Unertl 8X scope SN 1114 - was it USMC?

[Seaforth72]

Thanks Neal. Dealing with anything that is non-standard including unexplained extra or absent markings, possible prototypes, experimental, trials, evaluations of any military scope, rifle etc. is a nightmare due to lack of documentation in most cases. Sadly it is an area where fraudsters run amuck, where Bubba ruins a good rifle and then tries to sell it as an "experimental model" for an inflated price.

Even in production we find that some early examples were not always marked "by the book", but as long as it worked, that was the main thing for the purchasing service. As mentioned above, "Red Star (confusingly this refers to the firearms retailer business rather than the Soviet Union) Springfield 1903 SN 3051776 was sent to the UK, and was later bought in a crate of unused rifles with the red band painted on the rifles (British marking to alert users that it was .30/06 not .303). For an odd reason did not have the standard "U.S." marking. Reference: https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=15358 where the author wrote "As to the unique property of rifle 3051776 that was discovered only recently...the receiver ring markings are, "REMINGTON MODEL 1903 3051776", with the conspicuous, (now, anyway!), lack of the "U.S." government ownership stamp. Research on the most prominent 1903 web-site forum has, as yet, failed to reveal another specimen so marked. Thought it a bit of patriotic irony that a rifle that is "U.S."-free, should have a serial number ending in 1776."

Exceptions do occur. Maybe scope 1114 was produced early on a Monday morning or late on Friday afternoon just before Happy Hour at the local tavern?

Some other examples of out of place markings or parts:

Canadian Sten guns Mark II produced in Canada at Long Branch. These had Chinese markings. Not all were sent to China and we sometimes see these Stens in Canada.

The Canadian Inglis Browning High-Power came in two basic models - one with shoulder stock and long range sights and one with no stock slot and fixed sights. My old company commander in the army was issued with one that had the frame of the stock model and the slide of the second model and this was as it left the factory.

Then there was a P-38 German pistol that I had. Battle captured with holster and spare magazine. Nice Walther factory code and 1943 year. However it had NO serial nunbers anywhere and it NEVER had any! I sold it to a P-38 collector and he and the other P-38 collectors are still trying to figure that one out!