FAKE LEUPOLDS

[TRECustom]

Looked at a 4.5 x 14 lighted mil-dot reticle Leupold MK 4 at a gun show this weekend. Almost bought it, but decided to research it first. Good thing. I've never owned or used a MK 4 so didn't know much about them. It appeared to be marked correctly, but was in a plain black box with no markings at all and no Leupold booklet. The ocular bell didn't adjust reticle focus as well as it should have, and the reticle itself wasn't as sharp as I thought it should be. The elevation and windage click adjustments seemed a little muddy, and the reticle light knob and marking looked like what I had seen on chinese scopes.
Finally, I thought all MK 4's were 1st focal plane, and this scope wasn't. Moving the power ring (or the range focus knob) didn't change the reticle size or dot spacing as I thought it should.
I was interested because the price was $800, and I thought it should have been about $1600.....if it seems to good to be true, it probably isn't.

I found a counterfeit warning on the Leupold website. I don't know how to link to it, but if I found it, anyone can.

I recommend that anyone planning to buy a hi-end Leupold check it out.

Good luck, Tom

 

[TRECustom]

More info: MK 4 L/RT's are 2nd focal plane reticles. E/RT's are FFP's, so that wasn't a good tie-breaker, but there were enough other shortcomings to identify it as a fake.

Tom

 

[XTR]

Just ask for the serial number and run it through Leupy

 

[JRS]

Leupold issued a "Counterfeit Warning" long ago. Externally, it is almost impossible to detect the difference from the U.S.A. made MK-4.

 

[XTR]

They do say on their web posting that they can tell by the serial numbers though

 

[JRS]

They do say on their web posting that they can tell by the serial numbers though

Yes, they most certainly can. Leupold scopes wear an individual serial number. The Chinese knockoffs wear a fake number, or identical numbers. Leupold will not service a counterfeit, nor does it carry the Leupold warranty. Simply call 1-800-LEUPOLD with the serial number.