The Anatomy of a Scope

By Brad Fitzpatrick

The basic function of a scope is simple—it helps the shooter align the barrel of a firearm with the target. But how a scope manages to do that is slightly more complex. To better understand how high-tech optics work, we’ll take a look at both the internal components and the external controls of a scope.

Internal Function

The inside of a rifle, shotgun or handgun scope works in much the same way as a telescope. There’s an objective lens, which is located in the front of the scope and allows light to come into the scope body, and an ocular lens at the rear, which makes the sight picture visible to the shooter.

There are other internal lenses that play a role in how the scope functions, too. Behind the objective (front) lens, there’s a focus lens, which helps focus objects in the scope.

Between the focus lens and the objective lens, there is an object known as an erector tube. The erector tube contains the magnification lenses and the …Read the Rest

Source:: Guns and Ammo