Worcester Antiques
Antiques & 20th Century Collectables

WW2 Snipers Spotting Telescope, Scout Regiment MKIIS

Broad arrow stamped


All our scopes are genuine military issue MKII.s scopes with their original leather case and shoulder strap, cleaned, serviced, excellent optics and ready to use. They are all 100% correct, complete and period throughout, including the case and shoulder strap and distinct from the increasing number of mismatched nonsense circulating and ridiculous fakes.

We only sell telescopes that meet our requirements to resolve a sharp image at shorter ranges (150-250m) and long-range (1200m). Additionally, the scope must function well under moonlight or low light conditions, and we also test the ability to resolve detail on a brick wall directly behind a bright security light.

However, these are almost all 80+ years old and made during wartime and will have been issued, used, cleaned and serviced during wartime conflict. They are not modern coated optics and cannot always compete with the contrast and magnification offered by high-end specialist modern spotting scopes. Nevertheless, with good eyesight, supported and atmospheric conditions willing, the scopes we sell can decern the Roman numerals at 1200m (1300yards) on a church clockface and read ½ inch high font on a power line warning plate at 150m, just as they did when first issued.

BroadHurst Clarkson Ltd

Objective lens and leather case for Broadhurst Clarkson Scout Regiment Snipers Spotting Telescope, early WW2.
TEL.SCT.REGT.MKII.s

WW2 Period, c1941/42 issue Scout Regiment Telescope, Leather, Broad Arrow Stamped
SOLD

BroadHurst Clarkson Ltd

Broadhurst Clarkson Scout Regiment Snipers Spotting Telescope 1943.
TEL.SCT.REGT.MKII.s

WW2 Period, c1943/44 issue Scout Regiment Telescope, Leather, Broad Arrow Stamped
SOLD

HCR & Son Ltd

HCR and Son Ltd Scout regiment Telescope, leather cladding body in leather case
TEL.SCT.REGT.MKII.s

Early WW2 Period c1940/41 issue Scout Regiment Telescope, Leather, Broad Arrow Stamped
SOLD

HCR & Son Ltd

HCR and Son Ltd L42A1 period issue Scout regiment Telescope, thermoset cladding body in leather case with bloomed lens
TELE.SCT.REGTS.MK2

L42A1 service period issue Scout Regiment Telescope, Thermoset, Broad Arrow Stamped
SOLD

BroadHurst Clarkson Ltd

Objective lens and leather case for Broadhurst Clarkson Scout Regiment Snipers Spotting Telescope. Houghton Butcher.
TELE.SCT.REGTS.MK2

Rare 1940 WW2 Scout Regiment Telescope, Broad Arrow Stamped

SOLD

Broadhurst Clarkson & Co Ltd

Clear Objective lens and leather case for HCR & Son Ltd WW2 Scout Regiment Snipers Spotting Telescope.
TEL.SCT.REGT.MKIIs

Early WW2 Period, c1941/42 Leather Clad with Broad Arrow Stamp & Leather Case

SOLD

HCR & Son Ltd

Clear Objective lens and leather case for HCR & Son Ltd WW2 Scout Regiment Snipers Spotting Telescope.
TELE.SCT.REGTS.MKIIs

WW2 Period, c1943/44 Leather Clad with Broad Arrow Stamp & Leather Case

SOLD

HCR & Son Ltd

Objective lens and leather case for HCR & Son Ltd Scout Regiment Snipers Spotting Telescope.
TEL.SCT.REGT.MKIIs

Early WW2 Period, Leather Clad with Broad Arrow Stamp & Leather Case

SOLD

B C & Co Ltd

Objective lens and leather case for B C & Ltd Scout Regiment Snipers Spotting Telescope.
TEL.SCT.REGT.MKIIs

WW2 Leather Clad with Broad Arrow Stamp & Leather Case

SOLD

HCR & Son Ltd

Objective lens and leather case for HCR & Son Scout Regiment Snipers Spotting Telescope.
TELE.SCT.REGT.MKIIs

WW2 Leather Clad with Broad Arrow Stamp & Leather Case

SOLD

 

BroadHurst Clarkson Ltd

Objective lens and leather case for Broadhurst Clarkson Scout Regiment Snipers Spotting Telescope. Houghton Butcher.
TELE.SCT.REGT.MK2

Rare 1940 WW2 Scout Regiment Telescope, Broad Arrow Stamped

SOLD

HCR & Son ltd

Objective lens and leather case for HCR & Son Scout Regiment Snipers Spotting Telescope.
TELE.SCT.REGT.MK2

Late WW2 Thermoset with Broad Arrow Stamped Leather Case

SOLD

HBMCo

Objective lens and leather case for HBMCo Scout Regiment Snipers Spotting Telescope. Houghton Butcher.
TELE.SCT.REGT.MK2s

Early WW2 Rare Houghton-Butcher Manufacturing Company

SOLD

BroadHurst Clarkson Ltd

Objective lens and leather case Broadhurst Clarkson, thermoset clad Scout Regiment Snipers Spotting Telescope.
TEL.SCT.REGT.MKIIs

Late WW2 Broadhurst Clarkson with period thermoset cladding

SOLD

K.E.C, 1942

Objective lens and leather case for K.E.C Scout Regiment Snipers Spotting Telescope. Marked 1942 and Broadhurst Clarkson Type.
TEL.SCT.REGTS.MKIIs

Early K.E.C, 1942, rare Broadhurst Clarkson Type stamp.

