I am reading Phil Sharpe's The Rifle in America, going through the chapter on telescope sights, target, and hunting. A lot of description of emergency scope repairs at the rifle matches, use of human hair as a crosshair repair, and harvesting spider thread for crosshairs. This was in 1938, so we can see that our glass is less troublesome than in the old days (though we can sure worry about the details still).

The former Australian agent for Kahles told me that at one stage after WWII the company used spiders' webs for crosswires; that staff would collect them early in the morning and bring them to work. He told me also that Herr Kahles used to test scopes by whacking them against a piece of rubber on his desk - whether that included those with webs, I don't know.

When I lived in Las Cruces, NM, in the late 1990's I had a good shooting buddy. He said when he was in high school in the early 1960's, he and his buddies would raise black widow spiders. They would then sell the black widow webs (had to be only black widow) to Weaver in El Paso to be used in scope cross hair manufacture. Never heard it before that but my buddy was not given to a lot of hyperbole so I tend to believe it.

quote:

Originally posted by steyrsteve:
When I lived in Las Cruces, NM, in the late 1990's I had a good shooting buddy. He said when he was in high school in the early 1960's, he and his buddies would raise black widow spiders. They would then sell the black widow webs (had to be only black widow) to Weaver in El Paso to be used in scope cross hair manufacture. Never heard it before that but my buddy was not given to a lot of hyperbole so I tend to believe it.

Interesting.

Back in the day (1950s), I asked my father how my scope's cross hairs were made, and he said they were made from black widow spider webs. He said they were strong, straight and even.

Though I only half-way believed him, I never forgot that.

quote:

Originally posted by steyrsteve:
... I had a good shooting buddy. He said when he was in high school in the early 1960's, he and his buddies would raise black widow spiders. They would then sell the black widow webs (had to be only black widow) to Weaver in El Paso to be used in scope cross hair manufacture...

From one weaver to another

I've sent you a PM

Actually with widow is of the family Latrodectus. The weavers are usually Araneidae. I too remember my father saying that during WW2 black widow silk was used for cross hairs in various optical devices.
C.G.B.

So how are their webs held together, or do they just have long strands stretched across gaps?

Not an expert but I believe is is more in the organization of the web. Orb weavers make those beautiful big symmetrical webs you find in the garden, usually with the spider hanging at the center. Black widow webs tend to be very disorganized, look more like cob webs, usually in a dark corner. I think the BW tends to hide until something twitches the web, then she jumps out and pounces on it. Maybe the orb weavers just take more pride in their work?

C.G.B.

Thanks for that. I don't think we have black widows here, but with ants arriving on ships from all over the world, it's probably only a matter of time.

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
Thanks for that. I don't think we have black widows here, but with ants arriving on ships from all over the world, it's probably only a matter of time.

The redbacks, hunting spiders and funnel webs will make short work of them ....

I think redbacks and black widows are related?

Their webs sure look similar.

How do they get the web material to stay in place in scopes?

In the old days they were laid across the reticule housing and glued in place at the edges..

Weaver and other scopes had very easily removed reticule housings, but a person still had to have steady hands and know how they were fitted in place. Weaver also used to sell interchangeable "reticules" (housings with reticules already glued in place), so it was easy (and cheap) for a sportsman to replace the reticule himself if the crosshairs were damaged or he wanted something other than crosshairs.

In the more expensive and higher quality scopes such as Bausch & Lomb, the reticule was etched on the lens. (Erector lens, IIRC) With those a person could not break the reticule unless he broke the lens too.

I used to replace all the reticules in my K-series and T-series Weavers with either post reticules (with no crosshair) or with dot reticules.

Sometimes I would turn the post upside down in the housing (and scope). Dead on shots were still easy, but it was easier to hold high on a target if the reticule wasn't obscuring part of it at long range (which is where one might need to hold high).

Here's a picture of how the Pecar reticles were fixed. Not sure about the "Champion" bit, though, as it is my understanding that Champion models had image-movement, where the reticle is behind or connected with an erector tube.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PECAR-...-21-R2-/120817278071

Further to the discussion on spider webs as reticles, I discover that Weaver's use of them was not just homespun technology but that they actually have industrial properties science is battling to synthesize even now:

http://www.abc.net.au/radionat...tery-of-silk/5337554

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
Here's a picture of how the Pecar reticles were fixed. Not sure about the "Champion" bit, though, as it is my understanding that Champion models had image-movement, where the reticle is behind or connected with an erector tube.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PECAR-...-21-R2-/120817278071

Also, I asked the seller of these reticles and they assured me they also work with the Champion models, which I still understand to have image movement. The only way I can see this could happen would be if the reticle is somehow attached to the erector tube during installation. This would leave you with a FFP reticle, of course.