Rifle Scopes OPTICS NOT MADE IN CHINA.

Jkedsnake

Jkedsnake

Private
Minuteman
Jan 8, 2019
50
62
#1
Hello all,

I've been really thinking about going the 100% made in the USA for anything I buy regardless of what it will be used for. With that said, I am fully aware that it will be difficult or near impossible when it comes to optics.

So if not made in the USA, then at least NOT made in Commie china.

I thank you in advance for your time, If anyone knows which optics are made here in the USA please post it up here.

I just got off the phone with U.S. Optics and Vortex and the only models they make domestically are:

US Optics - Foundation Series
Vortex - Razor HD AMG (almost completely made in the USA)



The gentleman from Vortex did mention that they are in the process and focusing on making more models here in the USA, to just give them some time to get their facility sorted out for such a task.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HD1911, westsidecamper, Milf Dots and 9 others
#6
Vortex AMG line is here in the USA I believe. Leupold Gold Ring optics are born and raised in the USA

20200408_141550.jpg


15863805886932707478217520738949.jpg
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: TACC, kd185, EN2722 and 2 others
#7
Nightforce ATACR 4-16 for sure as it’s lasered into the tube. Don’t know about all of their other offerings or from where they source their glass. I want to say Japan.
 
#8
Hardly any are US Made,

There are some that are US Assembled but made here, not really the right term.

Especially on the USO side, they are not US scopes, and with the changes and sale, it seems even less is made here from them.

But most scopes are assembled here, however, due to laws, it's part sourcing, not assembly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: viking78, Slides, GetReal and 2 others
#9
Yea even the ones like the leupy above, have a good amount of parts sourced from other places. The higher end stuff will be Japan (NF, razor 2, etc,) then there’s the euro options like S&B, kahles, etc.) the Vortex AMG will be the closest you’ll get in the current market.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jkedsnake and rjjk1981
#11
ken226 said:
Burris XTR3 made in Colorado, has some Japanese components.

Leupold and Nightforce also makes some of their scopes here, but use some Japanese components. Do your research on the specific models. Many Nightforce scopes are made overseas.

Lots of options for German and Japanese scopes.
Click to expand...

Meh, "assembled" in Colorado with foreign parts. I was a little disappointed to not see made in USA anywhere.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jkedsnake
#13
Burris XTRII I have is Philippines
My XTRII 1-8 Japan

NF ATACR “made in USA” stamp on tube. Not sure if it’s entirely made here or mix of us and Japan parts etc

NF NXS I had was Japan
NF comp I have is Japan
Athlon Cronus BTR is Japan
Sightron SIII’s I have are Japan

Only China made optics I have that I’m aware of are my Sig Romeo 5’s. Only optic I’m aware of that I have US made is the ATACR
 
  • Like
Reactions: jfsolovey, DubfromGA and Jkedsnake
#16
HolyCity73 said:
If a tier 1 or 2 scope was made in the USA, entirely of USA made parts, you would most likely shit over the price.
I’ll stick to what I know. German and Japanese Optics made by German, Japanese or US owned companies who have sourced to manufacturing in Japan.
Click to expand...

Not really. Look at the Vortex AMG. It's made in the US. Actually made here with US glass. Only part that isn't is the reticle which is German.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FJS, DubfromGA, Ordnance Locker and 4 others
#19
2aBaCa said:
Meh, "assembled" in Colorado with foreign parts. I was a little disappointed to not see made in USA anywhere.
Click to expand...

Yea, mostly.

The XTR3, some Steiners and Leupolds, USO FDN and many others use foreign lenses and reticles. They outsource the anodizing to local anodizers, and turn their own bodies, housings and threaded parts.

I spent alot of time asking questions with USO before I gave them my money. They were pretty forthcoming and willing to answer questions.

They were bought out by a company called Downrange Solutions Group. Downrange Solutions Group is a big OEM AR15 parts supplier, supplying a large fraction of the unbranded or OEM branded barrels, uppers, lowers, lower parts, pins, bolts and bolt carriers sold by companies like Palmetto, Joe Bob's, Bravo Company and many others.

