Thread: "Classic" scopes - Reliability and functionality??

Recently I scored a set of the very stylish Talley quick detach "Brno" rings and I'm planning to use them on my Brno Model 21 8x57. I regard this old girl as my "goto" Tahr rifle, or when I anticipate having to shoot something requiring a bit of knock-down . . . its shoots 170gn Hornady's exceptionally accurately and with very good downrange ballistics - light, powerful and utterly reliable - its a Mauser 98!

Anyhoo its currently scoped with a good quality late model Jap 2.5-10 scope - functional enough but hardly in keeping with a classic "pre-war" euro rifle !!

Time to put something a bit more appropriate on it when I change the rings - but as I want to be able to rely on it in tough environments (last trip it got to live in a sand and water in the bilge of a pack-raft, no ill effects but it was pushing the limits). I have a couple of Kahles S2 2.3-7's and I've never had one fail "on the hill", but I think thats only luck, as I know of others that have fogged or otherwise crapped out.

So - thoughts and recommendations on a scope for a classic (pre 1970's??) - something in the 2-7 or 3-9, with top notch glass, and bullet proof reliability. Compact (well not big anyway) and 1.0" or 26mm tube (I can have the rings reamed).

I suppose another way of asking the question is - are the S&B's, Zeiss and Hendsolt scopes all of the same vintage better or worse than Kahles (which are relatively more common and still repairable as close as Aussie)