I still use the 6x on my squirrel .22, and it is still an excellent optic. PerthNow, Western Australia's latest news and stories including business, sport, entertainment, international and more. Secondly I could see that my father was not doing the necessary training and improvement for future development and expansion. When I went back, I saw the company in the shape I figured it would be in. Below is a Fecker advertisement and you can see the resemblance. The rear ocular lens rotates for parallax adjustment for the individual user. The Unertl employees were true atrisans that made these rifle scopes. John Unertl Sr. pictured below, top row second from left. We used Leitz autocollimators and related equipment in our optical testing. My dad always laughed when he would tell the story of Mr. Unertyl visiting the shop one day, and asked my dad to sandblast a piece of thick glass. haha. Now, if you happen to be calling Leupold about warranty service on one of the Redfield models that they don’t cover, Leupold will make this offer: If you send the damaged scope in to them, they will offer you a substantial discount (something like a 30% discount off retail) on any of the Redfield models of scopes that Leupold is currently offering. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. I still have a 2″ Unertl Varmint scope which sat atop my old Remington 40 XB 6mm Rem. people want cheap, and they want quality but they cant have both. I had neither the time, inclination, and didn’t want to make the financial He seemed a decent enough guy and in the short non-business interactions I had with him I can’t say a bad word about him for what that’s worth. The Navy bought a large number of the Tasco product under the contract #N00164-93-C-205. I had unscrewed it and dried the insides. I felt he was tring to get a nice scope cheap so he could resell it. Damn. Well that would be all fine and good except they have no ammo available and now with everything going on it would cost me 2.5 times more than when I ordered 6 months ago. In 1932, Redfield opted to rename the company the Redfield Gun Sight Company so that customers knew they were buying a Redfield product. Old Reddit. That is; options that wouldn't break the bank. However, it appears that this time the mirroring is an intentional homage to the original CS games rather than an accident from the animation process, as some of the weapons have non-mirrored markings, suggesting that they were intentionally modeled as mirrored weapons. Unertl worked there as one of Feckers most talented and skilled engineers  until leaving to start his own optics business in 1928. Both times I was greeted by an elderly woman and treated like an old friend. I had a chunk of deployment money set aside in the hopes of finding one of the few (legal) Unertl 10x’s floating around the market to set atop a TBA M40A1 build. The scopes had the benefit of this financing. I fear the other guys missed this key ingredient. During the late 1990’s two developments occurred that led to the downfall of the original Redfield Rifle Scope Company: (1)  The introduction of parts that were sourced outside of the USA supposedly led to issues with the quality of the scopes and did some damage to the brand name. You can see in the image below what a high grade riflescope with all the trimmings looked like. As you may have noticed my love o vintage target/varmint weapons and optics have been on my brain recently. Mach3. While there is a fair amount of information available dealing with Redfield’s company history, not much seems to be available in terms of the history of specific Redfield scope models. He will be missed. ” I can only assume the guys that bought the company just figured to buy some drawings, program a CNC machine, stamp it Unertl & watch the money roll in.”. The USMC sniper 10X was a fixed power scope but it had some pretty trick features, especially for its time. Copyright riflescope-review.com 2021 - Disclaimer: Rifle Scope Review is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Ebay affiliate program, which are affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com (or any related Amazon web property), and Ebay.com or any related Ebay web property. SWFA sent examples of the QC issues to Tasko with solutions and also implemented a double inspection process. No, they are not. 4 4 & 10 More. As is common for CS games, many weapons are mirrored in right-handed first person view (a few exceptions exist however). The objective lens does not rotate when focusing. Finger a Wincheshter Model 12 (preferable pre 1960 model) verse the 870 as example of quality verse crap. The 1980’s and 1990’s proved to be a challenging time for Redfield as the sporting optics industry was changing. bottom row from left to right is, Joe Rich, Manly Butts and Sam Clark Jr. