Silver 20mm GSO Plossl Mystery

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I very recently acquired a 20mm Guan Sheng Optical Plossl. This was primarily to complete the entire set. GSO manufacture Plossls in nine focal lengths: 40, 32, 25, 20, 15, 12, 9, 6 and 4mm. They are all made in Taiwan. My 40mm and 32mm are actually badged as ‘Revelation Astro’.

 

GSO all have distinctive 30mm aluminium barrels that are either smooth or have undercuts with bevelled lower lips. GSO are gradually phasing out their undercuts. The distinctive white plastic end caps are also peculiar to GSO.

 

The housings are usually black aluminium with a rolled down rubber eyeguard that can be flipped up when needed or necessary. 

 

However, my 20mm has a silver housing and the eyeguard is of a different type. It is more like the rubber eyeguards on the GSO SuperView series and is not rolled down. Although it can be.

 

 

I was a bit surprised when I opened the box. I thought the retailer had sent me a 20mm Celestron Omni by mistake. 

 

What’s interesting is that it resembles the silver finish of the Celestron Omni Plossl series. The Omni Plossls have been manufactured in Japan and by GSO in the past. 

 

 

The 15mm GSO and Omni Plossls are quite different. My 15mm Omni above now has a chromed brass barrel. Originally it had a standard 22mm aluminium barrel with an undercut. My Omni was manufactured in China, although I'm pretty sure they are actually produced by Barsta. Does anyone else have a silver GSO Plossl?

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