Fake Leupold MK 4

[specweldtom]

Almost bought a 4.5 x 14 x 50 Leupold lighted mil-dot MK 4 this weekend at a gun show. Since I've never owned or shot a MK 4, I decided to research it before buying. REALLY glad I did. After finding a warning about counterfeit Leupolds, I checked the scope out thoroughly against the Leupold specifications. It was a fake.

I don't know how to post a link, but the warning is on the Leupold website, and if I can find it anyone can.

Good luck and good hunting.

Tom

 

[FearNoWind]

https://www.leupold.com/resources/counterfeit-warning/

 

[J E Custom]

Specweldtom, What was/looked different that brought it to your attention?

Any clue might Help keep someone else from buying one.

Thanks.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Mikecr]

IMO, there is only one way to know you're buying a NEW Leupold(not ~10yrs old), and not counterfeit: Order your scope through Leupold's custom shop. The price is fixed anyway, and the custom shop price is no exception to this. While at it, go ahead and get it fitted with Alumina flip-ups(best on the market).

 

[FearNoWind]

IMO, there is only one way to know you're buying a NEW Leupold(not ~10yrs old), and not counterfeit: Order your scope through Leupold's custom shop. The price is fixed anyway, and the custom shop price is no exception to this. While at it, go ahead and get it fitted with Alumina flip-ups(best on the market).

Good point Mike. Another problem arises however when they market the counterfeit as a "used scope" and the potential falls for the deal because he/she can't afford the new one. Then the counterfeit gets into circulation and it's caveat emptor from there on out. When I buy or sell a Leupold scope from now one I'll post the s/n for the one I'm selling along with images of all the markings (Leupold logo etc.) and I'll expect that same from any seller I might do business with. There's no fool proof protection from he scam artists out there but minimizing the potential of being victimized is my goal.

 

[engineer40]

IMO, there is only one way to know you're buying a NEW Leupold(not ~10yrs old), and not counterfeit: Order your scope through Leupold's custom shop. The price is fixed anyway, and the custom shop price is no exception to this. While at it, go ahead and get it fitted with Alumina flip-ups(best on the market).

Crap... I just ordered a new Leupold from Amazon today. They had the best price by $40!

I have a fake Rolex I got in the Middle East super cheap. Looks 100% real. Doesn't bother me a bit.

I had a girlfriend with fake boobs once. Once again, didn't bother me a bit.

Man if I got a fake Leupold, I would be seriously upset...

 

[North Idaho Hunter]

At least with amazon you have a return policy so you should be fine.

 

[J E Custom]

Crap... I just ordered a new Leupold from Amazon today. They had the best price by $40!

I have a fake Rolex I got in the Middle East super cheap. Looks 100% real. Doesn't bother me a bit.

I had a girlfriend with fake boobs once. Once again, didn't bother me a bit.

Man if I got a fake Leupold, I would be seriously upset...

Good one !!!!!

I almost choked on my coffee.

Tanks for starting my morning right.

J E CUSTOM

 

[specweldtom]

Good suggestion JE.
I've never owned or shot a MK 4, so had no experience with them. Just decided to research it before buying.
First thing was the price, $600 (later in the day was raised to $800). I thought the scope was a $1400 scope so was skeptical. It's actually a $1600 scope. A plain black box with no Leupold logo on it, and no Leupold owners manual. The seller said the scope was new, but he didn't have the box the scope came in, but he did have 41 pages of single side computer printed instructions stapled together.
The ocular bell fast focus wouldn't focus the reticle sharply, and the whole reticle light assembly looked identical to some I had seen on chinese scopes. The turret knobs had muddy feeling clicks. Finally, I thought all MK 4's were ffp's, so that was the convincer. I later found out that he LR/T's are 2nd plane reticles. The ER/T's are ffp's.

The exterior markings on the scope were well done....The scope itself looked real, but close examination and comparison against Leupold specs convinced me it was a fake.

I have owned and shot several VX-3 L/R's, and this scope couldn't match up with any of them.

On a weekend, you can't call the 800 # for serial number verification, so beware.

The old adage applies: if it seems too good to be true, it probably isn't.

Good hunting.

Tom

 

[SansSouci]

Crap... I just ordered a new Leupold from Amazon today. They had the best price by $40!

I have a fake Rolex I got in the Middle East super cheap. Looks 100% real. Doesn't bother me a bit.

I had a girlfriend with fake boobs once. Once again, didn't bother me a bit.

Man if I got a fake Leupold, I would be seriously upset...

I needed a good laugh. Thanks.

 

[SansSouci]

This is an informative thread. I've never heard of fake Leupold scopes. Now I do. Thanks so much.

 

[ShootnMathews]

Leupold are very popular amongst the shooters here and my buddy uses them exclusively. He saw some posted in the adbullitin one day and met the guy to check them out. They were supposed to be vx3 5-25x50 or something like that. This was probably 10 years ago. It was when the iPhone first came out because he had just bought his iPhone. Something about the scope looked suspicious and he use his new iPhone to look up the serial number and it told him there was a whole line of fakes using that number. He told they guy it was fake and the guy argued with him that they were not, then ran, jumped in his truck and sped off. So my buddy's iPhone paid for itself the first week he bought it. Not many phones then you could surf the Internet on easily.