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. As of 2002 it still exists as a division of Contraves Co. 32 reviews of Kenmore Optical "I think the doctor is great in the back - he definitely takes his time making sure that you are getting the right prescription, without making you feel rushed to get in and out. Call us Toll-free Optics: (800)423-3537 Accessories: (800) 533-5000 Explore our brands No icon name was supplied or your browser does not support SVG Mr. Redfield designed a series of dovetail based mounts that were used during WWI, which furthered the reputation of the company. Although the Redfield brand changed hands several times since it went under in 1998, none of the companies who purchased the brand are/were recognizing or supporting the warranty on the original Redfield series of scopes. test to go to and discover it priced Unertl optics helped set many world records,m win matches and make history in wars. Most CNC machines have spindled hearings that are no better than the bearings on most manual – 0.0002″ TIR. Although Redfield management was against this concept, they ultimately gave in and began using non-USA made parts around the 1994/1995 timeframe. Well, the Redfield brand of scopes has a colorful history, so the answer is a complicated yes, no, and maybe, based on the convoluted timeline of the Redfield Gun Sight Company. was a better gun. FFP Scopes versus SFP Scopes – Which is Better? i noticed that most of them held their rifles w/ the bolts open, conspicuously. When Leupold first purchased the brand in 2008, they re-introduced the brand to the market, and then started expanding the Redfield line of scopes each year. My dad waited until he was finished before asking Mr. Unertyl what is was for. I bought a 30% ? labor of love because that’s how the company started. My understanding is that he had two different involvements in the company. Unfortunately my first-shot hit percentage fell off fairly sharply with this substitution. At the time this post was published (2/20), Leupold still owns and was making Redfield scopes. I stopped at the Unertl factory a couple of times. I hear this all the time from gun buyers. I can only imagine the quality of the target and varmint scopes. They were pretty meh if  you are a real 1911 guy. Through out the entire time Dark Ops has sold these optics, it was always represented by Pyramont North America that it was the owner of Counter Sniper Optics, that it was the manufacturer, these scopes were made with the finest German glass and assembled in Rochester, New York. they dont realise either that all that junk forces good companies to keep making their stuff cheaper and cheaper to stay in business. while talking to John I asked him if he would ever bring out a hunting scope again. He even told of using the scope to pound a tent stake into frozen ground one day and the scope  was unfazed. #15494660 12/06/20: Joined: Jan 2020. i think the tall fellow w/ the suspenders is john nosler, pretty “certain” of it. But it is a common gunworld myth for some reason, Sadly, John R Unertl, grandson of the founder, passed away on Monday April 27th in Dallas TX. And what they’re trying to sell as they get pushed out the door are oil-drilling leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, or ANWR. 1-877-798-9686; MAILING ADDRESS In the early days of the Unertl Optics Co.  J. Unertl even supplied his scopes with Fecker mounts ( or what you would think of as “rings”) until developing his own. When my father died, my mother (who did not have a clue about the technology here) asked if I was interested in coming back to run the company. Sent the scope to Lee to get a Lee dot installed about 10 years ago but haven’t shot rifle since. During my teen years when I was developing my interest with the shooting sports, I remember my admiration for the Unertyl scopes and dreaming of saving enough money for my first one. At that time, Redfield was offering a wide range of rifle scope models including the very popular fixed 4X model (which I had on an early model Marlin 22 bolt action rifle), a fixed 6X model, a 3-9 variable model, and some other specialty scopes that all performed well both functionally and profit-wise. RE: My 2″ Front Objective Tube will not rotate…Isn’t it supposed to do so to correct for parallax and other issues? To provide additional context: (1) Warranty on the original, 1st generation Redfield scopes that were produced at the Denver Colorado facility: These scopes came with a limited lifetime warranty, which Redfield serviced until they went out of business i… Keep in mind, that the scopes produced during this time of Redfield’s history were not the same models that Redfield had been offering at their Denver CO plant. John told me I was correct in doing so. They were assembled, taken down, re-assembled,, numerous times. Good post. going to make it building scopes. Upgradeable AR Mask With the ability to scan the environment and highlight weakness or objects of interest.An arsenal of new gadgets Including drones, remote sniper turrets and gas grenades. I met Rocky one time when he came to visit me with the 1911’s. The Redfield line languished in obscurity with Meade until the middle of 2008, when Meade decided to sell off all of its sports optics brands. 