Dienstglas w/no rangefinder

[horsetrainer]

I just purchashed a 6x30 H/6400 with no rangefinder insde the optics with the serial #16274. The maker code is bek KF. What I'm asking was it common or uncommon to have no range optic inside. Note from what I can tell there is no repairs to the binoculars what so ever or is this a late war issued piece of equipment.
I thought all H/6400's had range optics installed as standard so I could use a little info on this subject

[Stew]

Hi horsetrainer,
A diffcult one to answer definitively>
IMHO 6x30 dienstglas which on the right side top prism cover have the H/6400 stamp probably did have a reticle fitted when they left the bek (Hensoldt ) factory. The H/6400 indicates that there are 6400 mils in a circle and this is relevant when assessing distance in the binocular's reticle .In the standard German WW2 reticle there is a scale from 40mils to 0 to 40 mils along a horizontal grid. Why put this stamp on the prism cover if the reticle is not to be fitted?

Now logic aside,and conversely - a number of 6x30's will be found with a reticle even though they do not have this H/6400 marking . For example from my own collection I have 6x30 's with reticles . These binocs without the H/6400 stamp are Dienstglas cxn,cag, ddx, and rln( in 8x30).

There are a number of reasons why a reticle is not present today:
(i) Yes, it might have not been fitted at the factory
(ii) It might have been removed to make them more useful in their post war civilian role.
(iii) the reticle is incredibly thin and fragile, and even an experienced serviceman has been known to suffer the embarrassment of a breakage during servicing.

Interesting topic.
best wishes,Stew

[benutzer]

ALL German Dienstglasses have had an reticle !!!
The H/6400 was only stamped at the beginn until the middle of the war, than they chanced and stampet all informations only on the right side and so they didnt vstamped longer H/6400 because it wasn't from intereste for the soldier and an not importand information.

ONE REASON

(ii) It might have been removed to make them more useful in their post war civilian role.

[horsetrainer]

Thanks to everyone for the response. The binos were from a estate I thougt it curious that the reticle was not present especially since there is no repair marks. Meaning the paint wasn't chipped or broken and the eyepieces are tight

[benutzer]

What has broken or chipped paint with an removed reticle to do ????

[horsetrainer]

Sorry, I wasn't specific usually if there were repairs done wouldn't the paint around the screw heads be disturbed ? On another note though what did the 'M' on the glasses stand for ? My best quess is that it stands for metric not marine from my understanding. If that was the case was this early war before Germany went to full wartime production? Meaning that they could of be used by the civilian population or for importation. Oh, before I sign off the questions I just brought up pertain to glasses I've noticed on Ebay.

Thanks

[benutzer]

HI

if you remove the reticle you don't touch a screw

The "M" means metric screws, you are right, this came from the time where the factorys made here own model of 6x30, if the German mades the standart service glass it was not necassery to write the "M"

[Stew]

Hi horsetrainer, benutzer is correct - just adding my 2cents the reticle is found at the base of the right side occular. You can remove the occulars without touching the top prism covers. The reticle is retained by a band and grub screws . Often the reticle is very difficult to remove because of oxidation . You need special tools to remove the retaining band ...and if a big finger is pressed against the reticle glass it breaks readily.The reticle needs to come out before the right side occular can be dissassembled fully. Now the "M" - 'til about the early 1930's (?) German binoculars used internal threads that were common to British made binoculars , eg BA,BSF and BSF threads . When the German optics industry adopted metric threads it was necessay to signify this in the initial productions.