No32 Mk1 scope help needed

[Cylon]

Attachment 121443Attachment 121444Attachment 121445Attachment 121442

Hi all,

I need some expert advice.

Is the attached scope a genuine no32 mk1?

If we are not sure, what questions do i need to ask or photos do i request?

Thanks in advance.

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.

[Roger Payne]

Hi. It might be me as I'm notoriously hopeless with IT, but I can't visualise your photo attachments. I suspect they have not uploaded properly. If we can get to see them I'm sure you'll get all the help & advice you need.

[Cylon]

Sorry, my fault, photos are posted now.

---------- Post added at 07:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:55 PM ----------

Apparently the scope is fully functional with nil faults, the turrets move freely and nil damage.

[Roger Payne]

Yes, it's real, as is the bracket that it's on. It was made by the company William Watson (hence the intertwined W's of the logo) in 1941, the first year of volume production. The serial is low, so it also confirms that it is an early production scope. Watson scopes were originally blued, & I could be wrong, but this one appears to have been black painted, suggesting a refurbishment at some point, but this is not a big negative, & is very common. There were two UK & one Canadian manufacturers of the brackets, & the one on this scope was made by Rose Brothers of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. (The brackets were all broadly similar, but there are minor differences that permit of us distinguishing one manufacturer from the other.

Hope this helps a little.

P.S. Still having its original eye shade is a nice touch, as most were removed later in service.

[Cylon]

Hi Roger,

Wow, thanks for that! ��

Any idea on what it might be worth? Purely a ballpark figure?

[Alan de Enfield]

Hi Roger,

Wow, thanks for that! ��

Any idea on what it might be worth? Purely a ballpark figure?

UK ebay price would probably be in excess of GBP £1000 (Aus $ 1800+)

[Roger Payne]

I don't know if this will be much help as you are in Oz & I'm a Pom, but over here I sell refurbished No32 Mk1 scopes for around 1000 - 1100 GBP. The bracket would be worth another 500 to 600 GBP on top of that. Historically, quite a few of mine have gone into the UK trade.

[Lance]

Oh so close to my missing scope. Still looking for 1186, 20 years and counting....

[Scout Sniper]

Hmmm, i would be suspicious of this...

2 years ago i converted my No.42 to No.32 Mk.1 specification for a project. In my quest to gather as much knowledge and reference pictures as possible i came across the identical pictures you posted!

After a little dig around i found the source to be from this very forum! Dated 2010 from another member asking similar questions as you with the same pictures!

https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=26828

The scope is the real deal as is the mount but this has all the hallmarks of a scam... If it was me, i would be asking for new pictures with todays date on a piece of paper next to it.

[Surpmil]

Almost certainly originally fitted to a ex-trials No.4rifle - which you will find are described here on this site. The first 1403 No.4(T)s were assembled at RSAF Enfield in 1940(?)-41/42 on those rifles as they were available in store and known to be of the highest quality.

The mount is not the very earliest type which were of the same overall configuration, but very well finished. IIRC all the trials No4(T)s seen so far that appear to be original "sets" of scope, bracket and rifle, have that very well-finished type of bracket. Whether they were produced by Rose Bros. as yours appears to be, I don't think we know.