Schmidt & Bender
Encyclopedia
Schmidt & Bender is a German company specialized in producing high end telescopic sight
s for hunting, sports, law enforcement and military arms.
The company was founded in 1957 by instrument maker Helmut Schmidt and master instrument maker Helmut Bender. The company started with producing telescopic sights for large German (mail order) hunting equipment sales chains under various brand names and gradually started to produce telescopic sights under their own brand name.
Currently (2008) the company is still a family enterprise.
Much of the assembly process is done by hand, which is why the company can only turn out a limited number of scopes annually.
Schmidt & Bender is a ISO 9001 certified company. This implies all research, development, production and assembly is monitored by an independent agency.
, Hungary
was founded as an independent company by Schmidt & Bender GmbH & Co. KG, Biebertal, Germany. The process of privatisation in Hungary made it possible for Schmidt & Bender to buy the production of precision optics and fibre optics from the government-owned enterprise of the Hungarian Opticai Works (MOM). Schmidt & Bender bought Hungarian Opticai Works since this company produced and still produces the optical components Schmidt & Bender uses in their rifle scopes. In 2008 Schmidt & Bender Hungaria Optik employed 80 people.
The fixed magnification models of the Schmidt & Bender Classic product line can be either "Made in Germany
" or "Made in Hungary". The Hungarian made scopes are normally not offered to US and Western European customers and tend to be somewhat less expensive.
The outsourcing of component production or external purchasing of specialized components to or from countries like Japan
, Hungary
, etc. is quite normal for high end telescopic sights producers. Stating a country of origin
often does not guarantee that a product was completely made and assembled in that country. Some competitors of Schmidt & Bender however refuse to provide information to consumers regarding relevant (optical) components sources.
For some models the option exists to have mounting rails underneath the riflescope to provide for mounting solutions that do not use scope rings. These rails are an integral part of the scope body and can not be removed. The most recent rail mounting system of Schmidt & Bender is their propriety "Convex rail". The Convex rail uses matching slide-in mount fasteners to connect the riflescope to the gun and offers the possibility to tilt the scope up to 1° to the left or right.
actively promotes fitting the Schmidt & Bender PM II / MILITARY MK II product line as sighting components on their Arctic Warfare
family of sniper rifles and sells these products as accessories, which is rare for a rifle manufacturer.
The Swiss fire arms manufacturer Brügger & Thomet
(B&T) uses specially made Schmidt & Bender 3-12x50 PM II LP product line scopes with a B&T designed TRS reticle pattern for their APR
bolt action sniper rifles.
The German fire arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch
(H&K) uses Schmidt & Bender 3-12x50 PM II telescopic sights as standard aiming optics for their PSG1A1
semi-automatic sniper rifles.
Telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope, is a sighting device that is based on an optical refracting telescope. They are equipped with some form of graphic image pattern mounted in an optically appropriate position in their optical system to give an accurate aiming point...
s for hunting, sports, law enforcement and military arms.
The company was founded in 1957 by instrument maker Helmut Schmidt and master instrument maker Helmut Bender. The company started with producing telescopic sights for large German (mail order) hunting equipment sales chains under various brand names and gradually started to produce telescopic sights under their own brand name.
Currently (2008) the company is still a family enterprise.
Much of the assembly process is done by hand, which is why the company can only turn out a limited number of scopes annually.
Schmidt & Bender is a ISO 9001 certified company. This implies all research, development, production and assembly is monitored by an independent agency.
Schmidt & Bender Hungaria Optik
In 1992 Schmidt & Bender Hungaria Optik GmbH in BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
was founded as an independent company by Schmidt & Bender GmbH & Co. KG, Biebertal, Germany. The process of privatisation in Hungary made it possible for Schmidt & Bender to buy the production of precision optics and fibre optics from the government-owned enterprise of the Hungarian Opticai Works (MOM). Schmidt & Bender bought Hungarian Opticai Works since this company produced and still produces the optical components Schmidt & Bender uses in their rifle scopes. In 2008 Schmidt & Bender Hungaria Optik employed 80 people.
