Text Box: VINTAGE MINIATURE BINOCULARS

Japanese External Reverse Porro Prism Binoculars. WEBSITE MUSEUM

OTHER BINOCULARS #3 & OPTICAL SIGHTS

 

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- INTRODUCTION #1

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FUJINON M22 7x50 US Army Binoculars NSN 1240-01-361-1318

Fujinon M22 7x50 U.S. Army militry binoculrs.
Fujinon M22 7x50 jumelles militaires del'armee americaine.
Fujinon M22 7x50 militarisches fernglas de US armee.
Fujinon M22 7x50 militar kikare i usa:s arme.
Fujinon M22 7x50 militaire verrekijker van het Amerikaanse.
Fujinon M22 7x50 binocolo militare dell'esercito americano.
Fujinon M22 7x50  binoculares militares del ejercito de los Estado Unidos. Fujinon M22 U.S. Army 7x50 military binoculars.
Fujinon  M22 jumelles militaires de'l'armee Americaine .
Fujinon M22 militarisches fernglas de US Armee.
Fujinon M22 militar kikare i USA:s arme.
Fujinon M22 militaire verrekijker van het Amerikaanse leger.
Fujinon M22 binocolo militaire dell'esercito Americano.
Fujinon M22 binoculares militares del ejercito de los Estados Unidos.

My Fujinon 7x50 US Military binoculars were made under a US government contract fulfilled by aeronautic and defense prime contractor Northrop Grumman, who subcontracted to Fujinon, with some U.S. content labor conformity by Kama-Tech, who specialized in that.

The NSN (National Stock Number) for this binocular (designated model 12950938) was created July 9, 1992, and the US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines could purchase under this NSN. Historic government pricing was $1,385.10 to $2,308.50 ! These binoculars were equipped with KillFLASH anti reflection shields, being an ARD (Anti Reflection Device) manufactured by Tenebraex Corp. of Boston, Ma. with their “SEE NOT SEEN” trademark. These binoculars have a vertical and horizontal ranging grid, and are presumably nitrogen filled. These contract binoculars do have internal laser interference protection filters against targeting and range finding lasers (Nd:YAG lasers usually with a 1064 nm wavelength). These laser filters do reduce light transmission in binoculars by around 10% and make the view through them not color neutral but with a blue hue. I can absolutely confirm this, because I happen to have the near identical civilian Fujinon 7x50 version of these same binoculars (marked as military spec) but without the laser protection, and I do prefer those for use as being distinctly brighter and without the blue tinge of these military contract binoculars (though both are really quite good ).

Text Box: PG 75 of 97

1979 Avimo L12A1 7x42 British Army Military Binoculars

1979 Avimo L12A1 7x42  British Army military binoculars.
1979 Avimo L12A1 7x42 jumelles militares de l'armee Britannique.
1979 Avimo L12A1 7x42 militarfernglas der Britischen Armee.
1979 Avimo L12A1 7x42 binoculares militares de ejercito Britanico.
1979 Avimo L12A1 7x42 Brittisk arme militar kikare.
1979 Avimo L12A1 7x42 binocolo militare vdell'esercito Britannico.
!979 Avimo L12A1 7x42 Britse Militaire verrekijker.
1979 Avimo L2A1 7x42 binoculares militares de ejercito britanico.

1979 Avimo British Army 7x42 military binoculars.
1979 Avimo 7x42 jumelles militares de l'armee Britannique.
1979 Avimo 7x42 militarfernglas der Britischen Armee
1979 Avimo 7x42 binoculares militares del ejercito Britanico.
1979 Avimo 7x42 binocolo militare dell'esercito Britannico.
1979 Avimo 7x42 Britse Militaire verrekijker.

