Lyman 5A Rifle Scope on Auction

[painter777]

I'm not familiar with these but did do a little reading about them here thanks to our search option and know how from posts by fellow member Jim Tarleton. I'll attach a useful link from Milsurps below with some info on them.

The one on auction has a serial# of 1449.
Is there any way to know that the one in the Auction was actually used by the US Marines?
Take a look.... Idea of a Value Range ?
Pretty Rare to find in the condition in the auction ?

Auction Link: https://www.gunauction.com/buy/14664338
Picture from Auction, showing markings:



A Milsurps link to a Lyman 5A Serial# 2063

http://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=9452

Any Input Appreciated,
Charlie-Painter777

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[cplstevennorton]

I have the documents where the Mairnes bought the Lyman 5A's, which were copies of the WRA A5's. Lyman bought the rights to them in the late 20's and started to produce a copy with minor differences.

The Marines bought a few for testing around 1940 for the sniper rifle trials. It doesn't appear they bought more than a handful of the lyman 5A scopes though. As they were buying every type of commercial scope available at the time for the sniper trials. I would have to pull the purchase order again from lyman, but it was less than 10 I'm pretty sure. I want to say it was even less than 5. But it's been several years since I look at the doc, so I'm not sure on the exact number. But it wasn't more than just a few.

The Marines interchange the terminology on the Lyman 5A and WRA A5 a lot in WWII. So there is a lot of confusion in the Marine docs bwt the two. But I have the actual docs on their purchase straight from lyman, so I'm pretty sure the Marines only bought a very small amount of them.

I have the USMC purchase orders for scopes from about 1909 to 1945 for the Marines. The only two scopes the Marines bought in huge numbers were the WRA A5 from WWI, and the 8X Unertl from WWII. They only ever had small handfuls of of the other scopes. Warner Swasey, Stevens, Fecker, lyman supertargetspots, lyman 5A, Weaver 330, Weaver 440, and a few Unertls right before WWII, that is about all they bought till 1945 other than the A5 and Unertl.

So in all reality it looks like the Marines bought several for testing and that was it. So the chances a Lyman 5A would be Marine arent good.

[painter777]

From the Auction Description:

The rights to produce this scope were purchased from Winchester in the late 1920's.

Thx CPL Steve.... Appreciate your help

Charlie-P777

[cplstevennorton]

I want to say Lyman bought them in like 1927 or 28. I'm pretty certain I have seen them for sale in 1928 in looking at old Magazines back then.

But I usually stay with the A5 than the lyman 5A, so don't quote me.

[Promo]

Steve, did you see the last pic in that auction? Note the milled down ring in the rear.

[cplstevennorton]

Steve, did you see the last pic in that auction? Note the milled down ring in the rear.

I don't think the lyman had the big ring like the WRA. At least that is what I was thinking. I was thinking it was milled down from the factory.

[Promo]

I thought the scope from the last pic was an A5 as it would be suggested by the style of the mount used - but you most probably are right in that it is an 5A. The 5A doesn‘t have this enlarged ring any more, already from the factory.