Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Anybody still use Denver Redfields?

I still use a Redfield 3-9x40 Illuminator scope. It has a few marks on it but is better than some of the name brand newer scopes that are touted highly.

I have a 2 3/4X and a 4X both with really nice optics. Both are 26MM so my mounting options are limited.

Ovis, those were Kollmorgen Bear Cub scopes. Damn excellent scopes for the mid to lates 1950's & highly thought of by none other than Jack O'Connor himself. Kollmorgen made periscopes for the U.S. Navy, so they knew something about optics & moisture sealing. Redfield purchases the Kollmorgen Bear Cub line of scopes in 1959 and produced them as their first scope line, the "Redfield Bear Cub" until 1964. Redfield Bear Cubs continued the excellent quality standards that Kollmorgen had established. I currently have a Kollmorgen 4x Bear Cub on my fathers 03-A3 sporter. Believe me, it is as clear and bright as the day it was made 50 years ago.

I have 1 left and it is sitting in it's box at this moment (never had a single problem with it (3-12x56 Ultimate Illuminator w/TT & a 30mm tube). It was one of the last new developments from them before the EPA stepped in. They were only about 9 miles from me off of Jewell Ave. and was my fathers favorite scopes at the time (owner of Front Range Gunsmithing in Lakewood CO.). It's still a good scope today when comparing it against modern Luepies and such. Had a guy offer almost $300 for it the other day, but I turned it down. I hate to have it just sitting around collecting dust though. I'm mainly a Swaro guy now and have a few Zeiss as well on top of most of my stuff.

I have the same 30 mm scope with adj. obj., still mounted on a 7 mag, I just wonder about the new generation of scopes being clearer and more light gathering ability. Any opinions, I was thinking about a Zeiss with Z plex.

Thanks for the info 3D... Yes, those were first rate scopes in thier day. I keep my eye out for them at guns shows. The old stuff is for show... and the new good stuff is for go!!!
Thanks again! Ovis_Chaser

If you had asked me this morning if I had a Denver Redfield, I would have said no. But this afternoon I was adding a scope box to my pile of scope boxes when I picked up an old Simmons scope box that I was expecting to be empty because I havent had that scope in years. It was heavy, so when I opened it up, to my surprise there was a Denver Redfield 1" 3-9 in the box. This perplexed me because I didnt remember having this scope, but after a few minutes of racking my brain, I remembered that I took it off of an old Colt Coltsman in 243 that bought a few years ago, and obviously forgot about it. Now I have to figure out if I want to use it or sell it.

Kimberman, you just might have a buyer depending on the reticle and how attached you are to it! <wink> Ovis_Chaser

Hi,

Reading this post, I must disagree about the quality, optics and mechanics of these old Denver Redfield. I am talking on the fixed power ones.
I have an old 1" tube 4x Redfield Bear Cub. I bought it used, well used, not abused, from a late friend who use it for 30 years over a nice sporterized 7,65x53 1935 Argentine Mauser.
It had originally a duplex type reticle. Two years ago I send the scope to one of our two optics tecnitian who can change the reticle and re seal any scope. He put a N� 4 reticle.
Yesterday down I made a test between this scope and: a Hendsoldt Diasta (steel) D 4x32; a Zeiss Diatal DA (same as the former but aluminium) also 4x32; Schmidt&Bender 1,25-4 x20; Sch&Bender 1,5-6x42 (at 4x) and a Zeiss Victory 1,5-6x42 (also at 4x). Result:

I couldn�t find ANY appreciable difference between all these scopes looking at trees, bushes and shades! Until dark ! I could make a shoot with any of them antil dark. And and daylight, the Redfield is AT LEAST...the same... well a bit better as far as the resolution of details than the old Hendsoldt and Zeiss measured by an US Test Sheet.
In my experience with my scope and another 6x from a firend, I am convinced that these Denver Redfield were the best Fixed power scopes made in the USA, even by today standards. Period.
Ah, it is the back up scope (I ofen use it just for fun istead of the Victory) for my .375 M70 Pre-64.

Regards

PH

Sorry, I mean dusk. Not down!

PH

I bought this 2 3/4 Widefield on the classifieds here for $50. I got it in last week and mounted it on a 94BB 356

It zeroed right in.

I have a 2 X 7 widefield on a 25-06 still bright and clear.

My brother in law has a 2-7 Widefield in great shape he wants to sell
$125 plus postage. He just needs more power in the fields he is hunting.