High quality Schott glass is very very uniform so that light passes through at various wave lengths without being bent or altered due to internal defects. Just don’t look through a good one cause it will ruin you. However if the scope works for you then really that is all it needs be. You can’t build a true high quality optical device for less money cause the glass just isn’t cheap. and it sells cause almost nobody has the equipment or the eyeballs to test and confirm good quality optics. These reduce glare, improve low light transmission etc. Many of today’s scopes are selling performance based on their coatings. The glass is expensive but no good lens grinder wants to risk their reputation on less than the best glass. This German company now in the US is the finest and Unertl and Fecker used these glass lenses for repeatable performance. To build the best quality optical resolution you need very high quality optical like Schott Glass. Let me add to this by just saying all scopes and optics are built around one component and that is the glass lens. Just keep an eye on the mounting of the scope and that no extra holes are added to the rifle.Interesting background and collection. They just give the firearm a very distinct look that only adds to the firearms character. The best way to buy a Unertl scope is when it is already installed on a classic firearm. But I would think the Unertl hunting scopes would be very desirable. I do not remember many Unertl hunting scopes coming thru the shops I worked in over the years. But they would not be as desirable as the target scopes in that period. The Unertl optic company would produce some rifle hunting scopes in the 1950’s. Some of the nice Winchester pre-64 70s in 22 hornet or 220 swift would have this style mount installed and it does affect the guns value.
It did not happen often but you do see them that way from time to time. They were very long and because of the length of the scope many gunsmiths of that era would drill and tap holes for the scope mount into the barrel by the rear sight.
One of the drawbacks with the Unertl optics is how it had an effect on the collectability of certain firearms. It would be a very pleasurable experience for them and yourself as well.
Those combinations are great for taking your kids out and teaching them how to shoot. Unertl scopes are still very usable today and can be a good investment especially if you can find them mounted on the Remington 40x or Winchester 52 target rifles. Shooting those guns was an experience I will never forget and it was quite enjoyable. You could litterly shoot the toes off those squirrels. I could shoot and watch everything that happened. Because the guns were so heavy there was absolutely no recoil and with the 24 power scopes the squirrels looked like the size of bears in the scope. I remember taking one of those two Remington rifles to my in-laws farm and shooting squirrels and chipmunks with those rifles. They were both from the 1950s era and were in really top notch condition. I had two Remington model 40x target guns with 24 power scopes that a gentleman brought into our shop in Northeast Pennsylvania for us to sell. I had the pleasure of shooting a few Remington 40x target rifles and also a few Winchester 52 target rifles that were mounted with the Unertl target scopes. They would produce target scopes from the 8 power to 24 powers, and I considered them a great line of target scopes. Unertl scopes from the 1950s and 60s era were probably the prominent target scope made in that era.