Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Why Are They Not Making More Silver Finished Scopes

Now that Leupold and others stopped making them, they now seem to be a hot item and being sold at ridiculous prices. With rifles now having SS finished barrels there seems to be a strong market for silver finished scopes. Swift still makes them but not sure if any other scope manufactures do.

I'm not sure that there is much of a market for silver scopes. One thing that I think killed that market is that almost none of them very well matched the stainless finish of a rifle. Personally, I like better, the looks of black optics and rings, on my stainless rifles. RJ

Prolly for this same reason, I have about 35 " Dark finish" vs only 1 silver.

Mfgs make what sells. It ain't rocket surgury.

I assume the fact that they look gay was a big deciding factor

I liked the gun metal grey scopes Leupold used to make. I have one on my .280 with brown/black HS Precision stock and kinda wished I had bought a couple more. Personally I thought the silver scopes looked fugly. I have one stainless barreled rifle and like the look of a black scope on it.

Yeah, probably this.

This

I never saw the appeal in having a scope that looked like it was painted silver sitting on top of a hunting rifle. I guess a lot of guys agree with me. If silver scopes are a small seller, then it’s an easy way to reduce cost because I’m sure there’s more expense in maintaining two colors than going with just black.

A lot of SS rifles doesn’t mean at all that there’s a strong market for silver scopes that kinda-sorta match in color. Add yet another shade of silver (or two) with rings and bases, and the color-match fail worsens. Style (?) aside, as someone who usually hunts in close cover, I always thought that adding a big, light-colored, usually shiny doodad on top of my rifle was just making it harder to move without getting busted, the same reason I remove the quiver full of brightly-fletched arrows from my crossbow (live and learn) when sitting or sneaking.

Just as with any other option such as reticle style, more choices add to cost or lower profit margins, so scope makers have been steadily paring them down to what sells the best, or maybe what they think will distinguish their line from the gazilion others out there. Silver didn’t make the cut. The high prices of used ones isn’t because there’s a big demand, but because the supply is limited, and enthusiasts will pay it.

I kinda' like the silver scopes on SS rifles. I even have one on a SS 270.........

One thing I like is at low magnification with both eyes open the lighter finish of silver scopes one doesn't see the dark ring of the tube that is present with anodized scopes.

Silver scopes don't show bright scratches, either.

They are made for 270 rifles

Pretty good summary

That color-combo is kinda where I landed myself, after a few false starts. My Knight inline is SS, but nitrided, so no stylistic decisions need to be made. Wish more were like that.

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Ditto

When hunting up on Brokeback Mtn it would be nice to have something in a tasteful pastel or perhaps a rainbow motif for the bolder statement. We are neglecting a whole segment of the population.

You didn't mention the flame stocked .270...

DF

I like them on a stainless rifle to a point then I decorate them.

never cared for them, they rarely match the rifle, or the rings, sitting there with three different "silver" finishes a lot of the time. Always looked tacky to me.

Pretty much I bought one in a compact version and had it cerakoted matte black