Redfield Frontier 4x

[Roamin_Wade]

I recently replaced my Redfield Frontier 4x scope with another scope. I was thinking about selling the Redfield on eBay. Looking at other Redfield 4x scopes in EBay, I found that they are listed for as much as $150. Is there something special about this straight 4x scope? Why are used ones so high?

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

The old ones are made in Germany or the US and are high quality and somewhat desireable. Keep in mind that $150 is really not alot for a good scope of any vintage.

I put this Frontier on my Romanian M69 and its a perfect match. Not many companies still make a fixed 4X anymore too, and its a useful all around scoped thats simple and rugged.

4X magnification offers sufficient zoom at short and medium ranges to see and track deer- sized game while still allowing a good field of view for scanning brush and shade.

 

[Laphroaig]

Back in the day, certainly when Redfields were manufactured in Colorado, they were considered at or near the top of the line. The MSRP from a 1964 catalog for the 4x was $59.50. That was a lot of money in those days.

I suppose some people still have a soft spot for those scopes. In fact, I hunted with a 1965 vintage 2-7x until a couple of years ago. It never let me down and I still have it mounted on another rifle. The glass has a slight sepia tint but is optically perfect and holds zero.

The Redfield Company got into a ton of trouble,that eventually bankrupted them, due to groundwater contamination at their Denver manufacturing facility. The quality of their optics declined in the later years (1980's) until they went out of business.

 

[Hookeye]

I have run a Leupold compact 4X on slug gun, .22 rf and deer rifles.
You may not be able to zoom in and count points out yonder (that's what 8 or 10X binos are for).
But........you'll never have the scope cranked up too high to screw you on a surprise close shot.
Guys w 3-9X have been burned many a time.

A 1-4X is pretty sweet in timber. 1 or 2X on the low end makes movers easy.
But if you have good gun fit and shoot both eyes open, a 4X is entirely doable.
Plus proly even out the minus.

Just a solid no frills hunting tool.

So nowadays people think it aint cool.
Jokes on them.

 

[Hookeye]

Vintage scopes............seem to be fashionable now.

Want to scope grandpa's rifle.....heck yes it needs to look right.

Have checked and some people think the old scopes worth quite a bit.
Maybe, maybe not.

Factories closed. Models discontinued. You'll have to go aftermarket for repair (if possible).
Think one place does Weavers, just a reseal and nitrogen job is at least 80 bucks, plus shipping.
And there's a 6 month warranty. Plus there's the turnaround time/waiting list.

Of course, somebody had a scope and it died. Now they want to put another one on just like it, and deer season coming up.
They'll pay top dollar for one.

That tends to fool potential sellers.

Eh, everybody gets more for their stuff than I do LOL
Timing is never great. Not bad. But never great.

IMHO a decent 4X is worth having around.
Never know when a a younger family member will get a .22 rifle.

 

[LoonWulf]

The old ones are made in Germany or the US and are high quality and somewhat desireable. Keep in mind that $150 is really not alot for a good scope of any vintage.
View attachment 892001
I put this Frontier on my Romanian M69 and its a perfect match. Not many companies still make a fixed 4X anymore too, and its a useful all around scoped thats simple and rugged.

4X magnification offers sufficient zoom at short and medium ranges to see and track deer- sized game while still allowing a good field of view for scanning brush and shade.

That redfield looks familiar......


Theres always a market for vintage optics in good condition, for all of the reasons already covered.
Ive made a habit of buying up any cheap, good condition, gloss bodied scopes I see locally. Sometimes without looking to see what they are. Ill then turn around and post the ones i dont think are real cool on ebay. The ones I do think are neat get posted here, or given to friends.
With what Ive gotten for the ebay stuff Ive more than broken even for the stuff Ive sold cheap or given away.

Another thing ill do is pull old scopes off guns I buy. Since Im one of the folks that likes higher magnification and trying new brands of optics.
On a good buy sometimes that "old" scope, will sell for 1/2 or better what i spent on the whole package.

One of the things to watch if you DO play the ebay game, is how many folks are watching your auction, and what have other similar things sold for. Ill usually post a buy it now for about 20% more than what the average sale price is and start about the same low, sometimes you get the guy willing to spend just a bit more cause he got scooped in a lower auction, but with that pricing youll almost always get a sale.
Ive had stuff get relisted for a couple weeks tho.....as Hookeye said, sometimes its just timing. Thats where seeing how many watchers there are makes a difference, if you dont really get any interest you need to check your title, keywords etc, if those are good, it might be best to just sit on that item for a while.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

That redfield looks familiar......

I bet it does! Smells like pineapples and lava.......

Thanks again for the great deal on that one, Loon!

 

[LoonWulf]

I bet it does! Smells like pineapples and lava.......

Thanks again for the great deal on that one, Loon!

Glad it found a good home and your happy with it!