Kowa rifle scopes

H

husdat

Active Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2007
Messages
27
I bought two rifle scopes made by Kowa. I never knew that Kowa actually made rifle scopes. kinda surprised. I anyways, I bought them because I know Kowa is good; I have Kowa spotting scopes. by the way, I need to ask some questions.

when does Kowa make rifle scope? the zoom rifle scope has its view getting a bit blurry as I increase the power. I do not see a focus knob anywhere to refocus. is this the same problem with other zoom rifle scopes?

I heard the Kowa Prominar products are made out of a whole piece of fluorite crystal, not just a fluorite coating applied on the surface like other optics. is that true? if so, it would be a wow for now I am having a fluorite rifle scope, which is so cool.

the two turnable knobs for the cross-hair are kinda hard to move. do other scopes have the same problem?

thanks.
 
Rifle scopes are like automobile batteries. There aint but 12+/- companies in the whole world that actually make(m.a.n.u.f.a.c.t.u.r.e.) rifle scopes. Same for car batteries. All the rest is marketing marketing marketing(i.e. Bushnell, Huskemaw, Simmons, BSA, Tasco, ad infinitum). A lot of scope cos are just marketing (sales) organizations and never MADE any thing, they just sell their oriental products to us sportsmen. Some are good optical products, most not. Not sure about Kowa. You could Google it and find out more info.
 
silvertip-co said:
Rifle scopes are like automobile batteries. There aint but 12+/- companies in the whole world that actually make(m.a.n.u.f.a.c.t.u.r.e.) rifle scopes. Same for car batteries. All the rest is marketing marketing marketing(i.e. Bushnell, Huskemaw, Simmons, BSA, Tasco, ad infinitum). A lot of scope cos are just marketing (sales) organizations and never MADE any thing, they just sell their oriental products to us sportsmen. Some are good optical products, most not. Not sure about Kowa. You could Google it and find out more info.
Click to expand...

Silvertip , I would be real interested in seeing a list of who makes the Glass , where the Glass is Ground into Lenses , and where it is Assembled . I know that these things can change from year to year , but it would still be interesting to KNOW . I also think there are less than 12 Companies who make all the Lenses . I think IOR uses Zeiss Glass . Don't know where it is Ground , and I believe it is Assembled in Yugoslavia / Serbia . I think Nightforce Glass is Ground by a Japanese Co. called Lightforce , and then it is assembled in Idaho . I would appreciate any inputs from someone who knows .
 
answer from Kowa

Buffalobob said:
Do you also have title to a bridge in New York and water front property in Florida?

I believe you have been had by the knockoff scam artists.

Here is Kowa's homepage

Kowa USA - Sporting Optics, Medical Equipment, Opto-Electronics
Click to expand...

this is the reply from Kowa for the questions that I asked:


[FONT=&quot]Thank you for your e-mail. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Kowa has not made rifle scopes in very long time perhaps not since the 1960's. Unfortunately, we do not have information about the rifle scopes as they were made before Kowa was established here in the U.S. in 1981. We have also inquired about the rifle scopes from the factory in the past, but they do not have any information either.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]What I can tell you is that the Prominar is a Kowa name and that Kowa made rifle scopes in the past. Like now, all of the products in the Sporting Optics division were made in Japan.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]With regards to the fluorite crystal, some scopes incorporate pure fluorite glass and others, which are designated as 'XD' glass, use a fluorite coating. For example, the new TSN-883 & 884 have pure fluorite. The new TS-773 & 774 have the XD glass. The actual performance between the two is very similar, but using fluorite itself is more expensive as the crystal is a more delicate substance and making a lens out of it requires some expertise.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]'Prominar' is only placed on products that have either XD glass or pure fluorite. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I hope this answers at least some of your questions. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Thank you,[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Ben[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Kowa Optimed, Inc.[/FONT]


[FONT=&quot]===================[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]YAY~~~ I am having a fluorite rifle scope. =)[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]by the way Buffalobob, why would you think I have a "a title to a bridge in New York and a water front property in Florida?" I am just normal person interested in optics.[/FONT]
 
Buffalobob said:
I apologized nicely.

I look forward to reading about your hunting experiences this Fall with the scope.
Click to expand...
common,
I did say I do not mind anything. I do not hunt. I enjoy watching birds, nature, stars.... and learning about optics. that's why I bough the scopes. some people I know in Yellowknife, Arctic Canada, do go hunt. they hunt caribous. maybe some day I can visit them and go hunting with them. maybe I will need your hunting advices by then. happy hunting. =)
 
What?

I do not hunt.

Ok, I'm a "newbie" and at times not the brighest bulb on the tree, but if you do not hunt why did you post this and become a member at LongrangeHUNTING?
 
youse guys

Frazer28 said:
I do not hunt.

Ok, I'm a "newbie" and at times not the brighest bulb on the tree, but if you do not hunt why did you post this and become a member at LongrangeHUNTING?
Click to expand...


am having your chains yanked !
Lazzeroni.gif


Jimmba
 
I have a KOWA 3x9 scope on a 1957 Win model 70. I bought this scope in Japan in the early 60's for $60.00. Mind you at that time the exchange rate was 360 yen per $. That scope was very expensive in japan. The dealer said it was the best made in japan at the time, pure Fluorite glass and nitrogen filled. (kowa made glass and parts for most scopes sold in the USA and couldn't import under there name). I then had Maynard Buehler mount on the rifle with his mounts. It's as good as any Leopold that I ever had.
If I knew how to post a picture in this thread, I would include photo.:cool:
 
Kowa probably got out of making rifle scopes for the same reason that LOMO and Zeiss got out of making amateur astronomy equipment. They refused to lower the quality to where the amateur community would see a low enough price that they would buy in quantity. LOMO and Zeiss turned mainly to professional users in government/industry/science/medical because they are large scale manufacturers that cannot be supported by a few well-heeled amateurs that are actually willing and able to pay for high end optics.

Everything from Kowa I ever priced was rather expensive. Since they do not manufacture outside of Japan, they will never be as big in general amateur sales like Nikon and the other better known Japanes based companies. Look for Kowa to be better represented among professional users of optics.

And yes, optics manufacturing is like car batteries and skis. I know that ski companies build for their competitors. For instance, Fischer can build a cross country ski for Atomic even after Fischer has quit offering that model. When I shopped for backcountry skis, Atomic and Fischer seemed to be the same ski in some models except for graphics and base crown pattern. There is only one company in the world that makes the laminated wooden cores that go in wood core skis. No matter what brand of wood core ski you buy, the wood core came from that one company. Out of dozens of Nordic ski manufacturers of X-C skis that once existed, I know of only three that have survived. No matter what brand of high end sport boot you buy, it probably has a Vibram sole on it. If it doesn't say Vibram, then you bought second best sole at the most. So almost every high end boot that is made is part Italian.

In optics, you will find that even fewer companies make the glass than those who make the optical instrument. The glass and lens coating technology is at the forefront of technology. Hanging the glass into position in an optical instrument body is the easier part of the building problem. Kodak gave up on high quality cameras long ago to concentrate on film and chemistry, where the real technology and money was concentrated. They then got cheap cameras into everybody's hands to use the high quality film and chemistry that really brought in the money on a steady basis. Users of really good cameras were and are in the minority. Film and chemistry always made more difference than brand of camera when I was a navy photographer. We used Kodak film by far the most, except when Polaroid instant was necessary to the task. My Photo Chief was involved in the Navy test of various 35mm camera systems, and they found almost indiscernable results across all good brands of lenses. Film differences are instantly obvious.
 
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