The Duplex rifle telescopes, manufactured by Lawson C. Cummins, NIont pelier, Vt., in different styles, suitable for use on any rnodel of rifle, are hig,hly prized by sportsmen. They are achromatic, in seamless browned steel tubes, with steel hangings that confine them closely an.d firmly to the rifle barrel, the elevations being obtained by adjustin,g the cross-line with a thumb-screw. The wind-gauge consists of a vertical line adjustable by a thumb-screw. A central point is placed at the top of the field of vision. When no wind or mirage exists the vertical line is set at this central point, but when the target shows that the bullet is being deflected by gravity and atmospheric conditions, while the central point is on the bull's-eye, set the vertical line to the point of deflection and the correction is exact. -With this telescope the balance of the rifle is not perceptibly- changed, the symmetrical appearance of the arm is unimpaired, the fragility not increased. The microscopic vision of the sight avoids all blur and diffraction which arc for ever brooding on metallic sights, and the telescopic ViCW of the g-ame or target, . almost annihilating, distance, makes the directing of a rifle shot a simple act, per formed with ease and certainty. The signal advantages of these telescopes over many others consist in the sustantial nature of the telescope itself, and in its rigid attachments to the rifle barrel, its wide field of vision and high illumination, making it easy to do accurate work in a lip-In so dim that nothing- at all can be done with any open sight. Fig-ure 5 slicms a rifle mounted with an IS-inch, achromatic, duplex telescope sig,dit. A practical method of setting the telescope where no special tools are at hand, is this: Place the rifle in a vise and arrange a blank bullseye on a white ground about thirty yards in front; have the bullseye almost, but not quite, as large as the field vision through the rifle bore, and place a white center, one-fourth of an inch in diameter, on it. Point the bore of the rifle exactly at this bullseye; now place the hanging,,s on the telescope, and be sure to put the one with the lightest base in front, and turn the screws just barely sufficient to hold the telescope in position. Now place the hangings containing the telescope on top of the barrel and mark the position for the slots and look through the tele scope. If the fined globe on the vertical line points at same height as the white center in bullseye, cut the slots of equal depth; if it points above, cut the front slot deepest; if below, cut rear slot deepest. To ascertain how much, put a slip of metal under one hanging just sufficient to cause the globe to point at the white center and use it for the difference gauge. Care must be taken in filing the slots to secure a nice fit and have both hangings in line. When the hangings are set in the barrel, insert the telescope and arrange it so that the vertical line exactly cor responds with a plumb line in front and pinch it with the two screws in the rear hanging. While it is thus held in this position, bore and tap the holes in the front end of telescope and insert the screws through the front hangings and the work is complete. It sometimes happens that rather steady shooting rifles do not shoot where the bore points; and should occasion require the changing of the direction of the telescope after being set, it is better to move the rear hanging, which should be fitted very close in the slot, as the barrel being heavy at that point gives it strength for a stronger grip than further forward. The hangings should be placed as far apart as is consistent with surrounding circumstances. All rifles shoot under the point at which the bore is aimed considerably more than the fall of the ball from gravity. This is owning to the crook in the stock and other reasons, but in this matter each rifle has its own peculiar habit. Perhaps an approximate average of a seven pound, 32-4o-165 rifle would be three inches at thirty yards, and if it is desired to use the fixed globe for short-range shooting it is well to make allowance when setting the telescope. However, that is not material, as the cross-line is adjustable both above and below the globe. By raising or lowering the checknut on the elevating thumbscrew, the tension may be adjusted to suit any taste. The focus thumbscrew should be screwed in very tight to prevent the recoil from slipping the glass out of focus.
