I keep hearing and seeing "Buy American" and have no problem with that. I try to do it as much as possible. I also try to buy local also. Keep the $$ at home. My question is, How many brands of scopes are made in the USA and how much glass (optics)is made here? Are there that many options on optics that are made in the USA?
U.S. made scopes
- Thread starter pyscodog
- Start date
CS TACTICAL
New member
USO
Some of Nightforce
Most of Leupold
Premier Optics
There are the main ones I can think of.
Mike @ CST
Some of Nightforce
Most of Leupold
Premier Optics
There are the main ones I can think of.
Mike @ CST
bigwheeler
New member
Leupold is assembled here. Most of the parts are chinese by all accounts. I
haven't seen made in America on them for quite some time. I have seen it
posted many times that Nightforce is also assembled here but made overseas
except for a few of their high end models. Am I correct?
haven't seen made in America on them for quite some time. I have seen it
posted many times that Nightforce is also assembled here but made overseas
except for a few of their high end models. Am I correct?
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bigwheeler
New member
Originally Posted By: 2muchgunOriginally Posted By: bigwheelerLeupold is assembled here. Most of the parts are chinese by all accounts.
This is TOTALLY not true. Not a single Chinese part in a Leupold. The glass is not made in the USA, but it certainly is NOT Chinese..............
So where then? Leupold won't say yea or nay, which leads most people to believe
it's yea. The glass from all recent discussions is chinese. As it is for many scopes
out there. Only leupold can dispel the mythes if that's what they are.
This is TOTALLY not true. Not a single Chinese part in a Leupold. The glass is not made in the USA, but it certainly is NOT Chinese..............
So where then? Leupold won't say yea or nay, which leads most people to believe
it's yea. The glass from all recent discussions is chinese. As it is for many scopes
out there. Only leupold can dispel the mythes if that's what they are.
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bigwheeler
New member
Why then , can't they put "made in USA" on their scopes? And why won't
they say it. You aren't answering my question.
they say it. You aren't answering my question.
bigwheeler
New member
http://www.google.com/search?client=safa...-8&oe=UTF-8
From the Leupold website.
"Leupold uses foreign sourced components for some parts of Golden Ring products, primarily lenses. This is because at this time, there is no American manufacturer that can supply the quantity of high quality lenses that Leupold needs for its annual Golden Ring Optics production. Leupold’s lens systems are designed at Leupold, by American optical engineers, in its state-of -the-art optics lab and then procured from outside vendors who must meet stringent quality standards.
Incoming parts are carefully inspected in our testing facility before they are accepted into the assembly process. Incidentally, all major optics producers worldwide acquire some or all of their glass from the same sources as Leupold. Some of these sources are located domestically, some are European, and some are Asian. Leupold has acquired its lenses this way for over 50 years...
From the Leupold website.
"Leupold uses foreign sourced components for some parts of Golden Ring products, primarily lenses. This is because at this time, there is no American manufacturer that can supply the quantity of high quality lenses that Leupold needs for its annual Golden Ring Optics production. Leupold’s lens systems are designed at Leupold, by American optical engineers, in its state-of -the-art optics lab and then procured from outside vendors who must meet stringent quality standards.
Incoming parts are carefully inspected in our testing facility before they are accepted into the assembly process. Incidentally, all major optics producers worldwide acquire some or all of their glass from the same sources as Leupold. Some of these sources are located domestically, some are European, and some are Asian. Leupold has acquired its lenses this way for over 50 years...
bigwheeler
New member
I remember also a talk I had with John Senior at USO back when Leupold was
trying to buy him out. At the time (1997 or so) Leupold had already
switched from Japan as a glass supplier to Korea according to him. Now it is possible they went back to Japan I guess. I've also heard Singapore thrown in there as a glass supplier. Until they come out and say definitively where they
source parts from I will have my doubts. I'll leave it at that.
As a side, USO uses Schott glass, sourced from Germany, and their scopes are still "Made In The USA".
trying to buy him out. At the time (1997 or so) Leupold had already
switched from Japan as a glass supplier to Korea according to him. Now it is possible they went back to Japan I guess. I've also heard Singapore thrown in there as a glass supplier. Until they come out and say definitively where they
source parts from I will have my doubts. I'll leave it at that.
