Do you ever ponder on what’s the most difficult part when cloning real rifles in the airsoft world ? I did find that the answer is scopes. Looking for an optic that wasn’t used fifteen years ago by Delta Force hurts two ways :
- first your brain due to the mandatory research to pour into finding either the right scope or the perfect stand-in ;
- and your purse, because two thirds of the time the solution isn’t cheap.
It’s even worse for long guns as these are as much niche in the airsoft world than in the real one. So what was the probability of some obscure chinese manufacturer to make the correct replica of the Schmidt and Bender 3-12×50 PM II scope you need ?
Don’t try to math it, it’s approaching zero. There are two correct S&B scope clones : the (now discontinued) Vector Optics Siegfried 3-12×50 and the limited edition Kitagawa Kogaku Seizosho PMII 3-20*50. Neither will fit the bill as decent stand-in for the L17A1 scope. Despite all this, and stubborn me still wanting something better than the Siegfried for my L118A1, I decided to bang my head a little harder against the different chinese e-shops.
Chinese seller Spina Optics offered the solution I was looking for : the Ironclaw 2-12×44. It’s far from perfect. It’s not even remotely related to any S&B’s line of optics. Yet, the overall shape is fairly reminiscent, the turrets display a correctish height and while bulkier the magnification ring is in the rightish place.
It’s an -ish solution, but with some neat camouflaging tips, it suddenly does the trick.
The Vector Optics Siegfried has the correct magnification rates, ring and size. However it features the wrong turrets, and an extra undesirable turret. At least contrary to the Kitagawa there are a handful of clones that will shine from this scope (considering minor turrets tweaking) : Norwegian army’s HK417, Irish sniper kits, Belgian army snipers, etc.
The Kitagawa PMII is the perfect scope for the G28 rifle. And that’s it, nothing else.
A little sniper tape and ring inserts to turn the 30mm body into a 34mm mount compatible totally re-shape the scope. Once it will get painted, along with its host rifle, the deception should be complete. Although, I must comfess still thinking about making some custom stickers to add the Accuracy International markings to the turrets to finally fulfill this chapter.
UKSF reference images
Army snipers reference images
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