Khaki Silica Paint also on No. 32 and C No.32, Mk.I (TP) Scopes?

Morning all, it's been a long time.

Something just popped out into my mind, and I wondered if the above mentioned scopes had some examples painted the way the C No. 67 Mk.I were, that means, if R.E.L. applied the distinctive khaki silica paint on them.

IIRC, I saw an example of a Trade Pattern scope painted this way, applying the paint over it, without removing the original black base paint (IIRC, they were painted this way, if painted, and not treated).

I wondered if No. 32s were sometimes applied this khaki silica paint, au lieu of their standard black paint. Any ideas?

Thanks most all for your help.

There are known standard blued, black, green and khaki finished C.No67MkI(c.no32mk4) scopes.

The black one clearly shows as a wrinkle paint similar to early Brit no32s and Sterling SMGs. I took a closer look, you can clearly see bluing under the wrinkle paint where the rings sit.

There seem to have been 2 finishes applied to the green ones - some appear to be a wrinkle finish with paint over top, others look like a shiny smooth oil finish.

They seem to have been experimenting with finishes on the No67 scopes.

There are known painted No32 MkI TP scopes. But all the TP scopes were originally blued by Lyman.

I've seen a couple REL No32's which showed evidence of paint, but it was always over bluing.

Hello. I've seen about thirty-odd TP scopes & they were all standard Lyman factory blue, consistent with lee enfield's comments above. I have one CNo67 which is finished in the dull slightly textured green paint. Is this what you refer to as silica paint? Most if not all of the REL No32's I've seen/owned were factory blued. It's possible I may have encountered one or two that were black over painted, but I can't remember for sure. I don't get too excited too often about black over painting as it can be very difficult to know who did it & when.

Hello Lee Enfield, and thank you for replying.

My knowledge base, being honest, is limited to only Clive Law's Without Warning, Sam's Sloppy Sniper Section and Web and Forum searchings, so I'm surprised to find there were more than one green/olive drab finish to R.E.L. scopes. True, I noticed also some No.32s had a kind of a rough black paint finish, and a way smoother black finish one, which, most likely is bluing. The finish I'm referring to is the shiny smooth oil finish you mentioned (looks like bright matte olive drab to me). I recall reading somewhere this paint was effective in protecting the scope from the elements, cannot recall thge source sadly.

It's good to know R.E.L. did some work on No. 32s painting them with what I hope is the smooth oil finish, and I hope to see an example later on.

Do you know if No. 67s were blued before being applied either green finish?

Thanks in advance.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Roger Payne

Hello. I've seen about thirty-odd TP scopes & they were all standard Lyman factory blue, consistent with lee enfield's comments above. I have one CNo67 which is finished in the dull slightly textured green paint. Is this what you refer to as silica paint? Most if not all of the REL No32's I've seen/owned were factory blued. It's possible I may have encountered one or two that were black over painted, but I can't remember for sure. I don't get too excited too often about black over painting as it can be very difficult to know who did it & when.

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Hello Roger, and thank you for replying.

As I told to Lee Enfield, I was referring to the bright matte olive drab finish, which, IIRC, was weather-resistant.

Hideyoshi.

I think that you are looking at pictures of "suncorite" paint refinished British scopes.

I believe they were originally blued as well.

I think pretty well all scopes were blued as they left the factory, apart from some Mk3's (of Taylor Hobson manufacture. I'm not sure, & someone can possibly chip in on this, but some late Kershaw Mk3's may also have had a chemical finish). However, most Mk3's & I think (sticking my neck out) pretty well all earlier scopes, were blued originally. Many have been refinished in military service, as well as by civilians, since.
You will, however, see black paint on earlier scopes on the brass parts, as of course, conventional bluing techniques don't work on brass. I think some manufacturers chemically blackened the brass larger components but the majority just used black paint.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Roger Payne

I think pretty well all scopes were blued as they left the factory, apart from some Mk3's (of Taylor Hobson manufacture. I'm not sure, & someone can possibly chip in on this, but some late Kershaw Mk3's may also have had a chemical finish). However, most Mk3's & I think (sticking my neck out) pretty well all earlier scopes, were blued originally. Many have been refinished in military service, as well as by civilians, since.
You will, however, see black paint on earlier scopes on the brass parts, as of course, conventional bluing techniques don't work on brass. I think some manufacturers chemically blackened the brass larger components but the majority just used black paint.

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Hello Roger, and thanks for the info, most of it was unknown to me.

I should've been a bit clearer and state that if there were No. 32s with the bright matte olive drab finish some No. 67 were painted over with. I have not seen any examples around, so hence my curiosity. R.E.L. was doing tests back then, and it shouldn't be that weird they were also doing some job on No. 32s.

Hideyoshi.

Ah! I see. Not aware of any to date, personally, but that doesn't mean they aren't out there. Perhaps some of our resident experts on Canadian kit will be able to clarify.

Some No32's and L1A1's were definitely overpainted with sploshes of khaki and sand coloured paint - along with the rifles, spotting scopes and binos. The courses usually added a bit to the lenses for good measure plus a squashed mars bar or yorkie bar on the ocular lenses when both were kept in the kidney pouches. Best was the melted boiled sweets from the 10-man pack that would jamb up one of the ocular focusing mechanisms up. While they were quick to splosh the paint everywhere, they weren't so keen to remove it at the end of the course - or tell Alex the instrument tech that the binos were now shagged! Happy days