My L12A1 7x42 fixed focus rubber armored British Military binoculars were produced in 1979 by Avimo Ltd. of Taunton UK (which had been acquired in 1971 by optics supplier United Scientific Holdings). They have a left ocular horizontal ranging grid and rubber eyecups designed to be compatible with eyeglasses or gas masks, and they have attached ocular covers, and filters, but no objective covers. These type military binoculars was used in the Falklands conflict of 1982, and in the Iraq and Afghan wars, so they are a compatible accessory for my 1966 109 military land rover ambulance and 1977 military land rover artillery tractor (both used in the Iraq War) and my ex Northern Ireland Snatch 1.5 CAV Armored 110 Land Rover that patrolled in Basra Iraq 2004-2007. it is nice when collections overlap. These binoculars have an odd non intuitive pivot geometry.

WWII German dkl Schneider D.F. 10x80 Antiaircraft Artillery (Flakglas) Binoculars

WWII German dkl Schneider D.F. 10x80 antiaircraft artillery binoculars.
dkl Schneider D.F. 10x80 Flakglas.
Jumelles d'artillerie antiaerienne Allemandes dkl Schneider D.F. 10x80.
Binoculares de artilleria antiaerea Alemana dkl Schneider D.F. 10x80
Duitse dkl SchneiderD.F. 10x80 luchtafweer artillerie verrekijker.
Tysk dkl Schneider Schneider luftvarnsartilleri kikare.
Binocolo di artiglieria antiaerea tedesco dkl Schneider 10x80. WWII german dkl Schneider D.F. 10x80 Antiaircrraft binoculars.
dkl Schneider D.F. 10x80 flakglas.
Jumelles d'artillerie antiaerienne allemandes dkl Schneider 10x80.
Binoculares de artilleria antiaerea alemana dkl Schneider 10x80.
Duitse dkl 10x80 luchtafweer artillerie verrekijker.
Tysk dkl Schneider 10x80 luftvarrsartillereri kikare.
Binocolo di artiglieria antiaerea Tedesco dkl Schneider 10x80.

My German WWII Flakglas binoculars and it’s cradle and tripod were primarily designed for directing the aiming of antiaircraft searchlights associated with the 88mm antiaircraft artillery, and the elevation and horizontal scales are for that purpose, and an accessory lighting harness was for that night time purpose. But these were also used for general aircraft spotting, and for general observation. They were produced in large numbers by six different manufacturers from 1939-1945, and because they came in a wood case and U.S. military shipping was cheap for the troops to send war souvenirs home for morale, a lot were shipped back to the USA as souvenirs by soldiers who captured/ liberated or looted them. This particular unit is dkl marked, which is the WWII manufacturer code for Joseph Schneider Optische Werke Kreuznach, located in Bad Kreuznach Germany. The “ D.F . ” marking is for Doppelfernrohr (Double telescope). The blue X marking indicates use of cold weather grease #1442, and the red X indicates use of another specific grease. The cradle and circle mount on this unit is correct and functional, though the cradle is missing the right side handle, but although my tripod is similar in design to original with sliding tubular legs, it is not original, or of that period.

1928 Swiss made Kern Swiss Army 6x24 Armee-Modell Military Binoculars

1928 Kern 6x24 Swiss army military binoculars.
1928 Kern 6x24 jumelles militaraires Suisses.
1928 Kern 6x24 Schweizer militarfernglas.
1928 Kern 6x24 binoculares militares Suizos.
1928 Kern 6x24 Schweizisk militar kikare.
1928 Kern 6x24 Zwitserse militaire verrekijker. 
1928 Kern 6x24 binocolo militare Svizzero.

My 1928 Swiss Kern Aarau 6x24 military Armee-Modell binoculars were manufactured by the optical firm of Kern & Co (which was also a maker of geodetic instruments), and was located in the northern Switzerland municipality of Aarau. The Swiss Cross + on these binoculars is a government property mark, and this property mark appears in four places on these binoculars. These binoculars do not have a ranging grid or graticule. Kern apparently commenced binocular production in 1925, and these were produced 3 years later. A 1926 dated version of these exists in another collection with serial # 95, so the serial number 2,836 on this suggests Kern produced at least that many binoculars in their first 3 years.

