No. 32 Scope Reproduction attempt

[Joseph_85]

Just ordered them cant wait till they come in and I can start this whole thing. Will take time but hope everything will be worth it in the end.

[RobD]

I'd recommend using one of the older Weaver scopes which have the same tube size (1 inch) and a similar bell eyepiece and sort-of-similar turret positions. You could lengthen it a bit with a brass tube if you wished. The one in the pic is a 1.5 - 4.5 zoom but several Weavers look correct. They are extremely solidly built and can be bought cheaply on ebay.

[Siddley]

I am WW2 Re-enactor and my impression is a RCEME (Royal Canadian Electrical Mechanical Engineer) I do a weapons display that has basic styles of SMLE and Light Machine guns.

How about a display of period armourers tools and a rifle or LMG in the process of being worked on ? - that would be a great piece of 'living history' and a little out of the ordinary.

[Joseph_85]

Quote:
How about a display of period armourers tools and a rifle or LMG in the process of being worked on ? - that would be a great piece of 'living history' and a little out of the ordinary.



I actually do have a very good Armorers Display that I put out and work on weapons at the events. I work on the guys weapons at the events and fix mine. I am currently working on a 1 1/2ton Chevy with a box van on the back that will be a functioning armorer shop and mechanic shop when finished. I am one of those guys who likes being different at the events not being normal infantry guy or tanker. I have had alot of comments and good reviews over my impressions. Not alot of guys do this stuff like that I am told. It is just hard to find armorer tools and books on the way RCEME's did things.



Well on to the No. 32. I have ordered 2 books and hopefully they will help me out in this endeavor. I also have thought about it and decided on getting a No. 53 or 42 in order to be more precise in measurement and possibly use the bodies as a start.

[Surpmil]

Suggest your simplest method is to shell out for a genuine No32 Mk3. Make proper drawings in CAD from it, and sell it on later.

Best place to get such scopes made IMO is the former Soviet Union. If you've seen the reproduction PEM scopes and mounts, not to mention the reproduction Zeiss Zeilviers and LSR mounts etc., it's obvious they can do the work very well. You would need a local intermediary if you are not fluent and would need to be there onsite throughout production, IMO.

Unless you're serious about selling 100+ my advice is not to bother, as you will be lucky to break even, unless you can source No53 scopes to provide tubes and optics and then do the rest of the machining and fitting yourself on your own time.

The market may appear ripe, but don't take that for granted. Whoever was planning the same venture as you recently apparently decided to back out. No doubt they had their reasons.

AFAIK, No53s were never as plentiful as No42s, and the lenses would need to be repolished and coated after 70 odd years of storage. Possibly more expensive than having the lenses made from new, especially when you try to pry them out of their tubes/cells. Their otical quality would be inferior to modern production even with that treatment probably. You'll have to scour the world to find even 50 No53 scopes and on eBay they can go over $200. each.

There is a dealer in the UK who has been sitting on a quantity of No42 scopes for many years with the idea of reproducing No32s, and it hasn't happened yet, which may tell you something.

You would also have to fill and re-engrave the tubes etc. etc. Again, new production is probably cheaper and easier.

[Surpmil]

By the way, if you're interested in a one-off No32 Mk3, I've got a set of reproduction drums here, complete with index plates, needing only lead screws to function. Left overs from a previous project. Seeing as they have the index plates, they'd be rather wasted on dummy scope though.

Anyone want to convert a Mk2 to Mk2/1 specs?