You are currently reading "
Rifle Optics Availability", entry #27959 on
The Captain's Journal.
This article is filed under the category(s)
Firearms,
Guns and was published August 25th, 2021 by Herschel Smith.
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On August 26, 2021 at 12:53 pm, George said:
I thought the Germans and Austrians made some outstanding glass.
??
On August 26, 2021 at 11:48 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:
@ George
Historically, the finest optical glass in the world has come from Europe, and firms like Zeiss and Leica in Germany, IOR Bucharesti in Romania, and also in Germany, Schott Glaswerke. Camera and fine optics firms worldwide also have had to master making glass of extremely high-quality and consistency – Nikon, Bausch & Lomb, Leupold & Stevens, are just some examples. There are any number of Japanese firms which also make glass of extremely high quality, which are not listed here.
More-recently, some U.S. and other manufacturers have taken to making all of their optical components in-house, including the glass. U.S. Optics, who now supply scopes and optics to the Marine Corps, are reputed to make glass with resolution so fine that it exceeds the ability of the human eye to perceive it. Nightforce uses very high-grade glass in their products.
Availability of high-end glass is governed by a lot of variables, including the demand for special-formulations of glass used in medical and diagnostic equipment, scientific R&D instrumentation, aerospace applications, and so forth. If glass for the sport optical market is drying up, perhaps the cause(s) lie elsewhere in the market.