My Christmas Present Sniper Binocs

[Alan de Enfield]

As my No4T is an RAF one, I have been looking for some time for the correct AM (Air Ministry) Binoculars to replace the 'Army' No2 MkII ones I had and correctly complete the 'Snipers CES' as well as the Rifle CES - the 'other love of my life' found some for me for Christmas.

A bonus is that both the Rifle and the Binocs are both 1943, whilst the compass is 1942.

That means that my Army No2 MkII ones will be going up for sale - I'll try in the Sales & Wanted section here (to give you lot a prior chance prior to going on ebay).

Anyway - pcs of my AM Sniper 6 x 30 binocs.

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Information

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[A square 10]

congrats on that and merry Christmas , you got a keeper in that better half

[Simon P]

Congratulations they do look rather nice.

[harry mac]

Season's greetings Alan. Where did you manage to unearth those from?

[Peter Laidler]

We used to get those ex RAF binos through the workshops after the RAF/RN and Army Ordnance stockpiles and repair facilities were pooled. They were high quality or they hadn't had the hard life/pasting of the Army No2's. There were two sorts with the old RAF stores 6E- classification. The Watsons (I don't know after all this time whether they were related to WWatson of No32 Mk1 and 2 fame) and another with a set of scrolled PB or BP initials that we called 'Berettas' because the PB looked like the PB-Beretta initials on the Malay Army shotguns.

They were obviously based on the old No2 design by Kershaw but apart from the 6BA(?) cover screws, the clamp bars and screws and eye-cups plus the little ocular lens cell unit (that could fit if the ocular end of the thread was slightly undercut) I don't think anything else interchanged.

I feel sure that these RAF ones also came with or without the reticle and also in a sort of Mk2 - without and Mk3 - with purging screws.

Worse still was the Navy assortment of what we called No5 7x 50 'Artillery' binos. I don't think any two pairs were the same and certainly nothing fitted with what we had, not even the OG lens sleeves or ocular prism blocks. Even the little eye cups that would crack with monotonous regularity all seemed to differ. They weren't short of them so it was easy to just scrap theirs and endorse the condemnation certificate with RE-ISSUE followed by the V5/OS- number of the Army 7x 50 No5 Mk5 black (but later, green). But instead of stripping a few of their old Ross and Kershaw 7x 50's for the spares parts. the Navy always wanted everything back, even if the loose bits went back in a poly bag.........., only to be dumped afterwards.

Eventually, the Navy got the black rubber armoured AVIMO binos in both L-11 and L-12 versions. They took great delight in replacing the crap neck strap with that white string stuff they seem to enjoy lashing, knotting and weaving like demons. Unfortunately you couldn't put those L11's onto the collimating block or into the desiccation tank with all that sloppy whitened lashed and knotted cord on them. So it was cut off!

[Gil Boyd]

Alan,
Nice gift mate, and well done to her for seeking the right one to complete your CES.
Did she also fine the jar of obligatory RAF "Brylcream" as well

[Alan de Enfield]

Did she also fine the jar of obligatory RAF "Brylcream" as well

Being an honorary 'fly-boy' (I was a civilian instructor teaching cadets to fly at Newton and Syerston) I already had sufficient supplies.

SWMBO was given some strong 'direction' and instructions as to what was needed.