Warner Swasey mounting rail question

[Badger]

Here's an OLD thread from 2009, but it was an interesting read ...

Warner Swasey scope mounted on a Patt. 14 (T)?

I guess it's also where I found the original drawing above, kindly posted by Simon..

Regards,
Doug

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Salt Flat]

Awesome picture. That rifle looks totally untouched since 1918!

[jmoore]

Awesome picture. That rifle looks totally untouched since 1918!

I wish! The scope and mount are original. But not to that rifle. It's too old. And the stock is a little too new for the rifle. (Two reinforcement cross screws.) It shoots well, though, with ammo it likes. Horribly with ammo it doesn't!

[mike radford]

I wish! The scope and mount are original. But not to that rifle. It's too old. And the stock is a little too new for the rifle. (Two reinforcement cross screws.) It shoots well, though, with ammo it likes. Horribly with ammo it doesn't!

Do you shoot it with the scope in place? I am afraid to shoot mine, fearing the scope may self distruct. I would love to give it a try but would hate a messed up scope.

I am sure mine is a put together, and paid accordingly. Anyone heard of one of these built on a RIA rifle?

[jmoore]

Do you shoot it with the scope in place? I am afraid to shoot mine, fearing the scope may self distruct. I would love to give it a try but would hate a messed up scope.

I am sure mine is a put together, and paid accordingly. Anyone heard of one of these built on a RIA rifle?

What usually happens is the coating inside the scope body flakes off and sticks to the graticule plate. So you end up having specks or chunks in the field of view. Seems perpetual. Take the cover off, clean it, shoot it, and there's specks again. Or ignore the specks and continue using it. Seems to be about the same. Otherwise the optics don't seem to give much trouble if the glue is good. And the interior is dry. Nitrogen or only opening the works on cold clear days seems to be the answer there.

Externally, the screws and elevation plate may want to seize if the scope isn't exercised regularly. Generally nothing that can't be sorted with patience and penetrating oil.

I only have the one (a 1908 model wouldn't be out of the question), but my optics friend has dealt with quite a few. Even made a tiny acme screw for the windage adjuster. Really all the scope is one half of a set of binoculars with some external gadgetry. Have seen them filthy internally, fogged up, seized, beat with an "ugly stick", and generally forlorn, but the lenses themselves seem to hold up OK.

ETA: I would also guess that 99.5% of the W-S rifles out there now did NOT have scopes in WWI.