Picked up a vintage Kowa spotting scope. Just the name Kowa on it, no model numbers. It has a 25X eyepiece on it. It is clear and works as advertised. Any info will be appreciated. Price was $100 OTD. Value?

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

I’ve never heard of it. Looks solid. What’s google or Siri have to say?

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213th FBINA

Need a model number to look up. Just Kowa doesn't get it. If you can find something please let me know...............!

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

I believe they are a high quality Japenese optic. You can get different power eyepieces for it.

Try Kowa TS-2. Produced in the '50s. Images look similar to yours. I saw on an astronomy forum that I guy sent some pics to Kowa and they told him the model and other info. Might be helpful to try that.

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The best I can with what I got

From my photography/astronomy background, Kowa are (were?) a quality mid-range Japanese optic.
If it is in good shape and fits your need, I'd say you made out OK.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

It might be the TS-1…..I think the TS-2 was also marked as the Prominar(?).

Kowa makes great optics. I run two for high power rifle (TSN-1 and TSN 663)

$100 sounds fair.

Possibly a TS-1

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213th FBINA

I would say you are correct. https://optical.kowa-opt.co.jp/ts/e/...t/history.html This one was used by Bill Jenkins He has a gunsmithing shop here and had a couple of tables here at the local gun show.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

I'm not familiar with your spotting scope, but Kowa makes great optics. You'll see number of them at Camp Perry.

I sold a Unertl and a Leupold spotting scope after I bought this Kowa TSN-821 with a 20-60X eyepiece. I also have an early Kowa 4X rifle scope with fluoride lenses that's incredibly clear.



These are mostly gone...

Unertl


Leupold - I still have the Swarovski collapsible spotter...

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"I also cook."

Kowa Sporting Optics
– Kowa Sporting Optics USA

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Pisgah

Your Kowa is identical to one I bought in Korea in 1966 at the PX at Rec. Center #1 at Yonjugol. I paid $25 for it brand new! It has been a completely satisfactory spotting scope for me, even Allowing spotting of .22 Cal. bullet holes at 100 yds+. So far I have never found a reason to replace it! I do have a second spotting scope, one my Father gave me about 50 years ago. It doesn't do any better than my Kowa and I usually only use the Kowa.

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Gunsmithing since 1961

Thanks for the help folks. I accumulate spotting scopes, not sure why but I do. I bought this Kowa today and a M49 Observation scope, these give me 21 spotting scopes, I guess it is an affliction. Will drag the Kowa out to the range in the morning to see how it compares against my Leupold that I normally use.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

I’ve seen one Kowa spotting scope but didn’t get to look through it. I was a professional photographer for 55 years and Kowa was a middle of the road manufacturer. They did produce some exceptional graphic arts lenses but most of their glass was good but not exceptional. In the 35mm world they certainly were not in the same class as Leica, Zeiss, Nikon or Canon. I’m not aware of them producing any dogs however.

I’d guess it’s good scope using old glass technology. I’d expect some color fringing at higher magnification with lower contrast than modern scopes due to old coating technology. High refractive glass and nano and multi coated elements have seriously improved scopes. I’d say it’s a reasonable price at $75-100.

For anyone looking at older optics here are a couple of things to look out for.

Often old lenses, scopes and optics are retired to a loser or basement where moisture may be a problem. Humidity and a dark environment are the perfect formula for mold to grow on lens elements. It’s very common in the photo world for lenses to be destroyed this way.

What happens, mold spores are everywhere and the love to grow on glass, especially older coated glass. The particular mold sends out tendrils, mycelium, much like roots but these fuzzy plants metabolize coatings and secrete hydrofluoric acid. HF is extremely strong and actually etched the glass which destroys it. I’ve seen many very expensive lenses destroyed by these molds. Once a lens is etched there’s no repairing that surface unless it polished once again and that doesn’t always work. Often the etching is deep enough that polishing would change the profile of the lens rendering it useless in that device.

If you’re storing optics, a dry place to store them will prevent mold as well as sunlight (UV).

Next is haze in an optical system. Lubricants in focusing systems frequently evaporate over time and collect on the glass. This coating looks like haze which reduces contrast. Sometimes it can be cleaned off but sometimes the chemicals attack the glass. Canon lenses from the 40’s and 50’s as well as Leica lenses through the 70’s and beyond were notorious for having haze from evaporating lubricants. It’s not uncommon if the haze has been in the lens a while for it to bind to the glass and become impossible to remove.

