Russian field artillery binoculars 8*20 manufactured by the Obukhov Plant, 1916

A fairly rare Russian field binoculars in excellent collector's condition. The original coating has been completely preserved. The optics are clean. There is no mesh on the lenses. The magnification of the binoculars is 8 times, the lens diameter is 20 mm. Externally, the binoculars are almost an exact copy of the prismatic binoculars of the company "K.The Zeiss RV model is 8x20 and consists of prism binoculars with separate focusing of the eyepieces and an enlarged stereoscopic effect, made according to the classical Zeiss scheme using the Porro-1 prism system.

The history of binoculars is as follows: in order to increase the workload of the equipment and personnel of the optical workshop organized at the NEO, which was created mainly to meet the navy's need for optical sights for naval guns, the factory management decided in September 1905 to apply to the Main Artillery Directorate with a request to provide the workshop with orders for optical devices for the needs of the military land department. The decision from the GAU was positive. Already in January 1906, NEOS was given two orders from St. Petersburg OAU for the manufacture and supply of 315 and 72 8x magnification prism binoculars with glass angle-measuring grids for a total amount of 16,411 rubles.50 K.. The delivery dates were quite strict: 315 binoculars for machine-gun teams had to be delivered in stages after 6 months from the date of receipt of the order by the plant, and 72 binoculars (Hertz designs) for mortar divisions after 4 months.

In the manufacture of these binoculars, the plant had to be guided by the "Instructions for receiving binoculars with 8x magnification prisms" developed by the State Agrarian University (AS much as No. 193 dated February 26, 1904), with the exception of paragraph 13 of this instruction concerning the device of an angle-measuring grid (micrometer). Among other things, the "Instruction" required the supplier to provide the State Agrarian University with an exemplary pair of binoculars even before the start of mass deliveries and to apply the brand "B.U.1904" to the manufactured binoculars. Having no own developments of field binoculars of 8x magnification at that time and due to limited delivery times, the Obukhov Plant decided to copy the Zeiss 8x20 binoculars, which he subsequently notified the State Agrarian University: "when installing the fabrication by him (factory. Note) the best type of binoculars was selected, namely the Zeiss system, and requested permission to deliver the same number of Zeiss binoculars instead of 72 Hertz binoculars." The GAU allowed the replacement (AS much as No7. July 1908).

In December 1906, the plant received another large order for 8x magnification prism binoculars from the St. Petersburg District Artillery Directorate. The plant was instructed to manufacture and supply 450 8X prism binoculars to the St. Petersburg Artillery Depot within 14 months of receiving the order. In addition, during the period under review, several other small orders were received from various military departments, in particular, the Main Engineering Directorate ordered the plant, along with No. 8133 dated December 31, 1905, 28 8x magnification prism binoculars and 56 pairs of dark glasses.

After receiving the first orders, the Obukhov plant immediately started equipping a workshop for the production of binoculars, but immediately encountered serious problems. Initial plans to purchase aluminum binocular housings abroad failed, and the plant had to manufacture these complex and critical parts itself, manufacture the necessary equipment for precision casting, and select the optimal aluminum alloy for casting the housings. Special machines were required, but their delivery from abroad was delayed for 4-6 months. In addition, it was necessary to design and manufacture many devices, auxiliary tools, patterns and templates. There were huge difficulties in hiring skilled workers. As a result, the assembly of binoculars began only in May 1907, although all the optics and other details of the binoculars were ready in June 1906. Great difficulties were caused by the manufacture of angle-measuring glass grids at the plant, the quality of which stubbornly did not satisfy the GAU, and only after the decision was made by the artillery department to replace glass grids with diaphragm screens, the issue was closed. Even the fully manufactured binoculars could not be handed over for a long time due to problems with binocular cases, which the plant itself was not engaged in the production of. As a result, most of the binoculars for the needs of the military department ordered by the plant back in the period 1905 - 1906 were handed over by the plant only in the second half of 1909 — early 1910.

Since 1907, in addition to the production of 8X field binoculars, the plant has also mastered the manufacture of naval artillery binoculars with 10x magnification and with glass angle-measuring grids for the needs of the maritime department. However, the production of these binoculars often did not have time to cover the need for them from the maritime department, and the plant instead supplied the fleet with 8x binoculars in emergency cases, but with "marine" angle-measuring grids.

In 1909, 8x and 10x prism binoculars manufactured by the Obukhov Plant were included in the Lists of devices and manuals approved for use in the military. In February of the same year, the Minister of War proposed to the Obukhov Plant to manufacture binoculars for the needs of the Main Directorate of Military Educational Institutions, which, in accordance with Order No. 1-1909, was to provide graduates of military schools with prism binoculars at government expense. The factory was supposed to receive orders for these binoculars through the Warehouse of Instruments and manuals for Troops at the Officer Rifle School in Oranienbaum and deliver the manufactured binoculars there. The annual need for binoculars for graduates at that time was about 2,000 — 2,300 units.

In April 1909, NEO and OSH signed a condition (contract) for the supply of 400 8X binoculars manufactured by the Obukhov Plant. The delivery period is in stages until June 20, 1909. By this time, Zeiss had offered GAU new sealed models of prism binoculars with 6 and 8x magnification and increased aperture. After testing these binoculars, the State Agrarian University warned suppliers of optical devices that from now on only binoculars that are not inferior in quality to the new Zeiss binoculars will be purchased for the needs of the military department. The military department also identified the types of binoculars that graduates of military schools were to be supplied with: graduates of artillery military schools received field 8x binoculars with glass angle-measuring grids, all others - marine (night) 6x without grids. However, the NEO could only supply 8X binoculars of the previous design with diaphragm angle-measuring grids by the deadline. As a result, the Officer's Rifle School accepted only 138 binoculars out of 400 manufactured by the factory, which were supplied to graduates of two infantry military schools. Binoculars 8x24 and 6x30 from the company "K." were urgently purchased for all other graduates of 1909.Zeiss."

As of May 15, 1910, the plant had manufactured and delivered about 1,200 8X magnification binoculars, of which 1,000 were ordered by the military Department and 200 by the Maritime Ministry. About 40 binoculars were stolen in the winter of 1910 before final delivery to customers. Some of the binoculars were sold by the factory itself both during the period under review and later.