Text Box: 1928 Swiss Kern  6x24 
Military Binoculars
Text Box: 1928 Swiss Kern  6x24 
Military Binoculars

WWII German

D.F. 10x80 Flak Binoculars Flakglas

WWII German

D.F. 10x80 Flak Binoculars Flakglas

WWII German

D.F. 10x80 Flak Binoculars Flakglas

Text Box: 1979 Avimo L12A1 7x42 British Military Binoculars
Text Box: FUJINON M22 7x50 US Army Binoculars

1945 Barr and Stroud CF41 7x49 WWII British Admiralty (Navy) Binoculars (Scottish manufactured)

1945 Barr & Stroud CF41 7x49 British Navy military binoculars.
1945 Barr & Stroud CF41 7x49

My Barr and Stroud CF41 military binoculars are one of the 70,000 produced in a very long production run starting 1935, and with the model stocked until around 1973/74. The AP1900a marking designates these as having colored filters controlled by dual levers for challenging weather conditions, and this model does not have a ranging gratucule. (the model CF42 had a gratucule for ranging drop of shot). These binoculars have the yellow broad arrow UK Admiralty (Navy) property mark plus the standard broad arrow Ministry of Defense property mark, and have 4 desiccating/ drying ports. So these binoculars are essentially a military naval design specific model. According to the University of Glasgow (Scotland) Barr & Stroud archives, by their serial number these binoculars date to the middle of 1945 WWII production.

Text Box: Barr and Stroud WWII CF41 British Admiralty Binoculars including internal filters, desiccating ports, and ocular covers

1934/1935 Barr and Stroud C.F.31 7x49 Scottish Manufactured Civilian Binoculars

My Barr and Stroud C.F.31 7x49 binoculars with serial number 10,575, according to the University of Glasgow Barr & Stroud archives, were produced in either 1934 or 1935, around two years after the start of Barr and Stroud binoculars production. These binoculars are marked as distributed in the UK by the firearms and sporting goods manufacturer Cogswell & Harrison Ltd. in London, and that company has origins that date to 1770, and it still exists today). These binoculars were probably sold at retail through Cogswell & Harrison’s network of UK retail gun dealers.

1932/1933 Barr and Stroud 7x24 CF29 Scottish Manufactured Civilian Binoculars

My Barr and Stroud CF29 7x24 binoculars with serial number 96,151 were, according to University of Glasgow Barr & Stroud archives produced between 1947 and 1951, and reflect Barr and Stroud’s quick post WWII move back to supply the civilian market with products after military contracts disappeared. Like the wartime and prewar binoculars of this general pattern, the prism housings and objective caps and some other parts of the CF29 model are made from the early bakelite form of plastic, used in 1920’s jewelry, WWII German binocular cases, but now mostly known for auto distributor caps. It is somewhat brittle.

1945 Barr and Stroud CF41 7x49 British navy military binoculars.
1945 Barr & Stroud jumelles militaires model CF41 7x49 de la Marine Britannique.
1945 Barr & Stroud CF 41 7x49 militarfernglas der Britische Marine.
1945 Barr & Stroud 7x49 Brittiska Flottan marinmodel CF41 militar kikare.
1945 Barr & Stroud 7x49 binoculares militares modeloCF41 de la armada Britanica. Text Box: WWII era Barr and Stroud CF41 British Admiralty Binoculars 
1934/1935 Barr & Stroud CF 31 biniculars.
1934/ 1935 Barr & Stroud jumelles modele CF31 .
1934/1935 Barr & Stroud fernglas modell CF 31 kikare.
1934/1935 Bar & Stroud binoculares modelo hCF31

Ca 1917-1921 Ross 10x Stereo Prism Binoculars With an Interesting Past

I tend to like the (many) things which I collect to include a human provenance whenever possible: a documented history beyond the bare physical object. The vast majority of objects that survive their original ownership quickly shed their human past. So for me it is a pleasure when an item defies that norm, and  it is often merely because somebody wrote something on the object and the web now allows researching that significance. This is the case with these binoculars. The carry case for my Ross,London 10x binoculars is marked as having belonged to Leighton Hope, American Consul at the US Ensenada Consulate in Mexico (by records 1922-1926). The binoculars are marked as having been sold through the firm of G. Falconer & Co. Ltd. Hong Kong, which fits perfectly as Leighton Hope was U.S. Vice consul to Hong Kong in 1917, and U.S. consul to Hong Kong in 1921. He obviously purchased these British Ross binoculars in Hong Kong during his time there. As can be seen in the period (1928) G. Falconer & Co. (Hong Kong) Ltd. advertisement shown at left, Falconer were agents for and sold Ross binoculars and telescopes from their shop opposite Hong Kong’s main Post Office.