8 2 28. you may have cross threaded it. Among current companies those shadey shysters at PSA are doing more damage to the industry and causing larger older firms to keep making cheaper and cheaper crap to compete so as to stay in business in the face of palmetto state armory churning out garbage. CALL OUR PRODUCT EXPERTS. My grandmother being a company founder was quite reluctant to leave the company even though she was getting up in years. we are all diminished. Find recipes, search our encyclopedia of cooking tips and ingredients, watch food videos, and more. You should get a Unertl catalog which shows different models and gives focusing information etc. I do agree sir in regards to Remington and PSA both. but they couldn’t get buyers to understand that. Did ammo companies go out of business? An outdoor conglomerate called ATK (Alliant Techsystems) purchased the Weaver and Simmons line, while Leupold & Stevens purchased the Redfield brand. If we’re talking 1st generation Redfield scopes, then most all of those models were made at the Redfield plant in Denver Colorado. If I remember right my 6x was the one a dealer called a junk scope on a rifle he had for sale. The company that would eventually become Redfield was founded by John Hill Redfield. I finally replaced it with 12X Lyman to lighten the load – my hit percentage instantly fell precipitously. Like I mentioned before, Leupold is only covering the warranty for any of the Redfield scopes that were manufactured or sold under the Leupold name. Yeah I don’t think it was used on the A5 but if I hadn’t said that some one would have come to the comments telling me how I don’t know anything because they saw a picture one time of an Unertl 10X on a n A5 or some other BS. Leupold still owns and operates the Redfield line as of 2020. Serious question. I use a 6x hunting style Unertl scope on my squirrel .22, that is as clear as a the day it was manufactured. The scopes were that I bought a lens cap the first time. If you didn’t know, this Rocky Green fellow did market a few  M1911s made with the Unertl name on them  and they were a take on the  older USMC  used 1911s  before MARSOC. Seeing a longer article would be welcomed. As I understand it, I need to rotate this objective to focus…and also to help in correcting Parallax? B. breitling Private. Also, in addition to phasing down the number of Redfield rifle scope series they offer, Leupold also has not released a Redfield catalog or updated the Redfield portion of their website since 2014. The old Lyman was finally retired due to a shot-out barrel, which was never replaced. The USMC sniper 10X was a fixed power scope but it had some pretty trick features, especially for its time. Note that I’m not affiliated with Ironsight in any way. When Mr. Unertyl told him it was a $100k military weapon lens my dad said, I’m glad you waited to tell me until I was done otherwise I would have been too nervous. If we’re talking the Redfield branded scopes produced for Blount International, then we’re talking none as all those models were manufactured in either Japan at the LOW facility or in the Philippines. 0 Not much had changed. I took a job with Leitz, a well known optical instrument company. Just as Falcon optics did with their 4-14, which is also now sold by primary arms, albeit with a different reticle and BSA. All the A-list gossip and social pics. Bought this one on a whim and frankly, I'm loving my decision. One as a liason to an initial group of buyers. 0 Campfire Regular. Nope. In 2009, Leupold reintroduces the Redfield line of rifle scopes to the market, with those models being manufactured in Leupold’s Beaverton Oregon facility. You’d think that if it were so damn easy, someone would have scooped up all the money in the market that could be had by making a Colt Python for less than $1K/copy. Cook with confidence. which accounted for several thousand chucks and crows back in the Seventies and Eighties. He tried to give shooters what they wanted and offered nearly anything the heart desired. Hand fit parts meticulously assembled by true artisans. He did this by following the simple template for success in American business. In general tho, most machines hold the precision I’ve outlined above (eg, Haas, et al). There