(Old) Vintage Weavers

[Doc Sharptail]

I like these old scopes.
Will start with a personal favorite, and then add to this as I can.

https://i.imgur.com/knSkaJw.jpg

Early exposed turrets B-4 rimfire scope, shown here with the factory end-caps.
This *may* be the second variant~ when I was researching it I found unconfirmed rumblings of an earlier turret style closer to the old "G" style. I'll take that with a moderately healthy pinch of salt :icon_wink: as I have not seen everything yet when it comes to these old scopes.
It holds a good zero and has accounted for quite a few grouse on my various .22's and air rifles.

https://i.imgur.com/BogQ0bt.jpg

Shown with the caps removed.

https://i.imgur.com/e4he2KS.jpg

Mounted here on one of my CO-2 airgun plinkers. It will launch expired 12 ga. hulls with authority at 15-25 yards provided I do my part, and the wind co-operates :icon_tongue:

https://i.imgur.com/ZqT5TlE.jpg

El Paso roll-mark just ahead of the eye-bell element's threads.

More to follow...

Regards,

Doc Sharptail

[Doc Sharptail]

Here's another.
This is the first and only time I saw one of these and jumped at it at a small rural show.

https://i.imgur.com/8nHGoUm.jpg

Weaver K-V.

https://i.imgur.com/oZc1G0c.jpg

I haven't been able to determine the meaning of the "Diamond- S and L" near the patent mark.

https://i.imgur.com/WYVnMxO.jpg

Magnification from 2 3/4 to 5 X is changed with a wheel under a "third" turret cap.
Plain fine cross-hair reticle.

More to follow...

Regards,

Doc Sharptail

[lyman]

sold one of those early variable Weavers a few months ago,

I do not recall if it had the diamond S and L marks

[Doc Sharptail]

sold one of those early variable Weavers a few months ago,

I do not recall if it had the diamond S and L marks

I haven't seen that mark, before, or since buying that scope.
They (kv scopes) are not often seen around here.
From what I've seen so far, this is an early use of aluminum for turret base housings.
The anodization on them is quite soft, and they mark quite easily.

Regards,

Doc Sharptail

[Doc Sharptail]

https://i.imgur.com/Yqo59Hg.jpg

Weaver Marksman 4X.
According to Stroebel, these were an "economy" variant of the "K" series.
The bluing on them is a bit thinner, and I think the coatings on the glass are a shade inferior to the regular "K" line up. Scope shown has regular "K" turret caps on it. I think this may be my doing- there was another Marksman here bought without caps, and things got mixed up trying to sight in different variants at the range.

https://i.imgur.com/OO7tOGo.jpg

Marksman roll stamp here.
More to follow...

Regards,

Doc Sharptail

[Doc Sharptail]

https://i.imgur.com/fT8byn4.jpg

Higgins marked 4 X rimfire.

https://i.imgur.com/jCuLgsu.jpg
It wears some pretty nice Redfield rimfire rings here.
From all that I have seen so far, this is a G-4.
The reticles in these are not centered, and off axis bores will result in the middle of the reticle being off-center.

I have yet to see a 1" tube bearing the Higgins mark.

Regards,

Doc Sharptail

[Doc Sharptail]

https://i.imgur.com/dXfOu3b.jpg

K-3 60-B here. The factory literature in the box is dated Sept. '65.

https://i.imgur.com/HU71AF8.jpg

Factory roll stamp mark just ahead of the eye-piece adjustment threads.

https://i.imgur.com/PtKBYt0.jpg

End flap identification stickers.
This scope has the picket post and cross-wire reticle.

https://i.imgur.com/zQJGRcZ.jpg

I wasn't sure that this series was nitrogen filled and sealed until I got this scope.
I'd still like to get a K 2.5 one of these days.

Regards,

Doc Sharptail

[JimF]

I’m guessing you know that the “B” designation of the Weavers, as in “60-B”, denotes “constantly centered reticle.”

[Ned Butts]

Great pictures and scopes. I too am a fan of oler steel tube scopes esp Weavers

[Doc Sharptail]

If anyone here knows anything about these scopes, all in-put is more than welcome.
I am more Enthusiast than "Expert" when it comes to these.
All photo's taken hand-held by me with a Nikon D-810 and film era manual focus lenses.
The majority of the photos here were made with the nikkor 50mm f1.4 A/I-s lens.
More to follow...

