ya know that icky, sticky scope thing...

[magnumwheelman]

I'm not a big fan of those rubber armored scopes... mostly because the ones I've owned have gotten sticky over the years... I'm not sure if it's exposure to fumes from gun cleaning solvent ( I don't rub my scopes down with solvent ), or from incidental contact with the oil that gets applied to the hardware ( you still need to wipe down the rings right??? ) anyway... the couple I've bought in the past have gotten sticky, & end up going "down the road"...

so... is there any fix to that condition??? I have a specialized 17 caliber scope on my 17 Mach 2... that has been working for a long time, shooting red squirrels & rabbits, & had held zero, & is perfectly sighted in... I wouldn't mind keeping it... but I hate that sticky feel

just curious if anyone has found a fix to the stickies???

[coldtriggerfinger]

Have you tried Armor All. The stuff for spraying on tires. I think the sticky part is from UV breakdown.

[magnumwheelman]

could be from UV... but in all honesty... most of my scopes spend their life in the dark, unfortunately not basking in the sunlight... usually the sticky stuff looks like the rubber is being dissolved by something... it doesn't get chalky, or cracky, like I would expect to see with UV breakdown???

I'm wondering if someone has wiped down with a solvent, & removed the sticky, or if that would make it worse, or sprayed something like Armour All, & that sealed it or at least made it not sticky...

[jsh]

I had one gifted to me some time back that exhibited such as described above. This one had never been mounted on a gun.
I didn't want to get carried away with solvents. I had some plain old rubbing alcohol and an old t shirt. Took a bit of work but it all came off and the scope works fine. No stick stuff left on it.
Jeff

[potatojudge]

I think I've used windex in the past, but it's been a while.

[bradshaw]

“I'm not a big fan of those rubber armored scopes... mostly because the ones I've owned have gotten sticky over the years...”
----magnumwheelman

*****

Rubberized rifle scope? Couldn’t cotton to that idea from the git-go. Rubberized tube in scope rings? Anyway, the problem you describe probably has to do with inferior rubber. In the old days of real rubber, to resist oxidation, the rubber was periodically rubbed with TALCUM POWDER. Learned this trick as a kid from scuba divers, who kept their high class French flippers fresh with talcum powder. Wherever the practice started, tires and inner tubes enjoyed prolonged storage life when dusted with talcum powder.

I’ve noticed that the rubber coating on binoculars such as Zeiss stays beautiful for years, while the rubber on some brands goes to hell far too soon. Rubber coating on my Leupold spotting scopes has held up for years, although it is not my practice to leave it baking in the sun, and the rubber periodically receives the talcum rubdown. Supposedly, the talc preserves moisture in the rubber. I use talcum powder on all sorts of rubber, to include rubber boots. The rubber----probably faux rubber----on the comfortable Muck Boot, cannot match flex & life of the LaCrosse boot. There are rubber boots from France and England made with markedly superior rubber, priced accordingly. Chinese rubber is notorious for a crummy, and crumbly, life. Various American-made windshield gaskets, dating back a few decades, were made fantastically well, with rubber resistant to oxidation for years.

I am told alcohol is bad for rubber, and should be washed off. The rubberized riflescope appears to have been a fad, and may have been done on the cheap.

Nevertheless, in your case I'd whip out the talcum powder, preferably unscented.
David Bradshaw

[cherokeetracker]

May 18, 2018 7:18:58 GMT -5 bradshaw said:

“I'm not a big fan of those rubber armored scopes... mostly because the ones I've owned have gotten sticky over the years...”
----magnumwheelman

*****

Rubberized rifle scope? Couldn’t cotton to that idea from the git-go. Rubberized tube in scope rings? Anyway, the problem you describe probably has to do with inferior rubber. In the old days of real rubber, to resist oxidation, the rubber was periodically rubbed with TALCUM POWDER. Learned this trick as a kid from scuba divers, who kept their high class French flippers fresh with talcum powder. Wherever the practice started, tires and inner tubes enjoyed prolonged storage life when dusted with talcum powder. Mr. Bradshaw is exactly correct here. Storage of Air Hoses almost 30years old still look new since they are taken care of with the use of talcum powder.

I’ve noticed that the rubber coating on binoculars such as Zeiss stays beautiful for years, while the rubber on some brands goes to hell far too soon. Rubber coating on my Leupold spotting scopes has held up for years, although it is not my practice to leave it baking in the sun, and the rubber periodically receives the talcum rubdown. Have Steiners but they need same thing. A little attention with talcum powder, on occasion.  Supposedly, the talc preserves moisture in the rubber. I use talcum powder on all sorts of rubber, to include rubber boots. The rubber----probably faux rubber----on the comfortable Muck Boot, cannot match flex & life of the LaCrosse boot. Own both brands and the LaCross have been with me for 26 years and are not cracked or rotten because of washing off mud and applying Talcum. Leaving mud on boots will accelerate cracking. There are rubber boots from France and England made with markedly superior rubber, priced accordingly. Chinese rubber is notorious for a crummy, and crumbly, life. Various American-made windshield gaskets, dating back a few decades, were made fantastically well, with rubber resistant to oxidation for years.

I am told alcohol is bad for rubber, and should be washed off. It is.  The rubberized riflescope appears to have been a fad, and may have been done on the cheap.

Nevertheless, in your case I'd whip out the talcum powder, preferably unscented. Gold Bond unsented. No baby powder stuff around here.
David Bradshaw

  Thanks Mr. Bradshaw :  With all due respect.   My 2 cents was probably not needed,  You certainly do not need backing up from me!  I just wanted to pass along my experience also.