No53 Mk1 scope

[Jerry Bourne]

According to an article I read on the web, the No53 scope was used (amongst other things) on the Winchester 74 .22 cal rifle which were purchased for Home Guard Auxillary Units during WW2. They were used in conjunction with a Parker Hale silencer and their intended use was to "snipe" at invading Germans and tracker dogs if England were invaded. However, because the scopes were not adjustable, tests in the field with them fitted and "pre-accurised" did not stand up well, the scopes went out of alignement at the slightest knock.

Interesting!!!

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

Don't take this in a personal way at all Jerry, but this is a hoary old chestnut that emerges about every 4 days or so by an expert somewhere. I think the expert is simply an expert in writing about what he read the week before. What is even MORE interesting is that these telescopes weren't even around when the Aux units were thinking of saving Britain from invasion! They were only ever designed for and used for one thing. The sight for the co-axial BESA machine gun in the Mk7 and 8 Churchill gun tank. They are totally useless for anything else except as......... Hey......, haven't I been here before?

[Jerry Bourne]

Thanks Peter. I'm sure you must have heard all these old stories before so thanks for the heads up. Just as a point of interest, why did they come in so many variations i.e. post and wire, etched or painted cross hair and so on?