Grabbing your Cat by its Tail

[Sterling White]

I'm really digging my magnification adjustment lever. Any thoughts on this?

[Doug H.]

I'm really digging my magnification adjustment lever. Any thoughts on this?

I have 2 R&R cat tails, one on a Meopta and one on a Swarovski and I love them both. Easy to slap the magnification up or down during the course of fire. I also think that they would be very usefull for hunting with gloves on. I wouldn't worry about the o-ring, it will last or it won't.

Doug

Edited September 19, 2009 by Doug H.

[rtr]

The cat tail isn't changing anything about the dynamics of how the zoom ring and the o-ring interface, it's just making it easier for you to turn the zoom ring. So I don't see a reason that it would accelerate the wear of the o-ring or any other part.

Edited September 19, 2009 by rtr

[Tyler Payne]

I heard from someone running a S&B that the cat tails can break scopes...

[rtr]

I heard from someone running a S&B that the cat tails can break scopes...

This is certainly possible, all of our cat tails come with a warning stating as such. The scopes have stops at the extremes of their range, if you crank too hard you can break them.

But if used properly our cat tails won't damage your scope.

[Sterling White]

The cat's tail makes it much easier to the lever the scope. The number of adjustments have gone up now that it's been installed because adjusting the scope has become part of my practice routine.

Will the o-ring eventually fail and what are the signs - change in the poi, a clinking sound inside the scope, or a nitrogen headache caused by the poof?

And when this happens then what?

[rtr]

The cat's tail makes it much easier to the lever the scope. The number of adjustments have gone up now that it's been installed because adjusting the scope has become part of my practice routine.

Will the o-ring eventually fail and what are the signs - change in the poi, a clinking sound inside the scope, or a nitrogen headache caused by the poof?

The answer probably depends on the individual scope. You may want to contact the manufacturer and ask them. What kind do you have?

[Sterling White]

leupold

[RaymondMillbrae]

These cat tails are the bomb.

I recently installed one onto my Meopta Meostar, and it is sweet.

But like everything in life, there is always a catch. For every action, there is a reaction.

In the case of the cat tails: If you are changing the magnification WITHOUT a cat tail, you are grabbing the adjustment ring at TWO POINTS. (You are making the adjustment with your thumb and forefinger. on two opposite sides of the adjustment ring). This gives an even distribution of "twist" to the adjustment ring. But if you are using a cat tail, you are making the adjustment from only ONE POINT - the cat tail. (Even though the rest of the cat tail wraps around the entire adjustment ring). This one leverage point of the cat tail - which sticks-out from the surface of the adjustment ring - takes the full force of the twist.

It will be harder on your scope.

But like I said, everything is a balance. You must realize that you are creating this extra force on the adjustment ring, and not crank that baby till you make the world spin in the opposite direction.

Let me give you another example...charging handles.

Look the the below-style charging handle. These handles are found all over the place. They are large, and give a full area for you to grab and "pull back" with.

But once again, for every action, there is a reacton.

I and my buddy have found that these style charging handles are NOT smooth. By the shear shape of them, you have a tendancy (under the stress of competition or combat) to NOT pull directly back on them. This causes the front end of the charging handle to shift hard left...hence causing some rough rubbing. This equates to a NON-SMOOTH pull. Or in other words, it takes more effort to pull them back.

I have found that the design of the PRI CHARGING HANDLES are the very best.

The design is large enough to be able to grab even if blindfolded, or with gloves...and will always give you a STRAIGHT BACK pull.

Having ordered a POF upper, I will not need the whole PRI Gas Buster Charging Handle. So I made due with the PRI BIG LATCH instead. (See picture below).

Anyhoo...back to the topic. Think things through, and then try them out yourself.

Some things "should not work" in theory...but they do in actuality. And then again, some things should theoretically work...but do not in actuality.

Just sharing some of my psycho-babble.

In Christ: Raymond

[Charles Bond]

These cat tails are the bomb.

I recently installed one onto my Meopta Meostar, and it is sweet.

But like everything in life, there is always a catch. For every action, there is a reaction.

In the case of the cat tails: If you are changing the magnification WITHOUT a cat tail, you are grabbing the adjustment ring at TWO POINTS. (You are making the adjustment with your thumb and forefinger. on two opposite sides of the adjustment ring). This gives an even distribution of "twist" to the adjustment ring. But if you are using a cat tail, you are making the adjustment from only ONE POINT - the cat tail. (Even though the rest of the cat tail wraps around the entire adjustment ring). This one leverage point of the cat tail - which sticks-out from the surface of the adjustment ring - takes the full force of the twist.

It will be harder on your scope.

Raymond I am going to have to disagree with you. When using a cats tail the force used to crank the power is evenly distributed around the adjust ring whether you use two fingers or one finger of a cat tail. Such is the physics assoicated with a circle. Grabbing the adjustment ring at mulitiple points is as you point out better since is more evenly applies the force of the adjustment. But the difference is the force applied to the outter ring and the inner ring.

Because the other ring of a cats tail transfers the force to the inner ring and the ring is a solid structure from the outer to the inner, all force to the outer ring is evenly applied to the inner. This is true as long as the force is applied to the intended plane of adjustment and this is what makes a socket wrench such a great tool.

