Here’s an Outstanding Testimonial to Product Quality
From the New Bedford, MA Standard-Times back in October:
Rusty old gem finds a new life
A professional hunter in Southern Austria inadvertently performed the longest, most realistic, environmental test on a rifle scope in history. A Kahles (pronounced kah-less) scope, lost in the high mountain region of the Austrian Alps in the late ’70s was found recently in technically perfect working condition.
In September, 1977, on a chamois stalk, a jaegermeister (professional hunter) from Carinthia climbed to the top of “Kometeralpe”, a 2,500-meter picturesque mountain. After shooting a chamois with his Mannlicher Luxus 6.5×57 topped with a Kahles Helia 6×42 riflescope, the jaegermeister rested his firearm against a boulder and ascended to where the game was taken.
After field dressing his animal, he returned to the spot where he believed his rifle to be. Unfortunately, the hunter spent the entire afternoon searching the mountainside for his gear but didn’t find it. In the ensuing days and weeks, he regularly returned to the area to search for his rifle but was unsuccessful.
That was one EXPENSIVE chamois!
Months, years, and a quarter century passed. High above the timberline, rifle and scope rested upright against the boulder — being abused by the harsh elements of nature at this high elevation. Summer heat and dust, followed by strong storms and heavy showers of ice and snow tested its durability.
Almost three decades later, Hannes, a young jaegermeister from Obervellach, a small village in the Austrian Alps, ascended the same mountain, stalking a chamois. After making a good shot, Hannes proceeded down the slope to his animal.
To his amazement, next to the chamois and just barely visible, leaning against a gray stone boulder, was an old rifle. The stock was rotten and bleached by the elements, and all of the steel parts were rusted throughout — a sad resemblance of what once was a hunter’s pride.
The rifle was in poor, unusable condition, but when Hannes looked through the scope he couldn’t believe his eyes: the image quality was like that of his new modern scope, with the crosshair standing out crisp and clear against a sharp, brilliant and extremely bright image. The steel surfaces were rusty, yet all of the aluminum parts were unharmed. The mechanical parts, including both elevation and windage adjustments still worked perfectly, and even after all those years in the most extreme of elements, the scope remained waterproof.
After contacting the original owner, Kahles purchased this “environmentally tested” rifle and scope. X-ray analysis showed that the rifle was still loaded and cocked but on safety (shame on the jaegermeister — it should’ve been unloaded). The action was locked up by corrosion and was made moveable only after burning the powder in the chamber.
This rifle and scope, a testament to the durability of Kahles optics, will be displayed at future major trade shows. This scope still remains in its original condition after being discovered in the high mountain regions of Austria.
Kahles, founded in 1898, is the oldest rifle scope manufacturer in the world.
Kahles scopes are mucho dinero, but apparently worth the price!