No.32 MKI & MKIIs

[Peter Laidler]

I would disagree very slightly and say that a steel - or an anything else putty mix - is doomed to failure, based on simple physics and inertial maths. Physics and chemistry tells us that the putty is and will always remain just that...., a putty. And Newton tells us about inertia. Alloy segments were a known failure point hence the brass versions were the only ones provided as spares. These were hot pressed over a mandril. So simple to make with a fly press or take from an old No42

Incidentally, to test the fixability of the telescope and especially the erector and segment we had a drop test known as the fastness test. It involved setting the telescope in the layer and firing a couple of rounds with the recoil buffer set to hard. That would sort out all the forthcoming problems. I would liked to have tested a resin segment there. Mind you, as I always say. If you're shooting your rifle on a nice sunny range in 2018, it's one thing. If you're on the advance into Antwerp holding a harrying position overlooking a cross-roads you might want something a tad more reliable