JWA said 

I could maybe envision reaming a piece of boiler tubing but a “solid piece of steel” is just silly.
 
   

As if there was no source of precision-made seamless steel tubing to be found within such an industrial center as New Haven used to be!  This kind of tubing was being used by Malcolm, Mogg, other makers by the middle of the 1880s, if not earlier, so by the early 1900s, it was far from being any kind of technological innovation.  And before such tubing became available, scope makers didn’t start with “solid steel,” they wrapped sheet steel around a mandrel and soldered the seam.

Big Larry said 

Yes, being a Marine does not hurt his status with me, and he is a good man. Big Larry  

He’d be an even better man if he put all his WW I Marine sniper research findings into print!