Re: Butler Creek caps for Swarvo Laser Guide?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: scout1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The one that I remember was done as an article I believe on one of the various sniper forums. I just can't remember which one and have been unable to find it. Can you remember what size caps? </div></div>
<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">Lowlight</span></span> (Sniper's Hide site administrator and owner) had posted my post titled <span style="font-style: italic"> <span style="font-weight: bold">"Make Customer BC Flip Opens' for Your Swarovski 8x30 LG"</span></span> on the Sniper's Hide front page under "Sniper's Hide Articles for a while, but it has since been replaced with more current info. I'm sure that is the article that you are referring to.
Anyway, I looked around and found my old post of mine at
<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">Sniper Central</span></span>, so I recopied the basic info back to Sniper's Hide. Please note that a post by <span style="font-style: italic">DWood</span> is no longer viewable, but that I left my reference and the link in my post to give proper credit to Dwood. It was DWood's original post that inspired me to use BC Flip Opens and cut them to fit my Swarovski 8x30 LG. Here we go:
Fellow Sniper's Hide members,
Those of you fortunate enough to own a Swarovski 8x30 Laser Guide and are looking for a way to protect the glass while the LG is out of it's clip-in carrier or other protective device may be interested in my post. Some of you may have seen <span style="font-weight: bold">DWood</span>'s post <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">"How Do You Carry Your Swaro Rangerfinder?"</span></span>
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthread...ge=1#Post172253. In his post, <span style="font-weight: bold">DWood</span> used the Butler Creek #19 Objective on all three lenses, which provide a very snug fit. Butler Creek #19 Objective's spec is 1.646" I.D. For those that prefer to use the "Eye" Flip Open, the #16 Eye is a close fit too at 1.660" I.D., and will fit snugly on all lenses as well. I tried the #16 Eye on my Swaro for fit, but I prefer the #19 Objective because you won't accidently open the cover by bumping the (red) lever while in or out of a case.
Well, in order to make my Swaro LG fit in my yet-to-be-received-by-me Tac Ready LRF case with minimal top flap "bulge" I decided to trim a little unnecessary length of off the trailing edges of the Butler Creek Flip Opens'. There is a "ridge" molded into each BC Flip Open that acts as a "stop" (and determines the Flip Open's max insertion depth). This "stop" is present on all BC Flip Opens' regardless of whether they are "Objective" or "Eye".
The thing is, the front lens housings on the Swaro LG are nice and short - due to this the Flip Opens' cannot be seated to their full depth because they bottom-out on the front of the LG's housing. And because of this, there is roughly 7/32" gap between the lens housing edge at the front of the LG and the molded ridge/stop of the Flip Open. This gap can be eliminated by trimming the trailing edge of the Flip Opens, which will reduce the O.A.L. of the Swaro LG/BC combination slightly (6/32" or so). Not much, but it could mean the difference between a tight fit and a snug fit inside your case.
It should be noted that trimming an Ocular-mounted Flip Open will not reduce the Swaro LG/BC combination O.A.L., because the Flip Open is able to be seated to full depth without trimming. However, if you choose not to trim an Ocular-mounted Flip Open, whether Objective or Eye, <span style="font-style: italic">be sure to adjust the diopter (if necessary) before you slide-on the BC, as the BCs' slide on deep enough to make turning the diopter adjustment difficult.</span>. A trimmed Ocular-mounted Flip Open will allows unhindered adjustment of the diopter. I don't use the adjustment, but I trimmed all of BCs' for a consistent look.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Heres a photo of the Swarovski 8x30 LG before I trimmed the Flip Opens:</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold">And after:</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold">Closeup of #19 Objective mounted on LG Objective before trimming. Note gap between LG front and "stop" of the Flip Open:</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold">Closeup of #19 Objective mounted on LG Objective after trimming. Gap between LG front and "stop" of the Flip Open is gone:</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold">Closeup of #19 Objective mounted on LG Ocular. Note the flush fit without any trimming at all:</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold">Closeup of #19 Objective after trimming mounted on LG Ocular. Note that while trimming is not necessary on the Ocular-mounted Flip Open, trimming will allow unhindered diopter adjustment without removal of the Flip Open:</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold">I wanted nice, clean & straight cuts on the BCs', so I bought a 90 degree PVC elbow to support the Flip Opens' while I trimmed them:</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold">Heres' a photo of a just-trimmed Flip Open and my trimming tools:</span>
The BC rubber is easy to cut - just take your time and be sure to score all the way through to the PVC before separating the cut-off portion from the Flip Open so the cut is clean. I used an X-Acto, but if you can get a hold of a surgical #10 blade, that would obviously cut more deeply faster. Watch it though!!!
Closed Digital Camo TAC READY LRF Case with Trimmed BC Flip Opens':
When standing upright the Swaro's ocular piece is not quite flush with the top flap of the TAC READY LRF Case:
without the Trimmed BC Flip Opens' it would bulge up another 1/2":
Another:
Last overhead view shows the flush-fit best:
Keith
![url]](http://[url="http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s307/Louman64/Swarovski%208x30%20LG/SwaroLGwithTrimmedBCFlipOpensOPEN2.jpg"]http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s307/...pOpensOPEN2.jpg[/url])
![url]](http://[url="http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s307/Louman64/Swarovski%208x30%20LG/SwaroLGwithTrimmedBCFlipOpensOPEN3.jpg"]http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s307/...pOpensOPEN3.jpg[/url])
