Should I Get My Redfield Scope Refurbished?

[BumbleBug]

While at the last gun show, I came across an older model 3x9 Redfield with Duplex reticule. Pretty nice shape except for scuffed up adjustment knobs from years of having who-knows-what used as screwdrivers. Nostalgia got the better of me & using my cunning bargaining skills, I bought it for $45. LOL

I mounted it on my latest Win 70 .270 project rifle & it performed flawlessly. It even looks like a perfect match on the rifle. BUT as I already kinda expected, getting it out in the clear light of day, it seems a bit cloudy & amber. I didn't test it, but I'm sure it will fog up under cold hunting conditions.

Leupold bought Redfield & no longer supports the lifetime warranty but recommends Ironsites Inc to repair these scopes. They have a flat rate refurbish for $85 with a 12 mo to 14 mo lead time!!

Can anyone suggest another quicker place to get this scope repaired? Did I pretty much just mess-up buying this thing & should just cut my losses? Or spend the $85 to end up with a $130 older Redfield? Opinions welcome.

TIA

[Pat T]

IMHO if you want the scope fluffed up to enjoy it, go for it. I had one just like it on my Rem 700 for over 35 years, held zero and wasn't fogged, but as you say it was starting to yellow and low-light transmission was getting to be a real factor with my getting older eyes.

If it makes you feel any better, I sold it on Ebay and got $130 for it in that condition. You could spend that money and have a fresh retro Redfield!

[jmr40]

I'd just buy a new scope. Todays optics are far better and reasonably priced.

[Lucas McCain]

$45 for a used scope, $85 to have it refurbished puts you not to far away from a brand new Redfield.
I bought a used redfield 3X9 for $50. I had some trouble with it about 2 years later. This is before Leupold bought them. I sent it to an outfit in Florida, can't remember the name. They were going to reseal it for $35. After they got it they said there was some trouble in the erector system and it was going to cost an additional $85 to repair it. Now I've got a $170 dollars in an old scope thats only worth about $75 in todays market. Never again. When your dealing with used scopes only Leupold is the one to buy.

[reynolds357]

Lucas, Why is Leupold a better used buy than Vortex, Meopta, Zeiss, Burris or any of the rest of a long list of manufacturers who honor their lifetime warranty without proof of purchase?

[Lucas McCain]

Leupold offers the best customer service and turn around time of all the optic companies.
My personal experience has been less than 10 days max even in the fall during hunting season. One of the scope was 31 years old. they repaired it no charge.
I sent a Nikon 3x9 Monarch back that had fogged up. They set me a new monarch scope, but it wasn't until several phone calls and 9 weeks later.
I dropped a (2 years old) weaver Grand Slam 4 X 12 and broke the objective lens. I called Weaver corporate in the Carolinas at that time, to get a return authorization. When they asked what was wrong and I told them it was dropped and had a broken eye piece they told me that was abuse and they only do warranty work. Only thing they would do was give me a $50 dollar break on a retail price for a new scope. I declined, I called Premier reticle, Lee Dot to see if they could repair it and they both told me they were not able to get parts from weaver. 2 months later in my NRA mag was an add for Weaver scopes but they were in Wisc. I called them up and they said yes we can repair it, but because they had just become the Weaver Corporate office they did not have a customer service group organized yet, but in the future they would. Weaver has changed owners more times than a pair of dirty panties in a fraternity panty raid.
They gave me a return authorization number and I sent it in for and estimate of repair. They were supposed to contact me with a repair cost. Never heard from them. Started calling, same lip service, haven't got to it yet, big back log. Same Blah blah blah for 7 months! Then one day it shows up with a bill for $100 dollars. Not bad but no communication and why so long a wait.
I've dealt with Simmons, Sighttron, Bushnell all different horror stories. But I don't have a horror story to tell about Leupold. All my dealings with them have been excellent, they have shown me that the customer is really important. Based on that they get all my business, and I will recommend them to all who ask.

[reynolds357]

Weaver requires proof of purchase and their customer service is a joke. You would be well pleased with the customer service of all on my list except maybe Burris. In all honesty, I have had more problems with Leupold customer service than Burris. Leupold ticked me off when they kept insisting there was nothing wrong with their bench rest scope that averaged a group much larger than it should. They EVENTUALLY got tired of me and sent me a new one. Guess what? the new one shot just like it was supposed to, but nothing was wrong with the old one according to them. In all fairness to them, its hard to find problems in bench rest scopes because the rifle its going on is capable of such precision.

