British Army Sniper Spotting Scopes

[25-5]

Thank you Waco.
I will put the info in my binder. I like to keep record of the history of my little collection. I never thought about the spotting scope until your picture.

Information

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[Surpmil]

There's nothing a sniper likes better than a telescope or pair of binoculars with the objective lenses a few inches lower than the oculars. And periscopes? Who needs those silly old things?

It's comforting isn't it, to know that we are no cleverer than we were in 1914? No wait, we're actually more stupid as we've had two world wars to learn the obvious! Well, that's progress for you.

[Roy W]

I managed to pick up a brand new M49 spotting scope today, complete with carry case. Nice piece of kit. I note from Pete's post that the scopes may not have been issued with the tripod when part of the L96A1 CES? Can anyone confirm that?

If they were, and anyone has the correct tripod gathering dust, please let me know.

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[Peter Laidler]

Personally, I don't remember those telescopes with the L96's. We had the big SWIFT that was good - so far as it went - until the dust got into the mechanisms. Then we got the little Kowa prismatics. The little Kowa stayed the course and was incorporated into the L96CES. I see the date of the M49 is 1993 so I'm wondering whether this was an interim between the old Scout Reg and the Swift. I wouldn't mind betting that the M49 was a militarised commercial scope, much as the Swift and Kowa were/are.

[chosenman]

The m49 spotting scope and tripod has its own training section in the 1990 sniper Pam. The tripod illustrated is the bog standard m15 with m42 canvas carry case. The only difference in the whole set up from the US version is the scope which has a sun shade encorporated. Mine is 1991 dated and has a small broad arrow stamped on the data label. My tripod has a US data label with a 1985 date. This label also has a very small broad arrow stamped on it.

[Peter Laidler]

I wonder why the M49 has a UK 99 (the xxxx-99-xxx bit) identifier in the part number. Don't forget that this surveillance/observation stuff was pretty much generic across the whole Army

[chosenman]

Doesn't the 99 denote UK manufactured?

[Peter Laidler]

99 = UK manufactured. But is/was this UK manufactured?

[chosenman]

United Scientific Instruments Ltd are here in the UK, and manufactured these scopes, don't know if they are a UK company though.

[Roy W]

It feels quite robust, few moving parts. So, Pete, would the swift scope I have be more appropriate for an L96 CES that this M49?