|
|
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,199
Campfire Regular
|
OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,199 |
Anyone have an approximate date the Leupold M8 3x was discontinued?
Thank you in advance
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,071
Campfire 'Bwana
|
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,071 |
I have one, look forward to the answer.
DF
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,627
Campfire Kahuna
|
|
Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,627 |
The M8 was discontinued in '79 and replaced with the FX line... that does not sound right after typing it in...
I buy that the M8 line left in '79, will have to check on what replaced it.
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,071
Campfire 'Bwana
|
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,071 |
There may have been a gap between '79 and FX.
? custom shop in the interim...??
DF
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,199
Campfire Regular
|
|
OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,199 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,071
Campfire 'Bwana
|
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,071 |
My thinking as well. Maybe the custom shop was the source of 3X Leupolds between the M8 and the FX. Would like to hear from those who know the details. DF
Last edited by Dirtfarmer; 03/20/16.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 5,615
Campfire Tracker
|
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 5,615 |
I'm not sure when the M8 was dropped but '79 is probably about right. I know there were no fixed 3x scopes in Leupold's line when I first got in the retail gun biz in '86, and that for years 3x lovers clamored for their reintroduction. There were no new 3x's until the new custom shop models came along in 2011 or so.
Last edited by SCGunNut; 03/21/16.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,076
Campfire Kahuna
|
|
Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,076 |
SCGunNut is correct.
After the 3x M8 was discontinued, there was some small but persistent pressure to start making the 3x Leupold again, mostly from hunters who like big-bore rifles, but were convinced the little 2.5x was too short to mount on "long action" rifles suitable for African hunting. (This isn't exactly true, but whatever.) The pressure increased after the FX's appeared, because they all had multi-coated optics, unlike the original single-coated 3x, along with click adjustments.
Unfortunately, the tooling for the original 3x had been tossed, which to the Leupold higher-ups meant making new 3x's would be too expensive for the relatively small number of sales. But the guy who ran the R&D shop decided to see what could be done with parts from various FX scopes, and on his own made up a couple of prototype 3x's. He kept one and sent the other to a gun writer, and they both "field tested" them in Africa within the next year. The gun writer mentioned how well his worked, but the higher-ups at Leupold were a little ticked that their R&D guy had spent a little time and money on what they considered a worthless project.
Fortunately, the mail-order company SWFA is pretty involved in special-run optics (including their own directly-sold line of scopes) and said they'd buy some new 3x's. Eventually Leupold management caved, offering the 3x both from the custom shop and selling some to SWFA.
The gun writer still has his R&D 3x, which is plainly marked "prototype." It's mounted on a Savage 99F in .358 Winchester, which seems to be pretty good pairing.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,199
Campfire Regular
|
|
OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,199 |
Leupold custom shop says the will make an FX-2 3x20 Big Bore for $399 ![[Linked Image]](https://customshop.leupold.com/asset_repos/product/_Custom_3x20-homepage.png) link
Last edited by Bushmaster1313; 03/22/16.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,627
Campfire Kahuna
|
|
Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,627 |
SCGunNut is correct.
After the 3x M8 was discontinued, there was some small but persistent pressure to start making the 3x Leupold again, mostly from hunters who like big-bore rifles, but were convinced the little 2.5x was too short to mount on "long action" rifles suitable for African hunting. (This isn't exactly true, but whatever.) The pressure increased after the FX's appeared, because they all had multi-coated optics, unlike the original single-coated 3x, along with click adjustments.
Unfortunately, the tooling for the original 3x had been tossed, which to the Leupold higher-ups meant making new 3x's would be too expensive for the relatively small number of sales. But the guy who ran the R&D shop decided to see what could be done with parts from various FX scopes, and on his own made up a couple of prototype 3x's. He kept one and sent the other to a gun writer, and they both "field tested" them in Africa within the next year. The gun writer mentioned how well his worked, but the higher-ups at Leupold were a little ticked that their R&D guy had spent a little time and money on what they considered a worthless project.
Fortunately, the mail-order company SWFA is pretty involved in special-run optics (including their own directly-sold line of scopes) and said they'd buy some new 3x's. Eventually Leupold management caved, offering the 3x both from the custom shop and selling some to SWFA.
The gun writer still has his R&D 3x, which is plainly marked "prototype." It's mounted on a Savage 99F in .358 Winchester, which seems to be pretty good pairing. No idea who has the prototype, huh? 
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,076
Campfire Kahuna
|
|
Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,076 |
Well, it's in Montana!
Do know the prototypes were built in 2007, so there was a LONG gap between the M8 and FX Leupold 3x's.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 693
Campfire Regular
|
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 693 |
I had the Custom Shop make me an FX-II 3X for a .416 Rigby...it was built 4-5-2011....marked Big Bore on the box...
Life's too short to smoke cheap cigars....
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,808
Campfire Ranger
|
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,808 |
marked Big Bore on the box...
And the scope also. And it doesn't have to be on a big bore. One of the finest woods scopes ever made.
Last edited by battue; 03/23/16.
laissez les bons temps rouler
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 35,900
Campfire 'Bwana
|
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 35,900 |
I had one. Can you still buy them?
The 280 Remington is overbore.
The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,808
Campfire Ranger
|
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,808 |
Yes. This thread got me thinking the same and I just talked with them. No 3 on order before you can't 😀
Last edited by battue; 03/24/16.
laissez les bons temps rouler
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 35,900
Campfire 'Bwana
|
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 35,900 |
Roger Captain! I will get on it!  Got a 375 H&H that looks sort of empty.... 
The 280 Remington is overbore.
The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,662
Campfire Tracker
|
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,662 |
Has anyone ever compared the eye relief between the new and old ones?
'Four legs good, two legs baaaad."
----------------------------------------------
"Jimmy, some of it's magic,
Some of it's tragic,
But I had a good life all the way."
(Jimmy Buffett)
SotG
|
|
|
|
|
70 members (Algotguns, 21, 808outdoors, 1973cb450, ATC, 8 invisible),
1,417
guests, and
742
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Forums81
Topics1,191,280
Posts18,467,675
Members73,928
| |
Most Online11,491
Jul 7th, 2023
|
|
|
|
