<span style="font-weight: bold">Kahles Optics </span>
Immediately after SHOT Show this year, Sniper's Hide was invited to tour the Kahles Factory outside Vienna Austria in Guntramsdorf. This is a brand new facility that was opened last year. It was a definitely a highlight of the winter trip as we timed it with the Jaeger Ball held at the Imperial Palace.
The tour of facility was quite impressive, we started off by looking at the small museum they had of the Kahles Scopes going back 100 years. In fact here is one of the oldest scope that pre-dates the 1900s.
This scope is from the 1800s. What started the trend in Europe was the appearance of a comet around that time so many people were interested in Telescopes to view the night Skies. This is where Kahles got their start all those years ago.
One of the highlights of the area is a rifle that was left out in the mountains and found 30 years later. The rifle was leaning against the rocks with the objective to sky. After 30 years in the elements, you could still see a perfect image through the scope. Seriously impressive how the glass held up.
From here we moved into the factory,
Clean, brand new, essentially a smart building, the machine shop floor was quite impressive. All new state of the art machines turning out everything from the scope tubes to the internals. Made in small batches, these parts are at the height of perfection.
Each scope tube is made from solid aluminum bar stock.
From here the batch testing and quality control was the most impressive. These batches are taken in a special room where they engineers test the tolerances before they head to Swarovski for anodizing. <span style="font-style: italic">(This is the only process not done in house. Kahles is the sister company to Swarovski) </span>
I was amazed at the computer controlled testing machines. Not only are the parts tested on a minute level, the process is recorded and video taped by the computers. Like handloading your own ammo, they tested concentricity across the entire tube.
I have been on other factory tours before, and never have I seen such attention to detail before the scope was even built.
Even the glass is tested alongside the parts. I was shown screen captures from the computer that had flagged blemishes in the glass. Microscopic, where given a Loupe I was unable to locate the flaw, yet Kahles computer testing machine were able to identify the smallest of blemishes.
They are running 3 shifts, and turning out product that is easily at the top of the scope industry.
From the testing / quality control room the batches returned from anodizing they head to their in house engraving for the parts that need marking. Then, they head over to the assembly area which itself a clean and dust free environment.
Each scope is assembled by hand, with checks and balances along the way. As the scope makes it way around the room for assembly, it finally heads upstairs for the final testing and inspection.
<span style="font-style: italic">See part two below: </span>
Immediately after SHOT Show this year, Sniper's Hide was invited to tour the Kahles Factory outside Vienna Austria in Guntramsdorf. This is a brand new facility that was opened last year. It was a definitely a highlight of the winter trip as we timed it with the Jaeger Ball held at the Imperial Palace.
The tour of facility was quite impressive, we started off by looking at the small museum they had of the Kahles Scopes going back 100 years. In fact here is one of the oldest scope that pre-dates the 1900s.
This scope is from the 1800s. What started the trend in Europe was the appearance of a comet around that time so many people were interested in Telescopes to view the night Skies. This is where Kahles got their start all those years ago.
One of the highlights of the area is a rifle that was left out in the mountains and found 30 years later. The rifle was leaning against the rocks with the objective to sky. After 30 years in the elements, you could still see a perfect image through the scope. Seriously impressive how the glass held up.
From here we moved into the factory,
Clean, brand new, essentially a smart building, the machine shop floor was quite impressive. All new state of the art machines turning out everything from the scope tubes to the internals. Made in small batches, these parts are at the height of perfection.
Each scope tube is made from solid aluminum bar stock.
From here the batch testing and quality control was the most impressive. These batches are taken in a special room where they engineers test the tolerances before they head to Swarovski for anodizing. <span style="font-style: italic">(This is the only process not done in house. Kahles is the sister company to Swarovski) </span>
I was amazed at the computer controlled testing machines. Not only are the parts tested on a minute level, the process is recorded and video taped by the computers. Like handloading your own ammo, they tested concentricity across the entire tube.
I have been on other factory tours before, and never have I seen such attention to detail before the scope was even built.
Even the glass is tested alongside the parts. I was shown screen captures from the computer that had flagged blemishes in the glass. Microscopic, where given a Loupe I was unable to locate the flaw, yet Kahles computer testing machine were able to identify the smallest of blemishes.
They are running 3 shifts, and turning out product that is easily at the top of the scope industry.
From the testing / quality control room the batches returned from anodizing they head to their in house engraving for the parts that need marking. Then, they head over to the assembly area which itself a clean and dust free environment.
Each scope is assembled by hand, with checks and balances along the way. As the scope makes it way around the room for assembly, it finally heads upstairs for the final testing and inspection.
<span style="font-style: italic">See part two below: </span>
