Thread: Counterfeit Leupolds

Listings been pulled by admin maybe the word got through.

Some people just can resist a perceived bargain like $1600 Tag watches for $50.00 in Hong Kong, If you want a cheap Leupold just go to Aliexpress cut out the middle man
Check Ebay for second hand scope prices will give you an idea what to pay on trade me,

That sucks.

Or just don't buy optics from Trademe full stop and avoid the tears.
95% of it is cheap airsoft crap from China that you could buy direct from Aliexpress anyway.

Mate just got offered a fake LEUPOLD VXi 3.5-10. One email to Leupold confirmed it.

Reply was "The serial number 302621AC belongs to a known counterfeit scope."

One quick way to tell "Leupold does not use the letters I, O, and Q in its serial numbers because they are easily mistaken for 1, 0, and 0. If a scope has these letters in a serial number, it's fake. If it does not contain a letter at the end, it's fake."

Always check!.

Chur

@phillipo

Originally Posted by 6x45

Mate just got offered a fake LEUPOLD VXi 3.5-10. One email to Leupold confirmed it.

Reply was "The serial number 302621AC belongs to a known counterfeit scope."

One quick way to tell "Leupold does not use the letters I, O, and Q in its serial numbers because they are easily mistaken for 1, 0, and 0. If a scope has these letters in a serial number, it's fake. If it does not contain a letter at the end, it's fake."

Always check!.

Chur

Looking at a Leupold Vari - XIIc 1 - 4 ser no X268123, an wondering whether its a fake ?
Online says check letter X = 2012, but also stated this model was made 1984 - 2000 ?
Has no "made in USA" under the number, but neither do some of the legit ones ive seen
What say you , is it a fake ?

Originally Posted by Luke556

Looking at a Leupold Vari - XIIc 1 - 4 ser no X268123, an wondering whether its a fake ?
Online says check letter X = 2012, but also stated this model was made 1984 - 2000 ?
Has no "made in USA" under the number, but neither do some of the legit ones ive seen
What say you , is it a fake ?

email Leupold with the details they will let you know (there is a contact link on their site)....have done it in the past and they usually get back to you within a few days

Originally Posted by Luke556

Looking at a Leupold Vari - XIIc 1 - 4 ser no X268123, an wondering whether its a fake ?
Online says check letter X = 2012, but also stated this model was made 1984 - 2000 ?
Has no "made in USA" under the number, but neither do some of the legit ones ive seen
What say you , is it a fake ?

You can still do what dannyb said to confirm with Leupold, but I can tell you that the serial number "X268123" is correct for the Vari-XIIc.
It was made in 1990 not 2012.
The Vari-XIIc never had 'made in USA' under the serial number and it also did not have a letter at the end of the serial number.

@zarathrusta Ok kool thanks , mind sharing the source of that info ?

Originally Posted by Luke556

@zarathrusta Ok kool thanks , mind sharing the source of that info ?

No 'source' as such, just years of experience with the earlier Leupold scopes. I have a book with all the serial numbers of the scopes I have owned over the years. I've had over 20 Leupolds and currently own 1x Vari-XIIc in 4-12x with a similar 'X******' serial number that I brought in NZ in 1990.

Also, as a side note, you will find that the Chinese fakes do not copy the older style Vari-XII but go for later/current models.

Originally Posted by zimmer

Attachment 123576

you have got me VERY worried now....have sent email to leupold....I can find serial number and age all but one of my scopes...and the one I cant is the best one by far...the one I beleive had been back through factory for a refurb and HAD paperwork showing such.....I can find serial number but cant see a letter at all.

Nice 1, many thanks
Yea ive seen their copies of later models, which are prettily suspicious/obvious looking

Originally Posted by Luke556

Looking at a Leupold Vari - XIIc 1 - 4 ser no X268123, an wondering whether its a fake ?
Online says check letter X = 2012, but also stated this model was made 1984 - 2000 ?
Has no "made in USA" under the number, but neither do some of the legit ones ive seen
What say you , is it a fake ?

You're getting the prefixes and suffixes mixed up. Up until 1992 Leupold put a letter in front of the serial number. In 1992 they reached X so then from 1993 the letter followed the serial numbers starting off alphabetically again.

Refer to the chart I posted before your posting. It shows the format of the serial numbers.

You can still check with Leupold though for piece of mind.