Make your own riflescope?

**4V50 Gary** · May 27, 2007, 03:47 PM

Anybody got instructions? Back in the '40s, it was not unusual for kids to make as a science project their own scope. I'm not looking at competing with Zeiss, Swarvoski, Leupold or any of the other big boys. Rather, I'm thinking 19th Century technology. Any manuals anywhere?

FirstFreedom · May 27, 2007, 05:07 PM

these guys might know:

http://www.groupsrv.com/science/forum-22.html

and as a tangential subject, you might be interested in taking a gander at the incredible telescopes home-built by these guys here:

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthrea.../o/all/fpart/1

mikikanazawa · May 29, 2007, 01:54 AM

I've looked into building a scope, as I have a hobby machine shop at home, but after burning a fair bit of cash on trial-and-error, AND the cost of decent quality bare optics, I decided to scrap the project.

The trickiest part is obtaining a good quality reticle and being able to reliably adjust it for elevation and wind.

I designed my reticle in CAD and had a friend laser-etch the pattern on a sapphire window (a laser lab optic). The reticle didn't come out as sharp as I was hoping and as it turns out, sapphire isn't the best material for this application because it reflects too much light.

Then I made the elev/wind adjustment mechanism... very tricky. It would adjust in one direction fine, but when you tried to back it up the first couple clicks would merely take up "slack" in the system.

I was using a Schmidt & Bender as my R&D subject, and boy oh boy that's one precise elev/wind adjustment.

I don't know your prototyping capabilities, but for the elev/wind knobs you should try to use micrometer heads. They are not expensive but they are very precise.

May 27, 2007, 03:47 PM	#1
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,838	Make your own riflescope? Anybody got instructions? Back in the '40s, it was not unusual for kids to make as a science project their own scope. I'm not looking at competing with Zeiss, Swarvoski, Leupold or any of the other big boys. Rather, I'm thinking 19th Century technology. Any manuals anywhere? __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

May 27, 2007, 05:07 PM	#2
FirstFreedom Junior member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A. Posts: 12,451	I dunno but these guys might know: http://www.groupsrv.com/science/forum-22.html and as a tangential subject, you might be interested in taking a gander at the incredible telescopes home-built by these guys here: http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthrea.../o/all/fpart/1

May 29, 2007, 01:54 AM	#3
mikikanazawa Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2004 Posts: 449	I've looked into building a scope, as I have a hobby machine shop at home, but after burning a fair bit of cash on trial-and-error, AND the cost of decent quality bare optics, I decided to scrap the project. The trickiest part is obtaining a good quality reticle and being able to reliably adjust it for elevation and wind. I designed my reticle in CAD and had a friend laser-etch the pattern on a sapphire window (a laser lab optic). The reticle didn't come out as sharp as I was hoping and as it turns out, sapphire isn't the best material for this application because it reflects too much light. Then I made the elev/wind adjustment mechanism... very tricky. It would adjust in one direction fine, but when you tried to back it up the first couple clicks would merely take up "slack" in the system. I was using a Schmidt & Bender as my R&D subject, and boy oh boy that's one precise elev/wind adjustment. I don't know your prototyping capabilities, but for the elev/wind knobs you should try to use micrometer heads. They are not expensive but they are very precise.