I bought a 3ft. piece of .0005 tungsten wire for $10. Should be enough to do around 20-30 scopes. I figured out that the biggest hassle in this instance was getting the reticle collar out of the scope and breaking loose the miniature screws that pinch the wires into place. After that, placing the wires and tightening the screws merely requires magnified vision, the proper jeweler's screwdriver, and a steady hand. I can also see that getting the collar back into position without breaking the new wires will be ticklish. Everything is prepped and ready for the new wire when it arrives. Wish me luck. I did a practice run with human hair, and honestly it's not that big a deal. (But the human hair reticle looks like a pair of crossed logs in the image!)
I'll take a couple pics when I do the final installation.
I didn't inquire with any of the repair folks (thank you to all who provided that info). I figured they would all charge me more than what I figure an hour of my time sitting at my desk with a cold beer is worth! Plus, once I started I found it was a matter of simple mechanics.
Thank goodness too that none of these old target scopes were nitrogen filled. No surprise there as they weren't intended for outdoor use in adverse conditions.
My scope reticle cells only have the screws that hold then in place in the scope tube. The wires are not held by screws in mine.
Nitrogen filled?? How about nitrogen purged.