As a side, USO uses Schott glass, sourced from Germany, and their scopes are still "Made In The USA".
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Originally Posted By: CS TACTICALUSO
Some of Nightforce
Mike @ CST
Mike I have two questions. I respect your opinion, and that is why I am asking. I am not asking this to start any problems. I really would like to know.
Are you saying that USO uses lenses that are made in the USA?? If so, do you know who actually makes the lenses??
And the NF scopes that are assembled in the USA. Are they also using US lenses?? Or are they importing Japanese lenses, then merely assembling in the USA??
I would really like to know those answers.
Does Leupold actually make their own lenses in the USA?? Or do they buy from a different mfr. who is also inside the USA??
Why can't the Americans make good quality lenses?? I would certainly think that B&L would be more than capable of making good glass?? Thanks, Tom.
Some of Nightforce
Mike @ CST
Mike I have two questions. I respect your opinion, and that is why I am asking. I am not asking this to start any problems. I really would like to know.
Are you saying that USO uses lenses that are made in the USA?? If so, do you know who actually makes the lenses??
And the NF scopes that are assembled in the USA. Are they also using US lenses?? Or are they importing Japanese lenses, then merely assembling in the USA??
I would really like to know those answers.
Does Leupold actually make their own lenses in the USA?? Or do they buy from a different mfr. who is also inside the USA??
Why can't the Americans make good quality lenses?? I would certainly think that B&L would be more than capable of making good glass?? Thanks, Tom.
OldTurtle
Moderator - Deceased
Guys, in this "Global Economy", there are many various parts manufactured in various countries and conglomerates rarely specify the actual origin of each part...
Some are "Assembled" here in the U.S. and considered "Made" here...
Unfortunately in the '60s, America started selling raw materials to other countries and hence, the reduction in many of our factories except for those that were willing to "buy back" the manufactured or processed materials for assembly here...Then it became less expensive for a lot of the assembly to be performed out of country...
While working under cover at a GM plant in '73, I learned that the body steel for the '74 models was being produced by Japan and there was a noticeable difference in the finish and quality...
In '91 I learned that Ford was having the chassis of the Escort assembled in Mexico and then airlifted to Canada for the body work to be installed, before bringing the completed vehicle into the U.S. for sale at a much reduced tax rate for the company...
My '87 Harley had a radio that was 'Made in Mexico' and when I started to install some hiway pegs on it, I had to borrow the metric wrenches from a Honda owner's tool kit to fit the bolts..My "Harley" jacket was produced in the Philippines...
I too, am one that would prefer to "Buy American" and still do when possible, but in today's business climate, that is getting harder to accomplish...All I can do is attempt to buy where the profit dollar stays here and quit worrying about the actual point of manufacture...
To one of the original questions, I have an old pair of Navy Binoculars that were manufactured by Baush & Lomb in 1943 and when I tried to run down the history on them and the company, I found that while B & L still makes lenses, most are for high end microscopes and they no longer produce sporting goods optics here in the U.S.
Some are "Assembled" here in the U.S. and considered "Made" here...
Unfortunately in the '60s, America started selling raw materials to other countries and hence, the reduction in many of our factories except for those that were willing to "buy back" the manufactured or processed materials for assembly here...Then it became less expensive for a lot of the assembly to be performed out of country...
While working under cover at a GM plant in '73, I learned that the body steel for the '74 models was being produced by Japan and there was a noticeable difference in the finish and quality...
In '91 I learned that Ford was having the chassis of the Escort assembled in Mexico and then airlifted to Canada for the body work to be installed, before bringing the completed vehicle into the U.S. for sale at a much reduced tax rate for the company...
My '87 Harley had a radio that was 'Made in Mexico' and when I started to install some hiway pegs on it, I had to borrow the metric wrenches from a Honda owner's tool kit to fit the bolts..My "Harley" jacket was produced in the Philippines...
