / german optics.
Don Miller's e-mail is optikhaus at yahoo.com
pfadfinder03@yahoo.com

Bushnell Corporation
9200 Cody
Overland Park, KS 66214-1734
Phone: 800-423-3537
Fax: 913-752-3550
Website: www.bushnell.com
Bushnell, & Bausch & Lomb

Burris Premium Sports Optics
331 E 8th St
Greeley, CO 80631
Phone: 970-356-1670
Fax: 970-356-8702
Website: www.burrisoptics.com
Burris Scopes & Optics

Iron Sight, Inc
Attn: Mike Sexton
4814 S Elwood Ave
Tulsa, OK 74107
Phone: 918-445-2201
Fax: 918-521-7736
Scope repair for Redfield, Weaver, Unertl, and other Scopes.

Kahles North America
2 Slater Rd
Cranston, RI 02920
Phone: 866-606-8779
E-mail: info@kahles.at
Website: www.kahles.at
Kahles Scopes

Leupold & Stevens, Inc
PO Box 688
Beaverton, OR 97075-0688
Phone: 503-526-1400
Tech Services: 800-Leu-pold
Fax: 970-356-8702
Website: www.leupold.com
Leupold Scopes & Misc. Equipment

Nikon Sport Optics
841 Apollo St., Ste 100
El Segundo, CA 90245-4721
Phone: 800-645-6687
Website: www.nikonsportoptics.com
Nikon Scopes

Nightforce Optics
Lightforce USA
1040 Hazen Ave
Orofino, ID 83544
Phone: 208-476-9814
Website: www.nightforceoptics.com
Scopes

Optical Services, Co
Attn: Bill Ackerman
PO Box 1174
Santa Teresa, NM 88008
Phone: 505-589-3833
E-mail: oscope@aol.com
Power Boosting & Reticle Change

Osborn Optical Systems
Attn: Earl Osborn
585 S Dewey Rd
Dewey, AZ 86327
Phone & Fax: 928-632-8717
E-mail: optical-repair@cableone.net
Scope, and other Optics Repairs

Parsons Scope Service
Attn: Gill Parsons
PO Box 195
2213 Smith Rd
Ross, OH 45061
Phone: 513-867-0820
Fax: 513-867-8380
E-mail: psscopes@concentric.net
Website: www.parsonscopeservice.com
Vintage Scope Repair

Premier Reticles, Ltd
175 Commonwealth Ct
Winchester, VA 22602
Phone: 540-868-2044
Fax: 540-868-2045
Website: www.premierreticles.com
Scope Power Boosting & Reticle Changes

Redfield USA
201 Plantation Oak Dr
Thomasville, GA 31792
Phone: 800-232-3191
Website: www.redfieldoptics.com
Scopes

Schmidt & Bender, Inc
PO Box 134
438 Willow Brook Rd
Meriden, NH 03770
Phone: 800-468-3450
Fax: 603-469-3471
E-mail: scopes@cyberportal.net
Website: www.schmidtbender.com
Scopes

Simmons Outdoor Corporation
201 Plantation Oak Dr
Thomasville, GA 31792
Phone: 800-285-0689
Website: www.simmonsoptics.com
Scopes & Binoculars

Shepard Enterprises, Inc
PO Box 189
Waterloo, NE 68069
Phone: 402-779-2424
Fax: 402-779-4010
E-mail: sshepard@shepardscopes.com
Website: www.shepardscopes.com
Scopes

Sightron, Inc
100 Jeffrey Way, Ste A
Youngsville, NC 27596
Phone: 919-562-3000
Fax: 919-562-7129
E-mail: info@sightron.com
Website: www.sightron.com
Scopes & Binoculars

SWFA, Inc
420 Century Way, #100
Red Oak, TX 75154
Phone: 972-726-7348
Website: www.riflescopes.com
Scope Distributor

Swift Optics
999 W Taylor St., Ste C
San Jose, CA 95126
Phone: 408-293-6321
Phone: 800-523-4544
Fax: 408-292-7967
E-mail: info@swiftoptics.com
Website: www.swift-optics.com
Scopes

Swarovski Optik North America
2 Slater Rd
Cranston, RI 02920
Phone: 401-734-1800
Website: www.swarovskioptik.com
Scopes