The fixed magnification models of the Schmidt & Bender Classic product line can be either "Made in Germany
Made in Germany
Made in Germany is a merchandise mark indicating that a product has been manufactured in Germany.- History :The label was originally introduced in Britain by the Merchandise Marks Act 1887....
" or "Made in Hungary". The Hungarian made scopes are normally not offered to US and Western European customers and tend to be somewhat less expensive.
The outsourcing of component production or external purchasing of specialized components to or from countries like Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, etc. is quite normal for high end telescopic sights producers. Stating a country of origin
Country of origin
Country of origin , is the country of manufacture, production, or growth where an article or product comes from...
often does not guarantee that a product was completely made and assembled in that country. Some competitors of Schmidt & Bender however refuse to provide information to consumers regarding relevant (optical) components sources.
Products
Schmidt & Bender offers telescopic sights in the:- Classic product line designed for huntingHuntingHunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
. - Precision Hunter line. These scopes are produced on special order and based on Classic line scopes, each equipped with a top-mounted bullet drop compensator and reticles designed for accurate shooting at longer ranges.
- Zenith product line designed for huntingHuntingHunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
. - Sport line designed for field targetField TargetField Target is an outdoor air gun discipline originating in the United Kingdom, in the early 1980s, but gaining popularity worldwide.-UK Rules:...
sports shooters. - Police Marksman (PM) product line designed for the militaryMilitaryA military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
and law enforcement. - Police Marksman II (PM II) product line designed for the militaryMilitaryA military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
and law enforcement. - MILITARY MK II product line designed for the military. These scopes are essentially PM II models with an additional laser filtration lens coating to protect operators against being wounded/blinded by laser light sources. The MILITARY MK II scopes are marketed by sniper rifle manufacturer Accuracy InternationalAccuracy InternationalAccuracy International is a specialist British firearms manufacturer based in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England and best known for producing the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare series of precision sniper rifles...
and have the Accuracy International company logo depicted on a turret.
For some models the option exists to have mounting rails underneath the riflescope to provide for mounting solutions that do not use scope rings. These rails are an integral part of the scope body and can not be removed. The most recent rail mounting system of Schmidt & Bender is their propriety "Convex rail". The Convex rail uses matching slide-in mount fasteners to connect the riflescope to the gun and offers the possibility to tilt the scope up to 1° to the left or right.
Sniper rifle manufacturers promoting the PM II / MILITARY MK II product line
The British high end factory sniper rifle manufacturer Accuracy InternationalAccuracy International
Accuracy International is a specialist British firearms manufacturer based in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England and best known for producing the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare series of precision sniper rifles...
actively promotes fitting the Schmidt & Bender PM II / MILITARY MK II product line as sighting components on their Arctic Warfare
Accuracy International Arctic Warfare
The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare rifle is a family of bolt-action sniper rifles designed and manufactured by the British company Accuracy International...
family of sniper rifles and sells these products as accessories, which is rare for a rifle manufacturer.
The Swiss fire arms manufacturer Brügger & Thomet
Brügger & Thomet
Brügger & Thomet AG is a licensed Swiss defense supplier specializing in the design and manufacturing of firearms and tactical components such as sound suppressors and rail systems. The company is located in Thun, Switzerland. B&T consists of a trading and manufacturing division...
(B&T) uses specially made Schmidt & Bender 3-12x50 PM II LP product line scopes with a B&T designed TRS reticle pattern for their APR
Brügger & Thomet APR308
The APR is family of Swiss sniper rifles designed in 2003 as a further evolution of the French PGM Précision rifles by the Thun-based Brügger & Thomet company.-History:...
bolt action sniper rifles.
The German fire arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch
Heckler & Koch
Heckler & Koch GmbH is a German defense manufacturing company that produces various small arms. Some of their products include the SA80, MP5 submachine gun, G3 automatic rifle, the G36 assault rifle, the HK 416, the MP7 personal defense weapon, the USP series of handguns, and the high-precision...
(H&K) uses Schmidt & Bender 3-12x50 PM II telescopic sights as standard aiming optics for their PSG1A1
Heckler & Koch PSG1
The PSG1 is a semi-automatic rifle designed by the German company Heckler & Koch of Oberndorf am Neckar.-Development:...
semi-automatic sniper rifles.