Fake/ Copies/ Clone/ Counterfeit/ Moody Scopes!

NorthDorset

Well-Known Member
I have been scope shopping on line over this last week. What has really taken me back are the number of Fakes/ Copies/ clone/ counterfeit /Moody scopes that are for sale.

I became initially aware that Bushnell were being copied widely after I found a great spec scope on the bay for a very good price new. When I went looking on Bushnells site I found that wasnt't not a spec that they do in Europe or the States. Its a give away sign if they are being sold new with mounts! Also some of the Fakes have an E etched after the spec. This one in particular was from a business trader who only sells scopes. I contacted him and he said that he was going to contact his distributor in Hong Kong and ask about authenticity but that I shouldnt buy it until he came back to me. Guess what, he hasn't yet.

Ive noticed at the budget end of the market that there are a lot of Tasco scopes that have probably never seen a Tasco factory.

There are a couple of German sounding brands that are clearly Chinese.

Not sure about some marked Nikko as opposed to NikkoStirling.

There are also a lot of fake Leupolds on the market.

Dont be fooled by authentic looking packaging either! Fake scope in a fake box!

Hope this warning helps folks not spend a heap of hard earned on something not that good and with no warranty.
 
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Good to bring this to members attention, lots of fake leupolds out there on the bay especially mk 4's, won't be long untill nightforces are copied I guess.

Glad I bought a second hand german scope from a very nice chap off of here now.

PJ.
 
Adding my tuppence to an excellent thread.

If a Scope says... "Nikko Sterling" ...on it, it's definitely a knock-off.

There's no such company.
 
"If a Scope says... "Nikko Sterling" ...on it, it's definitely a knock-off. "


Oh really
:eek: then please explain this one:-

339209864.jpg


Notice the name on it ;) and that's the same that appears in various Parker-Hale catalogues as P-H were the importers for many years.

I also have in front of me a 1980's Nikko Stirling Electro-Sight 4x40 and a Nikko Sterling "Silver Crown" 6x32 recently got from Hubert. There are also several more of the old 4x32's some are marker "Special Sporting". Then there is the Nikko Stirling Platinum 30mm ring mounts and a Collimeter set plus a 4x40 Platimum scope also marked clearly Nikko Stirling.

It's a shame that the current management of the company chose greed over quality Control and moved production to China from Japan and since then the quality has really gone down the drain as I found out to my own expense.
 
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"If a Scope says... "Nikko Sterling" ...on it, it's definitely a knock-off. "


Oh really
:eek: then please explain this one:-

339209864.jpg


Notice the name on it ;) and that's the same that appears in various Parker-Hale catalogues as P-H were the importers for many years.

I also have in front of me a 1980's Nikko Sterling Electro-Sight 4x40 and a Nikko Sterling "Silver Crown" 6x32 recently got from Hubert. There are alos several more of the old 4x32's some are marker "Special Sporting". Then there is the Nikko Sterling Platinum 30mm ring mounts and a Collimeter set plus a 4x40 Platimum scope also marked clearly Nikko Sterling.

It's a shame that the current management of the company chose greed over quality Control and moved production to China from Japan and since then the quality has really gone down the drain as I found out to my own expense.

B-H clean your specs mate.

It's Stirling not Sterling.

ps. I'm very fond of the old one's too, great value.
 
Bewsher500. I deliberately didnt put links etc for risk of action against the owners of this site by those you are alleging are offering counterfeit goods for sale.
 
B-H clean your specs mate.

It's Stirling not Sterling.

ps. I'm very fond of the old one's too, great value.

Quite right........................... how did you know I am over due for new ones. Having to use ones at least a decade old to read the comp screen as cannot do so with my spare distance ones. My varifocals of course met their demise under plods boot.

I have corrected my spelling gaff :oops:. Thank you for pointing it out.

Of course your post raises another issue why the heck would they want to fake the current production?

After all it's pretty rubbish now from my experience.
 
If the far east can copy watches that the shops cannot tell the difference I'm sure they can copy scopes I would not buy things like scopes from eBay or from far east full stop
 
BH

Spelling gaffe incorrectly-an embarrassing error.

Frank

Frank, I never claimed to be a writer nor qualified in English language or grammar. As a product of labours ideal of Comprehensive schooling which it seems was more aimed at mass producing factory fodder. English was taught sure but at quite a basic level. One didn't need to be perfect in grammar or spelling to fix a car, work a machine or serve in a shop.

This became clear in the Careers Advice "lessons" anyone who wanted to follow a career not in line with the "establishments" ideas was quickly put down and pushed into the appropriate career direction dictated by the aptitude tests taken in the final year. It seems my own test results said I should work an engineering machine and any other ideas I might have had were quickly squashed. They knew that due to my birthday being in the wrong time of year that an apprenticeship was not going to be possible to obtain. a 1st year apprentice getting second year pay would not be tolerated and apprenticeships were strictly laid down and paid by age not the year one was actually in.

No according to them I was destined for the production line even though where I grew up there we no such factories. That didn't matter the party line did and that was that as they say.

I may try to get English right but try and actually succeed are two different things.
 
Jewfish - Actually Im not clear that the trader on ebay didnt also have a retail premises.

If you are careful online sales can yeild bargains.

Brit Hunter. Simple mistake. Keen to keep this topic on topic as it may do folks a favour.
 
Some of the "fakes" are perhaps seconds or rejects off the line. As after all a lot of the scopes being "faked" are actually made in China. Leupold had to change their branding as there is not enough inside their scopes now it seems that IS made in the USA to be called American now.

It's easy to copy something especially if you have the drawings to make it for the well known brand in the first place.

The companies have brought it upon themselves with their greed and scramble to make that extra buck by out sourcing production. If it turns round and bites them who's fault is that?
 
Actually Brit Hunter I dont disagree. How much difference their actually is between the manufacturing cost of a Zeiss and a Zos I dont know but if one is £2000 and one £50 retail then clearly the big brands are making the market for the cheap fakes.

I own a Zeiss and there is a distict quality difference between it and a scope of the same spec I own from say Simmons. Fullstop.

Then again theres a difference between a Hugo Boss suit and Marks and Spencer.
 
I own a Zeiss and there is a distict quality difference between it and a scope of the same spec I own from say Simmons. Fullstop.

I would hope so.
And after just returning from Germany for a factory visit and 2 days in the class room I know why. But much of that is a secret.
All you need to know is that EVERY single stage of production has checks and believe me thats alot of checking.
Also the term "fully coated" optics can be a little vague.
Many companie offer this, zeiss lenes are often coated with DIFFERENT coatings on every surface, on a scope with 10 lenses thats alot of seperate operations, Why its all to allow more light through the scope and cut down reflection within the scopes body.
explained here.
http://sportsoptics.zeiss.com/hunting/en_de/experience/competence/lens-concept/zeiss_ht.html

sorry learnt this and been bursting to tell someone.
 
John,

You had to have a jolly at the factory to learn that? :old:


I recall reading articles about coated optics many years ago that explained how some cheaper scopes only have the galls exposed to the air coated, some coat the outer surfaces of lens "cells" and some manufacturers coat each lens surface. Then again some caot with one film and others use Multi layers.

Hope you had a good trip BTW. :D
 
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