Leupold Plainsman – America’s First Fogproof Riflescope (1947–1954)
Overview & Design
Introduced in 1947, the Leupold Plainsman was the first American-made nitrogen-sealed riflescope. Designed in response to Marcus Leupold’s personal experience with fogged foreign optics, the Plainsman represented a major leap in hunting scope durability. It featured a fixed 2¼× magnification, streamlined steel body, and internal cam-style windage and elevation adjustments—without the protruding knobs found on many competitors.
Early advertising emphasized its rugged, waterproof construction and micrometer-style click adjustments, which moved the point of impact ½ inch per click at 100 yards. By 1949, it was fully fogproof thanks to nitrogen processing—a technology Leupold would eventually offer with a lifetime guarantee.
“Built-in windage and elevation adjustments together with exclusive LEUPOLD features… precision adjusted with independent cams which stay where you set them.”
Specifications
- Magnification: 2¼×
- Field of View: 40 ft @ 100 yards
- Tube Diameter: 7/8 inch steel
- Length: 10 inches
- Weight: 6½ oz
- Eye Relief: 2½–5 inches
- Internal Adjustments: Yes – Windage and Elevation
- Mount Compatibility: 7/8" rings (often paired with Stith or Leupold Adjusto-Mount)
- Finish: Sandblasted non-reflective matte
- Reticles: Crosshair, Post, Dot, or Beaded Post (available in catalogs)
- Objective Converter: 8× Hi-Power Converter available separately
- Original Price: $64.50 (Dot reticle +$10)
Legacy
The Plainsman marked Leupold’s first true entry into the sporting riflescope market. While not produced in large numbers compared to later models, it became the proving ground for Leupold’s legendary fogproof innovation. Ads continued referring to the “2¼X Riflescope” into the early 1950s, but by 1954 the Plainsman name quietly disappeared from catalogs, succeeded by the internally adjusted Mountaineer.
Collectors and optics historians recognize the Plainsman as a foundational scope—streamlined, durable, and years ahead of its time.
Discontinued: Circa 1953