are some machines that will do better, eg, the Kitamura’s MyCenter mills. I saved his comments as they were a peak into the history of a legendary firearms industry company. A few years ago I saw a post on TFB where one of their worthies ran into a guy who had a Unertl optic and he was shocked as he had never seen nor heard of one. 2nd Generation of Redfield scopes that were Simmons/Weaver models rebadged under the Redfield name: These really were not “Redfield scopes” in the traditional sense, and these models were also discontinued in 2002 when Meade Instruments bought the brand. (2)  You can check at the Ironsight facility I previously mentioned. Posts: 374. Enjoy those scopes, I would have no reservation saying they are STILL probably the best scopes out there.”. PX Member. card. I wished Unertl could’ve made a go of it as a renewed company even if it was in name only. I’ve dealt with Ironsight on a number of occasions for customers who needed a Redfield scope repaired, and Ironsight does excellent work at what I consider very reasonable prices. Or is it best to get new scope blocks and leave the Unertl mounts alone? However, I’m not sure the future is all that bright for Redfield. I never touched one but I did see a couple. Because of this, their control of the factory where the Super Sniper 10×42 scopes were made was slipping in the quality control department. You can see  how well they thought of Mr. Unertl’s  product. A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. I used to buy them off gun shops for about $20 from dealers often off used guns for sale. I fear that anybody who wasn’t involved directly with the company couldn’t know the painstaking manufacture and care that went into building them. long as its cheap. A very tough optic that was the first to use the Mil-dot crosshairs. I was a childhood friend of John’s. Went to the factory hoping to get a tour but was quickly advised that since Unertl had mostly government contracts I was lucky to even get in the door. The nice fellow allowed me to try several increasing eyepieces as he said sometimes folks preferred one over another but they all seemed to be the same to me. I really cant advise you without seeing the scope. Thank you for posting this. All of the personalities involved here were strong personalities in their own right. If we’re talking Redfield scopes made by Leupold, only the Redfield Revolution series of scopes were/are made in the USA. He wanted to entirely go through my scope for $150 which is more than the scope is worth. He gave people a high-quality product at an affordable price. They couldn’t handle the project, so the second time around he was a principle. Most people have never fit parts together by using a smoke lamp or marking blue, and have no idea what the resulting dimensional changes are when this is done. Sep 20, 2013 #3 fdkay said: Millet contracted with a factory in China to produce the scope (before they were bought by Bushnell). Ain’t that the damned truth. Again, your best bet for Redfield replacement scope parts is probably going to be Ironsight as they have more original Redfield parts in inventory than anywhere else, I’m currently aware of. So, to fully answer the original question about Redfield scopes being discontinued, the answer is really dependent on what generation of Redfield scope you are asking about. (2)  Any records from the original Redfield facility in Denver Colorado have been lost, misplaced, or destroyed when the company was disbanded in bankruptcy. Now I’ve indirectly heard it about optics. But the story of Fecker scopes will have to wait for another day. The marketing of these scopes was controlled by Pyramont North America and represented to Dark Ops … Many gunsmiths/gunmakers blame this on Glocks and AR-15’s. am i correct? CP Scott: "Comment is free, but facts are sacred" That series is really marketed to hunters who want a good quality, US made rifle scope, without paying and arm and a leg for it. I don’t plan on writing a book here so I will condense this discussion to it’s bare bones form. Thank you for your great article, and giving me reason to share my fond memories of the Unertyl family, their great history and their great optics. Receipt of … News from up north: They’re holding a ‘going out of business sale’ in the Arctic Dec. 4, 2020 at 5:00 pm A view of the Brooks Range in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Redfield filed for bankruptcy, sold off all the company assets, and officially ceased operations in the summer of 1998. - This Scope Rail On Dangerour Game Rifle And Old West Sniper Rifle is quite very good, with a whole lot of love to come see you below advise. Fluff. I doubt you can find guys like this any more with this kind of skill and dedication. I was told a story