H35054 2 3/4 POWER "VISAR" SHARPSHOOTER'S SCOPE. (Scharfschützengewehr -Zielfernrohr) 

BACKGROUND: The importance of telescopically enhanced rifles became apparent during WWI, and the urgent need to supply front line troops with this type of weapon forced the German military to request the public to donate sporting rifles equipped with telescopic sights for front line usage, with poor results. In spite of the experience in WWI, and due to political in-fighting telescopic sights weren’t assigned a high priority in the Reichswehr era. In 1938 the HwaA, Heereswaffenamt, (Army Ordnance Office), requested a four magnification telescopic sight be developed for sharpshooters, but personnel in the OKH, Oberkommando des Heeres, (High Command of the Army), opted to produce a 1.5 magnification telescopic sight, which was soon found to be insufficient for its required usage. This resulted in the requestioning of commercially produced sights from sporting rifles to be pressed into military service. Of Note: The need for a four power scope was finally realized in 1943 with the development of the Gw ZF4 scope. 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 11 1/4" long, commercially produced, blued, tooled steel construction, two and three/quarter power, top mount, sharpshooter’s rifle scope with brass fittings with a roughly, 1 3/8", diameter ocular end and a roughly, 7/8" diameter objective end. The top edge of the scope has a raised, milled, turnable range elevation adjustment dial. The range adjustment varies from one hundred to one thousand meters in increments of one hundred. The range adjustment dial has a repeating diamond grooved pattern to the sides for a secure grip. The scope has an internal, pre-set windage adjustment. The optics are still quite clean and clear and has dual vertical and horizontal, opened center reticle pattern sights. The range adjustment dial appears to be stripped and doesn’t seem to raise or lower the reticle sights as required. The scope has dual, screwed on, in-line, top mount bands. The "feet" of one mount have broken off. The scope retains about 80% of its original bluing with small spots of light surface spotting. The scope is well marked with the impressed manufacturers name and location, "Emil Busch A.-G. Rathenow", the trade name and magnification power, "Visar 2 3/4x", and the designation with serial number, "Gewehr No. 2012". The original serial number has a line scratched through it and has another etched serial number, "1403", indicating the scope was reissued to another weapon. Of Note: Photographic examples of this type of scope can be seen in Peter R. Senich’s book, "The German Sniper 1914-1945", on pages forty-six and sixty-nine.

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