
When you're talking about counterfeit gun sights, the implications are frightening," says Claude Arnold, special agent in charge for ICE HSI in Los Angeles. "Anytime you purchase a knock off or pirated product, it's a virtual certainty the quality and reliability will be inferior to the genuine article. If it sounds like the difference between a real product and a cheap imitation, you're getting the accurate picture. Those differences are all in addition to the holographic reticle difference. They also can't consistently hold - or maintain- a zero, withstand drop tests, excessive shocks or handle moisture. Simply stated, they're not acceptable on real firearms because they can't take recoil or shock from actual firing of rounds. If you have what you think is an EOTech optic and can't seem to get the reticle on the target plane when shooting, check for the sharp reticle-it may be a bogus optic.ĮOTech says the counterfeit optics are most often marketed toward recreational air-soft use. Counterfeits just offer a bright red image that never leaves the window. It is the delivery system that allows you to see the reticle at the target plane, increasing shooting speed and accuracy. That holographic reticle is what makes their product special. Here's one way to tell the difference between the real and counterfeit optics: "real" EOTechs have a "fuzzy" holographic reticle and counterfeits have solid lines.
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Some hints that you may have gotten stung on a counterfeit include uncommon batteries (some counterfeits often require several small hearing aid style batteries), interchangeable red and green reticle colors (the switch on a "real" optic changes between normal and night vision mode, not reticle colors), highly reflective optics, a visible LED light position inside the sight cavity, a NV push button that switches the LED to a different color instead of night vision mode, and the absence of a EOTech manufacturing and serial number sticker. With the counterfeits looking exactly identical from the outside- down to the printing on the barrels of the optics, it's difficult to tell them apart-until it's too-late.
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All told, the counterfeit equipment had a street value of just under $900,000.Īt this point, EOTech's not talking about the counterfeiting, but they have offered some suggestions on how to determine what's real versus a counterfeit. There, officers discovered an additional 778 counterfeit EOTech holographic sights.

In March, Customs officers found 700 counterfeit rifle sights and 200 counterfeit magnifier system in a shipment from China headed to Field Sport's headquarters in Anaheim.Ī continued investigation led to a raid on Field Sport headquarters. owner Yongmin "Steven" Sui, 53, is accused of selling counterfeit EOTech optics via the internet. Real-or counterfeit? It's difficult to determine unless you know what to look for - and where. The latest example of products that aren't what they seem comes from California where the owner of an online gun equipment business is on the run from federal agents after being indicted on two counts of manufacturing and selling a counterfeit mark, among other things. It's still good advice to follow, especially in a time when online commerce means almost anyone can sell virtually anything - virtually. From an industry newsletter this morning:Ĭaveat Emptor - buyer beware- is an expression that's been around for centuries.
