Old Leupold with “locking collar”. Why’d they do that?

[joshb]

A guy is selling an old scope with a locking collar. I have never seen one. Why did they do it?

 

[Adam in WI]

Curious myself. I had a guy tell me my vintage Vari-X III was worth measurably less because it lacked this feature. Made no sense to me, and I had no trouble selling it without it.

 

[FNSafari]

If you mean on the objective lens, to prevent it from moving under recoil.

 

[joshb]

If you mean on the objective lens, to prevent it from moving under recoil.

No. It has an aluminum ring just behind the turrets.

 

[Dub]

I believe this is what is called Frozen. crosshairs cannot move

 

[joshb]

I believe this is what is called Frozen. crosshairs cannot move

Yes, but this isn’t Frozen. It can be locked, then unlocked, adjusted and relocked.

 

[BoydAllen]

That modification was invented by Lou Murdica and manufactured and installed by Don Nielson. To make an adjustment you back off the thumb screws and then lightly snug them when you are finished. They oppose the turrets so that the erector tube is mechanically supported all the way around instead of depending on a spring to hold it in contact with the bottoms of the turrets.

 

[joshb]

Thank you!!

 

[BoydAllen]

The down side is this mod probably voided the Leupold warranty. For the screws to reach the erector tube (inner tube that moves when the scope is adjusted) small holes had to be drilled in the scopes main tube.

 

[FNSafari]

Yes, but this isn’t Frozen. It can be locked, then unlocked, adjusted and relocked.

You are correct

 

[shoobe01]

Neat! Lots of perfectly good scope / dot brands get at least occasional problems with return springs actually driving the adjustment properly, and I always liked the way e.g. the FAL rear sight worked with two opposing screws like this as well.

Now I see it, seems obvious so wish everyone sufficiently high dollar and maybe rough environment would design to accept this and just install some cap screws on the opposite side. If you need it for diagnostics or want absolute assurance the system is locked in, remove and put in proper counter-drive screws.

 

[257ack]

The LCR's had a reputation for not holding poi In group benchrest. There was the tucker conversion and the Buckys mount for frozen scopes and there was another mount for frozen scopes that was popular but I cant remember who made it. When you get near 80 your memory fades

 

[FNSafari]

The LCR's had a reputation for not holding poi In group benchrest. There was the tucker conversion and the Buckys mount for frozen scopes and there was another mount for frozen scopes that was popular but I cant remember who made it. When you get near 80 your memory fades

I had a Jewell-Foster frozen mount set and found it to be problematic. I sold it and bought a Bob Brackney frozen Leup competiton 45x in his mounts and found that extremely reliable and trustworth. Not sure if Bob is still doing the mounts and work. Give him a call nine two eight six eight four three two five five.

 

[257ack]

Yea. the other was the Brackney conversion