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PetahW · June 22, 2009, 06:47 PM

Kollmorgen was started c. 1917 by a German Immigrant optical engineer in Brooklyn. They became America's sole maker of submarine periscopes in WWI and were moved by the War Department inland to Northhampton, Ma. to get them away from the coast during WWII. (NY was considered a target for bombers or submraine shelling).
IIRC, Kollmorgen Electro Optics is still in Northhampton and still make Periscopes.

In the early pos-WWII period, the demand for submarine periscopes evaporated. There was a surplus of WWII attack boats and no wars to fight. The Nuclear Navy was still a decade away. So Kollmorgen went on some very lean times. To keep the workforce intact, they produced everything from rifle scopes (for a booming postwar hunting consumer market) to glass ashtrays! Anything to keep the machines working and the workforce together.

The hallmark of the Kollmorgen scopes is incredible optical quality. They were made by the same equipment and machines that were making periscopes, long range naval artillary directors, etc. The optics far outstrip the price that these fetched new and compare favorably to today's best coated optics. The goal wasn't to make a cheap consumer product... it was to do *anything* to keep the workforce together and trained. The consumer was the beneficiary!

Early scopes were Stith branded and had mounts that adjusted, versus having adjustments on the scope.
Later ones had traditional dial adjustments.
In addition to the consumer versions, they made a 6X that was sourced by the USMC and mounted on their 03A3, Garand and M14 sniper rifles before being succeeded by more modern rifles and Unertl scopes during the Vietnam era.

Redfield acquired Kollmorgen's scope business in the late 1950's, though for a while they were co-branded until Redfield took over production.

It was after the Redfield acquisition, that 1" scopes came into general use/vogue.

Typical prices for a Bear Cub with the more usable dial adjustments are about $200 - 250 in mint condition.
Non-adjustable models, w/ Stith mounts go for $175 - 200 + another $100 if the mounts are with it - and all are somewhat in demand for Pre '64 Model 70 rifles and similar types, although eminently usable on just about any other centerfire rifle.

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June 22, 2009, 06:47 PM	#4
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	Kollmorgen was started c. 1917 by a German Immigrant optical engineer in Brooklyn. They became America's sole maker of submarine periscopes in WWI and were moved by the War Department inland to Northhampton, Ma. to get them away from the coast during WWII. (NY was considered a target for bombers or submraine shelling). IIRC, Kollmorgen Electro Optics is still in Northhampton and still make Periscopes. In the early pos-WWII period, the demand for submarine periscopes evaporated. There was a surplus of WWII attack boats and no wars to fight. The Nuclear Navy was still a decade away. So Kollmorgen went on some very lean times. To keep the workforce intact, they produced everything from rifle scopes (for a booming postwar hunting consumer market) to glass ashtrays! Anything to keep the machines working and the workforce together. The hallmark of the Kollmorgen scopes is incredible optical quality. They were made by the same equipment and machines that were making periscopes, long range naval artillary directors, etc. The optics far outstrip the price that these fetched new and compare favorably to today's best coated optics. The goal wasn't to make a cheap consumer product... it was to do anything to keep the workforce together and trained. The consumer was the beneficiary! Early scopes were Stith branded and had mounts that adjusted, versus having adjustments on the scope. Later ones had traditional dial adjustments. In addition to the consumer versions, they made a 6X that was sourced by the USMC and mounted on their 03A3, Garand and M14 sniper rifles before being succeeded by more modern rifles and Unertl scopes during the Vietnam era. Redfield acquired Kollmorgen's scope business in the late 1950's, though for a while they were co-branded until Redfield took over production. It was after the Redfield acquisition, that 1" scopes came into general use/vogue. Typical prices for a Bear Cub with the more usable dial adjustments are about $200 - 250 in mint condition. Non-adjustable models, w/ Stith mounts go for $175 - 200 + another $100 if the mounts are with it - and all are somewhat in demand for Pre '64 Model 70 rifles and similar types, although eminently usable on just about any other centerfire rifle. .