The earliest ads I've found were dated 1934 and showed only 10x & 12x Targetspots. I think higher powers weren't offered until the Supers and Juniors came around in 1937.

Dredging this old post up again as I got another old Lyman Targetspot, but this one is a Super Targetspot 10x. I actually got it back in August at our annual OAC 2 day collector show from a gentleman walking around with it. It was very cheap, and appears to have never been mounted on a pair of bases.
In my excitement to buy it I checked crosshairs and saw the optics were perfect and paid him. I set it aside until just recently when I decided to put it on a rifle. That's when I realized why it was cheap. Every turret was froze up, as were both clamp knobs! Even trying to persuade them with rubber around the knobs and pliers they weren't moving! I finally disassembled the mounts and soaked them for two days in mineral spirits and they eventually freed up! Unfortunately during the process my fat fingers touched the crosshairs and they broke, so had to get them repaired.
The scope bases show no sign at all of ever having been slid on a base. The entire scope finish is as new. I was surprised when I removed the reticle cell that it's aluminum instead of brass as all others I've owned were. Serial number is 26245, which is the highest number I've personally seen. I understand Gil Parson had all the Lyman records, and used to charge to lookup serial number info. I also heard his wife and son still have the records, but no longer provide this service.
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

Schutzenbob wrote on Dec 13^th, 2025 at 2:50pm:


First thing I tried was Kroil on adjusters and base clamps, but no luck. The base clamps thread into a blind hole, and no way to back the screw out to get to the inside opening of the hole for Kroil to get in. 
Bob Seipp the scope repair guy told me to just drop the whole mounts into mineral spirits as he said they used something close to lithium grease on all adjusters and base clamps, and after setting many decades it turns to varnish. That worked to free them, and then I put Kroil on the threads to make them operate even better.