So...bought a 1937 PEM scope which was advertised on Gunbroker and Ebay by a guy out of Pleasant Hill, Oregon using the name 1950chieftain on both sites. I will provide full details on request via PM.
The description said the scope was of museum quality and was mounted in one of the very, very few Finnish made VKT (Valmet)scope mounts for the M39 rifle. He guaranteed it was genuine as it was a family heirloom (his grandfather had fought in Finland in WW2)....so having compared the available information to photos of known originals, it looked possible.
Prior to buying, I asked the guy to confirm that the scope was fully functional. He did and offered a refund if I was not satisfied. But...when asked about being able to prove provenance on the mount, there was no answer.
Subsequent to my purchase, I have been contacted by a number of guys who have seen this mount/scope combo offered on a variety of sites over the past two years...each time with different descriptions, small detail changes to try to make it look more authentic and different pricing....BUT always the same guy and basic mount/base/scope.
Unaware of this at the time and based on the security of the payment mechanism and his written offer of a refund, I took the plunge.
Couldn't be happier with the scope but....within minutes of opening the box and looking at the mount, doubts started to surface.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Pics and descriptions</span>
This will probably take a couple of posts due to the file sizes. I have posted these in original size so that you can see as much detail as possible - maybe more than I did. If you spot anything that I missed....please add to the thread.
First a general overview:
<span style="text-decoration: underline">The Mount</span>
Pics from each angle of the mount/base combo:
The mount is made of machined and blued steel with what appear to be fine brush/polishing marks on each surface. But the patina and condition did not seem appropriate to a 70 year old mount/scope that would have seen hard use in combat in a severe climate.
<span style="text-decoration: underline">Scope Rings</span>
The scope rings are well matched and fit tightly together and hold the scope tightly. The ends of the scope rings are not perfectly rounded but appear to have a flat end and radiused curves at each end. This is consistent on both the top and bottom parts and does not appear to match pics of originals whcih appear to have a more constant radius at the ends.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Makers Stamps</span>
There are both S.A and VKT stamps on the right side of the mount but there no serial numbers stamped into the mount. The font and spacing of the S.A stamp do not look to be the same as other pictures I have seen. To my eyes, the space between the letter seems too small and the "S" looks to be a far more "modern" font and the tails of the "S" do not appear consistent with other photos. Also the paint in the stamps is 100% present - no gaps, wear patches, discolouration - that seemed a little strange to me.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Thumbscrew tighteners</span>
The two thumbscrews fit the threads well and function well. They have a flat head with slightly rounded/radiused edges similar to pictures of originals.
Close inspection of all screws shows some light oxidation on the threads as well as in the slots on the heads. These are one of the details that have changed over the times this mount has been advertised and are now very similar in appearance to those posted on mosinnagant.net's M39 page.
Overall the edges of the mount seem crisp and sharp (with some minOr nicks) and the general impression is one of quality.
<span style="font-weight: bold">"Issues"</span>
However there are areas that appear somewhat at odds with the feel of the steelwork are:
1) Dovetail end stop
The dovetail end stop does not sit flush with the end of the mount on the left side - there is a noticable protrusion. The machine/finishing marks on the end stop also appear a lot coarser than those on the rest of the mount.
The grub screws that appear to hold this endstop in place do not feel to be smooth in the threads.. On the left side of the mount the grub screw has a percectly flat machined head that sits flush with the outside surface of the mount when fully engaged. On the right side the grub screw has a much rougher surface to the head and does not feel smooth in the threads or sit flush with the outer surface.
(Continued.....)
The description said the scope was of museum quality and was mounted in one of the very, very few Finnish made VKT (Valmet)scope mounts for the M39 rifle. He guaranteed it was genuine as it was a family heirloom (his grandfather had fought in Finland in WW2)....so having compared the available information to photos of known originals, it looked possible.
Prior to buying, I asked the guy to confirm that the scope was fully functional. He did and offered a refund if I was not satisfied. But...when asked about being able to prove provenance on the mount, there was no answer.
Subsequent to my purchase, I have been contacted by a number of guys who have seen this mount/scope combo offered on a variety of sites over the past two years...each time with different descriptions, small detail changes to try to make it look more authentic and different pricing....BUT always the same guy and basic mount/base/scope.
Unaware of this at the time and based on the security of the payment mechanism and his written offer of a refund, I took the plunge.
Couldn't be happier with the scope but....within minutes of opening the box and looking at the mount, doubts started to surface.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Pics and descriptions</span>
This will probably take a couple of posts due to the file sizes. I have posted these in original size so that you can see as much detail as possible - maybe more than I did. If you spot anything that I missed....please add to the thread.
First a general overview:
<span style="text-decoration: underline">The Mount</span>
Pics from each angle of the mount/base combo:
The mount is made of machined and blued steel with what appear to be fine brush/polishing marks on each surface. But the patina and condition did not seem appropriate to a 70 year old mount/scope that would have seen hard use in combat in a severe climate.
<span style="text-decoration: underline">Scope Rings</span>
The scope rings are well matched and fit tightly together and hold the scope tightly. The ends of the scope rings are not perfectly rounded but appear to have a flat end and radiused curves at each end. This is consistent on both the top and bottom parts and does not appear to match pics of originals whcih appear to have a more constant radius at the ends.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Makers Stamps</span>
There are both S.A and VKT stamps on the right side of the mount but there no serial numbers stamped into the mount. The font and spacing of the S.A stamp do not look to be the same as other pictures I have seen. To my eyes, the space between the letter seems too small and the "S" looks to be a far more "modern" font and the tails of the "S" do not appear consistent with other photos. Also the paint in the stamps is 100% present - no gaps, wear patches, discolouration - that seemed a little strange to me.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Thumbscrew tighteners</span>
The two thumbscrews fit the threads well and function well. They have a flat head with slightly rounded/radiused edges similar to pictures of originals.
Close inspection of all screws shows some light oxidation on the threads as well as in the slots on the heads. These are one of the details that have changed over the times this mount has been advertised and are now very similar in appearance to those posted on mosinnagant.net's M39 page.
Overall the edges of the mount seem crisp and sharp (with some minOr nicks) and the general impression is one of quality.
<span style="font-weight: bold">"Issues"</span>
However there are areas that appear somewhat at odds with the feel of the steelwork are:
1) Dovetail end stop
The dovetail end stop does not sit flush with the end of the mount on the left side - there is a noticable protrusion. The machine/finishing marks on the end stop also appear a lot coarser than those on the rest of the mount.
The grub screws that appear to hold this endstop in place do not feel to be smooth in the threads.. On the left side of the mount the grub screw has a percectly flat machined head that sits flush with the outside surface of the mount when fully engaged. On the right side the grub screw has a much rougher surface to the head and does not feel smooth in the threads or sit flush with the outer surface.
(Continued.....)