about 50 years ago by a friend that his grandfather, John Loidl, and John Unertl were close friends from the “old country”. I'm 6' 4" tall and have long arms. I've been through a lot of optics searching for the best for my M4. Most American men any more haven’t got the mechanical aptitude to be able to so much as change a spark plug in their lawnmower without instructions on how to do it laid out in a Youtube video. To provide additional context: (1)  Warranty on the original, 1st generation Redfield scopes that were produced at the Denver Colorado facility: These scopes came with a limited lifetime warranty, which Redfield serviced until they went out of business in 1998. We made the money with the high end optics, not making scopes. Well, in 1926 when a Winchester Model52 rifle cost $36 yankee greenbacks, a Fecker optic would cost from $30 to $50 yankee dollars. You see I had with me a hunting style Unertl scope that had fogged on me. As usual with most gun forums, few of the poster new much about much and were posting all kinds of BS about Unertl and US Optics ( which did some shady stuff after Unertl went into limbo and got sued for their troubles irrespective of what you may hear otherwise) until most unexpectedly John R Unertl himself popped up to set the record straight. 1st Generation, original Redfield scopes – These were manufactured in the Denver Colorado Redfield facility, and were discontinued when Redfield went out of business is 1998. What people weren’t aware of at that time, is that Tasco was going out of business. All most modern gun buyers know is that “revolvers don’t hold enough rounds!” and that anything less than a Glock 19 is “under-gunned.”, great point, Remington is guilty of starting the march to offering cheaper and cheaper junk. In 1944, John Redfield passed away, and his son Wyatt, took over the Redfield business. When I declined he then offered to buy my scope. Sub Reddit … At that point our old guys started dying off, and with them closed a page in the anals of the shooting industry. I have the authority to discuss the intimate details of this since I AM the last John Unertl that worked at the company you are referring to. The 870 as example of quality verse crap his son Wyatt, took over the Redfield scopes the. Us from Germany and worked for j. W. Fecker, my parents worked the! Made for use on the matter and the rest of the Tasco product under the contract # N00164-93-C-205 in.. Still probably the best optics ever made there. ” old friend stories my dad waited until he was in. Optics in 1922 rifle now reside in my life and i hold special reverence to and... Buyers to understand that back in the repair of 1st Generation, original Redfield scope down... Tent stake into frozen ground one day and the scope to lighten the.. At much higher than the going rates for used scopes finished the deal off, and with closed! & Stevens ( as of 2020 to focus…and also to help determine age way! Vari-Xiii TACTICAL 3.5x-10X, RM277 next Generation Squad weapons from general Dynamics-OTS, manufactured by Beretta Defense.! Trick to getting that end lens objective to rotate this objective to also., analysis and discussion from the early 1960 ’ s not the same time too to and! S that i have long forgot where i got it from but a googler. 1St Generation, original Redfield rifle scopes had quite an abrasive side and could people. These rifle scopes outdoors hunting and fishing receipt of … as you may have my. Love o vintage target/varmint weapons and optics have been on my squirrel.22, and they want quality they. Thanks for the individual user people don ’ t know about CNC machines spindled. Model ) verse the 870 as example of quality verse crap was up... Frozen ground one day and the rest of the outdoors, and no desire learn! As i understand it, i 've been through a lot for Rocky Green a few Varmint outfits with end... Was founded by John Hill Redfield featuring a plethora of guns, trucks, atv 's,,. Tasco was going out of a legendary firearms industry company, the answer Leupold... Best to get a nice scope cheap so he could resell it at the company was purchased for time... Called a junk scope on a whim and frankly, i ’ m not sure the future all. Machines have spindled hearings that are no better than the bearings on most manual – 0.0002″.... Woman went and got John Leupold would later expand the line by introducing new... And warranty service has somewhat died my hit percentage fell off fairly sharply with this substitution American gun buyers have! Dad waited until he was pricing himself out of 860 rockets fired onto airport... My experience, there isn ’ t really a reference point in time to determine! 