No 32 Sight for sale.

[pbsmg]

M341 British No32 MkI Sniper Telescopic Sight.

Is this of interest to anyone?

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.

[Brian Dick]

The scope bracket is an obvious fake. I have to wonder about the rest of it.

[DonaldD]

Hi
both myself and a friend took a punt on these. These are the pics of mine.
Attachment 73257Attachment 73258Attachment 73256Attachment 73254Attachment 73255
His tin is green-painted with red squares on the bottom (from memory) corners. The tools and the metal-work of the scope on both were lightly coated with cosmoline. My bracket has AR 3453 and a JG stamped on it. The two caps are marked A43 and B44. The tool is stamped Tool No32 STG TEL Mk1.
As you say, the mount looks a fake. Not too sure about the tin or the tool.
However, both the scopes seem the real deal (are there fake Mk1s about?) Optics are bright and the windage and elevation work as they should.

Donald

[vintage hunter]

(are there fake Mk1s about?)

Yes. Technically most all are.
Quite a few noticeable differences between the scope in question and a known original H.B.M. Co. Mk.1. I'm pretty sure it's a fake, but I could be wrong.

[Lee Enfield]

Hi
both myself and a friend took a punt on these. These are the pics of mine.
Attachment 73257Attachment 73258Attachment 73256Attachment 73254Attachment 73255
His tin is green-painted with red squares on the bottom (from memory) corners. The tools and the metal-work of the scope on both were lightly coated with cosmoline. My bracket has AR 3453 and a JG stamped on it. The two caps are marked A43 and B44. The tool is stamped Tool No32 STG TEL Mk1.
As you say, the mount looks a fake. Not too sure about the tin or the tool.
However, both the scopes seem the real deal (are there fake Mk1s about?) Optics are bright and the windage and elevation work as they should.

Donald

Fake as a 3$ bill.

Whole thing is fake...

The tin looks real, but the rivets are the giveaway to me that it's actually a fake...

[browningautorifle]

And at about $1500 CDN, that would be a huge mistake for a well meaning purchase...

[mike1967]

The other thing to consider, is how these fakes keep getting better and better. With not too many more outward improvements they will get pretty close to the real thing, uninformed buyers beware i guess!

[Sentryduty]

With not too many more outward improvements they will get pretty close to the real thing, uninformed buyers beware i guess!

There will come a time when the market is full of externally indistinguishable fakes, and when most owners will be reluctant to actually shoot (and break) them and may never know they paid full price for a copy.

We could be only 50 years or less from the tipping point.

It will just take one generation gap for some well meaning, technically minded writer to attempt to supersede Peter's work, disassemble a fake and unwittingly document it as genuine design. Once that happens the fraud will gradually become accepted as some bastard or "prototype" genuine article.

Having a book published with a glaring error happens on occasion, but there is little editorial oversight on the internet and it's current proliferation of free information and advice.

One of the few redeeming factors currently is these fake scopes look "new" in very good condition, once they age get knocked about and patina only the sharpest will catch the frauds. Take for example Civil War militaria, it's a hotbed of fakes, and old enough that even fakes are can be well aged. I am glad that I don't collect in that market, too high risk.

[browningautorifle]

There will come a time when the market is full of externally indistinguishable fakes

I've believed this for a while now, and because of it sold my LL M1 rifle some time ago. I was afraid after a time, still in my lifetime, people would be afraid to buy good stuff without a full 6 week course on recognition. I've seen foreign nationals wandering the Calgary gunshow making substantial purchase of collectible artifacts and shipping them overseas. I can't help but think it's for copy and distribution...of the fakes...

[henry r]

someone put some time and energy into adding signs of use to that set up. it would have fooled me. edit. not the mount though... i've learned a few things here.