Regards,

Doc Sharptail

[Doc Sharptail]

https://i.imgur.com/boajkD7.jpg

K4-1.

https://i.imgur.com/3OhXPWw.jpg

The El Paso roll mark is absent here. It was actually done away with back around the time of the Marksman series of 1" tube scopes.
The bluing has changed from "real" gun blue to something that looks almost like Jenno-lite cold black.

https://i.imgur.com/P6yZ0eS.jpg

Turret adjustment screws and scales. There are no "Micro-Track" markings on this scope, but the turrets are somewhat similar.
Tapered post and cross-wire reticle.

https://i.imgur.com/N7SR3Av.jpg

K-12-C3.

https://i.imgur.com/rMiWe2A.jpg

Adjustable objective. It will focus down to 50 feet according to it's scale. Fine cross-hair reticle. Shown in "modern" Leupold rimfire rings.

I actually tried tracking this around a scope sighter target at 25 yards with one of the .22's. Increments are surprisingly uniform for a scope this old, and returns to zero fairly well.

More to follow...

Regards,

Doc Sharptail

[JimF]

I have a few of these old steel tube Weavers . . . .

Gotta’ wonder how many K4’s there are out there!

[Doc Sharptail]

I have a few of these old steel tube Weavers . . . .

Gotta? wonder how many K4?s there are out there!

I'm not sure on the K-4's. By the time I got involved, Weaver had become a bit more costly, and was being under-cut price wise by imports.
The most commonly encountered Weaver for me is the rimfire B-4 with the plastic turret bases and covers. If memory serves me right, the final iteration of the B series had a plastic eye-bell, just prior to the release of the C series.
The Marksman 4 X on the 1" tube is almost as common...

Regards,

Doc Sharptail

[Doc Sharptail]

https://i.imgur.com/LRkWWQ3.jpg

The end of an era.
C-34 Marksman 4 X rimfire in what *may* be the final iteration.
Common repair of the plastic objective bell housing.
Just about every one of these I've examined is broken in that location.
The plastic eye-bell shown here was actually quite long in production~ it first appeared on late versions of the B-4, and went through several iterations of the Marksman 3/4" tube rimfire. The plastic turret housings had a similar length of production. It's soft plastic turret covers were quite easily marred.

https://i.imgur.com/xP2bygb.jpg
Decal-spray-painted info replaces the roll stamp marks here.

https://i.imgur.com/gZCXNsn.jpg

Weaver V-8.
External adjustments only.
This particular variant requires a nearly perfect on-axis bore- the range of adjustment is quite limited.
Personally, if they were going to manufacture an external adjustments only scope, they should have done it the same as the big popular names in the target business, with enough adjustments to work on any rifle. I actually had to go to adjustable mounts to get this thing to print on paper at 25 yards with a .22.
This one is in far from collector condition- rusty, scratched and dinged up badly. Plain fine cross-hair reticle in it is a huge saving grace, and despite the external appearance, the optics are bright and clear.

https://i.imgur.com/BnQkN1U.jpg

Roll-stamp mark on the eye-bell behind the eye piece adjustment lock ring.

I think this is the only time this style of roll stamp was used. It is the only time I've seen it.

https://i.imgur.com/htkHImm.jpg

Sears marked late variant B-4, with the soft plastic turret covers and plastic eye-bell.
I'm fairly certain the mount is a 3rd party rimfire mount, and not Weaver.

https://i.imgur.com/HZjJuRL.jpg

Sears roll-stamp mark.

More to follow a bit later on- I have a few more to dig out yet- their exact location escapes me right now. There's a G-6 and a B-6 in the pile some where that I would like to photograph.

Regards,

Doc Sharptail

[Dick Hosmer]

Any idea what I might have to pay for a J2.5 and "N" mount. Looking to 'restore' my first hunting rifle (a mint 1898 Krag which I "sporterized" as a teenager, 70 years ago).

[Dick Hosmer]

Well, eBay of course! Now, does anyone have a Weaver catalog, or other data for which model "N" was meant for the Krag? Receiver is already drilled and tapped - I THINK it was the "N2".

Yes, I realize there are issues with ejection and a Buehler or equivalent safety should be fitted - however, it will only be shot off the bench and single-loaded, so that's not a big deal.

Thanks in advance.

[lyman]

https://www.vintagegunscopes.com/mounts/weaver-34-n2-side-mount

2 is low,
3 is high

[Doc Sharptail]

Any idea what I might have to pay for a J2.5 and "N" mount. Looking to 'restore' my first hunting rifle (a mint 1898 Krag which I "sporterized" as a teenager, 70 years ago).



Flea-pay pricing is all over the place.
The J series is getting hard to find, so good luck there. Keep your expectations low on that scope- they are hard to find with a cross hair that hasn't been bent through over adjustment.

Regards,

Doc Sharptail