Thanks for all the great input and info (as always)!! It sounds like the best plan would be to leave the civy Aldis scope alone and just try to find the missing ring for the ocular lens housing. Anyone have a spare by chance since this is all I need to get that scope complete. I may swap out the 1-6 range dial with one of my military Aldis scopes that had the range dial re-marked for civilian use.
As for the Purdey tube... Surpmil, are you suggesting that I may be able to have the rings restored by having new "legs" welded onto the original upper tube rings? I love this idea of saving those original tube rings but have no idea where to get a set of bottom "legs". Any ideas? I do know of a great micro welder that can clean up the saw cuts on the rings and tube.