Re: is it true leuplod scopes are not made in u.s.?
I think we should all thank Frank The Fly for bringing some common sense to this thread... Rather than gossiping on speculations, he actually got data from Leupold.
Just to be clear, based on his information:
(1) The scopes are primarily made in the USA.
(2) Leupold is not using a Made in USA label because they are afraid to be sued by the state of CA. We, gun owners, should already be well aware of the irrationality of many CA laws. Is this a surprise to any of us?
(3) Anyone among us has the right to disbelieve the Leupold statement. But - they are innocent until proven guilty. They put up when Frank asked them to. Unless we can prove them wrong, we must take them at their word - or we would be slandering.
(4) Despite the many statements in this thread and others to the contrary, Leupold appears to uphold its Made in US values in the same way as it has in the past. This should quiet the hysterical statements about how Leupold is lying to all us and betraying its origins - although I doubt it will...
(5) Let's face it - Leupold, on the whole, does a great job for 99% of its customers. They make excellent hunting products. Their tactical products - a niche market - were not the best, but have definitely improved, and they are clearly good enough to satisfy several of the Armed Services. So what if we, a very small minority of elite shooters (well... in the interest of full disclosure I am hereby notifying all that I am NOT an elite shooter but a poor shot), are not the avowed target of the company? Why should we bash them for that?
(6) Thirty years ago there were fewer companies going for the high end. Now a group of smaller companies target the very high end and put together alpha glass or great mechanical products. Their narrow focus allows them to do a better job at servicing this small segment. That is normal. They also do a terrible job for the rest of the market: what if the only choice for the average guy was S&B or Zeiss? Leupold serves a different market - much larger- and does a very good job at it. And - their warranty and CS are outstanding.
I am not a Leupold fan boy - but I don't want to be part of a lynch mob when actions are based on suppositions or innuendos rather than facts. Like all companies, they have weaknesses - but they are comparatively few. All in all, they are a company that we should be proud of. By throwing baseless accusations, and condemning them without a thread of proof, we are damaging a US company and causing it prejudice that we cannot undo: on the web, damaging statements never go away, even if they are 100% lies, and a sullied reputation can never be fully cleaned.
If you don't want a Leupold product - fine. It's your choice - and it is certainly right for YOU. But why slam the company because of (1) the choices your are making and (2) the profile shooter you are - which does not match what they see as their customer? Just pay your dollars somewhere else, and rationally discuss your choices. It is not right to make it easier for US jobs to move offshore by bashing a good company.
Full disclosure: (a) I don't work for Leupold or for its industry in general, (b) about 1/4 of my optics are Leupold products, (c)I like some of my Leupold products a lot, and some I don't like so much, (d) I love Leupold warranty and CS, (e) even when I don't buy Leupold products I want them to be a part of the market I buy from, and (f) I wish there were many other US companies like Leupold, in this industry and others, both for my sake and the sake of the US economy.
I fully expect to be flamed for the statement above. But - what makes our country great is that we are not afraid to stand for what we believe is right, even when it would be convenient not to do so. This thread is an unfair lynching.
I can see you've put a whole lot of *thinking* into your statement...</div></div> 
