No.32 TP Mk. I scopes

[Seaforth72]

I am happy to report that Lyman "Telescope, Sighting No. 32 TP Mk. I " (also written as No. 32 T.P. Mk. I -- these are the designations in the Canadian Army EME Instructions 505 (C.A.) serial number 4407S is now in my collection. This is the Canadian Army customized version of the Lyman Alaskan scope, of which only 350 were purchased in 1944. 2-1/2 power.

On Saturday at the 2-day HACS gun show 2014-11-15 in Burnaby, I asked a fellow who had a lot of scopes on his table if he had any military scopes. He said he had a military issued Lyman Alaskan scope at home which he had never brought out to a show. He thought it had a 4-digit serial number. I anxiously awaited the resumption of the show and he brought it in to the show the next morning. He knew what it was, and we reached an agreement on the price. The optics are very good.

I am in need of the correct black turret screw caps as my scope came with two taller aluminum caps. While I am asking, I might as well ask for the Lyman Alaskan leather lens caps, bracket C Mk. 2 CGB418A,C No. 18 Mk. I scope case and (ideally) matching No. 4 Mk. i* Long Branch 1944 74L#### rifle!

I noticed that my old army photocopy of Canadian Army Local E.M.E. INSTRUCTIONS -- SMALL ARMS AND MACHINE GUNS C 505 (C.A.) had two pages 48 and was missing page 45. WANTED! Copy of page 45. Also I would naturally be interested in original printed (1st generation) EME.

It never rains but it pours. Another C No. 32 TP Mk. I SN 4396S ( no /|\ following the SN) with bracket SN 74L0195 and mounted on a 1955 No. 4 Mk. I* Long Branch/CAL No. 4 Mk. I* rifle was listed and sold the next day on Gun Nutz. The serial number of that rifle 74L0195A matched more or less, with an A suffix (presumably to differentiate it from the original 1944 rifle of the same number.). Normally on Lee-Enfields, an "A" suffix denotes non-standard parts, but in this case as there is no cancelled SN, I suspect that the retired military armourer who reportedly built this rig used an unnumbered 1955 dated Long Branch marked CAL body.

No. 32 TP Mk. I scopes that I have come across reference to in my research so far:

Unknown standard Lyman Alaskan fitted temporarily for trials on 32L4243 in 1943.

4340S estimated by Clive Law as earliest Canadian No. 32 (TP) Mk. I scope

4358S Rifle SN not known to me.

4389S. 74L0122

4392S 74L0318

4396S. 74L0195 Forced match on a 1955 rifle numbered as 74L0195A. Not the original rifle for this scope.

4407S. Rifle SN not known to me. My scope.

4411 Now on a 1943 Savage 55C7424. Not the original rifle for this scope. Bracket has no rifle SN.

4451S. 74L0332

4492S 74L0046

4640S. Rifle SN not known to me.

4690S estimated by Clive Law as last Canadian No. 32 (TP) Mk. I scope

Clive estimated the rifles reserved for these scopes were 74L0001 to 74L0350 (page 46 Without Warning).

The scope contract received approval in March 1944 (p. 44 Without Warning) but interestingly there are at least two C No. 18 Mk. I scope cases dated 1943. (P. 33 Without Warning.)

Even with this small sampling, it appears that the 350 scopes were randomly assigned to the 74L#### rifles set aside at Long Branch as there does not appear to be any correlation between scope and rifle serial numbers.

For those reading up on these scopes, I suggest having a look at Clive Law's WITHOUT WARNING. Pages 33, 39, 43-47, 51 and 53.

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