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If you are planning to buy Kahles Scopes then you must be wondering, where are they made?
We’ll answer your question in this article.
Let’s go!
Where Are Kahles Riflescopes Made?
Kahles is an Austrian manufacturer that makes high-quality sports optics. Their products include riflescopes, binoculars, rangefinders, and red dots. Kahles is one of Europe’s oldest optical companies and has been around since 1898. Kahles’ headquarters and main production facility are located near Vienna, Austria. Kahles was acquired in 1974 by Swarovski Optics.
Brief History
Kahles’ company was founded by merging two companies that made traditional microscopes and telescopes. Their products were sold under the names of Simon Plossl and Karl Fritsch. After the merger, the new company was named Kahles & Co., and they began making high-end binocular and telescope equipment.
Note: If you want to know a complete guide and tutorials about scopes click HERE.
The First Kahles Riflescope
Kahles introduced telescopic sights for hunting rifles in 1900. Telescopic scopes were popular among hunters because they allowed them to see further distances than normal shooting scopes.
Kahles made many improvements to the design of hunting scopes over the years. Today, Kahles continues to make hunting scopes that are still used by hunters around the world.
Kahles’ riflescopes were used for hunting and marine applications. Their scope line included the Helia series, which had a high magnification and a wide field of view.
World War II and the Aftermath
After the war, Kahles was forced into producing military-grade products. He had to restructure the company to survive.
Thanks to the efforts of Friedrich Kähler, the company regained its position within no time. In the 1950s, the Helia rifle scope with variable magnification was unveiled.
The development of the Helia super riflescope with variable power was also attributed to the Kähler brand. Introduced in 1960, the engineers sealed the optical cavity of the Helia super riflescope using O-rings, which helped to prevent contamination by external water.
Production Facilities
Kahles’ production facilities are located in Vienna, Austria. He maintains close relationships with the management of Swaroski Optik. A constant exchange of information and experiences is the reason behind the successful relationship between the two companies.
Guntramsdorf Lower Austria Austria
The company manufactures riflescopes in Lower Austria. All Kahles binoculars are made in Austria, but Helia S is made in China. Red dots and rangefinders are made in Asia.
The factory in Guntramsdorfer is equipped with state-of-the-art technology for the manufacture of high-end devices, such as smartphones. The production floor houses computerized milling and lathe machines that machine all metallic components made from high-quality solid metal blocks. The components are acquired from Swarovskis Optik, which helps streamline the production process. The atmosphere and temperature inside the assembly area are controlled to prevent unwanted particles from entering the interior of the scope assembly.
After assembly, the scopes go through quality control inspection to identify defective components. Conforming scopes are sent toward the packaging area.
Where are Kahles Scopes Made?
Series Origin
Kahles offers a variety of rifle scopes for both hunting and outdoor sports.
Hunting Riflescopes
The Helia brand is synonymous with quality, performance, and reliable technology. It was introduced in 1926, and over time its mechanical design and optical properties were refined. Today, the Helias is used by hunters worldwide.
Below are all the Helia rifle scopes currently offered by Kahles.
How a Kahles Riflescope Is Made?
Why do scopes cost more than the rifle? Because they’re made by a company called Kahles. Their products are built in Austria.
Modern Riflescope Inventor Karl Kahles
The first optical sights were invented by Christian Wildner. These sights were made out of glass and had a very high quality. They were also expensive. However, they were much lighter than iron sights.
He improved the color reproduction, brightness, field of view, and eye relief – with a short tube length. Instead of spider silk for the scope, he used thin platinum wire mounted so that adjustments could be made. With the Mignon model, he introduced the rifle scope design we encounter today: with a slim tube, thick lenses, and an adjustable objective.
High Precision Metalworking for Riflescopes
Weighing 1,900 grams, solid aluminum rods like this are used to make rifle scopes. In stage two of production, 21 percent of the original rod remains, which now weighs 402 grams. Kahles manufactures the tubes from solid metal rods.
First, they are heat-treated and then cooled according to a carefully monitored temperature program. This removes any residual stress in the material. Subsequent milling removes the housing from the blank, leaving a weight of almost 2 kilograms.
The housing barely weighs less than 100 grams. The tube blanks are deburred by hand, giving them a special internal structure to eliminate light scatter. They are cleaned meticulously multiple times, ensuring that the reticles are perfectly aligned.
The mechanical parts are turned and milled, including the adjustment wheels of the turret as well as the mounts of the reticle. This process is done with extreme precision. An error of 5 micrometers will result in an error of 50 millimeters at 1000 meters.
Radial cams are used for zoom functions. Precise measurements must be taken into account when making these cams. Zero play assembly ensures maximum shooting stability and repeatability of adjustments.
A barrel at the edge of a room shows what he means: some parts are missing. These parts were used to make things that didn’t meet the required specifications.
Where Are Kahles Binoculars Made?
Swarovski Optik is a subsidiary of Swarovski. It produces sports equipment. Their main products include binoculars, rifles scopes, rangefinders, and red dots. Founded in 1898 in Austria, the company has a long history. Its manufacturing plant is located in Vienna, where the business has been around since the start.
Kahles Karls produces the first binoculars in the world. Their riflescopes are also very famous. Their binoculars are still being sold today.
Only some years ago, the Austrian company had stopped producing binoculars. Now, it outsources them to China.
Conclusion
We hope that now you know where these reliable scopes are made. If you have any queries feel free to reach out in the comments section below.
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