Long Coned PPCo.

[AlphaMic13]

Hi Guy's

Currently in the process of cleaning the lenses of the above version of scope. The strip down by Valley is extremely useful in terms of documenting positions of the lenses and internal components. Even the advice or tip's on how to remove a stuck ocular housing is very helpful and I will give that a go however, I do have a question.

I've owned a few of the short coned or (stepped) versions but at least on one of those identical scopes the ocular housing seemed to unscrew in the opposite direction to the other... ever heard of that?... bit like a reversed thread on one of them. Now my question is.. has anyone noted before a variant in regards to thread direction on a PPCo?

The Ocular housing on the Long cone will need a bit of work to undo it. Short of applying a can spanner I just want to ensure that these versions unscrew in the standard direction as I don't want to be unknowingly tightening the thing up when I want to unscrew it.

Lastly, I noted that the Stepped (short cone) version has a small collar that can "if unlucky" become separated from the housing. Can anyone confirm if the Long coned version has this feature or its a one piece drawn brass tube. I noted that there is a prominent line that looks like a collar on mine.

Any info mucho appreciated.

Regards

Mac

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[Valleysniper]

Hi Mac

Glad you found my PPCo scope strip down article of use.

I have had at one time up to about 6 or 7 PPCo scopes of the 2 main Brass ocular housing types in my possession and worked on a few for collector friends. I have never come across anything other than right hand thread fitting of the ocular housing to tube end on both types. Not confusing one of the German R Fuess scopes are you, Helios 3 type if I recall with the PPCo scope? The PPCo seemed to borrow or steal the R.Fuess design for their version for War Departments supply and some R.Fuess made ones seemed to have been used early on in war. Having owned PPCo type R Fuess scopes in past, apart from the fact the ocular housings not inter changeable with PPCo and threads being different I cannot recall the R.Fuess type being anything other than right hand thread either.

The ocular housing on the ‘long cone’ PPCo type housing is a normal right hand thread and I just double checked on one of mine. I.e turn clockwise to tighten and anti-clockwise to remove. I also believe that this type ocular housing is one piece and does not have the removable collar like the ‘stepped cone’ variant.

[Peter Laidler]

Nope.......... I have taken a few dozen+ or so apart in my time and never ever found one with a cack-handed thread either! If you want to unscrew it safely and without damage then wrap a piece of dry chamois leather around the diameter and then tighten a suitablly sized jubilee clip around the diameter OVER the chamois leather and it WILL turn

Don't take this the wrong way, but whenever I see/hear of enthusiastic amateurs getting into telescopes, binoculars (especially the old No2 Mk2's) and No2 revolvers I get bad vibes as I have had to unpick the well aimed, and well intended consequences in the past. Call me an old cynic, yes, but a wise and experienced old cynic...........

Maybe Warren and Taff could just add a few encouraging words.......... Or should that read DIS-couraging words!

[AlphaMic13]

Valley and Peter, thanks for both of your replies. I've always prided myself of being able to take advice, listen, and learn from people who have knowledge and experience in certain fields rather than falling into the “I know best so I'll give it a bash” scenario. So your advice on unscrewing the ocular housing is welcomed and nothing has been taken the wrong way .
I am however, very new to this forum so haven’t really provided an introduction as such but perhaps this is a good opportunity. I guess I may be classed as a newbie on here but, in reality I have been a keen collector of historical optical equipment and weaponry for a good number of years. The good Doctor, and Warren know me quite well in regards to this . Fortunately for me I had a father who shared a common interest and over the years built up a small collection of early telescopic sights, spotting scopes a number of desirable scoped Enfield’s which we both used to shoot whenever on leave. So inevitably, over the years we encountered quite a few optics in poor shape, tampered and bitzer condition but we still purchased them for either historical interest or potential spares purposes.

The “Cack Handed” PPCo scope certainly came into that category and I suspect it’s been messed with years before either by a replacement tube or just being threaded out and that’s the way it unscrews now who knows? I’ve had the Fuess’s you mention Valley but it’s not one of those its just strange how it unscrews that way and I wanted to find out if that was common.. clearly not. This was the one I posted about where I used metal resin on the tube to fill in the craters. That particular scope was very poor so I just wanted to keep it from rusting and make it look prettier, just for the record I wasn’t giving advice or recommendation on how to bodge scopes but just sharing a story on what I did to fill up the holes on a very poor condition scope that would always remain in my possession as it was my fathers.

I am not an expert on stripping and cleaning scopes and wouldn't entertain attempting a full strip-down of any scope if I was ever going to rely on the thing to hold the zero. The scope I have (Long coned) only has a bit of mank on the inside ocular lens probably a bit of flaked C/B. It’s small but annoying and it moves around inside housing so I’d like to remove it and hopefully with care and the advice I've got that will now be possible.

Regards

Mac