Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Where are scopes made?

Most scopes are not made in the USA today. Some are assembled in the USA. Does anyone know where most of the scopes are made today? Nightforce, Burris, Leupold,Bushnell, Nikon, etc....

I don't know which scopes sold by US based companies are made in specific countries. JB has good knowledge in this area.
I do know that scopes are made in Korea, the Phillipines, China and Japan. Glass for others is made in Europe too.

Just yesterday, I was chatting with a guy who's rebuilding a Lyman Alaskan for me. They do Lyman's, and old German stuff, mostly.

He said they used to make their own 6x target scopes, and sold them for $1,500 each. He said it's possible to produce a scope from USA only components, but the demand isn't there to take it beyond a custom-shop production level, and the price is likely going to be around that level.

He did say he's gotten requests to start doing the target scopes again, but if he decided to do it, he'd raise the price.

FC

It's almost impossible to state this anymore because things change so rapidly from year to year, but here is what I understand right now:

Nightforce scopes used to be marked made in Japan, because the parts came from there and were assembled here. But I understand enough of the parts are now made here to qualify for made in USA.

Burris scopes are made in different places. The Fullfield II's are made in the Phillipines (on machinery from Burris) while the more expensive scopes are put together in Colorado.

Leupold scopes are put together in Oregon. The tubes are made there, but other parts may be made elsewhere.

Bushnell scopes are all made in Asia, anywhere from China to Japan.

Most Nikon scopes are now made in the Phillipines, but that may have changed.

I don't know of any company making lenses in the U.S. now. Even Zeiss has most of the lenses for their Cionquest scopes made in the Czech Republic, as well as most of the major parts. The scopes are then assembled in the U.S.

I occasionally see at gunshows a brand of scope called "USA Optics," or something similar. I think their claim to fame is that they're hand-assembled in the US, though I assume the parts come from abroad. The ones I've seen are extremely expensive, presumably because of the hand labor. Anyone know anything more about them?

I believe US Optics is considered the most premium scope available. They make all their own parts. I believe every part.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Tom

Bushnell Elites are made in Japan. I think higher end models of Nitrex and Weaver also from Japan...possibly same factory as Bushnell.

I'm old enough to remember when Japanese scopes were considered not so good.

Now they have one of best reputations in the world for optics. I know that Elites are excellent quality, darn good value for the buck.

Amen, on all counts.
Look at their camera lenses for confirmation about the OUTSTANDING glass they make......

Thanks for the information. I did not think we still made scopes in the USA. At least some are still assembled here. Some of the scope companies have great customer service even if they are made else where.