What is going to make a difference is when you apply force outside the plane of adjustment by using the leverage either fore or aft. In that case you are indeed stressing the O ring and certainly the tube since the force "pinches" when applied either fore or aft the intended plane of adjustment. This is true cat tail or not. What the cat tail does is make it far easier to apply the force incorrectly. Having said that I would believe that short of dropping the weapon with the mounted optic with a cat tail attached so that the cat tail strikes another object the wrong way, you are not going to apply enough force out of the intended range of adjustment to damage the scope unless you are dealing with the most bottom end of scopes.

But back to the original question having to do with O rings. Any scuba diver knows that these are tough little items. I have seen them pinched to no end when they were not poperly insterted in the tank valve, the first stage of the regulator is then screwed on with more foot pounds than is ever applied to even a scope mount and the dive goes off without a hitch. Change that example out to a dive camera and all kids of bad things happen becuse the rings are much thinner and they get disassembled repeatedly and often it is that one grain of sand that will allow one to leak but we (at least not I) disassemble our scopes. As long as that O ring which was properly installed on the scope and assuming proper installaton on the scope (nothing cross threaded), you can adjust the power twice daily for years and you should not wear it out since the O ring is in a sealed environment and things that destroy O rings, light and foreign objects, and not reach it cause a failure.

Will you wear out other parts of the scope with daily adjustments? Maybe. But you are not going to have your O ring fail just because you crank the power back and forth. And if I am wrong, and you have to send it back for a replacement after using it for 5 years, the repair is going to be no big deal. Or you could think of it this way, if you did not want to adjust the power setting, you would have never paid the extra funds for a variable.

[TRUBL]

I want to point out that having an actual lever on your scope power adjustment will not destroy your scope.

However......if you are now finding yourself flipping that power rign back and forth faster than you've ever done before....or even slapping it back and forth.....it is only a matter of time and yes, you will destroy your scope. The power ring tranfers rotational movement to linear movement of the lens that changes your image size in the optic. Never designed to go fast. Yes, people are breaking their scopes with these cat tails.

The o-ring is the last thing I'd worry about.....it's the mechanism that is made out of brass or aluminum that is taking the abuse. The parts that make up the 'tracks' that the pins ride in are very thin aluminum tubes....they will take on significant wear (protective finish wearing off, dents, etc.) by being moved so fast.

If you think about it, you really only need a bump that you can feel (or see with a glance) so that you can then KNOW what power setting you are on. The transition dosen't need to be fast.....just knowing where you are at and where you want to go is really all that is needed.

At any rate.....slapping the power ring back and forth will eventually (and faster than normal....way faster) will produce unwanted results. You may want to consider cat tails that only protrude maybe 3/8 to 1/2" out max.

Tim

Edited September 21, 2009 by TRUBL

[jobob]

I got the R&R version on my Meopta. I don't think it would be necessary, except that the Meopta (mine anyway) has a very stiff power ring, and it was time consuming to switch power settings during a stage. My TR21 doesn't really need one, because the power ring turns very easily. For the most part changing power is done by feel - stop to stop, low to high. The power levels in between get little use, so I could see how slapping that lever back and forth could create excess wear on the internal parts.

[rtr]

......if you are now finding yourself flipping that power rign back and forth faster than you've ever done before....or even slapping it back and forth.....it is only a matter of time and yes, you will destroy your scope. The power ring tranfers rotational movement to linear movement of the lens that changes your image size in the optic. Never designed to go fast. Yes, people are breaking their scopes with these cat tails.

I would just like to point out that I am not aware of anyone using a Charlie Drissel Cat tail that we at 3gunstuff.com sell ever damaging their scope in any way. We have sold quite a few and not one customer has reported any damage to their scope as a result of our cat tails. In our testing on a variety of scopes we have never damaged a scope in any way.

As long as they are used properly our cat tails shouldn't cause any damage to your scope.

[jobob]

......if you are now finding yourself flipping that power rign back and forth faster than you've ever done before....or even slapping it back and forth.....it is only a matter of time and yes, you will destroy your scope. The power ring tranfers rotational movement to linear movement of the lens that changes your image size in the optic. Never designed to go fast. Yes, people are breaking their scopes with these cat tails.

I would just like to point out that I am not aware of anyone using a Charlie Drissel Cat tail that we at 3gunstuff.com sell ever damaging their scope in any way. We have sold quite a few and not one customer has reported any damage to their scope as a result of our cat tails. In our testing on a variety of scopes we have never damaged a scope in any way.

As long as they are used properly our cat tails shouldn't cause any damage to your scope.

That's nice to hear. I would like to hear any specifics about someone breaking their scope from using one of these units. Just saying "people are breaking their scopes" doesn't cut it. Who, when, where, what scope?

[TonyH]

I had one on my Leupold MK 4 for several years now & it has been moved many times in a hurry & still works perfect.

[TRUBL]

For one....talk to Daniel Horner on his Meopta's

Me with my Burris 3x9 tactical.

Any more?

[Charles Bond]

For one....talk to Daniel Horner on his Meopta's

Me with my Burris 3x9 tactical.

Any more?

I would never had guessed that it would be a problem with either. Daniel likely practices more than I shoot and I have found most of the Burris items to be pretty tough but you never know.

[TRUBL]

Mine was a surprise at best....then I saw Daniels at the Tri-GUn, he had taken his round bar off his cat tail, i asked him why, he said he had broken a "couple Meoptas" by slappin the lever back and forth....and you can imagine how he would do that....I can picture it.

As for mine.....it probably was more of torture test.....but I was suprises at how loose (read SLOPPY) it got in a relatively short amount of time. Does mine wtill work? somewhat, but the tracks are worn and it's NOT pretty.

Tim