Before we start, I would like to say that this has absolutely nothing to do with US Army M21 sniper rifle or its optics.
Awhile back, I posted about a scope I found on an auction site. That scope was listed as an M45 scope and it was fit into Unertl Target scope rings. I thought it was a neat idea but questioned how well it could work. There was nothing keeping the scope lined up in the rings and I was hesitant to purchase this kind of scope without looking through it first. The reason for this is because the M45 scope and scopes like it are not rifle scopes at all. They are in fact gun sights off artillery pieces. By some coincidence, my local gun shop had one. It was the cause of my concerns about buying this type of scope without looking through it first. The scope is actually proportioned backwards to what a rifle scope is. In use on an artillery piece, you look through the small end. As luck would have it, this one can be looked through both ways. Unfortunately, I suspect that is because it has no magnification. The issue of the scope solved, I figured out a way to securely mount it in the rings to prevent rotation. Being that the scope has no internal adjustment, it needs externally adjustable rings. The Unertl and other target scopes float in the rings and have ribs in the body to prevent rotation. The artillery scope did not. To get around this, I used a set of rings off a 2.5x Texan scope I bought off ebay. The rings I used appear to be the same rings used on the Weaver V8 scope and may have been pulled off one. Eventually, I would like to get another set so that these rings can go back on my Texan scope. Now, with a set of rings, a suitable scope, and a set of ring reducers from Brownell's, I put together the scope pictured below and theoretically adapted an artillery scope into a rifle scope. Sadly, I don't yet have the rifle I would like to put this on. Currently, the scope is mounted on a 10/22 and I will begin preliminary testing later this week. If all goes well, then one day it will be mounted onto a Creedmoor Sports 1903A4. Even without historical accuracy, I feel that this is an awesome little toy to have and a great conversation piece. Take a look! I will post more pictures soon. It has a really neat reticle.
Awhile back, I posted about a scope I found on an auction site. That scope was listed as an M45 scope and it was fit into Unertl Target scope rings. I thought it was a neat idea but questioned how well it could work. There was nothing keeping the scope lined up in the rings and I was hesitant to purchase this kind of scope without looking through it first. The reason for this is because the M45 scope and scopes like it are not rifle scopes at all. They are in fact gun sights off artillery pieces. By some coincidence, my local gun shop had one. It was the cause of my concerns about buying this type of scope without looking through it first. The scope is actually proportioned backwards to what a rifle scope is. In use on an artillery piece, you look through the small end. As luck would have it, this one can be looked through both ways. Unfortunately, I suspect that is because it has no magnification. The issue of the scope solved, I figured out a way to securely mount it in the rings to prevent rotation. Being that the scope has no internal adjustment, it needs externally adjustable rings. The Unertl and other target scopes float in the rings and have ribs in the body to prevent rotation. The artillery scope did not. To get around this, I used a set of rings off a 2.5x Texan scope I bought off ebay. The rings I used appear to be the same rings used on the Weaver V8 scope and may have been pulled off one. Eventually, I would like to get another set so that these rings can go back on my Texan scope. Now, with a set of rings, a suitable scope, and a set of ring reducers from Brownell's, I put together the scope pictured below and theoretically adapted an artillery scope into a rifle scope. Sadly, I don't yet have the rifle I would like to put this on. Currently, the scope is mounted on a 10/22 and I will begin preliminary testing later this week. If all goes well, then one day it will be mounted onto a Creedmoor Sports 1903A4. Even without historical accuracy, I feel that this is an awesome little toy to have and a great conversation piece. Take a look! I will post more pictures soon. It has a really neat reticle.
