Help with info on Snipers Telescope

[twinkle63]

Hi, can anyone please be able to give me Age, Value & any other info on my inherited Telescope

TELE.SCT.REGTS

MK IIs

H . C . R & SON LTD

OS 126 GA

NO. 12191

with its leather case. It's all in excellent working order and condition. Thanks in advance for all help & advice

[4thGordons]

@MikB is your chap for this.

I believe those marked "Tele Sct Regts"  are of WWII vintage and were a slightly simplified/lightened version of the WWI era "Tel. Sig. (Mk.??) Also GS"

There is an excellent overview here

Chris

[MikB]

It's a Telescope, Scout Regiment Mk. IIs, made by HC Ryland and Son. Strictly, it's WW2 because it wasn't adopted till (IIRC) August 1939, but it's very much based on WW1 experiences of Sniper/Observers. The 'OS' thing is its Ordnance Stores no. It looks as if the last drawtube gland is partially unscrewed. There are 6 lens elements: a doublet objective, two lenses in the erector cell at the forward end of the smallest tube, and two in the eyepiece at the back end.

Yours looks to be about as good as they come. You can adjust the drawtube slide by carefully bending the tabs cut in the joint glands, but be careful not to damage the felt lining. The tubes were originally blacked in manufacture, but the only maker I've seen where this is robust enough to survive is KEC (possibly Kodak Eastman Company?) - usually it's gone on most examples. 

Originally there'll've been a sling strap to place across the body allowing the case to sit horizontally on the right hip - the 'official' carrying position. But they're hard to get these days - saddler keep muttering that cows aren't big enough, but I don't believe that - I think there used to be a spiral method of peeling them. You can try buckling narrow leather rifle slings together.

They're good scopes - enjoy! 

[twinkle63]

31 minutes ago, MikB said:

It's a Telescope, Scout Regiment Mk. IIs, made by HC Ryland and Son. Strictly, it's WW2 because it wasn't adopted till (IIRC) August 1939, but it's very much based on WW1 experiences of Sniper/Observers. The 'OS' thing is its Ordnance Stores no. It looks as if the last drawtube gland is partially unscrewed. There are 6 lens elements: a doublet objective, two lenses in the erector cell at the forward end of the smallest tube, and two in the eyepiece at the back end.

Yours looks to be about as good as they come. You can adjust the drawtube slide by carefully bending the tabs cut in the joint glands, but be careful not to damage the felt lining. The tubes were originally blacked in manufacture, but the only maker I've seen where this is robust enough to survive is KEC (possibly Kodak Eastman Company?) - usually it's gone on most examples. 

Originally there'll've been a sling strap to place across the body allowing the case to sit horizontally on the right hip - the 'official' carrying position. But they're hard to get these days - saddler keep muttering that cows aren't big enough, but I don't believe that - I think there used to be a spiral method of peeling them. You can try buckling narrow leather rifle slings together.

They're good scopes - enjoy! 

Thanks for all that info. I thought the draw tube you mentioned was the shade tube/ blind? Could you please advise me on it's value ie price to sell. 

[MikB]

3 minutes ago, twinkle63 said:

Thanks for all that info. I thought the draw tube you mentioned was the shade tube/ blind? Could you please advise me on it's value ie price to sell. 

The ray shade is the big sleeve at the front end. THe joint I was commenting on is between the smallest drawtube and the next.

[MikB]

Value depends on condition, who wants it and how much.  They were included in the Complete Equipment Schedule for a WW2 sniper, along with a No.4(T) rifle, in a dedicated chest, so yours would be attractive to anyone trying to assemble one of those. There are often one or two on the Bay.