This Circa 1905 Buff & Buff Mining Transit (s/n 4698) looks very nice. I don't much wear on the transit. I suspect this instrument has spent almost every day of its life sitting in a box.

This great condition mining transit comes with plenty of expensive little accessories. For starters, the transit features "U" shaped standards, which Buff was just introducing when this transit was made (based on a comparison between Biffs 1901 and 1905 catalogues). Buff called the "U" shaped instruments "Precise", suggesting a greater level of accuracy and a higher price.

Note also the magnifiers contained on this transit. The two horizontal verniers each have a jewelers type magnifier, and the vertical arc verniers have a special magnifying glass attached to one of the standards. (One of the links for the magnifying glass is missing, so the glass only reaches one of the vertical arc verniers).

A special pivoted prism and colored glass eyepiece is also included (in addition to the regular eye piece). See the description of this from the 1905 Buff Catalogue below.

And you the transit comes with a gradienter and a hand compass dated 1918.

The Telescopes focus very sharply. The main telescope has a rarely seen solar crosshair set up that was an expensive extra. One of the functions of the extra eyepiece was to take solar observations, so the solar crosshair setup makes sense.

The main telescope is 11 1/2 inches long fully extended - the side telescope is 6.75 inches long fully extended.

The Compass Needle is 2 1/4 inches long.

The horizontal verniers measure to 30 seconds. The vertical verniers measure to one minute.

The transit is missing one of the 4 brass caps that are used when the side scope is not in use. Many of the Buff or Berger mining transits I come across are missing one or more caps, so I don't view this as a big deal.

Overall, this is a VERY cool Buff mining transit in great condition, and it comes with some wonderful accessories.

Please take a look at the 360 Degree View of the instrument, and zoom in on various views. This instrument merits a close inspection.

Please see my Buff & Buff Makers Webpage for more information about Buff.