Binoculars case marked of Leighton Hope, US Consul Ensenada

Inscription says: “ Leighton Hope, American Consul, Ensenada SA Mexico

Ross 10x binoculars of Leighton Hope U.S. Consul to Hong Kong, Ensenada
Ross 10x binoculars of Leighton Hope, U.S. Consul, Hong Kong, Ensenada
Ross 10x jumelles de Leighton Hope, Consul des Etats Unis, Hong King, Ensenada

Royal Navy antiaircraft watch in 1942 with CF41

The desiccating ports are marked “ C ” and “ B ” and “ British Patent No 435220/1934

Text Box:    PAGE NAVIGATION: I WANT TO SEE:

WWI Australian Military MKV Spl 4 1/2x Binoculars (French Manufacture)

Australian WWI Military Binoculars Mk B Spl 4.
Jumelles de l'airmee Australienne.
Fernglas de australischen armee.
Binocolo dell'esercito australiano.
Australische leger verrekijker.
Australisk arme kikare.
Binoculares del ejercito australiano.
Australisk haer kikkert.
Prismaticos del ejercito australiano. Australian Army binoculars.
Jumelles de l'armee Australienne.
Fernglas der Australischen armee.
Binocolo dell'ejercito Australiano.
Australische leger verrekijker.
Australisk arme kikare.
Binoculares del ejercito Australiano.
Australisk haer kikkert.
Prismaticos del ejercito Australiano.

My Australian Military marked         4 1/2x MkV Spl. binoculars are Australian military property marked D   D and represent what was probably a WWI expedient issue (the Spl / Special marking) of an existing and/or available stock of French made civilian non prismatic binoculars. In both WWI and WWII the massive mobilization and need for coast watching, artillery, and air defense observation far outstripped any domestic ability to supply military binoculars. So the UK, US, and Australia grabbed all usable civilian stocks and advertised for civilians to donate their (better quality) binoculars. What makes this more interesting is that they have a tag of having been serviced by the AEME V shops Instrument Section at the Cliff Port Phillip area VIC (Victoria) in 1944 . AEME is the Australian (military) Electrical & Mechanical Engineers (established in 1942). These are a pattern of binoculars that would have been familiar to US Civil War officers in the 1860s, and they were fairly obsolescent in WWII; and absolute dinosaurs in every way by WWII. (like handing a WWII soldier a bag of black powder and a civil war muzzle loading percussion musket) !

UK and Commonwealth

Military Property mark

DD with broad arrow  Australian

Military Property mark

“L. PETIT FABT. PARIS”

L. PETIT (maker) PARIS

1941 WWII British Taylor-Hobson No.2 MK. II 6x30 Army Binoculars

1941 Taylor Hobson No. 2 MK II 6x30 British Army military binoculars.
1941 Taylor Hobson No 2 Mk II 6x30 jumelles militares de'larmee Britannique.
1941 Taylor Hobson No 2 Mk II 6x30 militarfernglas des Britischen Armee.
1941 Taylor Hobson No 2 Mk II 6x30 binoculares militares del ejercito Britanico.
1941 Taylor Hobson No2 Mk II 6x30 binocolo militare dell'esercito britannico.
1941 Taylor Hobxon No2 Mk II 6x30 Britse militaire verrekijker.
1941 Taylor Hobson No2 Mk II 6x30 Brittisk Arme militar kikare.
1941 WWII British Taylor Hobson No2 Mk II 6x30 Army military binoculars.
1941 Taylor Hobson No. 2 MkII 6x30 jumelles militares de l'armee Britannique.
1941 Taylor Hobson No. 2 Mk II 6x30 militarfernglas der Britischen Armee.
1941 Taylor Hobson No 2 Mk II 6x30 binoculares militares del ejercito Britanico.
1941 Taylor Hobson No 2 Mk II 6x30 Brittisk arme militar kikare.
1941 Taylor Hobson No 2 Mk II 6x30 binocolo militare de' esercito Britannico.
1941 Taylor Hobson No 2 Mk II 6x30 Britse Militaire verrekijker.

