Rifle Scopes Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

[patches]

If anyone is at shot and can tell me what Hensoldt or Premier are doing I'm dying to hear. I know last year Hensoldt had an impressive prototype but I don't believe it ever came out in production.
Thanks!

 

[PatrickChewing]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

Going to the preimier booth today! I will let you know what I find.

Clay

 

[hk dave]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

Sweet... I'm always interested in news from Premier.

 

[marsh1]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

Recent press release about Premier below. They are at SHOT and we were told they have product in stock to ship us.



January 11, 2013
Tangent Theta Incorporated is pleased to announce that it has purchased the assets, designs and intellectual property of Premier Reticles Ltd. of Winchester Virginia.
Premier is well known as one of the top brands among the small group of the world’s extreme- performance long range optical sighting systems. As before, the Premier brand will continue to be distributed in North America exclusively by Armament Technology Incorporated and its network of dealers. Service will continue to be provided by the Premier Service Center in Winchester VA.
Tangent Theta Incorporated is a Canadian company wholly owned by Andrew Webber, an accomplished long range competitive marksman and former President of Armament Technology Incorporated. Tangent Theta Incorporated’s modern rifle telescope manufacturing and assembly facility is currently under construction in Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada.
Questions regarding distribution may be directed to Armament Technology Incorporated.

 

[One-Eyed Jack]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

With Andrew Webber as the owner, every Premier scope will now come with a CD from either <span style="font-style: italic">Phantom of the Opera </span>or <span style="font-style: italic">Cats</span>.

 

[axeltow]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

So Premier is a Canadian company now?

 

[oinco]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

I am also intrigued by both companies and what they are wanting to do moving forward. I hope the multi-billion dollar EADS/Cassidian pockets open wide for Hensoldt to shine in the US market.

 

[LibertyOptics]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

Premier is now a 100% Canadian company.

The Hensoldt 3.5-25x56 is now in production, apparently. Zeiss Sports Optics is the exclusive North American distributor of Hensoldt, that is not changing.

 

[ToKeepAndBear]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

Will somebody ask Zeiss Sport Optics how they plan on taking care of their customer's repair needs? I have two Hensoldts (and have never had a problem) but have heard of long repair times when needed (requiring scope to be sent overseas).

I love my Hensoldts and would buy a third for sure if I knew I could get reasonable repairs. Schmidt and Bender has really stepped up in this regard with their US based repair center and quick turnaround. If anyone has info I would love to hear it!

Thanks,
TKAB

 

[TiroFijo]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LibertyOptics</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-weight: bold">Premier is now a 100% Canadian company.</span> </div></div>

Where will the scopes be made? Are they subcontracting subassemblies in other regions?

 

[RHutch]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TiroFijo</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LibertyOptics</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-weight: bold">Premier is now a 100% Canadian company.</span> </div></div>

Where will the scopes be made? Are they subcontracting subassemblies in other regions? </div></div>

I was told by a reputable source they were being made in Germany. Optronika was mentioned.

 

[hk dave]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

Yep, Germany bu Optronika. New scopes are tagged Premier on one side and Optronika on the other side.

 

[patches]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ToKeepAndBear</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Will somebody ask Zeiss Sport Optics how they plan on taking care of their customer's repair needs? I have two Hensoldts (and have never had a problem) but have heard of long repair times when needed (requiring scope to be sent overseas).

I love my Hensoldts and would buy a third for sure if I knew I could get reasonable repairs. Schmidt and Bender has really stepped up in this regard with their US based repair center and quick turnaround. If anyone has info I would love to hear it!

Thanks,
TKAB </div></div>

I too wonder about the Hensoldt customer service. I have a 4-16 with the H37 and while it has not had a problem the CS worries me a bit. Anything can happen. I even had a NF F1 that had a loose objective lens that rattled around. NF had it fixed and back to me in a week...

 

[LibertyOptics]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: marsh1</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Tangent Theta Incorporated’s modern rifle telescope manufacturing and assembly facility is currently under construction in Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada.
</div></div>

Optronika now...but I'm gonna guess he's not gonna build this facility to continue importing scopes. Not when he owns the "assets, designs, and intellectual property" of the Premier name.

Just a guess though

 

[vonbalkenbush]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LibertyOptics</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Optronika now...but I'm gonna guess he's not gonna build this facility to continue importing scopes. Not when he owns the "assets, designs, and intellectual property" of the Premier name.

Just a guess though </div></div>

If he's not going to build scopes in Nova Scotia, then ship them elsewhere, then why build the facility at all?

-SBS

 

[hk dave]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SagebrushShooter</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LibertyOptics</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Optronika now...but I'm gonna guess he's not gonna build this facility to continue importing scopes. Not when he owns the "assets, designs, and intellectual property" of the Premier name.

Just a guess though </div></div>

If he's not going to build scopes in Nova Scotia, then ship them elsewhere, then why build the facility at all?

-SBS</div></div>

It's about money.

 

[One-Eyed Jack]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

Let's hope that Premier repairs and CS will continue to be done in the US by Plange. It cost me a lot of money just for shipping and customs house fees to have a sticky O-ring replaced in my ELCAN SpecterDR in Canada.

