Warner Swasey scope focus lock?

[Salt Flat]

I have a Warner Swasey 1913 Scope question. What is the function of the sleeve device with a screw boss that slips onto the back tube extension (just ahead of the rubber eye cup) of the scope? Is this an adjuster or lock for the focus or what? I hope this makes sense, if not I'll find a picture of it Thanks!
Salt Flat

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[jmoore]

If I read that correctly, it's for focus, just like a regular eyepiece. Locked in place afterwards to keep the eyecup business from rotating, etc.

[Salt Flat]

Thanks-- That is what I was thinking but it seems like overkill. I find the Warner Swasey scopes to be very interesting however if ever a designer went down the wrong path, this was it. Nothing about it is simple. I think it must have been designed by one of the old W&S giant telescope or observatory designers. Can you imagine trying to get one of these set for range and windage while under fire? Also the designer was completly oblivious to weight issues as he decided to cast the whole monstrosity out of bronze! And after all the criticism for it, why am I so fascinated by these scopes? Salt Flat

[JGaynor]

An old American Rifleman article stated the W&S scope was basically designed or at least the requirements were specified by Frankford Arsenal. FA designed much of the sighting gear for artillery pieces. Around the turn of the last century the Ordnance Dept. experimented with a number of offset prismatic scope designs. The main reason for this was so the rifle could be reloaded with stripper clips. Gradually that idea went into the dustbin since conventional sniping wisdom of the day called for the shooter to take no more than three shots from one location before changing his position.

In his book of the Springfield Ed Crossman summed up the WS scope brilliantly. He said "the rubber eyecup would make a flincher out of a cigar store indian".

Regards,
Jim

[Salt Flat]

Jgaynor, The part about the artillery sighting makes complete sense. They must have applied the artillery concepts for moving the windage and range to the scope mounting design! I got a good laugh about the rubber eyecup. Salt Flat

[jmoore]

Or maybe there's a simpler answer.:



Compact and rugged for the day. Addan even more "bulletproof" housing, and it was probably the most rugged rifle mounted optic in the mud aside from some of the prismatic Ziess scopes.