Before we get into this let us take a trip down memory lane with the Mark4.
https://www.leupold.com/leupold-core/stories/30-years-of-service
Mindset
Often during inspections of the Knights Armament M110 the optic can be passed over due to the fact that it is inspected before every firing for looseness and proper mounting procedures. However there are things that wear on this optic, items that need cleaning or replacement that often get looked over.
The optic on a sniper rifle is a very finicky thing, it is a precision tool. When inspecting it is important that whoever is inspecting it has the mindset of both “operator and maintenance”. They need to understand that, as an operator, doing anything with the mount or dials can severely set the operator back on being able to deploy their weapon due to set zero and adjustments. Within this mindset though, maintenance folk can get lost. They can look over things that need replacement on the optic.
For example: The dials.
Mark4 Dials
Recently it was seen that Snipers have been using worn dials on their Mark4’s. To get around this, they would mark the zero with a sharpie and do their best to count their adjustments after that. As far as quick adjustments and everything else that needs to be thought of during a fast engagement of a target, that is not a great practice.
The photos below are from two different sniper sections within the state (Minnesota).
An Easy Fix
Turns out Snipers from all over the state were having this same issue. Normal wear but something that needed to be replaced ASAP. Reaching out to Leupold, they were stellar. First talked on was ensuring that the dials were cleaned properly. As dirt and grime can easily cover up the numbers. Once verified that it was wear, Leupold sent out each set of parallax, elevation, and windage dials for each gun. This is an operator installation so if you’re a maintenance folk don’t be afraid to send directly to your snipers.
Huge thank you to Leupold for seeing the need and helping out with it so quickly and with knowledge.
Go to https://www.leupold.com/riflescope-troubleshooting#ImMissing if you need dials or any other external parts and talk to a customer service rep.
Note: Due to a lot of hardwork and perseverance by snipers alike, the Knights Armament M110 now has the Leupold Mark5 as the official optic. Look for it in other articles here on GAT.
