Replica/fake No32 telescopes

[Peter Laidler]

I have just had the misfortune to have been asked to repair one of the fake No32's. It's one of the ones marked as a Mk3 but has the appearance and range scales of a Mk2 but works like a Mk1........ Oh, you work it out! This one was continually going out of focus. If I had to put into words how I'd describe this heap of pure unadulterated crap I'd have to say........., well, I'd be speechless. If I had to pay £25 for one of these heaps of junk, then it'd be £24 too much

But here's some good advice for you. DO NOT EVER, EVER BUY ONE. They are a bundle of crap or to coin a well used Army phrase or saying, a sack of pure shxxe

Only my opinion of course based on my limited experience with the real McCoy. Anyone out there in forumland got anything good to say about them?

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[Jugs]

Only what I have suspected all along when looking at them at trade shows etc. Also, when checking prices the other day, I noticed a US Company who also makes them don't even sale/ship to direct customers in the UK. Hence, I am awaiting a Mk3 working original to mount onto my rifle fitted with a RP mount (don't suppose anybody has one lying around).

[Amatikulu]

Peter, tell us how you really feel

[Roger Payne]

With originals being at a premium I suppose there had to be a market for replicas. However, although they (the copies) are considerably less expensive than an original I don't think they are particularly cheap. It's only my two cents' worth, but if an original is going to cost me twice as much as a copy I'd rather save up for twice as long................ a copy will always be a copy.

ATB

[muffett.2008]

Actually Pete, I had my ridgedidge one at the range yesterday to compare Milspec ammo against my reloads, it went out of focus also,each successive shot it got worse, also the windage locked up.
It's sitting in the shed waiting for me to strip,(the scope-not the rifle), the old girl was right on the money with it's iron sights though.

[paulseamus]

I don't get the whole copy scope thing.

Original No. 32's are available, they are out there, you just have to spend a bit of time looking. Over the last three years I have grown my collection to 5 scopes.

The price of a good Original No.32 is in line with most other contemporary Military Scopes. Mine have all cost between $300 and $2000.

The cost of having a No.32 overhauled through Fultons, is very fair given the time and skill involved.

If a decent quality mass-produced scope, such as a Leupold, costs $500 to $1000, how can you expect to get the same level of quality in a low volume copy scope, made goodness know where, being sold for the same price?

A decent scope is expensive to build. Precision machining and quality optics don't come cheaply. You only get what you pay for.

To me it's a bit like buying a fake Rolex and expecting the same quality and performance.

[Beerhunter]

I don't get the whole copy scope thing.

Original No. 32's are available, they are out there, you just have to spend a bit of time looking. Over the last three years I have grown my collection to 5 scopes.

I'm afraid that is part of the problem. All the while that there are people collecting just the scopes, it lowers the number available for attaching to rifles and pushes the prices up.

It's a problem analogous to bayonets. The limited supply has to satisfy two markets, the bayonet collectors and the rifle collectors; hence the prices for N.5s and No.7s.

BTW I know that I have said this before but in my opinion, the spurious makings on those No.32s makes them fakes, not reproductions.

[Frank LE]

Had one of these fake scopes on a No4 (T) clone I bought really cheap some time ago. Thought it will be a nice rifle to shoot and not take the real T out of the safe.
in the first range test it was not too bad but after 75 rounds in total the graticule began to jump under recoil. Sold it. NEVER EVER again.
Went back to the good old trusted No4(T) with the No32 Mk3.
Nothing compares to the original.

[Peter Laidler]

Focussing these copies......... Yes....... Focussing the grat is done by removing the locking segment cover with the usual 4x screws only to find no locking segment but a load of gunge covering another 6 screw holes covering the most teeny weeny flat grub screws that are supposed to hold the erector during recoil....... I ask you. So you unscrew all these grub screws and find that the outer 4 (2 on each side) do absolutely nothing so you use the centre ones to move the erector and lock it up with a steel pointed grub screw.

As for the OG lens that you use for image focus and parallax, jeeeees, it's just a push out and in effort retained with 1x flat grubscrew through a flimsy............ Oh don't get me going! The sheer notion that a single flat grub screw threaded through the 1mm or so thickness of the cursor sleeve could support an OG lens assembly during recoil is pure fantasy. As for the front shade........

Look........ DO NOT EVER, EVER EVEN LOOK AT ONE. Heaps of pure shixe.

Get an original in whatever condition, providing that it's reasonably complete and have it restored

[Jugs]

'Nail on the Head' there BeerHunter.