BACKGROUND: As early as 1928 personnel of the Reichswehr High Command decided that the marksmanship efficiency of the individual German soldier had advanced to the level that the development and expense of producing sharp shooting scopes was unjustified. After Hitler’s rise to power the confidence in the marksmanship ability of the German soldier still held sway but due to discord and infighting within the OKH, Oberkommando des Heeres, (High Command of the Army), the development of sharpshooters scopes was officially approved in mid-1939. As a sign of the internal discord the HwaA, Heereswaffenamt, (Army Ordnance Office), a sub-section of the OKH, responsible for testing, evaluation and eventual issue of all army ordnance items, advised development of a four power magnification scope, but mysteriously this advice was overruled and the development of a one and one/half power magnification scope was approved. Of Note: Four power magnification scopes were also being developed and produced but in limited quantities. The one and one/half power magnification ZF41 sharpshooters scope was designed for use with the K98 carbine, and was first issued in quantities in 1941. In 1942 it was ordered that six percent of all K98 carbines manufactured be equipped with the ZF41 mounting base, and issued with the scope and carrying case. The first issues of the scope were designated "ZF41", while later issues were some what simplified and were designated "ZF41/1". Regulations of December 31^ST 1943 stated that further production of the ZF41-ZF41/1 scopes be discontinued but it appears the order was not strictly adhered to as the scopes continued to be produced up until early 1945. Of Note: When issued the rifle, scope and scope carrying case would all have had matching serial numbers.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The one and one/half power magnification, blued, tooled steel and sheet metal construction, ZF41 scope with a milled, range elevation, adjustment dial and a side rail bridge mount is roughly, 5 1/4" long with a 1/2" diameter ocular lens and a 7/8" diameter objective lens. The turning, range adjustment dial is adjustable from 100 to 800 meters while the windage adjustment is set internally and fixed. The scope and the bridge mount retain about 70% of their original bluing with some small spots of wear to the base metal. The optics are slightly smoky and have the typical single, vertical and dual, horizontal, side bar reticle pattern sights. The reticle pattern raises or lowers, as required, as the range adjustment dial is turned. The objective end has a turnable blued, sheet metal dust cover intact with two lateral cut-outs to access the underlying adjustment slots which were utilized to "zero" in the scope to the rifle before issue. The scope is well marked with the stamped designation, "ZF 41", the manufacturer’s three letter code, "fzg", indicating manufacture by Feinmechanike G.m.b.H. of Kassel and a serial number, "469". Both removable, protective, objective and ocular end rain shields are absent. The tooled and machined steel side rail bridge mount is attached to the scope by four inset screws. The mount consists of two, vertical and one, horizontal bar. The vertical bars attach the mount to the scope and the horizontal bar attaches to the K98. The horizontal bar has a machined, "T", shaped, grooved, rail with a pressure locking clip and two, interior, beveled rollers to secure it to the rifle. The mount is also well marked with a stamped waffen-amt, the designation, "K98k-Zf.41." and the manufacturer’s three letter code, "duv", indicating manufacture by Bernhard Berghaus Berlin-Lübecker Maschinenfabriken Werk of Lübeck.

GRADE ***1/4                             PRICE $1,702.00