I too, am one that would prefer to "Buy American" and still do when possible, but in today's business climate, that is getting harder to accomplish...All I can do is attempt to buy where the profit dollar stays here and quit worrying about the actual point of manufacture...
To one of the original questions, I have an old pair of Navy Binoculars that were manufactured by Baush & Lomb in 1943 and when I tried to run down the history on them and the company, I found that while B & L still makes lenses, most are for high end microscopes and they no longer produce sporting goods optics here in the U.S.
2muchgun
New member
Originally Posted By: bigwheelerhttp://www.google.com/search?client=safa...-8&oe=UTF-8
From the Leupold website.
"Leupold uses foreign sourced components for some parts of Golden Ring products, primarily lenses. This is because at this time, there is no American manufacturer that can supply the quantity of high quality lenses that Leupold needs for its annual Golden Ring Optics production. Leupold’s lens systems are designed at Leupold, by American optical engineers, in its state-of -the-art optics lab and then procured from outside vendors who must meet stringent quality standards.
Incoming parts are carefully inspected in our testing facility before they are accepted into the assembly process. Incidentally, all major optics producers worldwide acquire some or all of their glass from the same sources as Leupold. Some of these sources are located domestically, some are European, and some are Asian. Leupold has acquired its lenses this way for over 50 years...
This is basically the same exact thing as what I told you.
Now where did you come up with the "most of the parts are chinese" thing? And who told you USO uses Schott glass?
From the Leupold website.
"Leupold uses foreign sourced components for some parts of Golden Ring products, primarily lenses. This is because at this time, there is no American manufacturer that can supply the quantity of high quality lenses that Leupold needs for its annual Golden Ring Optics production. Leupold’s lens systems are designed at Leupold, by American optical engineers, in its state-of -the-art optics lab and then procured from outside vendors who must meet stringent quality standards.
Incoming parts are carefully inspected in our testing facility before they are accepted into the assembly process. Incidentally, all major optics producers worldwide acquire some or all of their glass from the same sources as Leupold. Some of these sources are located domestically, some are European, and some are Asian. Leupold has acquired its lenses this way for over 50 years...
This is basically the same exact thing as what I told you.
Now where did you come up with the "most of the parts are chinese" thing? And who told you USO uses Schott glass?
bigwheeler
New member
USO will tell you that when you talk to them. It's no secret. And Schott does
have manufacturing in the States as well as Germany. I believe they have
sourced from both. At the time I went through the USO plant they were still
polishing their own lenses. It was a fairly large area of the facility and very
messy. I don't believe they do it anymore.
Leupold will not deny they source from China. I draw a conclusion from it.
have manufacturing in the States as well as Germany. I believe they have
sourced from both. At the time I went through the USO plant they were still
polishing their own lenses. It was a fairly large area of the facility and very
messy. I don't believe they do it anymore.
Leupold will not deny they source from China. I draw a conclusion from it.
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Brian Stewart
New member
I've bought my last Leupold product as of September of this year.While on an elk hunting trip in Colorado I was looking at my RX750 rangefinder and noticed the made in China stamp on it. I was furious due to the fact that leupold markets their stuff as American made. I've bought over 30 Leupold scopes most were vari-x 3 or vx3's plus spotting scopes. So I called Leupold and some smart +++ named Eric Overstreet called me back and I voiced my concern and aggravation. He was very rude that done it for me and a smart butt. I know it is about impossible to not buy something from China but before I overpay for something from Leupold I'd buy from somewhere else.
frozenbutt
New member
Originally Posted By: 2muchgunWhat "all recent discussions" said they use Chinese glass? I'd say it is 95-99% Japanese glass, and 95-99% USA made parts. 100% USA enginerred/assembled.........
My leupold bino's got a made in the phillipines sticker on em. Figured it would be made here like the scopes but guess not.
My leupold bino's got a made in the phillipines sticker on em. Figured it would be made here like the scopes but guess not.
Let me throw something out there, the law now says if you touch it, or wrap it, or stamp it you can put made in usa on it, it's wrong, it's lying and deceiving, and ruining our country. at least you have to give it to companys that put china or where ever on it. they not lying to us. at least we have that.
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