When will the penny drop?

Description:

Isaac Newton knew something about falling apples and much about coins - but machines that operate on coins would not have worked before he stopped crooks filing the edges off.

Though Einstein improved on Newton's understanding of cosmic gravity, Isaac's version still works well enough on Earth - and his work on kinetics abides.

Moveable things at rest still stay behind if their container suddenly takes off.

Things that are moving still keep going, even if their container or vehicle stops abruptly.

Modern riflescopes almost all contain moveable masses subject to both situations under recoil inertia, and are apt to break down as a consequence.

Being sealed against moisture, however, they are like the old market bag supposedly containing a piglet. Too often we are sold a pup.

The makers claim their scopes are shock-proof, but current designs and Newton’s laws of motion suggest that’s rarely true.

Yet even dangerous-game hunters put up with this flawed technology, seemingly oblivious to the danger it presents.

These scopes do give up, particularly on large calibres, and when it happens you may not even have time to flick your QD-mount levers, let alone claim the life-time warranty.

So, when will the penny drop?

'LIGHT AT THE START OF THE TUNNEL - Are rifle scopes off the rails?' and its additional pages go deep into this stuff, suggesting that maybe it's time we all looked back, if not to the 17th Century, at least to Germany around 1974.

Thinking of pennies, the cost of posting has gone up at least 25% recently - but Sam's price is still $24.30 posted, with 24 additional pages sent by email. Enhanced versions $35-$45.

The second image here shows a digital representation of the cover with drawn reticle ($45).