My British Army Binoculars Prism No.2 Mk. II were made in 1941 by the British camera lens manufacturer Taylor-Hobson, who by 1939 were providing 80% of the world’s film studio camera lenses under the Cooke brand. In 1939 Taylor Hobson was given government funding to set up a factory in Leicester which went on to produce 2,000 No. 2 6x30 military binoculars a month for the war effort. It is interesting to note that The No.2 Mk.II pattern of binoculars was adopted in 1909 and was previously produced for WWI (see my 1916 No 2 MKII binoculars produced by Sherwood & Co on the previous page). The Taylor Hobson company still exists and today and produces profilometer metrology instruments.

British workers making Taylor Hobson No.2 military binoculars including these in WWII in their Leicester factory

Text Box: Australian  Military WWI L. Petit Binoculars 
Text Box: British WWII 1941 Taylor Hobson No2 Mk II Army Binoculars 
Text Box: Ross 10x Binoculars sold in Hong Kong ca 1917
Text Box: British Barr & Stroud   CF 29 Binoculars 
Text Box: British Barr & Stroud   CF 31 Binoculars 
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(Above): M22 binoculars in U.S. military use. (Right): detail of ARD anti reflection grid.

1940 WWII Russian 6x30 Novosibirsk Instrument Making Plant (NPZ) Military binoculars

French Huet Early and Late 20th Century Civilian Binoculars

In addition to a bunch of French Huet military binoculars, the collection has accumulated some French Huet civilian binoculars

U.S. Military M6 Armored Stuart Tank Periscope

Stuart M5 front periscope

My U.S. WWII era M-6 tank periscope was derived from the British Vickers Mk IV periscope, itself derived from the Polish Gwz 34 periscope. As many as five of these were utilized on the WWII M3 and M5 Stuart light tanks, and they were also used in other AFV applications, and similar periscopes were also used in Sherman tanks. These were a fairly common military surplus optical device in the 1960’s/1970’s.

Stuart M3 turret periscope

1940 WWII NPZ Russian Army Military 6x30 binoculars.
1940 Jumelles militaires de l'armee Russe 6x30 NPZ.
1940 militarisches fernglas Russischen armee 6x30 NPZ.
1940 Russische leger militaire verrekijker 6x30 NPZ.
1940 binocolo militaire dell'esercito Russo 6x30 NPZ 
1940 binoculares militares del ejercito Ruso 6x30 NPZ
1940 Ryska armens militara kikare 6x30 NPZ.

Female soldier in WWII with these type binoculars.

Two elongated pentagon shapes that are part of the hammer and sickle coat of arms as well as the “ N ” prefix to the serial number on my 1940 Russian military binoculars indicate that the binoculars were made at the Novosibirsk Instrument Making Plant ( Новосибирский приборостроительный завод ) in Novosibirsk Russia.

The Novosibirsk Instrument making plant: 1905-present.

1928 Kerm Swiss Army 6x24 Military Binoculars.
1928 Kern 6x24 jumelles militaires suisses.
1928 Kern 6x24 Schwizer militarfernglas.
1928 Kern 6x24 binoculares militares Suizos.
1928 Kern 6x24 Schweizisk militar kikare.
1928 Kern 6x24 Zwitserse militaire verrekijker.
1928 Kern 6x24 binocolo militare Svizzero.

Unknown Military telescope

I obtained this unmarked but probably military telescope at my local flea market for $30. It appears to have been tripod mounted. I would guess it would date around WWI, but without markings cannot really research it so who knows?