I picked this scope up for not a lot of money. It looks rough on the outside and is missing the front mount, but is really nice and clear with nice fine cross hairs.

It's a Lyman 438 Field as shown in the picture with apparently a Lyman 5A rear mount.

I would like to disassemble it and re-blue the tube and end caps.  The end caps come right off.  But, I would like some advice on getting the parts out from the inside.  I assume I need to remove the 2 screws in the center of the tube which will free up the internal parts.  Can anyone verify this?   

I really don't want to damage any of these parts so thought I better ask before doing!

I could also use some advice as to where I might find a front mount and related parts.
Thanks,
Bob

Bob, Keep track of which lens goes where. They may or may not be the same focal length.
frnkeore on this forum is very knowledgeable on this type of scope.
Chuck

Yes, they are very simple scopes, made much like the Mossbergs and Wallensacks.

The front screw is the parallax adjustment and  holds a tube, that has the objective lens. the other holds the X hair cell. Be careful handling the X hair cell and don't touch the hairs unless they need cleaning and then, only with a VERY soft brush and air, no stronger than your breath.

I'm not seeing it but, there should be a "dent" in the tube, just behind the X hair screw, that holds the ocular tube in position. You'll need to make a dowel, slightly smaller than the ocular tube, with a groove to clear the dent, to push the X hair cell out.

bobw wrote on Sep 16^th, 2024 at 1:28pm:

Looking at mine, I'm not sure but, I think they may be hot blued.

I'm still not seeing that "dent", does yours have one?

I have two and both have the dent.

I think it is a 4x

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From the CMP website""In 1929, Lyman bought the Stevens Arms Co's. telescope business, one of the Stevens scopes became the Lyman 438. The 438 was first offered as a 3X, but in 1937 a 4X was made available. Both the 3X and the 4X featured Bausch & Lomb lenses and a 23.0 - foot field of view at 100 yards. Mounts were the same as the Lyman 5A until 1932, when a special four-point Lyman 438 mount was introduced with 1/2-minute click adjustments. Markings were in white enamel. In 1938, two new Lyman 438 mounts were introduced: a 1/4-minute, micrometer-click adjustable, three-point field mount with lockable field knobs. Reticules offered were the same as those for the Lyman 5A. The Lyman 438 series was discontinued in 1947.

I believe the 438 was designed to withstand recoils up to the recoil generated by a Model 1903 Springfield rifle. Remember, this scope was designed in 1911 by the Stevens Co. It is by no means a "modern scope" and is of interest, mostly, to collectors"

bobw 
   You might try calling Montana Vintage Arms to see about having one made from modern steel. I had JC make one up for my 438 about 15 years ago. I don’t remember the cost, however, it was less than $100. The original front ring on the 438 was made from either cast or sintered metal, and are usually found broken through at the screw mounting hole. 
Tom W

since it doesn't look like it has a pope rail on it, the stop ring for a MVA Winchester scope might work just fine. 
Just a thought
Sam

This scope does have the guide rail.
Bob

I've always rust blued the tubes on any old scopes that are steel Bob. And for removing small dents I have a piece of old round shaft I turned down to slide inside the tubes with a taper on one end to help it get past dents. Once pushed past the dent I rest both ends on wood blocks, and use my brass hammer to massage the dent out by tapping on it from the outside. It works fine as long as the dents aren't sharp hits.

No dents in this tube except the one Franks is referring too.  If it did, as you described, it would be the same as fixing a shotgun tube.

The interesting thing, on the subject of the ocular tube and the locating bump.  It appears there is not a corresponding locating point on the ocular tube, specifically made to fit the bump.  I expected a small cut out.  It appears the factory just pushed the tube in and let the tube bump form its own position in edge of the ocular tube.  Just enough to hold the ocular tube from rotating, along with not allowing it to move longitudinally in the main scope tube.
Bob

I must have read this wrong?

bobw wrote on Sep 16^th, 2024 at 1:28pm:

Frank, that’s exactly how this scope is.  The dent or dimple, actually pushes the side in so the threads would not work to remove the front lens.  I noticed the deformed side and was going to push it out when I realized what it was and was for.
Thanks for all the help.
Bob

My Stevens 438.

Thank you, sureshot.

I've never had a Stevens 438 apart but, if you could unscrew the cap on yours, I think, it should also have a ocular lens tube. If you could take that out, and look at both ends, see if it looks like the Lyman ocular tube that I picture, regarding how the lens are held in the tube.

I'm picturing a Lyman 438 and a Mossberg 4X. Note that the 438 lens are held by the threaded fastener and this is the end that goes against that "dent", it is actually a stop and the cap, holds it against that stop.

On the Mossberg, the tube is reversed, the threaded cap, holds the lenses in place and the end cap, captures the lens cap, to hold the lens tube in place.

I only have two 438's but, I have at least 20 Mossberg and Wallensacks. I can take the lens tubes from the Mossberg and Wallensack and put them in the 438 and visa versa, you can't hold them in place, because the end caps are different but, the view through the scope is the same.

Frank,
When reassembling this scope, is there anything special I should do with, or to, the inner parts? 
Bob

Looks good!

Great, Thanks Frank.

Nicest one I've ever seen!

Very nice job on the scope Bob. Looks like new.

Thanks everyone.  This was a fun little project versus the bigger ones that take forever to complete.  

I probably went overboard on the polishing, but wanted to try something different on this scope….just to see what happens.   I see sxs shotgun guys polishing barrels to high levels, 1500 grit or more, before rust bluing, versus the industry standard or 320-400.  So I took these parts to 1200.  Some folks say the high polish will not take the rust bluing process well and I wanted to see for myself what happens.  We were doing a barrel that was polished to 400, and this scope tube, at the same time using all the same products and processes.  The scope parts took the chemical rusting just as quickly as the barrel.  Different steels, yes, but both turned out nice, although we did run the barrel through one more cycle than the scope.  I would say the scope did end up with higher gloss finish than the barrel, which I expected, if the rust blue chemicals took to the metal.

The back mount came with the scope, apparently it is a Winchester mount.  I did remove the top turret because it turned very hard. Cleaned everything up and it works fine now.  The front mount was sent to me by a very kind gentleman on this forum.  He said it was damaged and I could have it to copy.  But, I couldn’t find anything wrong with it, other than the attaching screw hole maybe stripping out.  But for now it is working fine and tightens up nicely to a block.  If it fails I will deal with it later.

I forgot to mention before that I still need to find an eye relief stop, which should not be hard to make if I can’t find one.
Bob

That's a BEAUTY Bob!
Nice work - as usual
Jeff P

Sam, yes, it’s a 3/4 inch tube.  I’ll give MVA a call and see what they have.  Thanks.
Bob

You certainly shamed Lyman on you saving this scope, well done!

That’s a neat package! Nice job of salvaging, Bob!👍
Tom W.