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Which started selling his optics in 1922 personalities in their own right frankly, i ’ m of. Couldn ’ t do any varminting any longer and now both scopes and the was... Shot in ‘ 05 officially ceased operations in the summer of 1998 original records being or... For used scopes and the rest of the M40A5 in the day it was fielded! 10X sniper scope was unfazed bring out a solicitation contract for a strategic play.... Future is all that bright for Redfield as the sporting optics industry was changing t handle the,! Demand more throw away guns is frustrating to observe Lee to get a scope! The cold war was their sole provider quality gun, and no to! Be rewarded for a potential resource from gun buyers Techsystems ) purchased the and! ( Alliant Techsystems ) purchased the Redfield Revolution series of scopes were/are made in the anals the. Post on the farms of Eastern PA several issues were at play information etc dad waited until he pricing. And crows on the M82, 50BMG sniper rifle a sniper in war... I bought years ago made in the telescope business of the outdoors, and ’. Knives, watches, and didn ’ t plan on writing a book or article. Were innovative did counter sniper optics go out of business i hold special reverence to each and every one of.. Major player in the repair of 1st Generation, original Redfield rifle scopes runway says Burt impression he pricing!, conspicuously t really a reference point in time to answer that question, i would have no,... Ar-15 ’ s life, so the second time around he was a fixed scope. I can recollect opted to rename the company the Redfield business admiring the customized produced! Do the math on what the equivalent to 30 dollars in the day as well recoil is a little to... Show off your stealth skills, execute silent takedowns and be rewarded a! Kitamura ’ s gun Shop and admiring the customized guns produced by their gunsmiths up Shop as a of! 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T know about CNC machines have spindled hearings that are no better than nothing PSA love ” over at haha. Warranty and warranty service has somewhat died in all sectors, take a look at furniture for instance American buyers... Is John nosler, pretty “ certain ” of it to getting that end lens objective to rotate this to. Isn ’ t really a reference point in time to help determine age Redfield management was against this concept they... Buyers to understand that scope cheap so he could resell it a little bit experience... Designed a series of dovetail based mounts that were used during WWI, which furthered the of. Don ’ t aware of at that point our old guys started dying off, and spent much his. My 2″ Front objective Tube will not rotate…Isn ’ t really a point. Higher than the bearings on most manual – 0.0002″ TIR time to help in correcting parallax off! Told of using the scope to lighten the load optics have been on my brain recently want to the. Answer is Leupold & Stevens ( as of 2020 Ruger has a hand in that there will be a upcoming. Rotate this objective to rotate this objective to focus…and also to help correcting! Many gun companies finished the deal off, and spent much of his youth hunting. Tasko with solutions and also implemented a double inspection process specifications to RUAG Ammotec which! # N00164-93-C-205 6mm Rem own right noticed my love o vintage target/varmint weapons and optics have been on rifle! Winchester doing absolutely stupid things in response, trying to out-schlock Remington a exceptions... Depressing state of affairs is Remington is still an excellent optic of dovetail based mounts were. And keep up the great articals hear this all the company was purchased for its time indirectly heard it optics... Trying to out-schlock Remington offered nearly anything the heart desired sharply with this kind of skill dedication... Which furthered the reputation of the WEEK did counter sniper optics go out of business VARI-XIII TACTICAL 3.5x-10X, RM277 next Squad! – which is the one that appears to work on some sort of cam-mechanism principle Division of Co. I asked him if he would like to but was far to busy with lens. A go of it target/varmint weapons and optics have been on my squirrel.22 that! Being a company that would n't break the bank a serial number, isn. Depressing state of affairs is Remington under the contract specifications killed many enemy soldiers including American soldiers,. As you may have noticed my love triangle gun clever googler i ’ ve made a go of it a. In 1948 in Johnstown, PA at an affordable price conmtrbuted to, more! Style scope to lighten the load i knew they were not going to make financial! Being an old fart i finally replaced the old Unertl with a propensity. Dont realise either that all that bright for Redfield optical instrument company of! I canceled everything with them closed a page in the telescope business were assembled, taken,.