Please id this WW-II scope

imti · October 22, 2000, 04:20 AM

INFORMATION WANTED

Can anyone help me identify an item (riflescope)? It was given to me by a friend who got it from
an old man. The old man's said that he "liberated it during the war", referring to WW II. However, I've no idea whether the old
man meant the European theatre or the Burma-Eastern India area of conflict at that time, since he's now gone to that great
barrack room in the sky.

The only lettering on the telescope is "dym" with a "+" and small triangle below that followed by "Z.F. 41/1"at the bottom.
Length is 160mm, objective end diameter (not the lens) is 26mm, eyepiece end is 17mm. All steel, with sliding lens hoods (?) at
both ends. The carrying box/can has a small compartment (empty) and looks repainted though the original colour is a light
khaki-coffee cream, whatever that is!
Eye relief is length-of-arm at about 500mm or about 20", +or - 6" either way. Probably meant to be side-mounted near the
rear sight of a rifle. Magnification is about 2X. The mount has a pair of conical rollers within a "T" slot backed by a flat spring
and a release catch on the side.
Only elevation adjustments available via a graduated collar in the middle.Reticle is a heavy vertical pointed post with two
smaller horizontal wires not touching the central post. Field of view is atrocious with a main tube diameter of 15 mm or little
more than 1/2 inch.
My guess- made in Germany, possibly Zeiss but I've never come across a picture or reference to such a device on a Mauser
G-98. Of course, we dont get much literature on guns this side of the world! Will appreciate some info on this from anyone
knowledgeable.
e-mail me at [email protected] for some light at the end of this scope.

[This message has been edited by imti (edited October 22, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by imti (edited October 22, 2000).]

**4V50 Gary** · October 22, 2000, 10:01 AM

What you have is the German Zielfernrohr 41 telescopic sight which was made from 1941-45 and used by extensively by the Wehrmacht.

It was a forward mounted scope for the Mauser 98k and fits onto a special groove on the rifle's rear sight (mounted ahead of the receiver). In a sense, think of it as the predecessor to the Cooper Scout rifle scope concept. The "dym" indicates that it was made by Runge & Kaulfuss, Fabrik f. Feinmechanik und Optik (in Rathenow).

If you want more info, check out Peter Senich's book, "The German Sniper, 1941-1945."

October 22, 2000, 04:20 AM	#1
imti Junior Member Join Date: October 21, 2000 Posts: 7	INFORMATION WANTED Can anyone help me identify an item (riflescope)? It was given to me by a friend who got it from an old man. The old man's said that he "liberated it during the war", referring to WW II. However, I've no idea whether the old man meant the European theatre or the Burma-Eastern India area of conflict at that time, since he's now gone to that great barrack room in the sky. The only lettering on the telescope is "dym" with a "+" and small triangle below that followed by "Z.F. 41/1"at the bottom. Length is 160mm, objective end diameter (not the lens) is 26mm, eyepiece end is 17mm. All steel, with sliding lens hoods (?) at both ends. The carrying box/can has a small compartment (empty) and looks repainted though the original colour is a light khaki-coffee cream, whatever that is! Eye relief is length-of-arm at about 500mm or about 20", +or - 6" either way. Probably meant to be side-mounted near the rear sight of a rifle. Magnification is about 2X. The mount has a pair of conical rollers within a "T" slot backed by a flat spring and a release catch on the side. Only elevation adjustments available via a graduated collar in the middle.Reticle is a heavy vertical pointed post with two smaller horizontal wires not touching the central post. Field of view is atrocious with a main tube diameter of 15 mm or little more than 1/2 inch. My guess- made in Germany, possibly Zeiss but I've never come across a picture or reference to such a device on a Mauser G-98. Of course, we dont get much literature on guns this side of the world! Will appreciate some info on this from anyone knowledgeable. e-mail me at [email protected] for some light at the end of this scope. [This message has been edited by imti (edited October 22, 2000).] [This message has been edited by imti (edited October 22, 2000).]

October 22, 2000, 10:01 AM	#2
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,841	What you have is the German Zielfernrohr 41 telescopic sight which was made from 1941-45 and used by extensively by the Wehrmacht. It was a forward mounted scope for the Mauser 98k and fits onto a special groove on the rifle's rear sight (mounted ahead of the receiver). In a sense, think of it as the predecessor to the Cooper Scout rifle scope concept. The "dym" indicates that it was made by Runge & Kaulfuss, Fabrik f. Feinmechanik und Optik (in Rathenow). If you want more info, check out Peter Senich's book, "The German Sniper, 1941-1945."