An excellent telescope sight manufactured by the Julius King Optical Company of New York, shown in Figure 6, is made in three styles and is optically arranged to be always in focus for objects distant from to to 5,00o yards, rendering them perfectly clear and distinct. The field presented to view is unusually wide, clear and flat, allowing wide range in sighting running game. The focus is such that objects are only visible through it when the eye of the shooter is at about two and one-half inches from the eye piece; this prevents any injury to the eye from the recoil of the gun, and does away with the old-fashioned slide. The lenses are ac curately ground, centered, and, together with the cross-hairs, are mounted in brass cells, which are held at proper distances from one another by seamless brass tubing which is then inserted and screwed from both ends into a blued steel tube fourteen inches long and seven-eighths of an inch in diameter, making the sig-,ht dust, light and waterproof. The objective is thoroughly' achromatic throughout
and is placed one and one-half inches back from the forward opening of the steel casing, to protect it from the danger of being broken and from oblique rays of light, making the telescope both a day and night glass. The mountings employed in fastening the telescope to the g,un are designed for attaching it to the center or side of the barrel, the latter being most frequently usd to admit of the use of the open, Lyman, or telescopic sight. The mountings are adjustable so that the gun may be quickly and accurately sighted to any desired range. This telescope sight magnifies an object and makes it appear from four to twenty times larg-er than it really is. The result is obvious. They- have such fine illumination that an object is distinctly seen in feeble and uncertain light that otherwise would be practically invisible to the naked eye.
The Malcolm rifle telescope, manufactured by the Malcolm Rifle Telescope Manufacturing Co., Syracuse, N. Y., and shown in Fig-ure 7, attached to a Win chester rifle, is made of all grades, high or low power, long. or short tubes. Special attention is given to the construction of short glasses, from ta to 20 inches. They are made of two sized tubing. neatly joining the two sizes together, thereby getting a larger tube in front for a large obstructive and a smaller tube in rear for the eye piece. In so doing- we not only produce a neat looking telescope, but also gain otherwise, in producing a very large field with sufficient light for the glass to be used in very dark days and in all kinds of places, such as dense woods and other dark places, making it an excellent hunting sight. There is an unique arrangement with these glasses. It consists in cutting iNVO slots at the rear end of the glass to adjust and correctly focus the cross-hair. In looking- through the glass at an object, observe whether the cross-hairs are perfectly stationary or whether they move when you shift your eye up or down. If perfectly stationary they are in correct focus with your eye. If they move you must unloosen both little screws which hold the cross-hair setting, and move the setting forward or the other way until you strike the proper spot where the cross-hair stands still and without any motion. No matter how much you shift your eye, tighten down the screws and that part is corrected. Now, to focus the glass correctly for dis tance, the other sing-le slot in the glass indicates where that is done; by unloosen ing the screw the object lense setting can be shifted forward and back, as the case may require. The glass only needs adjustment for distances less than so yards; bey-ond so yards, no alteration is necessary except in glasses of very high power, which require focusing for almost any change in distance. These glasses are made to fit all prominent rifies.
An excellent rifle telescope, manufactured by L. N. Mogg, Marcellus, N. Y., and shown in Figure 8, on the Savage rifles, has the split sleeve, and its advan tages are that it gives more adjustability and allows one to use the glass on dif ferent rifles where the frame differs in length. If a change is desired all one has to do is to loosen two screws and slide the sleeve, then tightened up where it is wanted. The principle is similar to the "clutch" used in transmitting power. These telescopes are made adjustable for various eyes. Towards the front is a screw in a slot that controls the object lense, and by loosening that it can be moved to accommodate the eye of the young or aged as well as for near and far distances. Figure 9 shows the mounting, with the split sleeve and telescope tube in position. Figure to shol,vs the latest style of split sleeve used on the higher grades of telescopes.
The John W. Sidle rifle telescopes have been conspicuously to the front since their introduction and are in use by many of the finest rest shots of the country. Most carefully made in all respects, with special reference to rest target shooting, they represent, each in its class, the very highest grade of achromatic telescopes now made. In illumination and sharpness of definition they leave nothing to be desired, The "snap shot" telescope, designed mainly for hunting purposes, shown in Figure f f on a repeating rifle, is very satisfactorily used in the deep woods, and, by reason of its large field, for game on the run. These qualifications, adapt ing it particularly to hunting and off-hand purposes, have deservedly insured its popularity, and they are in use in great numbers by hunters of all kinds of game. from the squirrel and woodchuck to the moose. It is also particularly adapted to off-hand targ,ret work where this is desirable.
The Leopold combination snap shot telescope is, primarily, a first class huntinz sight, but includes a combination of interchangeable object-glasses, adapting it to rest shooting at the tar,g-et, and when fitted with the higher power, about nine diameters, it will spot shots at all ranges up to 200 yards. When the short focus ohject-glass is used, the power is three diameters.