I just bought a rifle with one of the old "yard-long" target-type scopes mounted in the spring mount, externally adjusted. It is the B&L 6-24 Variable, which I found a listing for in a 1965 Shooter's Bible. These scopes apparently were highly regarded in their day as this one listed for $239 while most hunting-type 3-9 variables from Redfield, Leupold, etc. went for around $90-$100 or so. Even the famous Unertl target scopes only sold for about $130-$140.

Anyone using one of these B&L's, and if so, do you have any tips about its care and feeding?

I have one sitting atop an FN Mauser with DST's in a 219 Donaldson Wasp variation. The gunsmith who built mine used 25 Remington brass and opened the bolt face to .492". Just put a dab of LSA or equivalent on the rib every so often, and always make sure the scope moves easily against the recoil spring. I would be pleased to offer you that retail plus 10% for it.

Rich

that is one big heavy wonderful scope, about the 1st of the high powered variables, i'd even offer richs 10% plus say $5

Generous offers indeed! Considering that the inflation calculater at http://www.westegg.com/inflation/ shows that $239 in 1965 is the equivalent of $1,608 today, that allows a bit for wear and tear and depreciation.

Thanks for the tip on lubrication. I sent a photo of the scope to a shooting buddy who asked if the scope actually moves. "Just like the barrel of an old Browning Humpback", I replied. Actually, I guess the Browning moves rearward then forward, whereas the scope moves forward then rearward. I'll bet putting your eye too close to that sucker would place a whole new context on a "poke in the eye".

one note - make sure the recoil spring is set to a minimum tension. to much gives the scope a big slap when it returns

Stay out of this bitchloc!

I have owned this rig for nearly ten years. The scope will not come back any farther than its' original position when you pulled the trigger.

I know of one that the local gun shop would be pleased to sell for $550.

They are just too cool, and the beauty of an external scope is that the cross hairs stay centered in the center of the glass (which is the best part optically)as you move the tube around.

Congrats on your find!

Rich

I have similar scope, Unertl 1.5x16 and you will see some shooters(match type) not use the spring and simply pull it back into position after each shot. Rifle recoils, scope moves forward(every action, opposite reaction) so the scope actually moves away from the eye under recoil. I have the original manual and it is suggested that for centerfire w/recoil the spring be compressed some 1/3rd of the distance available. Scope mentioned, as the Unertls, are in demand and due to scarcity are fetching some good bucks.

Ok rich your cheapskate offer him $10 more then

Here, here, gentlemen, no such arguing will be tolerated! Each of you simply send me a blank check via the carrier of your choice. The first to arrive will be filled out with an appropriate amount and the scope will be awarded to that lucky person. The second to arrive will be filled out with half the amount of the first and will be retained as an "application fee". Fair enough?

fair enuf my check blank drawn on the obama bank of america is on the way

Hey guys, I'm just getting around to messing with this scope and need some guidance. How the devil do you adjust the W&E? I see the very clearly marked adjusting rings on the rear mount, and the three eight-sided nuts arrayed around the rear mount, but the W&E rings don't seem to move. Each W&E ring has three screw heads on it facing either front or rear, but I haven't been able to correlate the functions of any of these controls.

Advice of those of you who are more learned in this area will be greatly appreciated!

The 6-24X Balvar has its adjustments in the mount....The front mount is designed to allow pivotal movement of the tube in both the horizontal and vertical axes. Both the front and rear mounts were designed to attach to a standard Lyman and Unertl target-style male dovetail bblock.

The rear mount, where the adjustments are made, resembles a thick wide collar whose front and rear surfaces are calibrated, moveable discs. These moveable discs are designed to give 1/4 minute clicks when used with a 7.2 inch mounting block center. The adjustment could be increased to 1/6 minute by increasing the center-to-center distance between the mounting blocks to 10.6 inches. The disc on the rear of the rear mount controls elevation, while the disc on the front of the rear mount controls windage.

Information from "Old Rifle Scopes" by Nick Strobel (slightly edited, in the interest of clarity.)

Thanks, XUSA. All of that matches my assumptions. My problem is that the W&E discs on front and back of the rear mounting collar don't seem to want to move, at least not by simple force of the unaided hand.

quote:

Originally posted by butchloc:
one note - make sure the recoil spring is set to a minimum tension. to much gives the scope a big slap when it returns

That's true, and probably not bad advice. Don't think one need worry about breaking those crosshairs with that slap, though. Maybe my memory has gone awry, but I think I recall that the B&L crosshairs, unlike the Unertls, were etched on one of the lenses.

Am I recalling correctly, or not? I sold my last two as a pair to a fellow in California for $550 in 1996, so I can't go check....

Glory Hallelujah! I ran across one of the very few references to the subject B&L Balvar on the net (it seems that the internet wasn't too popular back around 1958 or whenever this scope was made, so there are correspondingly few references.) But one fellow commented on the grease in the adjustment "turret" drying up and freezing the adjustments.

So, I removed the turret covers and sprayed the exposed circular block with Break Free on both the front and rear surfaces (standing the gun on its butt for the first two hours to allow the penetrating oil to soak rearward, and on its muzzle for a couple of more hours to allow it to soak forward). After a half day waiting for this treatment to "soak in", I replaced the covers, put the rifle in my rifle vise, grasped the rear (windage) adjustment with a cloth to improve my grip, and gave a determined twist. Gratefully, the adjustments freed up immediately and now turn through their "clicks" crisply and cleanly.

Happy to have it now functional, I took it to my benchrest to bore sight it and shoot a group. Boresighting was routine, with the external adjusters seeming to be very consistent in how much they moved the crosshairs. It was a two-shot zero, after which I placed three .243's into a half-inch group.

I then played with the parallax adjustment to see how well the old scope would focus. Everything was just fine at 100 yards, but then a Walmart Bushnell looks okay at 100 yards. But I have a permanent target board with a white corraplast facing sitting at 425 yards (the odd yardage is due to having to be on one side or the other of a deep gully), which is a much better test. I was dumbstruck as I brought the parallax adjustment into focus for the 425 yard range to suddenly see several dozen sub-.30 caliber bullet holes peppered around the white corraplast. I can't even start to see these holes with my spotting scope, which is a reasonably high quality instrument of 25X. I guess the guys at the old Rochester, N.Y. plant knew what they were doing when it came to optics!