Vintage Unertl 6x - ID needed

ArmedGinger · Jun 30, 2024

Anyone know the model of Unertl this is? Guy near me is selling it for $650 CAD ($475 USD) and I figure I might be good to put onto a JRA Springfield 1903A4 to get a little more magnification than the Hi-lux 2.5x that is on it now. Not sure what the mounts fit though....

RTH1800 · Jun 30, 2024

This is a later scope. 1960’s to 70’s.
Has the field type adjustments. Name escapes me just now.
Should have very good glass. Designed to receiver mounted.
Not a traditional scope for a vintage sniper. Need to figure out how you are going to mount it. I have some bases that might work.
Nice scope, good price.

ArmedGinger · Jun 30, 2024

RTH1800 said:
This is a later scope. 1960’s to 70’s.
Has the field type adjustments. Name escapes me just now.
Should have very good glass. Designed to receiver mounted.
Not a traditional scope for a vintage sniper. Need to figure out how you are going to mount it. I have some bases that might work.
Nice scope, good price.

Thank you. The rifle is just a James River reproduction so nothing vintage. Was looking at one of the hi-lux USMC 8x scopes but they are hard to find in Canada and run about $1000 now if you can find one. Just want something that has more magnification and still has that period sort of look

Mister Ridge · Jun 30, 2024

It looks like a Vulture but I've never seen one in 6x or without an adjustable objective.

RTH1800 · Jun 30, 2024

Those mounts are called “dehorned mounts”
Just came to me.

Overwatch260 · Jun 30, 2024

Also to add to @RTH1800 post it appears that the scope pictured would need the standard "eyebrow" or "smiley" scope blocks, not the POSA mount blocks.

Lots of info on the mounting block styles here...

scope blocks

Always good to see the classic scopes still in use!

cplnorton · Jun 30, 2024

I really wouldn't pick this up for a 1903A4 clone. The way it would mount would really cause you to have to drill the tap the barrel and modify a handguard to make it work. Then at that point it wouldn't be anything the Military did anyways.

Just to show you sort of the difference between the 2 mounting systems, here is a M1903 that is set up for a Unertl, and then the 03A4.

How much magnification are you looking for?

cplnorton · Jun 30, 2024

If I was looking for something to shoot on an A4 that would be a better scope, I would find a vintage scope something along these lines below. This is just a Weaver Scope. I think it's a Weaver K4 if my memory is right. They are really cheap, probably less than a $100 and the rings are not that much either.

This rifle is in the Marine Corps Museum Private Collection. They had about 6 or 7 of these A4 rifles, all with Weaver K4's.

This would be a lot less expensive than that Unertl, and would not require any modifications to your rifle. Plus with so many in the Marine Museum Collection they must have been using this style of setup for something.

ArmedGinger · Jul 1, 2024

Mister Ridge said:
It looks like a Vulture but I've never seen one in 6x or without an adjustable objective.

cplnorton said:
I really wouldn't pick this up for a 1903A4 clone. The way it would mount would really cause you to have to drill the tap the barrel and modify a handguard to make it work. Then at that point it wouldn't be anything the Military did anyways.

Just to show you sort of the difference between the 2 mounting systems, here is a M1903 that is set up for a Unertl, and then the 03A4.

How much magnification are you looking for?

Was just looking for something more than 2.5

6 would have been fine but 8 is always better. I could always just rig up the 8x like they did in the movie "Saving Private Ryan"

Wonder if it would work....

cplnorton · Jul 1, 2024

The saving private Ryan rifle is a total fantasy piece. It's not even a Marine Unertl 8X scope. It's a Lyman Super Targetspot.

The way they mounted the scope is also total fantasy and it would not work. The target scopes have fixed crosshairs and all adjustment is thru the mount. So the mount literally physically moves the whole tube of the scope to put you on target. The way they mounted the scope in Saving Private Ryan is they put in fixed rings with no movement. So that means there is no adjustment in the scope at all.

First here is a Lyman Super Targetspot next to a USMC 8X Unertl. Lyman on top, USMC contract Unertl on bottom.

Now look at the rifle in Saving Private Ryan, they literally cut the dovetail base off the Lyman Mount, then put it in fixed rings for the A4. They left the cut off lyman mount on it to make it look like you had adjustment, but there is not anything to adjust because of the fixed rings.

cplnorton · Jul 1, 2024

It's such a shame bc that scene is so iconic and it made the value of the A4 go up, even 20 yrs later. But unfortunately it's a total fantasy piece.

ArmedGinger · Jul 1, 2024

I'm thinking no matter what I want to do I'll have to mock up some sort of way to mount a higher magnification scope onto the 1903A4 either way I look at it. I'm not sure if I can take a pair of universal dovetail rings and use them with the base that comes on the rifle with a larger set of rings? something like a set of Burris 1" rings and then use a Weaver K4 or K6 on the rifle instead?

I mean to get a higher magnification I either have to send the rifle off to a gunsmith for the next 6 months and buy a Hi-Lux 8x or make some sort of "fantasy" piece.

Mister Ridge · Jul 1, 2024

ArmedGinger said:
I'm thinking no matter what I want to do I'll have to mock up some sort of way to mount a higher magnification scope onto the 1903A4 either way I look at it. I'm not sure if I can take a pair of universal dovetail rings and use them with the base that comes on the rifle with a larger set of rings? something like a set of Burris 1" rings and then use a Weaver K4 or K6 on the rifle instead?

I mean to get a higher magnification I either have to send the rifle off to a gunsmith for the next 6 months and buy a Hi-Lux 8x or make some sort of "fantasy" piece.

Have a gunsmith mill out some 1" rings to 26mm and mount a replica German ZF39 (if you can find one).

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Vintage Unertl 6x - ID needed

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