[FALPhil]

While at the last gun show, I came across an older model 3x9 Redfield with Duplex reticule. Pretty nice shape except for scuffed up adjustment knobs from years of having who-knows-what used as screwdrivers. Nostalgia got the better of me & using my cunning bargaining skills, I bought it for $45. LOL

If it is a Denver-era scope, you got a steal. I say send it off to Ironsight and get it refurbed. You won't be sorry, and you will probably be happy you did. Denver-made Redfields are fantastic scopes and on the used market, you can often find them for better than reasonable prices.

Over the last 10 years, I have bought 3 Denver Redfields and I would easily have to spend 3 times what I have in them to get the eqivalent in a new scope.

$45 for a used scope, $85 to have it refurbished puts you not to far away from a brand new Redfield.

Yeah, but a brand-new Redfield isn't half the scope of a Denver-made Redfield.

[kahrguy]

I to would get it referbished. Even if it sits on the shelf . Down the road you may have a need for that old redfield. I had an old 2 3/4 redfield refurbished a few years ago and came back looking just great in side and out. Its back on my slug gun now.

[tahunua001]

I'd buy a new one, I bought one and then found a chip out of one of the lenses and sent it back, they classified it as abuse and then tried to charge me $130 dollars to repair a $180 scope...
I'll never buy another redfield orleupold(that's 2 for 2 bad experiences with them) and will never try to have one repaired again.

[BumbleBug]

I know I'm waking up my old thread but I thought others may want to use Iron Sight Inc to bring an old scope back to life.

I decided to go ahead & send my Redfield scope in for repairs, despite the 14 month lead time which ended up being 18 months. I must say, although the wait time was disappointing, the final results is amazing. The scope is as clear & sharp as any that I have ever looked through - maybe even better then my high-end Leupolds. The scope now has a 1 year warranty while most of the newer scopes are lifetime. Still the nostalgia of this project got the best of me.

[bamaranger]

I had the Ironsight people do a fixed 4x Redfield for me quite a few years back.
turnaround was about half of what it is today and about 2/3 the price. The end result is a useful 4x scope that has been on and off various center and rimfire rifles for over 10 years with no problems.

I had it on an '06 Interarms Mark X last year through our long deer season, the only complaint being that its 1970's glass was not as bright in the late PM as other glass I own.

Solution was to hunt the old Mark X and the REdfield in the AM. No deer (with the mauser) but lots of retro rifle time.

Vintage redfields are selling for the $130 price and much more on ebay, and are not rebuilt!! If you have the patience to wait, and want the retro look complete, with usable glass, Ironsight will render that Redfield useful.

[USMC 77-81]

I have an old (probably 30 year old) 2x7 Redfield tracker with amazing optical clarity. The only problem is the magnification ring is extremely hard to turn with warm dry hands, if cold and/or wet it may be impossible. I've look into sending it for inspect and advise but find the shipping (both ways) plus just the initial inspection to be costly. I set it on 4-5 power when I go out hunting and hope for no need to adjust. I was told that Redfield used seals which swelled with humidity causing the difficulty in turning the ring. I went shooting last Friday with a guy who has a new Nikon on a Tikka T3 300 mag, my old Redfield was substantially clearer and crisper. Any thoughts on the seal swelling issue?

[BumbleBug]

I don't know about the swelling ring problem, but I've had this issue on other scopes (none Redfield brand). The good thing about the old Redfields was that they had a "nub" on the power ring to help. This refurbished scope has a smooth easy adjusting ring - I don't know if I should be happy or worried!...LOL

...bug

[USMC 77-81]

My old scope doesn't have a nub or any other raised/depressed area to assist with adjustment, I've noticed a lot of newer scopes have 'Thumb' areas, I wish my old Redfield did. I thought about altering the splines on the adjustment ring and either having a flat area for the thumb or placing a nub there but it would end up looking like Bubba did it. in addition to excellent optics, the old scope has a beautiful finish, I don't want to mar it.

[LtBlue425]

Came across this thread while researching repairs on vintage Redfield as I was just looking at a 6x Widefield with "glazed" or "fogged" innards. The info provided on repairs was very useful.