Downrange Solutions Group also Owns Zero Delta Manufacturing, who is located in the same building as US Optics. Zero Delta is doing the majority of USOs body, tube and small parts manufacturing for the FDN scopes. The TS series is strait up Chinese.

USO buys their FDN series glass from
Schott AG, which is imported from Germany, then finished in Schotts Duryea, PA facility.
 
  • Like
Reactions: stefan73, blue_ridge, ProsochePatriot and 1 other person
#25
I have not talked to USO, but it sounds like they are mostly US made for the Foundation series.

Vortex AMG is US made except for the reticle. Same for the AMG UH-1 holographic side: the hologram itself is from UK, everything else US.

Leupold's higher end stuff seems to be Japanese glass and most mechanicals are made in the US, but I do not have direct confirmation of that.

With ZCO, the parts all come from Europe (mostly Austria and Germany, I think), but they are assembled in the US.

Some Steiners are assembled in the US with German glass and mostly US mechanicals. XTR3 glass comes from Asia, I think, but the mechanicals are mostly US and assembly is in the US. Steiner M scopes are German.

If you are rather looking for simply not Chinese-made, options open up considerably.

All March scopes are completely made in Japan, for example.

S&B is Germany or Hungary.

Tangent Theta is from Canada (glass comes from Germany)

Leica is Germany or Portugal for most stuff, but some products have mechanicals from Japan.

Higher end GPO products seem to be all Japan with German QC.

SWFA scopes are all from Japan (they had one Phillipine-made scope that is now discontinued).

Sightron scopes are either Japan or Philliipines.

Zeiss higher end stuff seems to be German, but a bunch of their stuff is from Asia and I have no idea from where.

Athlon Cronus is from Japan, the rest is from China.

Bushnell Elite seems to be from Japan, but like with Zeiss, it is hard to keep track what comes from where.

Minox higher end stuff is German, not sure about the other product lines

Blaser is German

Swarovski/Kahles are from Austria

Trijicon is all Japanese I think.

Meprolight is mostly from Israel (not sure about their micro red dot)

Vortex Razor scopes are Japanese (spotters are Chinese).


ILya
 
  • Like
Reactions: velocidad247, Bluedog82, Kanwhitetails and 16 others
#26
Rob01 said:
Not really. Look at the Vortex AMG. It's made in the US. Actually made here with US glass. Only part that isn't is the reticle which is German.
Click to expand...
Most American is still not American.
I completely get your point, I swear. But my point is simple. Nothing we have is ? American anymore. Materials are too easy to have made elsewhere and most American consumers would rather save a buck than go broke realizing that American made means expensive af for equivalent quality made overseas.
Best example is why V went with 6-24 vs 5-25 or better like the rest of the manufactures, including themselves. It’s all a matter of economics. People are cheap.
And yeah, my AMG was rad, for sure. I sold it because my Razors were cheaper and imho suited my needs better.

At the end of all this: Totally not arguing with you because yes, it’s the most American scope we have. Agreed. And it’s pretty killer, even after this long on the market.
I’m also basing my opinion on the conversation I had with the vortex rep in 2017 at Shit Show. I’m not correcting that autocorrect.
 
Last edited:
#27
koshkin said:
I have not talked to USO, but it sounds like they are mostly US made for the Foundation series.

Vortex AMG is US made except for the reticle. Same for the AMG UH-1 holographic side: the hologram itself is from UK, everything else US.

Leupold's higher end stuff seems to be Japanese glass and most mechanicals are made in the US, but I do not have direct confirmation of that.

With ZCO, the parts all come from Europe (mostly Austria and Germany, I think), but they are assembled in the US.

Some Steiners are assembled in the US with German glass and mostly US mechanicals. XTR3 glass comes from Asia, I think, but the mechanicals are mostly US and assembly is in the US. Steiner M scopes are German.

If you are rather looking for simply not Chinese-made, options open up considerably.

