In 2008 Schmidt & Bender Hungaria Optik employed 80 people. Schmidt & Bender bought Hungarian Opticai Works since this company produced and still produces the optical components Schmidt & Bender uses in their rifle scopes. 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). In 1992 Schmidt & Bender Hungaria Optik GmbH in Budapest, Hungary was founded as an independent company by Schmidt & Bender GmbH & Co.
Schmidt & Bender is an ISO 9001 certified company. Much of the assembly process is done by hand, which is why the company can only turn out a limited number of scopes annually. 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.Ĭurrently (2008) the company is still a family enterprise. The company was founded in 1957 by instrument maker Helmut Schmidt and master instrument maker Helmut Bender. The 11,5 mm exit pupil at 3x insures an ultra-bright image at the lower magnification levels. Adjustment in ¼ MOA or 0,1 Mil clicks.Schmidt & Bender (often abbreviated as S&B) is a German company specialized in producing high end telescopic sights for hunting, sports, law enforcement and military arms. The reticle is illuminated with settings compatible with NV systems up to broad daylight and can be had as an option on the second focal plane as well. Reticle design comprise the most popular types, from a classical police mil dot with stadia marks to P4L and Horus 37 and 58. Further solutions implemented to make life easier for the field shooter include the MTC system that gives an increased “tactile” feedback every tenth click of the turret so to reduce the chance of error and making easier to dial in large amounts of correction, the total correction comprised in two turns of the turret, lockable turrets to avoid accidental movements and parallax compensation from 25 m to infinity. The reticle lies on the first focal plane, as befits a military scope. The 3x magnification allows the user to engage reasonably close targets with a good field of view while the 20x magnification coupled with 260 cm of elevation adjustment allow for long range engagements without worry of running out of MILs. This is a scope designed with maximum versatility in mind. While varying in the operative requirements they can satisfy, all Schmidt & Bender scopes possess these qualities, which can be also presumed by their average price (but we know, quality has a cost). If building a good optical system devoid of crass optical aberrations is today within the reach of most manufacturers, less so is creating an optical system with high light transmission through complex lens groups, implying top notch lens coating treatments.Įven less so is assembling such an optical system within a mechanical structure that provides solid protection and, above all, a dependable adjustment mechanism capable of guaranteeing repeatable, consistent setups over a long operative life. The Schmidt & Bender PM II rifle scopes line is intended for police and military use and features a wide choice of scopes that can satisfy the most varied operative requisites, among which we chose three main models meant to give you a taste of what Schmidt & Bender offers also to the most demanding sport shooters.Īll Schmidt & Bender rifle scopes are characterized by excellence of their optics, with outstanding clarity, definition and optical quality.