Vintage scopes like Redfield Widefield easily rival any modern mid-priced $300-$500 scopes for clarity and quality. I just picked up a like-new 3x9 Widefield and it's a joy to look through! Uber bargain for $80 shipped. You won't find anything currently made that's close to its optic quality until you hit that $400+ tag.

I highly encourage people to ignore those old scopes like Widefield and ScopeChief VI. You really want something more modern and let me deal with the stress of using that old "junk". LOL

[reynolds357]

I have a Redfield Ultimate Illuminator. It is the highest end scope Redfield ever made. It does not come close to rivaling even a Bushnell 4200.

[llangston1]

Do any of you who still have old 1970's vintage Redfield scopes know how the adjusting turrets work. I have an old 2x-7x wide field scope on my WBY 300 Magnum that seems to look and work fine. When I take the caps off I see the adjusting screw that looks like you use a large coin to turn. The adjustment screws have no clicks but appear to be just a friction fit. There is a graduated scale ring around those screws that have a 0, 10, 20, 30 marks. My basic question is this scale ring has a gap between the 0 and the 30 and you can easily rotate this ring around the periphery of the large adjusting screw. I assume this is to allow you to reset your zero mark on the turrets after zeroing the scope ? Is anything other than friction supposed to lock the scale ring into position once the scope has been zeroed? Is anything supposed to fit in that gap in the scale ring? Also is each mark on the ring 1/4 MOA?

[Tony Z]

Dumb question: how do you know a scope needs "refurbishing"? I have a 3 to 9 Redfield on a pre-64 Model 70 I inherited from my dad, and the scope would have been a mid-60's purchase. I also have a Unertl 15X Ultra Varmint, that would be a 50's vintage. Both scopes are as bright as any of my 80's to 90's vintage Leupolds, Redfields, Burris's, etc.

[llangston1]

My guess is a scope needs to be refurbed or replaced if it will not hold its zero and your hits start straying all over the target. You might try to shoot a box and see if it comes back to zero like it should.

Does your scope have the marked rings under the caps with 36 equal markings around the circumference? Do you know what each mark is supposed to represent? 1/4 MOA, 1 MOA?

[Gunplummer]

I don't think that was a dumb question. Unless they replace the lenses, I would not bother. I recently sold a rifle with a Redfield 2-7 Flat top on it. The scope was older and well made, for the time period. It was never really clear and I believe it was the glass producing capability of the time. I still have a Redfield on my one 99, and an older Weaver K series that I trust mechanically, but even the cheap imported scopes now are way clearer than any of the older scopes I own.

[Ibmikey]

My Leupold 2x7 would not adjust for windage any longer, the scope is probably 25 years old or more. I sent it to Leupold for a rebuild and advised i would pay for repairs after good service all those years, Leupold received the scope and approximately three weeks later returned it with no charge. The scope now looks and shoots as new. Better CS could not happen, thanks Leupold.

[SnoLeopard]

Reviving this old thread because I am still a bit confused over comments about 60's -70's Redfield glass quality. I have used redfields since I was a kid. Started with a 1970 2-7 post and collected from there to todays count of 2 Illuminators , 2 fixed 6x's , 2 3-9's , a fixed 4x & a few 3/4" tubes . I recently began the trek into precision shooting and studying the glass involved. I talked with shooters on forums , in person trying to gather as much info as possible. That said my first purchase was a Sightron , my second was a Vortex Diamondback tactical.If I could find a tactical Redfield for long distance I would trade either of these without a thought!!! 70's Redfield glass makes these two like an old Tasco from Aubuchon! If you've got an older Redfield DO NOT believe everything you read! Send your Redfield to Ironsite for $95 (todays pricing as I have one going out today) You'll keep your" Widefield" , save a few hundred & have a wonderful scope.

[Picher]

I wouldn't return a scope that's older than about 10 years. There are some better scopes at reasonable prices these days, so I'd just buy a new one.

[Don Fischer]

Yep, if it's a Denver, get it fixed. I have two Denver Redfields. 2 3/4x fixed and a 1-4x. got them both new about 1972, never a problem and still use them today. It's a personal thing for me though. I have a couple new Redfield/Leupolds and nothing to complain about and recently got a new vortex and like it very well. For what you'd have in it, you can get a pretty darn nice new scope but it won't be a Denver Redfield. I have an El Paso weaver too and if I found another, I'd buy it. Buying these older scopes isn't about getting a great deal, it's about nostalgia!