Lyman Alaskan A/B series scopes

[jmcjr]

Can anyone educate me on these scopes. Anecdotal evidence is that B series were govt issue. Some suggest A series were also. Why would lyman create a new serial number series for commercial scopes when the current running serial numbers worked all through the 40's and 50"s to the end of the alaskans. The creation of a letter series seems to indicate a customer with the cash to cause the vendor to jump in to slightly different, slightly most costly serial blocks for a specific purpose. Were any of the scopes used by other nations, military support etc.?

[Dan in NY]

not an expert, and cant comment on the scopes foreign use, but historically the concensus is the B series was considered a USGI replacement. The scopes with the A prefix were never considered USGI, but I had two "A"s in my collection which needed internal work and when dismantled, every part was stamped with the same type 7-digit drawing numbers as on the M82 scopes. Also I talked to an old timer who bought a surplus lot of USGI scopes (probably in the 1970's) in the white VCI paper. Most were B series, but there were also some A series in there too, wrapped/packed just as the other scopes were.
Senich never gets too deep into these A & B series scopes, but since hearing the above story, I would say both were used as replacements...with the B's getting the most triggertime..

[jmcjr]

"A" series as a block would indicate a purpose to me for the prefix vice a commercial serial number witout. Are there commercial scopes internally numbered parts ala the M81's?