Rifle Scopes Kollmorgan Question

[mjmd11]

This unit sold at auction a week ago and was described as :
"A U.S. marked M65(which I know it is not) fixed 4x scope with Griffin & Howe mount. Has a crosshair reticle and clear crisp optics. Finished in flat black with windage and elevation adjusters and remains in excellent condition. The scope comes with an OD green colored canvas carry case that is marked ''MRT / 3-10-52'' on the back and ''CASE, CARRYING, M65'' on the front and remains in excellent condition." No other photos, detail relating to stampings or provenance and the screw colors and finish were troubling. Turns out the scope has a FSN number and the US M1C 4XD markings. The finish was mostly bad camera work. The question is what gen scope is this one , if anybody knows, and Is the mount a repro or an original? Were the reproduction mounts stamped with Griffin and Howe?

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Kollmorgen has been the submarine periscope maker for the US Navy since WW1. They are Northampton, Ma. Still there. I consulted for them in the late 1990s, but not on scopes.

After WW 2, and before the “nuclear Navy” was born, there was a period of no periscope orders... Kollmorgen was in the wilderness for 5-10 years with nothing to do.

To keep their team and employees together... they made everything from rifle scopes to glass ashtrays! Then The Nautilus came along and they were back in Sub business.

they made SUPERB rifle scopes. And, yes, the military bought some. Their hunting scopes, like the bear cub, later were taken over by, I think, weaver.

I still run a Bear cub with dot reticle one my SAKO Finnbear .270. It is a great 4x scope and one of the brightest optics I have, shy of some very spendy USO and similar scopes.

That piece probably dates from 1950’s. There is no good book or ID site I know of. But rest assured, you are sitting on a great scope!

Might try posting in vintage. A bunch of experts there in the rifles this would have been used on. I am guessing Garands.

Sirhr

 

[cschastain2]

Wow... that’s a neat story...Thanks