The Problem of Trying to Sell MADE IN USA

[urbanrifleman]

I have propagated my new store with as many domestic products as I can find.

The problem is that made in USA optics almost don't exist any more. I am still waiting to see if I can become a Leupold dealer, as I would ONLY sell Leupold products if I could.

I spoke to Burris thinking they were a made in the USA product, and they are NOT. I spoke to US Optics and they only have few select scopes that are over $3000 that are ASSEMBLED in the USA.

How is it not an issue of national security that we have no domestic suppliers of firearm optics?

1/3 of the country is unemployed now, yet we cannot seem to make anything.

 

[LarryDScott]

Jobs and products left this country for the sake
of increased profits. The savings that was made on
out of the country labor was never realized by the
consumer.
Now you are lucky to find anything to buy thats made here.
LDS

 

[SPQR70AD]

I am pretty sure leupold buys glass from overseas

 

[std7mag]

Yeah, i was checking out Arken Optics.
If you check out their website, they make it sound like it's made here, but with Japanese glass.
Nope.
The 2 proud military vets that own it did disclose after direct email, that glass is from Japan, then sent to China for assembly, then shipped here. Hence the 8-10 week shipping delay.
Personally, if i had enough money to get a company like that up & going, i'd hire vets here!
And here in central PA, there are all kinds of factories and warehouses shut down.

 

[Ranger188]

I think thats the same with Vortex's, Razor line.
Japan glass but are assembled in Wisconsin.

 

[davidjoe]

Guys say they want to buy American between major purchases but then when it’s time to shop the market, it’s really just all about the best value that can be had.

That’s the main explanation for why our legacy gunmakers like Remington, Winchester and Colt struggled continuously and declared bankruptcy.

I don’t see a lot of discussion on the Forum about Leupold or see many at my matches. I personally think they are using patent litigation to try to acquire their rival Nightforce, dragging down both.

 

[DangerRanger]

I think thats the same with Vortex's, Razor line.
Japan glass but are assembled in Wisconsin.

The razor gen 2,gen 3 and lht are all made in Japan.

the AMG is made in Americanwith a German sourced reticle. the tube, the glass, the screws, everything except the reticle Is made here. I’d be willing to bet it’s the most American scope on the market.

 

[Bill K]

Seems like, not only for better profit margins, but also the demands of Unions and the government for higher wages, taxes, etc. caused the majority of companies to leave the USA and go off shore. It will be a long time, if ever, that companies come back and produce products, as they did prior to around the end of WWII, in the USA.

 

[Siko12]

I am pretty sure leupold buys glass from overseas

And how did you come about that information ? I have been using Leupy's for years and they have evolved like every other optic scope company.

 

[Downeast]

The last time I checked there was no optical glass made in the USA. Best is European, then Japanese, the Philippines, Vietnam, and last are the Chicoms. We don't make light bulbs here either. If we ever get into a major scrap with China we'll be in the dark in 6 months.

Leupold uses Jap glass and their scopes are "assembled" in the USA.

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

1. Where does Leupold get its glass?
   At this time, there are no American manufacturers that can supply enough high quality lenses to support our Golden Ring Optics production. Our lens systems are designed at Leupold, by American optical engineers, in our state-of -the-art optics labs. The glass is then procured from vendors who must meet stringent quality standards. Incoming parts are carefully inspected in our testing facility before they are accepted into the build process.
   
   All major optics producers acquire some or all of their glass from the same sources as Leupold. Some of these sources are located domestically, some are European, and some are Asian. The source of the base material is not nearly as important as the optical design. Our glass is so much clearer due to our proprietary lens coatings, how we engineer the prescription of the lenses, and the construction of the optic itself.
   

 

[biggun2869]

I am pretty sure leupold buys glass from overseas

They do. at least "I think" its japanese glass which is pretty good

 

[SPQR70AD]

They do. at least "I think" its japanese glass which is pretty good

so then it is a partially bogus claim that they are all US made

 

[SPQR70AD]

Seems like, not only for better profit margins, but also the demands of Unions and the government for higher wages, taxes, etc. caused the majority of companies to leave the USA and go off shore. It will be a long time, if ever, that companies come back and produce products, as they did prior to around the end of WWII, in the USA.

throw in OSHA and the EPA who put Redfield out of business. something to do with the chemicals used in coating the lenses. manufacturing will NEVER come back to the US unless gallows and guillotines are constructed

 

[XTR]

For better or worse the regulatory environment in the US make it pretty close to impossible to manufacture a lot of stuff here; toss in the litigiousness and labor costs and it's just not feasible. Some few may be willing to pay that freight, but the majority won't.

 

[jackson1]

urbanrifleman, you have to sell what your customers want. In many cases, American made goods are just not available. We need to instill, buy American, back into the culture. With recent events, pride in America seems to be under attack, again. As a matter of habit, I attempt to buy American and am thankful for people like you that attempt to deliver it. If we don't rebuild are manufacturing base and need to fight a large war, we will be up sugar creek.

 

[shortgrass]

These large (and sometimes small) companies have stock holders. Stock holders like profits in both dividends and an ever increasing stock price. American labor is more expensive than going elsewhere, not to mention all the regulations that need to be followed in the US. And then there are the fees and taxes to contend with. It's amazing anything gets done here, not to mention which direction the political winds happen to be blowing at any given time.... Little thought is given to the future, unless it's future sales projections and profits.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

And if not OSHA and EPA regs, all it takes is some local politician and a judge to make business move or close. Anything firearms related(the smaller the manufacturer is the easier target) is fair game because judges have been allowed to legislate from the bench contradictory to the constitution. Worse is we as taxpayers foot the bill when some "nonprofit" organization decides to sue. Liberal lawyers are more than happy to take up the cause, knowing the taxpayers are on the hook because of "little guys legal funding protection laws".

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

Many times, it is the American worker, who runs business overseas. I started at Bethlehem Steel at 18 years old There were 32,000 employees there, at that time. What hurt the mill the most, was the benefits bargained for by the unions. Every time a contract was nearing expiration, the mills worked everyone overtime to build up a large inventory. Then at settlement, came the layoffs, as there was too much stock and the increase in wages and benefits drove the price of steel ever higher. I left the mill at 21 and became a police officer because I could count on being paid Ever week 52 weeks a year.

Many were getting 4 and 5 weeks vacation and every 5 years everyone got an extra 13 weeks vacation. Then there was the guaranteed wage. If you were laid off for any reason, the company had to pay the difference between unemployment and your hourly rate. After unemployment ended, the company then was forced to pay you 100%.

Maryland built a bridge, "The Key Bridge, which overlooked Sparrows Point. You could literally spit off the bridge and land on their property. It was cheaper to use Japanese steel than buy from the mill.

It was the United States that built their steel mills, which were more modern the ours and could make steel much cheaper. This was done after the 2nd world war.

We reap what we sow.

 

[Walt Krafft]

Many manufacturers are going all out right now. Especially in the firearms industry. The service jobs are getting killed with covid, many of those jobs will not come back. A lot of people are waking up to the fact we can't buy everything from the chinese. Manufacturing will come back.