 

[BigJimFish]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Let's hope that Premier repairs and CS will continue to be done in the US by Plange. It cost me a lot of money just for shipping and customs house fees to have a sticky O-ring replaced in my ELCAN SpecterDR in Canada.</div></div>

Paul is going to continue repairs and CS here in the U.S. There are no plans to change this. He looked relieved and happy following the resolution of the change of ownership. Good sign if you ask me. The former Premier manufacturing equipment will be moved from the Winchester factory to Nova Scotia. Manufacture will be done in Canada when the factory is built and equipment moved.

Lastly, 1-8x is on hold indefinitely.

 

[poison123]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: patches</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ToKeepAndBear</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Will somebody ask Zeiss Sport Optics how they plan on taking care of their customer's repair needs? I have two Hensoldts (and have never had a problem) but have heard of long repair times when needed (requiring scope to be sent overseas).

I love my Hensoldts and would buy a third for sure if I knew I could get reasonable repairs. Schmidt and Bender has really stepped up in this regard with their US based repair center and quick turnaround. If anyone has info I would love to hear it!

Thanks,
TKAB </div></div>

I too wonder about the Hensoldt customer service. I have a 4-16 with the H37 and while it has not had a problem the CS worries me a bit. Anything can happen. I even had a NF F1 that had a loose objective lens that rattled around. NF had it fixed and back to me in a week... </div></div>

Took me a hair over 2 months from start to finish...but they replaced my broken 4-16 NH1 with a brand new one. Was not as pleasant exp, had to get it up the chain to one of the VPs, as the dumb bitch who's in charge didn't know shit.

Hell upon getting my scope in, she tried to deny the warranty because it had one of the "prototype" stickers on it which they all did in the initial shipments.

But knowing what I know now....it'll be easy in the future if something breaks...not that I think the scope would again.

 

[axeltow]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BigJimFish</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Let's hope that Premier repairs and CS will continue to be done in the US by Plange. It cost me a lot of money just for shipping and customs house fees to have a sticky O-ring replaced in my ELCAN SpecterDR in Canada.</div></div>

Paul is going to continue repairs and CS here in the U.S. There are no plans to change this. He looked relieved and happy following the resolution of the change of ownership. Good sign if you ask me. The former Premier manufacturing equipment will be moved from the Winchester factory to Nova Scotia. Manufacture will be done in Canada when the factory is built and equipment moved.

Lastly, 1-8x is on hold indefinitely. </div></div>
Did anyone loose their jobs with the move of the manufacturing equipment to nova scotia? I hate to see people loose their jobs in this economy. the firearms community is about to take a big enough hit(i pray not).

 

[azimutha]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

Whatever jobs were lost must have happened a while back. Assembly was taken over by Optronika in Germany for quite some time.

 

[axeltow]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: azimutha</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Whatever jobs were lost must have happened a while back. Assembly was taken over by Optronika in Germany for quite some time. </div></div>
oh cool, thanks, i fergot about that. i had trouble finding all the facts in that regard.

 

[patches]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

I'm still wondering what they brought to SHOT!!!

 

[ccoker]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

nothing new from Premier

 

[Zak Smith]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

I talked to the Hensoldt guys for quite some time. It sounds like they are limited in how many "SKUs" they can produce in the 3.5-26 because of their small size, EG, a clockwise elevation knob is probably not going to happen, same with reticle choices. I also heard the MSRP has risen to more like $7k. If they had kept it around $5k and would do a thin reticle with a clockwise knob I would sell everything I owned and use all of those. $7k is getting stupid.

S&B has a new 5-20x50 that I was pretty intrigued by, same size about as the 3-12x50. Price reasonable at $3500 or so. That is probably what I'll go for next once they put a double turn knob on it (it had a 16 mil single turn knob on it that was pretty neat anyway).

 

[SFree]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Zak Smith</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I talked to the Hensoldt guys for quite some time. It sounds like they are limited in how many "SKUs" they can produce in the 3.5-26 because of their small size, EG, a clockwise elevation knob is probably not going to happen, same with reticle choices. I also heard the MSRP has risen to more like $7k. If they had kept it around $5k and would do a thin reticle with a clockwise knob I would sell everything I owned and use all of those. $7k is getting stupid.

S&B has a new 5-20x50 that I was pretty intrigued by, same size about as the 3-12x50. Price reasonable at $3500 or so. That is probably what I'll go for next once they put a double turn knob on it (it had a 16 mil single turn knob on it that was pretty neat anyway).
</div></div> $3500 is pretty stupid for any glass, but unfortunately these price points have become the norm. To me $4000-$5000 for any rifle is pretty stupid too, but expect to pat it for "quality".

 

[ccoker]

Re: Any Updates for Hensoldt or Premier at Shot 2013?

Speaking of costs..

I think you will see more and more people going with brands like Kahles and Steiner...

No time yet with the latter but plenty of time with the Kahles.

The Kahles K312 and 624I are proving to be winners in every regard including a reasonable price.