Rifle Scopes Question to the Leupold Faithful

[Sapper524]

Not being a Leupold guy I need some help. A friend of mine tells me about this "great deal" he got on a leupold scope etc. So the next range session he breaks it out and this is what I see ...

3.5-10x40 (42) maybe
30 mm tube
black ring up front
M3 knobs 1 MOA Elevation / 1/2 MOA Windage

so im looking at it thinking - nice grab for $350 bucks

then I flip the covers open and take a look ...

It has a EMD or Gen2 Mil Dot in the First Focal ....

At that point I began to question it. I though the only FFP optics leupold made were relatively new in the Mark4 line. My understanding is the black ring "tactical" Vari-X III were pre mark 4. The stamp on the bottom is just a serial number ending in L and Made in the USA.

If it is a knock off its a pretty good one but the FFP thing is what really made me question it. Not being a Leupold guy I wasn't sure. It also did have the bronze L badge on the side focus.

Thanks for any G2 on the matter

 

[TallShot]

Re: Question to the Leupold Faithful

Ehhh.... three fifty he says....?

I'd have to see pics; but I'll go out on a limb and say it's very possible he's been had...

 

[BCP]

Re: Question to the Leupold Faithful

Could be a TMR front focal. Bronze badge sounds real to me too. The fake ones usually have no badge, white lettering and a serial number like 888888888888888SC or 000000000000000

Could be a custom reticle that was added later on but I didn't know they put them in the front focal plane.

 

[TallShot]

Re: Question to the Leupold Faithful

I thought TMR as well, but that price is what made me go a bit cross-eyed.

 

[Sapper524]

Re: Question to the Leupold Faithful

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TallShot</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I thought TMR as well, but that price is what made me go a bit cross-eyed. </div></div>

He got it second hand ... and you guessed it ... no box or paperwork ...

Its not a TMR reticle ... I looked through it and its a Enhanced Mil Dot / Gen 2 mil dot .... Mil Dot reticle with half mil Hashes. While at the range I miled a few things at various ranges with my USO SN3 and SS 10x HD and the reticle was acurate mil wise. The thing that really made me go hmmmmmm was the FFP ... Im know Premier of old did lots of custom reticles, I had a VX III black ring myself a while back 4.5-14 that premier had put a USMC football mil dot in. It was a one inch tube though etc.

I told him to call Leupy on Tuesday and run the serial number past them and see what he finds ...

 

[BobinNC]

Re: Question to the Leupold Faithful

Prior to the 2005 split Premier Reticles performed conversions to Leupold scopes. A conversion to FFP and installation of the Gen II Mildot were among the services offered.

If it's one of those it is a rare bird. The only problem is if it breaks, neither Leupold nor Premier seems to be inclined to fix the thing......

 

[Mk4]

Re: Question to the Leupold Faithful

Premier can't fix as they no longer have the parts.

Leupold CAN fix it but will have to remove the Premier reticle and replace with a Leupold one.

 

[frankythefly]

Re: Question to the Leupold Faithful

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BobinNC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Prior to the 2005 split Premier Reticles performed conversions to Leupold scopes. A conversion to FFP and installation of the Gen II Mildot were among the services offered.

If it's one of those it is a rare bird. The only problem is if it breaks, neither Leupold nor Premier seems to be inclined to fix the thing...... </div></div>

I have the same scope, I like it very much and bought it second hand here on the hide. It had some debris in the lens and I called Leupold to get it cleaned out. They told me sure send it in. Well after a few days go by and I get a call from a tech and they told me since it is custom FFP done by premier they can not clean it. However if it was anything else wrong they would be able to fix it such as tracking issues or what not. Anyhow sent it to Premier and I get a call back from Chris saying that they have since ran out of the FFP parts for those Lupys and that he can do his best to clean it. He cleaned all the debris accept one small part that he couldn't fix. He told me if that would be ok I said what is the alternative and he said he could put a SFP reticle in it. I said don't bother and that was that.

I like the scope a lot, tracks perfect. Your friend got a good deal, considering a new one either in TMR or Mil-dot in FFP from Lupy would cost 4 times that amount. When I called Lupy about mine I do not think the Computers at Leupold said if it had work done by premier or not it just stated a standard tactical varix III.

 

[Sapper524]

Re: Question to the Leupold Faithful

thanks for the info guys7

 

[notquiteright]

Re: Question to the Leupold Faithful

Sapper-
back in 2001 or 2 I bought my wife such a scope with 1/4 tactical knobs from Premier before Chris was running the place.

I cant recall the exact price but it could have been $880.00. It is a great scope.

 

[jollyrancher]

Re: Question to the Leupold Faithful

easiest way is what i did with my scope, Leupold.com has pictures and definate ways of telling if it's a fake or not. also i called Leupold and had them run the serial number and they told me what year the scope was and exactly what it was built as. http://www.leupold.com/corporate/resources/counterfeit-warning/

1-800-LEUPOLD
(5387653)

 

[Sapper524]

Re: Question to the Leupold Faithful

Called Leupold today - said it was legit and manufactured in 2003 ... looks like my bud got a good score

Thanks for all the input