All March scopes are completely made in Japan, for example.

S&B is Germany or Hungary.

Tangent Theta is from Canada (glass comes from Germany)

Leica is Germany or Portugal for most stuff, but some products have mechanicals from Japan.

Higher end GPO products seem to be all Japan with German QC.

SWFA scopes are all from Japan (they had one Phillipine-made scope that is now discontinued).

Sightron scopes are either Japan or Philliipines.

Zeiss higher end stuff seems to be German, but a bunch of their stuff is from Asia and I have no idea from where.

Athlon Cronus is from Japan, the rest is from China.

Bushnell Elite seems to be from Japan, but like with Zeiss, it is hard to keep track what comes from where.

Minox higher end stuff is German, not sure about the other product lines

Blaser is German

Swarovski/Kahles are from Austria

Trijicon is all Japanese I think.

Meprolight is mostly from Israel (not sure about their micro red dot)

Vortex Razor scopes are Japanese (spotters are Chinese).


ILya
Click to expand...

The Minox ZX line is from Chinese parts assembled in Germany.
I have the parts import paperwork with country of origin being China.|

I had to edit my post due to the assembly being performed in Germany. My apologies @koshkin
 
Last edited:
#28
Well they were to start and that was as my point that the price was the same. Using a German reticle didn't drop the price. I hope they can find a reticle company and be 100% American again. I know they do to.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HolyCity73
#29
Rob01 said:
Not really. Look at the Vortex AMG. It's made in the US. Actually made here with US glass. Only part that isn't is the reticle which is German.
Click to expand...


I've bought and sold Kahles, S&B, NF, and others. The only one that has stayed with me from the beginning is my AMG. It just quietly and exceptionally does everything I need from a scope. And it's light, which doesn't hurt.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Todc and Rob01
#35
while I could be very wrong I don't think there are any us bases optic companies that make glass anymore every company I hear spouting about made in america 6 months later you find out there glass is made over seas which is fine with me as long as the quality is heavenly scrutinized by the company that assembles the parts ... its just hard to beat a worker that has no choice but to work for 6 cents or what ever it is . Its just the way it is they do make some really nice glass at a price that's hard to beat they also make junk one just has to look for what they can afford vrs what they want .
 
#37
acudaowner said:
while I could be very wrong I don't think there are any us bases optic companies that make glass anymore every company I hear spouting about made in america 6 months later you find out there glass is made over seas which is fine with me as long as the quality is heavenly scrutinized by the company that assembles the parts ... its just hard to beat a worker that has no choice but to work for 6 cents or what ever it is . Its just the way it is they do make some really nice glass at a price that's hard to beat they also make junk one just has to look for what they can afford vrs what they want .
Click to expand...

You are. The AMG uses US glass. Not sure how many more times it needs to be repeated in the same thread. LOL

"And yes, the index-matched, HD, extra-low dispersion glass is sourced/made/finished/ground/polished/coated/inspected right here, in the United States. "

gunworld.com

American Made: Vortex Razor HD AMG 6-24x50 Optic - Gun World Magazine

AMG is an acronym for Advanced Manufacturing Group. This is a group within Vortex’s engineering department that works on projects to be U.S.-made/made with U.S.-sourced parts to produce the highest level of performance of any optic on the market. This Razor HD AMG 6-24×50 is, indeed, a premium...
gunworld.com
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: Milf Dots, Bluedog82, blue_ridge and 8 others
#38
Who in the US can produce optic lenses? I haven't heard of a company that can or has...can someone elaborate...if there is...why don't NF and other US-based companies use them?
 
#39
thehun said:
Who in the US can produce optic lenses? I haven't heard of a company that can or has...can someone elaborate...if there is...why don't NF and other US-based companies use them?
Click to expand...

A bunch of companies make glass in the US, but it is not coming used in higher end products, not riflescopes.

There most prominent is probably Corning.