SOLD

BroadHurst Clarkson Ltd

Objective lens and leather case for K.E.C Scout Regiment Snipers Spotting Telescope. Marked 1942 and Broadhurst Clarkson Type.
TEL.SCT.REGT.MKIIs

Mid/Early WW2 Broadhurst Clarkson Leather

SOLD

H.C.R & SON Ltd

Objective lens and leather case with burgandy liner for HCR and Son Scout Regiment Snipers Spotting Telescope
TELE.SCT.REGTS.MK2

WW2 Period, Thermoset Cladding

SOLD

H.C.R & SON Ltd

HCR and Son Scout Regiment Snipers Spotting Telescope and leather case with hand stitching
TELE.SCT.REGTS.MK2

L42A1 period

SOLD

K.E.C

KEC Scout Regiment Snipers Spotting Telescope inside leather case
TEL.SCT.REGT.MK2

WW2 Period Outstanding Blueing

SOLD

Broad Arrow Stamped Snipers Telescope & Leather Case, O.S.126.G.A Introduced 1939

The MKII.s Scout Regiment Telescope was first introduced 1939 at the start of WW2, and soon after supplied as an integral part of the snipers No4T kit chest issued alongside the Holland & Holland modified Lee Enfield No.4(T) snipers rifle, matched scope, officers prismatic compass, etc. The 20x scope proved exceptional at acquiring targets and locating other snipers.

Examples of scout regiment MK2.S snipers spotting telescopes always bear the British Military broad arrow stamp on the brass draw eyepiece barrel, together with the model number, maker and serial number. The optics should immediately strike one as excellent.

scout regiment telescope
TELE . SCT . REGTS . MK. II
H.C.R & SON LTD
O.S.126.G.A

The most common manufacturer was Broadhurst Clarkson. However, several other optical instrument manufacturers made the scopes to the military requirements, notably HCR & Son (H C Ryland & Son Ltd.), KEC (Kodak Eastman Co) and HBMCo (Houghton Butcher). We have had many pass through our hands, and in my opinion, there is little significant difference in optical quality when dealing with a genuine telescope. I have noticed the magnification can vary slightly, to my mind, between 20x and 22x, with the KEC and some scopes tending to be towards the lower range of magnification with the knock on optical affect of a tad brighter image slightly greater depth of field and field of view.

sniper issue scout regiment telescope marked MK2 KEC OS 126 GA with sunshield and blued drawers
TEL.SCT. REGT.MK.2.S
OS 126 GA
KEC version with intact blued drawers

The MK2s snipers spotting scopes produced during the war remained in service alongside the famous Lee Enfield No4 MK1(T) sniping rifle. In c1970 these rifles were updated by the Royal Small Arms Factory (Enfield) to fire the 7.62 x 51mm NATO cartridge (besides other upgrades) and designated as the L42A1 Sniping Rifle. The Scout Regiment Telescope MKII spotting scope continued in service as part of the British snipers kit accompanying the L42A1 sniper rifle. Towards the end of service the scout regiment became known as as the Telescope Straight L1A1 (not to be confused with the TEL. STRT. STG. L1A1 O.S. 2429 G.A, the new sighting scope for the L42A1 rifle!!).

Furthermore, some time after the introduction of the L42A1 the original old style leather cases were impressed with the mark 'CASE TELESCOPE SCOUT REGIMENT' or 'TELESCOPE STRAIGHT CASE'. Around 1980 all new or replacement cases were of the new green plastic type. In summary, unmarked cases can be of the No4 MK1(T) and L42A1 era, while those stamped are usually from the L42A1 era. Obviously the green plastic tubes are from c1980 onwards.

Fakes & Reproductions

Unfortunately, reproduction/fakes do exist; however, genuine telescopes (amongst other sure-fire signs) are the only ones to have pin sharp optical quality at critical distances, which will be obvious when first focusing. An unclear image or one that cannot be focused is usually the first warning sign. Optical performance is preferable to cosmetic condition up to a certain point.

It is important to remember that these scopes were in military service and therefore subject to maintenance from skilled armourers, who will have been resourceful maintaining these scopes for their intended use. One should not confuse an official armourers service/repair/modification (to military approved procedures) with an unskilled cut and shut that is becoming all too common with these scopes. Ideally, some of the original bluing should remain and not polished back to the bare brass. These telescopes were never originally issued in bright brass; I can't imagine how useful a sniper or observer would have been if this had been the case.

We have recently become immensely frustrated by the number of Frankenstein units we see. These go far beyond armourers' repairs and are plain outright fraud. To the untrained eye, they seem fine, but after handling these scopes from all dates and manufacturers for many years, it is obvious they aren't original.

We see an overwhelming majority of scopes offered with fake shoulder straps that are not original to the Scout Regiment Telescope; they should all be a certain length, leather thickness, stitching and buckle type. Also, we see a lot of missing or replaced case straps or, worse still, straps and loops that are loose or glued down rather than stitched.

We also see a large percentage of scopes with either wrong eyepieces or the wrong manufactures eyepiece on the wrong scope. Each manufacturer has a unique style for the eyepiece; some are easy to tell apart, others have minor differences.

Objective lens and housing - again, we see many with the wrong housing, likely found to be cross-threaded when the time comes to clean or service. Each manufacturer has a unique style for OL housing.

The telescope bodies are either leather or thermoset clad; the thermoset (vulcanised rubber) plastic cladding is usually later than leather. Suitable leather was in shorter supply towards the war's end, and the plastic thermoset cladding would have been faster/cheaper in late WW2 for the original manufacturing production line. An early serial WW2 scope may have been repaired and recoated in thermoset. Still, unlikely that the leather would need replacing and unlikely recoating in thermoset plastic would have been easier than a leather repair. What is far more likely is that someone has mismatched a later thermoset-clad body with an earlier telescope, especially if alongside other tell-tale signs.