Interesting comparison, looking back

It’s good to look back to have newfound appreciation of advancements. I remember the early days of handgunning. Most of my earliest exposure was old moldy American Rifleman or Guns publications. I came on the scene at least a decade late and was able to get in on the work of Bob Milek and later Ross Seyfried.

My current urge is to assemble a retro rig for simple pleasure, maybe a later hunt application, but mainly just to enjoy shooting. Through some fine friends things are shaping up. I enjoy chance loosely guiding my direction on some things like this. Usually I just sit back in wonderment. The TC frame and parts, scope and mounts, maybe even the caliber, all fall into place by a higher directed authority.

This was fun. Comparing the different generations of optics. The early TC Lobo 3x was good in the early 70’s. Tough for the day, when .44 Mag. was the beastiest. It’s adjustments are comparatively coarse at 0.5 MOA. It’s small, compact and light. The rail system of mounting no doubt was attempting to resolve recoil creep. A bit later Bushnell upgraded the competing Phantom to the “Magnum Phantom” 2.5x. Still retaining a railed type mount. The optics were notably upsized as was the tube diameter. It retains the 1/2” clicks. I never measured the available range of movement but for a handgun you likely need a lot for various platforms. These were both purpose built specific duty optics. A more current TC LER is 1” tube and offers more fine 1/4” clicks. A huge advancement is the ability to withstand crazy (by old standards) recoil and variable “high” magnification. This 2-7x is useful with minimal adjustment over the expected eye relief. Amazing, since how many different arm lengths you might encounter.

The Lobo weighs just under 7 oz., the later 1” TC about 9 oz, but it’s mounting will almost match the Lobo weight itself. How far we have come. Yet we also got a lot done in the mid-pioneering days I’ve seen. The Hudston and Weaver multiplier devices were both smaller and larger in the early most days. I have found surviving examples very rare.

These days, driven by capitalistic needs, makers are discontinuing LER product lines. Is handgun hunting waiting? Red dots dominating? I find it all a very enriching study.