Warning: fake aimpoint m2 at southaven ms gun show

[jeffmem]

When you enter the arena there is on the right side (closest to the door) that has a bunch of reloading stuff. Guy says that he is selling it for his buddy and that it has a $150 mount, etc. I almost bought it but pulled out the iphone and found that it is fake. Here is how you tell:

The scope will be marked "Aimpoint CompM2 4MOA 10338#240944". The 10338 is the wrong model number and the serial number matches all the fake ones online.

He wants $250 for it. I told him what I found out but I don't know if he will pass that info along.

[Guest VolGrad]

I would have reported it to the show promoter. I am sure they would be interested to know one of their vendors is selling knockoff equipment as the real deal. Good thing you checked it out prior to purchasing it.

[Guest abailey362]

if it's too good to be true.......

[Guest gcrookston]

There are a lot of fakes out there. Here's a thread from another forum I belong to from several years ago...

http://www.opticstalk.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=2675&PN=1

[Guest marine77]

I'm fairly new about optics, how do you tell the knockoffs from the real?

[poak]

I'm fairly new about optics, how do you tell the knockoffs from the real?

I don't have a link handy, but ar15.com has several guides to recognizing fake optics. I could see where electronic reflex sights could be easy to fake, but I would think an ACOG would be hard to fake.

[DaveTN]

The Chinese are blatantly copying everything and scoff at any laws prohibiting it.

Leupold has been hit with fakes and has put a warning on their website.

http://www.leupold.com/corporate/resources/counterfeit-warning/

Counterfeit Leupold Riflescope Warning

Leupold® is issuing a customer alert to purchasers of products, particularly via Internet sales, in regards to bogus Leupold products that are apparently being illegally imported from the People’s Republic of China. These products bear many of the marks and trade dress of current Leupold & Stevens riflescopes making them very hard to distinguish externally from authentic Leupold products.

In recent months, counterfeited Leupold Mark 4® riflescopes have begun to arrive with increasing regularity at the firm’s Beaverton, Oregon, headquarters for service. These products are not manufactured by Leupold and are not covered by the Leupold Full Lifetime Guarantee.

Leupold employs serial number tracking for all its riflescopes, so if a customer finds a scope that is suspect, he or she can simply write down the serial number and call 1-800-LEUPOLD to confirm if it is indeed authentic.

In general, most of the scopes appear to originate from Hong Kong (People’s Republic of China), and have “Leupold Mark 4†laser engraved on the bottom of the turret in a silver etch, while the black ring on the objective is etched in white and does not include the name “Leupold.†The scopes also do not bear the Leupold medallion, a mark all Leupold scopes will always possess. An authentic Mark 4 riflescope will always be engraved black on black and have the name “Leupold†engraved on the black ring.

Identifying Marks

• Adjustments
  
• Objective
  
• Bottom of Turret
  

[Guest Schwarzgebrannt]

I've always wondered how eager those fraudsters at shows would be to involve the authorities in their lives if someone just walked away with a few cases of fake optics.

There's quite a bit of demand for them in the airsoft crowd, along with online auction sites geared to that demographic.

[ukerduker]

I don't have a link handy, but ar15.com has several guides to recognizing fake optics. I could see where electronic reflex sights could be easy to fake, but I would think an ACOG would be hard to fake.

One link, coming up...

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=18&t=367860

[Guest TRI-LAKE SHOW PROMOTER]

Hi I'm the promoter of the Southaven show and sorry I'm just now finding your complaint. I remember someone pointing this out and the gentleman was told to take it off the table or not come back. We try to keep the vendors honest but sometimes we get new ones that I don't know or don't get a chance to look at everything on their table. And again thanks for letting us know, we try to bring the best show we can and it keeps getting better each year. We try to keep it a clean gun & knife related items only but it is hard sometimes to please everyone. With your replies and others suggestion we will make it.

Thanks Cathy & David Bailey

Tri-Lake Gun & Knife Show

P.s. 160 table show in Oxford, MS Feb 5 & 6 www.trilakegunshow.com

[BryanP]

I'm fairly new about optics, how do you tell the knockoffs from the real?

If it claims to be a real Aimpoint for $250, it's a fake.

[Reservoir Dog]

Holy Mother of Thread Resurrection!

[Guest Knightsr25]

Sadly many newbies will buy these items and blame the maligned manufacturers for the poor quality. I have heard people complain that the "real" company should replace the knockoffs for the ususpecting buyers. Buy Schmidt-Bender optics and you do not have to worry about fakes. Yet!

[Oh Shoot]

Holy Mother of Thread Resurrection!

Classiest resurrection I've ever seen.

Wish the gun show promoters up here were as conscientious.

- OS

[Erik88]

Classiest resurrection I've ever seen.

- OS

I agree, better late than never.

[Backon4]

And if you want aimpoint look for non aimpoint price buy a primary arms. If you want aimpoint quality for knock off price buy a vortex, there are no knockoffs and after 4000 rnds of mixed 556, 223, and 22lr I can assure they hold zero better than anything I've seen. I have not touched my adjustment since it was set day 1.

[RobertNashville]

Almost anything, when the original sells for some significant dollars is ripe for knock-offs. Unless you KNOW something is legitimate you are taking a risk to buy it. One way (although not sure it's the best) is to always check the manufacturer's website and to know you are dealing with a legitimate, authorized vendor of whatever you are buying.

Although I like going, I've purchased very little at gun shows as far as merchandise and partially for the reasons stated above...of course if it's a local vendor I'm already familiar with I wouldn't hesitate; it's the ones that I don't know that I am more wary of!