I just had 4 very expensive Leica lenses cleaned but one worth over $7K has a faint haze that can not be removed. It’s extremely faint and I can live with that. Unfortunately it’s a fact of life with some manufacturers optics and the only possible fix is to disassemble them completely, clean each surface as best we can do and re-lube with a synthetic grease that won’t evaporate as readily. Of course all of this has to be done by a competent optical technician with specialty equipment as these optics are extremely precise.

The way to check fir haze is shine a light through the optic while looking from the other end. A point source like your light on your phone works best. Just look to see if there’s a halo around the light source. If not you’re good and if so you have a problem.

Took the Kowa to the range this morning. Very clear and bright both at 50 yards and 100 yards. Works as advertised. I did find that I do not like the angled eye piece. It is great if you are standing up, but when used in benchrest it is a pain. I have to stand up each and every shot to look in the scope. I found that very distracting.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

Thanks for the field report.
I didn't appreciate the advantage of a spotting scope until I got some experience, and realized how neccesary it was in learning to call shots correctly. I'm still learning to do that.



I started with with a cheap, used, straight scope but quickly found a better scope with angled eye lens can make it easier to stay in position while checking shots. However a few guys I see have straight scopes set up on stands in a manner that works for them. (see photo) Also a lot of guys set the scopes up on their support side both for prone and off hand.



For comparison my new Diamondback 65mm cost a lot more, has some blue fringing around branches (when used for wildlife observation), and is just adequate in poorer light conditions for spotting .30 cal holes in the black at 100 yds.

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The upper end newer Kowa spotting scopes are about as good as you can get, but expensive.I don't know if they had different price levels with the older scopes or not, but will assume they did. Good luck in your search.

On Army team we had scope mount inside the lid of shooting box, we had to lean over to look at target but was fine as we only looked at target after shooting. In bullseye one Never looks at the target until finished shooting. Combat matches we shot were a little different but still at 25 yards.

You mean like this? This is my pistol case now. It draws some looks and questions at the range, since it is rather old school. The Kowa was being used in benchrest, which is why I found the eye piece angle distracting. In Bullseye shooting or rifle position shooting maybe not so much. The gentleman I bought the scope from had been with the AMU in the Army.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

I picked up one of those Pachmayr boxes many moons ago but it didnt have the spotting scope with it since it was an option. Good to know what it may have originally came with.

Long ago I went to angled eyepieces and never looked back. (cough...., pun intended).

In my Bullseye box the eyepiece is pointed laterally, so I just turn my head left and look. It's at eye level from a standing position. Same approach works prone except I tilt the eyepiece up a bit. Look left and down. From the bench, I put the scope low on my left (not on the bench) and point the eyepiece upward. I just lean over and look down.

Some folks have trouble aligning an angled scope with the target. I can see that (oops did it again; puns are the lowest form of humor). A straight eyepiece aligns more naturally with what you want to look at. I've gotten used to doing it with angled ones, but some people struggle.

I don't struggle with the angled eye piece, just do not really care for it. If I had had one of them years ago I may be more amenable to the use of the angled eye piece. So this one will sit in my collection of spotting scopes (21 at last count).

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

Kowa didn't put model numbers on their scopes like my TS-9 from the 1980's. But they were great performers for the price, so I think you did real good for $150. Mine got blown over recently at the range and knocked the lenses loose. Haven't found a repair place and Kowa didn't have much for support after a Google search. Still kind of a quirky company I guess.

All of my optics repair has been handled by Suddarth Optics Repair.
Corey is fabulous to work with and does premium work.

Randy

Kowa Prominar.

I'd place it's value at 50-75 dollars.

I still have a Unertl that looks just like the one in your photo. It is very clear and gathers a lot of light, but is heavy. I've had it since the early 70's. I have a Kowa TS 501 mounted in my bullseye pistol case. It is 20X, very clear and lightweight.

When you find some at that price let me know.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

$50-$75 for my Kowa?

You’d better put a zero behind those numbers.

Actually, I wouldn’t sell mine at any price. To me it’s invaluable.

You got a bargain. You'd never come close to getting glass these days for that price.