Any experience with the Hilux Malcolm Vintage scopes?

[S12A]

G'day all,

I'm starting a build where I need a Winchester A5 or clone,

The build is a WW1 SMLE sniper rifle, the variation assembled by Whitehead (see photo) . I have the repro mounts already/

Anyway one of the options is this scope , the Malcolm 6 X short which is a copy (ish) of the A5 .

Anyone have experience with their scopes in actual use? I've heard a few people say the glass is decent but nothing else about the, I'm not chasing a wall hanger i do want to use it.
I have tried other repro scopes such as RSM on a No4Mk1T build and they were paper weights, just absolute trash. I;m hoping these are different.

Thanks

Anthony

(photos taken from google image search)

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Yes. I have a couple on Sharps and similar.

@buffalowinter also has them.

They are pretty nice. But very hard to use if you are used to modern optics. Very small “window” for eye relief and very tiny tube to look down.

Both mine have a lot of aberration out at the edges. It’s not a USO or a S&B for sure!

But… it’s not supposed to be. They do work. And they do hold zero pretty well. For the gun you are building, they will certainly hold minute-of-German! But don’t get your hopes up if you are used to modern optics.

Alternative are some of the Warner-Swazny (sp) original optics that occasionally come available on eBay and the like. Sometimes they go quite cheap (a few hundred.). But not sure if they apply to your build. Though I think that is what McBride talked about using in WW1. If you have not read it “A Rifleman Went To War” is a classic about early sniper doctrine.

Hope this helps. BW can also chime in as I know he has used the Malcolm.

Cheers! Sirhr

 

[S12A]

That's very helpful thank you,

I do have time with vintage scopes like No32's and Pattern 1918's, PU's etc so my expectations are managed from that perspective,
As long as they work i'm happy.

Warner and Swasey would be another build, one id like to do later for sure.

Thanks again