Rifle Scopes OPTICS NOT MADE IN CHINA.

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.
The owner of DSG is an old friend and worked for me when we were deployed in Afghanistan. Great guy.
 
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Why do I care what a salesman (paulhaw) says about Schott glass? A salesmans job is just to sell crap. They work with the marketing department who gets their orders from accounting. None of which care about the quality of the product.
 
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.
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.
Good to hear you aren't funding our enemy any more than necessary.After all they have killed alot more americans than the Taliban and more die everyday. They knew what they loosed on US and the world and didn't warn a soul and still deny it. I feel for the business owners that are in bed with them. They basically have put their private parts in a Chicom handcuff and it only tightens more if you try to pull out.
 
I know this is an old thread, and I'm not reading all the way through it, but incase it wasn't mentioned... Zeiss Conquest series (now the V4, V6, etc...) is made in Austria, but assembled in the USA. I got that information directly from Zeiss a number of years ago.
 
I know this is an old thread, and I'm not reading all the way through it, but incase it wasn't mentioned... Zeiss Conquest series (now the V4, V6, etc...) is made in Austria, but assembled in the USA. I got that information directly from Zeiss a number of years ago.

That was the original Zeiss Conquest. It has been discontinued for quite a few years now. The V4, V6, etc are not made in the US.

ILya
 
Good to know. When I got that info the V series didn't exist. Are the V series made in Austria?

Zeiss has never made any scopes in Austria to the best of my knowledge. Kahles and Swrovski are in Austria. Zeiss is a German company.

The first generation Conquests were assembled in the US out of parts mostly made in the Czech Republic.

After that came Conquest HD5 that was made in China to the best of my knowledge. The eyepiece was attached in Germany that was enough to claim "Assembled in Germany".

Current V4 and V6 scopes are supposedly made in Japan, while V8 is made in Germany.

ILya
 
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

Quick update on this over a year old post:
-new GPO products (all the Spectra products) are made in China with German QC.
-Trijicon, as it turns out, did have one product OEM'ed in China, but it sounds like they found a way to move that to a non-Chinese OEM.

A little bit on other brands I did not mention:
-Arken scopes are all OEM'ed in China
-SwampFox is made in China
-Primary Arms is a mix of China, Phillipines and Japan. PLx is Japanese. GLx is either Phillipines or China, depending on the products. SLx is China. I've been looking at quite a bit of PA stuff lately and I am liking how they go about their products.
-Crimson Trace re-vamped riflescope product line is all from Phillipines (I have high hopes for this brand)
-Burris has a mix of China, Phillipines and US made products. What exactly is made where seems to change occasionally, so I need to get up to speed on the details. XTR II was all Phillipines. XTR III is US. New Fullfield IV, RT Long Range and Signature HD are made in China. Fullfield II and E1 are in the Phillipines. Same for RT-6.
-Riton 1 and 3 series are made in China (they say with Japanese glass). 5 and 7 series are made in Japan by JOL.

ILya
 
Last edited:
Quick update on this over a year old post:
-new GPO products (all the Spectra products) are made in China with German QC.
-Trijicon, as it turns out, did have one product OEM'ed in China, but it sounds like they found a way to move that to a non-Chinese OEM.

A little bit on other brands I did not mention:
-Arken scopes are all OEM'ed in China
-SwampFox is made in China
-Primary Arms is a mix of China, Phillipines and Japan. PLx is Japanese. GLx is either Phillipines or China, depending on the products. SLx is China. I've been looking at quite a bit of PA stuff lately and I am liking how they go about their products.
-Crimson Trace re-vamped riflescope product line is all from Phillipines (I have high hopes for this brand)
-Burris has a mix of China, Phillipines and US made products. What exactly is made where seems to change occasionally, so I need to get up to speed on the details. XTR II was all Phillipines. XTR III is US. New Fullfield IV, RT Long Range and Signature HD are made in China. Fullfield II and E1 are in the Phillipines. Same for RT-6.

ILya
PA has copied Vortex in both looks, design, function, and countries of production... I wouldn't be surprised one bit if they're using the exact same OEM's. PA even has a fixed-power prism scope that is 99% clone of the Gen1 Vortex Spitfire 3x Prism scope. I have a buddy who has a couple of the PA's, and I have a couple of the Vortex Spitfire 3x scopes. Damn-near identical.
 
PA has copied Vortex in both looks, design, function, and countries of production... I wouldn't be surprised one bit if they're using the exact same OEM's. PA even has a fixed-power prism scope that is 99% clone of the Gen1 Vortex Spitfire 3x Prism scope. I have a buddy who has a couple of the PA's, and I have a couple of the Vortex Spitfire 3x scopes. Damn-near identical.

New prismatics from PA re unique to them and come from a different OEM than Vortex stuff. The older ones you are talking about were sold by a ton of different brands, not just Vortex and PA.

ILya
 
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Quick update on this over a year old post:
-new GPO products (all the Spectra products) are made in China with German QC.
-Trijicon, as it turns out, did have one product OEM'ed in China, but it sounds like they found a way to move that to a non-Chinese OEM.

A little bit on other brands I did not mention:
-Arken scopes are all OEM'ed in China
-SwampFox is made in China
-Primary Arms is a mix of China, Phillipines and Japan. PLx is Japanese. GLx is either Phillipines or China, depending on the products. SLx is China. I've been looking at quite a bit of PA stuff lately and I am liking how they go about their products.
-Crimson Trace re-vamped riflescope product line is all from Phillipines (I have high hopes for this brand)
-Burris has a mix of China, Phillipines and US made products. What exactly is made where seems to change occasionally, so I need to get up to speed on the details. XTR II was all Phillipines. XTR III is US. New Fullfield IV, RT Long Range and Signature HD are made in China. Fullfield II and E1 are in the Phillipines. Same for RT-6.
-Riton 1 and 3 series are made in China (they say with Japanese glass). 5 and 7 series are made in Japan by JOL.

ILya
....I wouldn't be surprised to see "market competition" begin to heat up amongst the various scope manufacturers in China as they attempt to offset those foreign brands pulling back their out-sourcing to other countries. I would imagine the top tier Chinese manufacturers will begin squeezing out the lower tiers and begin lowering their pricing to foreign brands in order to retain their business. Investors in the foreign brands will be seeking the maximum profits, regardless of "where" the product is made as long as the profit margin is satisfactory.
 
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Hello. I'm looking for not-made-in-China hunting binoculars for under about $700. No China or Hong Kong since Hong Kong is just more China now. Taiwan is fine. I understand there may be Chinese components, I'm just trying to keep it to a minimum without spending even more money. You guys got any ideas? Thanks!
 
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Hello. I'm looking for not-made-in-China hunting binoculars for under about $700. No China or Hong Kong since Hong Kong is just more China now. Taiwan is fine. I understand there may be Chinese components, I'm just trying to keep it to a minimum without spending even more money. You guys got any ideas? Thanks!

All Steiner porro prism binoculars are made in Germany. With roof prism designs, I think they are as well, but the components on the cheapest ones have to come from somewhere else.

ILya