Lyman Super Target Spot rear mount problem. Help needed.

2

219don

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I recently acquired a Lyman STS in 20 X in near mint condition. The problem is that the rear elevation adjuster refuses to turn, ie will not move up or down. This is a three point, "micro click" mount. Initially, neither adjuster would turn. I loosened a screw in the top right corner of the mount, which goes through that slotted part there, which I believes serves to lock the adjusters in place after you have them set where you want. It appears to tighten on a small piece of metal, about 1/2" long and very narrow that juts out from a slot in the adjuster body (both adjusters). Loosening this screw freed up the windage adjuster right away, it works perfectly. The elevation adjuster still won't turn. I cannot see any rust/corrosion etc anywhere. Like I said the scope appears mint. There are three very small screws around the outer perimiter of each adjuster which require a jeweler's screwdriver to move but I cannot budge any of them, but I don't think they have anything to do with moveing the adjuster up or down other than to hold the outer part of the adjuster to it's inner rod. Like the small screws in the top outside of a Leupold tall turret which allows you to loosen/remove a thin turret and put on the wider one. Anyone out there familiar with this mount that can offer some suggestions ?? Thanks in advance.
 
It's been awhile since I used a targer spot, so I'm going on memerory. The 3 small screws' at the top of the adjusting ring. When the rifle is sighted in, and you loosen these screws', you can bring the thimble, and barrel markings' to zero to use as a starting point. I realy never made use of this feature. The thin strip of steel. This fit's, into a slot on the on the barrel of of the mount body where the adjusting knob screws in It keep's the adjusting pad from turning again'st the scope body, when the knob is turned. The adjusting knob is a steel boby assemby screwed into an aluminum barrel, or sleeve. Is it turned clear to the bottom by chance? Try a 50-50 mixture of acetone, and transmission fluid, and shake before using. Apply with an eye dropper, or tooth pick. Let set for awhile.The locking screw for the adjusters, just leave loose so it turns freely without being sloppy.
 
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The elevation adjuster is definately not bottomed out, the top of the tube is a bit above half way up. Plus the adjuster won't move either way. Up or down. I don't/didn't plan to use the reset to zero feature either, but I thought if I could loosen those tiny screws I might be able to lift off the exterior and get a closer look inside to see whats binding. I thought that thin piece of steel in the slot might be part of the click mechanism and it was whats binding. If it's connected to the bottom pad to stop that from turning, well maybe not. I was planning to use WD-40 spareingly. Thats worked for me before on other things. Thank you very much for the response. Bill B.
 
Go with the acetone, and transmission fluid. Apply from the bottom side. I don't think looseing the three top screws would help to show you anything much. You cannot remove it anyway with the adusting screw frozen. When soaking the threads, try moving back, and forth, and adding fluid. Careful as those part's can be delicate.
 
there were a different knobs depending on serial number.
do you see pads that look like item labeled 1?
STS005.jpg

If so I think you may have to remove the entire rear mount and soak it. I don't know how the earlier versions come apart. I believe mine, shown here, was of the latest variety.
 
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Your pic is similar but not exactly like mine. The pad (1) in mine is metallic, large screw (5) I can't tell if it's indented below it's top as (4) fits flush up against it. 6,7,8 I can't tell because there isn't any screw slot in the top of (6) to unscrew it. It's smooth across it's top. Looks like it may just snap on but it doesn't seem to just snap off. 7 and 8 look like part of the click mechanism ? which may be whats stuck ? but without popping off (6) I can't tell. Thanks a heap for the pics. I'm gonna have to ponder this some more, maybe call Parsons. I know the older Parsons was very helpfull to me a number of years back. Thanks very much for the pic.
Bill B.
 
219don said:
Your pic is similar but not exactly like mine. The pad (1) in mine is metallic, large screw (5) I can't tell if it's indented below it's top as (4) fits flush up against it. 6,7,8 I can't tell because there isn't any screw slot in the top of (6) to unscrew it. It's smooth across it's top. Looks like it may just snap on but it doesn't seem to just snap off. 7 and 8 look like part of the click mechanism ? which may be whats stuck ? but without popping off (6) I can't tell. Thanks a heap for the pics. I'm gonna have to ponder this some more, maybe call Parsons. I know the older Parsons was very helpfull to me a number of years back. Thanks very much for the pic.
Bill B.
Click to expand...

below is an excerpt of a post I made on RFC when I disassembled the knobs:

"Part 1 is the pad. It was almost glued in place from the old grease. I added some Kroil to where the black pin on the pad fit into part 3. Eventually it loosened up to where I could pull it out.

At this point it took me a while to figure how to disassemble further. After digging out all the old grease from the inside of 3 I realized there was a common screw slot in there. I took a chance on trying to turn it in the conventional direction but it wouldn't budge. I added some more Kroil and let it set for a few hours. It finally loosened and out came part 2. Part 2 has internal threads that engage the threaded post on part 6. Once 2 is removed, everything comes apart."

ignore parts 4, 7, and 8 for now. I could see the threads on part 5 siezed up in the rear mount housing keeping it from turning. All part 1 does is provide something that bears on the scope tube. That leaves 2,3, and 6 which are supposed to rotate freely inside 5. Since that little tab on 3 sits in a slot of the housing, if 2, 3, and 6 are NOT free to rotate inside 5, you won't be able to turn 5. Hope this helps. I still think you should pull the entire rear mount off and soak it in penetrating oil.
 
Dood, I'm working on getting the mount off. I've backed out the windage adjuster enough so that the pad is even with the inside of the mount. I unscrewed the plunger in the lower left to clear things there. There's still not quite enough room to get the bottom of the upper adjuster to clear the ring that holds the internal crosshair tube in place. I'm reluctant to loosen it up and unscrew it but I may do so and hope I don't fudge something up internally. First I'm gonna try to flip out the pad in the upper adjuster. It seems to be loose. If I can get it to drop down and out there should be enough room inside the mount to clear the the rings on the ocular houseing. Thanks for the description of what you found internally. If it's the big screw inside thats bound up with the houseing that would explain why the adjuster won't move either up or down. I'm gonna give things a few more shots of WD 40, give it some time to work through and try turning again. If it doesn't turn in a few days I'll try the removal operation described above. Again, thanks much for the help.
Bill B.
 
Supertarget Spot

Bill if you end up having to screw the eye piece all the way off whatever you do don't blow in the tube if you were to see any bits of dust particles or other foriegn matter. I inadvertantly did that once and that little puff of wind coming out of my mouth wiped out the crosshairs as I did not realize they were that delicate. After making that boo boo I made a new one out of the finest black widow spider web I could find hanging around the house and amazingly you could not tell the replacement from the original. I used a couple of strands out of a corncob broom then gently bent them into a bow with the web wraped around them to tension them and used a couple drops of epoxy to bond them in place.

J. Louis
 
On the scope I have, I've taken that ring off in order to repair a stripped screw hole in the cylinder that the crosshairs mount to. If you do take the ocular off be very careful of the crosshairs like LouisJ said. I'm beginning to wonder if the previous owner glued that knob in place. If you do take the entire mount off, you might want to try dipping it in boiling water or use a heat gun on it. I might be concerned about the pin that holds the pad (item 1). On mine, it didn't seem like it was metal. The pad itself is nylon. Since your pads are metal, maybe the pins are too. There's no reason why you shouldn't take the windage knob all the way out.
 
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