T. K. Lee, Co
1282 Branchwater Ln
Birmingham, AL 35216
Phone: 205-913-5222
E-mail: OdonMich@aol.com
Website: www.scopedot.com
Custom Dot Reticles

Tasco
9200 Cody
Overland Park, KS 66214
Phone: 800-423-3537
Website: www.tasco.com
Scopes

Cecil Tucker
8918 Lamar St
Odessa, TX 79765
Phone: 915-368-0630
Scope Repair & Leupold Upgrade

Unertl Optical Company
2900 S Highland Dr., Bldg 19 Unit B
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Phone: 702-369-4092
Fax: 702-369-4571
E-mail: info@unertloptics.com
Website: www.unertloptics.com
Scopes & Misc Parts

U. S. Optics
5900 Dale St
Buena Park, CA 90621
Phone: 714-994-4901
Tech Services: 714-994-4902
Fax: 714-994-4903
E-mail: sales@usoptics.com
Website: www.usoptics.com
Scopes

Weaver Optics
201 Plantation Oak Dr
Thomasville, GA 31792
Phone: 800-285-0689
Website: www.weaveroptics.com
Scopes

[Molly]

Another thought on scope repairs: I've messaged all of the applicable repair houses listed above about repairs on my K10-60B scopes. Most of them haven't bothered to respond, at least not yet. Those who have responded seem to think the K-10's are a lot more valuable than _I_ do, and I am quite fond of them. But with replies that run something like "$100 deposit for each scope, plus S&H", I'm looking for alternatives. I see K10's in nice shape on eBay for that and sometimes less.

I suspect that like most of the guys on this thread, I'm not completely hopeless when it comes to mechanical devices. My biggest reluctance to taking them apart myself is the inability to flush them with dry nitrogen afterwards. One thing I do NOT need is another fogged scope. I can buy them cheap enough at WalMart, should that improbable desire ever hit me.

But I wonder if nitorgen - though popular for the purpose - is really necessary. I suspect its major virtue is lack of moisture due to the very low temperature of its liquid state. Seems to me, all that is needed is a lack of moisture, and that could be supplied easily enough in other ways. For example, drop a handfull of dry ice in a sock, and slowly pass compressed air through it before tubing it into the scope body. The cold should freeeze all the moisture out very nicely, and the cloth sock should keep the ice from getting through to the scope.

If that isn't practical for some reason, it shouldn't be too hard to find a cyrogenics lab that would let me have or buy an eyedropper of liquid nitrogen for each scope. I'd just take the repaired scope in the lab, remove the eyepiece, squirt a cc in and re-thread the eyepiece before it had completely evaporated.

For that matter, it shouldn't take a cyrogenics lab: Anywhere that uses an electron microscope will have nitrogen on hand. College labs come to mind, as well as gas suppliers. Hmmm. How about those butane cigarette lighter refils too? Or for that matter, an ordinary propane shop torch that is vented inside the scope for a few seconds? (Well away from any ignition sources of course!)

How about it guys. Any thoughts, cautions, or personal experiences?

Molly

[Uncle R.]

I knew a guy who fixed his own scope - an old steel tube Weaver. It fogged internally, so he removed the objective lens retainer and let it "dry out" inside. He then re-assembled it, sealing the lens with Permatex.
Yes - honest - Permatex gasket sealer.
I told him "You can't DO that" but heck - he already HAD, and the durn thing went for years without fogging again. The only way I could explain it was - he reassembled it in the dead if winter in a house that was heated with wood burning stoves. The humidity in that house was probably at Sahara desert levels - and the air sealed in the scope was dry enough to avoid condensation in the cold.
It doesn't HAVE to be nitrogen, it just has to be dry.
Something to think about...
Uncle R.

[STP22]

Molly,

Ackerman`s flat fee to clean and blueprint an El Paso Weaver has been $75 not including postage I believe. I`d call him to get a current quote.

I have a T-10 with a "cloudy" front lens and have previously checked his flat fee to correct it. It`s not way up on my priority list, but I can`t see dealing with anyone else for an El Paso vintage Weaver when I commit to the repair.

[clodhopper]

A dairy farmer or rancher who A. I.s (Artifical Inseminates) his herd would have a nitrogen tank. Someone comes around regulary like every month or two, to keep the tank full and not let precious semen thaw out.