I always wanted a classic sniper rifle, either acquiring or converting my Springfield 03 to carry the Werner and Swasey scope. Ever since I saw one in a gun shop years ago.
It's a fools errand.
Heck, while I'm at it, I might as well wish for a Pedersen device on my 03, too, and an unlimited supply of modern .30 Pedersen ammo...
But that scope was what drew me in. I LOVED that look.
It's performance has mixed reviews. McBride had to use acid on the mounting screw threads as a form of LocTite to keep them from backing out because of the recoil. That vintage scope looked kinda heavy, no? If you look closely at the silhouette on the cover you can see that it is a Warner & Swasey
It's got some sort of suppressor/flash hider thingy, too. I have no idea if that is period appropriate, but I'm guessing it could be.
Anyway, lets assume I HAD a 03 with a vintage Warner & Swasey scope mounted well... what are the chances it would WORK at all? The thing would be almost 100 years old. Good tools last that long, easily, but this is a precision instrument. In my closet it would just be another cool-to-have safe queen. Though there are people that do use them as a shooter, certainly.
I'd post a pic but it's hard to find one in the public domain.
I'm just saying I'm kinda glad I didn't up and get one when I could.
It's a fools errand.
Heck, while I'm at it, I might as well wish for a Pedersen device on my 03, too, and an unlimited supply of modern .30 Pedersen ammo...
But that scope was what drew me in. I LOVED that look.
It's performance has mixed reviews. McBride had to use acid on the mounting screw threads as a form of LocTite to keep them from backing out because of the recoil. That vintage scope looked kinda heavy, no? If you look closely at the silhouette on the cover you can see that it is a Warner & Swasey
It's got some sort of suppressor/flash hider thingy, too. I have no idea if that is period appropriate, but I'm guessing it could be.
Anyway, lets assume I HAD a 03 with a vintage Warner & Swasey scope mounted well... what are the chances it would WORK at all? The thing would be almost 100 years old. Good tools last that long, easily, but this is a precision instrument. In my closet it would just be another cool-to-have safe queen. Though there are people that do use them as a shooter, certainly.
I'd post a pic but it's hard to find one in the public domain.
I'm just saying I'm kinda glad I didn't up and get one when I could.
5 comments:
Some things ARE better left to displays and museums. Just yesterday a friend told me he was gonna sell one each of his 03's and A3's - I jumped at the A3, but passed on the 03; love the workmanship and look of the 03 (Sand Pebbles and all...) but ya know, I shoot the A3 so much better. I'm a peep sight kinda guy and past buying for any purpose save good practical tools...
Heard that the Warner and Swassey Scopes weren't that good when they were NIB. But my father had a huge Warner-Swassey lathe in his old machine shop that still had the WW2 War Production Board plate on it, and it worked just fine. Sometimes, one should just stick to do doing what one does best, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right Mr. Glock?
Warner Swasey got good/big by making Observatory Telescopes. Optics. Lathes came later, I think.
In fact, I wonder if you've seen a submarine with a Warner Swasey periscope optics, Les?
For more info, I'd recommend "The Complete Book of U.S. Sniping" by Peter R Senich. Pretty good coverage of the Model 1908 & 1913 (W&S) sights and of "silencers" that were tried out back then (the Maxim Model 15 that's shown in Senich' book matches the "suppressor/flash hider thingy" silhouette on the cover of McBride's book to a T).
ThoreMo
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