ILya
 
  • Like
Reactions: smoothy8500 and clcustom1911
#41
My AMG is 100% made in 'murica as allowed by the FTC. Got a chance to tour their new facility in late summer 2018 (accidentally discovered a Razor with Horus reticle that wasn't released yet during my tour and had to sign a NDA with Vortex) and they have plenty of room to expand for manufacturing and engineering. When walking through their optic's labs they told us AMG's are starting to get German itched reticles. Do I care? No. It's a global economy. Will I try to continue buying made in USA items? yes as best as I can.
 
#42
koshkin said:
A bunch of companies make glass in the US, but it is not coming used in higher end products, not riflescopes.

There most prominent is probably Corning.

ILya
Click to expand...

Correct..lots of them but I was not aware that any specialized in optic prescriptions for scopes...
 
#43
2aBaCa said:
Meh, "assembled" in Colorado with foreign parts. I was a little disappointed to not see made in USA anywhere.
Click to expand...

You're accurate that the XTR3 uses foreign parts. The glass is sourced from Japan.

But the reticle is etched in Greeley. As well as the entirety of remaining parts and pieces. The scope was designed from the ground up in Greeley Colorado, and is fabricated and assembled there.

So it's about as American made as a fella could hope for these days.
 
  • Like
Reactions: D_TROS, Widowmaker0001, ken226 and 1 other person
#45
Also, I’m damn happy to see this thread! Also been trying to avoid Chinese goods.

I’m trying to explain to my kids (who keep seeing China in media due to Wuflu) that the Chinese government lies about everything and is not to be trusted. “It’s not Chinese PEOPLE we dislike, it’s Chinese COMMUNISTS. Communists aren’t people.”
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cpg3, Kanwhitetails, Milf Dots and 9 others
#46
lacroix optical a small lens manufacture in Batesville Arkansas and they were contracted by Vortex to make lens for the AMG line originally not sure if they are still or the sole source.
 
#47
HolyCity73 said:
So what you’re saying is it’s not 100% American.
Click to expand...

Get ready to sell every fucking vehicle you own. Not a single one of them, regardless of the brand, is 100% made in the USA according to your definition.

A lot people on this thread don't understand the realities of modern manufacturing businesses. You guys probably think GMC and Chevy trucks are different and made in GMC plants and Chevy plants.......
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: Nik H, mgrs, Rookie and 5 others
#50
AznTactical said:
Agreed. Even my wife's Nissan is more American than my Ford F-1Shitty.
Click to expand...

My Accord is one of the absolute most American (by value content) vehicles sold in this country today.
  • Engine manufactured at Honda's Anna, OH engine manufacturing plant
  • Body stampings made at Honda's Marysville, OH assembly plant and at KTH's St Paris, OH stamping plant
  • All sorts of components (fuel, exhaust, electronics, interiors, etc) manufactured at a slew of American, European, and Japanese parts makers with American plants all over the Midwest
  • Vehicle assembly at Honda's Marysville, OH assembly (since 1982)
  • The only foreign major component is the 6 speed manual transmission, made at a Honda plant in India. Accords with automatic transmissions get them from Honda's Russell's Point OH transmission manufacturing plant
 
  • Like
Reactions: Beefmanne, JeffLebowski, Jkedsnake and 2 others
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

lash
China Restricts Export of Nitrocellulose and Antimony
Replies
74
Views
3K
Edsel
Edsel
K
American made mid/high scopes
Replies
23
Views
2K
blue_ridge
B
Rpatton73
Optics OPTICS For Sale... US Optics, NF, S&B, Meopta, Leupold, March, Zeiss, Alcan and more.
Replies
50
Views
3K
Rpatton73
Rpatton73
Rpatton73
Optics ***UPDATED LIST*** OPTICS For Sale... US Optics, NF, S&B, Meopta, Zeiss, ATN, Leupold, BORS, March, Zeiss, Elcan and more.
Replies
0
Views
390
Rpatton73
Rpatton73
TheMoondog
Tract Toric UHD 27-55 spotter review
Replies
0
Views
704
TheMoondog
TheMoondog
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Merch
Alerts