A question about a vintage scope: A hunting buddy has a Bausch & Lomb 12-32x40 target/varmint scope. It's an older scope--I think before Bushnell bought B&L scopes--although I don't know precisely when it was made. He's not using it anymore and wondered whether I might be interested in taking it off his hands. It looks to be in good condition and has a fine cross-hairs reticle. Does anyone on this forum have any experience with this scope? I guess I'm wondering about the optical quality of these older B&L scopes along with their tracking ability and adjustment range. Did they compare favorably with the Leupold scopes of the day? If I take it, I'll mount it on an older varmint rifle.

I can't find anything about that model in Stroebel, so assume it is post-1985 and from the Bushnell decadence.


The biggest scope he mentioned was the Balvar 24 6-24× from 1955 to 1969, which had no internal adjustments and was mounted similarly to a Unertl target scope. They were valued at between $400 and $800, roughly three times that of the best hunting models. If your scope also has no turrets, it might be even more valuable as a collector's item, otherwise maybe not so much.

The old turretless models really were great scopes, possibly the best ever made in America. And it may be that the glass quality continued after the Bushnell (reverse?) takeover - but the magic was gone.

It has "Balvar" inscribed on it just ahead of the eyepiece, and "Bausch & Lomb" on the side of the turret. It's not one of the earlier B&Ls with no internal adjustments, and which required a Kuharsky-type externally-adjustable mount.

Well, Stroebel might think it worth even more than the Balvar 24 , which he said had been the most-expensive American scope, as he likes image-movement and always added $50 when a line changed to it.

That said, there are many mistakes in his book and I am pretty sure he got the chronology of the B&L plunger and daisy-wheel mounts back-to-front.

Is place of manufacture on it? If Rochester NY a HUGE plus to it's value and quality.

quote:

Originally posted by carpetman1:
Is place of manufacture on it? If Rochester NY a HUGE plus to it's value and quality.

Good question. There is no indication of place of manufacture on the scope. I wonder if anyone on here might know where the Balvar series were made.

I'm reasonably sure all Rochester NY was labeled such.

The original Balvar, Balfor etc scopes were made in NY State, as were, presumably, the late-'60s image-movement Trophy models. Bushnell took over in 1973, after which I imagine an increasing number would have been Japanese.

Yes carpetman, my 1960s B&Ls have "ROCHESTER, N.Y. USA" around the the focus collar.

Stroebel's list of models doesn't even bother with those made post-'73, ending with the turreted Balvar B 2.5-8x made between 1968 and 1973.