Nightforce Japan?

B

bcarico

Guest
Just got my new Nightforce 12-42x56 Benchrest. It says Made in Japan on the underside of the tube. Are all NF scopes made in Japan? I was under the impression they were made in the USA. It's a Fine looking hunk of metal. The Japan part just worried me cause of knock-offs floating around. This scope came from a reputable Distributor. Is it made in Japan and assembled in the US? Would someone please clear this up for me.

Thanks
Brandon
 
Okay just used my Google box looks like the tubes and glass are made in Japan. The rest of the scope is made and assembled in the US.
Just didn't know they had made in Japan Stamped on them.
Brandon
 
Some interesting trivia about Nightforce...

Nightforce began in South Australia (SA - where I live) as Lightforce. Dr Dennis, a dentist, couldn't get spotlights to his liking for night time shooting so he designed his own.

I guess he felt the same way about scopes and so the Nightforce range was born. Lightforce/Nightforce has its headquarters in Adelaide, the capital city of SA. SA has a total area of about 400,000 square miles with only 1.6 million people - leaves a lot of room for spotlighting.

So Nightforce scope parts are made in Japan, assembled in the USA and owned in SA? I don't know if Dr Dennis still owns the company.

Dr Dennis' daughter was the captain of the University of Adelaide's fullbore team when I was shooting in it - a family of dedicated shooting enthusiasts.

Regards
Ben
 
Who makes anything any more

Some interesting trivia about Nightforce... Thanks Ben All True.

Some other trivia. The glass used in NF scopes is made by Schott Garsco in Germany. The silica for which is sourced near Aix in France. The grinding last I heard was being done by Marumi Optical in Tokyo Japan. But the nano coatings ( and I cannot confirm this ) by Nikkor. Assembled in the USA. So who really makes anything anymore.
Andy.
 
Nightforce scopes are constructed in Orofino Idaho, a small town in northern Idaho on the banks of the clearwater river. There lenses used to come from Japan I am not sure where there getting them at now but there assembled in the USA about 80 miles or so from where I live, when I am going to Missoula Montana to compete in 1K br I drive right past there shop, nothing fancey just a shop.
Wayne.
 
If they are assembled in the USA, why would they stamp "Made in Japan" on them? Not trying to argue at all, just have two scopes in the last 6 or 8 months stamped "Made in Japan". ??????????????????????
 
The way I understood it was that where ever the largest part is manufactured/assembled it has to have that Regions "Made in" stamp. The glass and tube are assembled/manufactured in Japan and that is the largest part of the scope. That's the way it was explained to me anyway.

Brandon
 
Just to confuse everyone

I recently bought a 12x-42x-56 nightforce to replace the redfield I had on the 25/06. Couldn't see bullet holes in the target anymore with a 18x scope. The new nightforce wasn't stamped made anywhere on the scope. The warranntee card was pre addressed to the USA but no mention of where it was made on the card either.

Oh and the metal for the scope tubes which is machined in Japan comes from the CRA refinary in Gladstone here in Oz.
Andy.
 
Confused? Who's confused?

My 8-32 BR has an approved sticker signed off in April 2009 by somebody who seems to have had a western schooling from the handwriting. There's no origin marking on the scope body, but the label on the box is branded Made in Japan.

John
 
Does it really matter where they are made? Japan now produces some very high quality products. Autos, for example. I own 3 NF BR 12-42 scopes and a March 10-60. The latter sells at around $2,600, almost twice the cost of a NF 12-42 and the glass is outstanding. My only B**** re March is their 5 year warranty.

Couple years ago, a NF was not tracking. I called them, and said I bought it used. The lady instructed me to just send it in. I did that, with a letter explaining the problem, and again told them I bought it used.
About 10 days later, UPS delivered my scope. It was repaired at no charge and NF paid the return shipping.

PS - I own a high end Leica binocular. Stamped on one tube is : "Made in Portugal". But, the quality is excellent.
 
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Only required clarification

I believe the origins of this thread was simply asking for clarification on where the scope was made. No one was complaining as you may be implying. This is a world where in manfacturing outsourcing rules. To be competitive you have to get the best people and processes to build and assemble your product in order to maintain both quality and keep the price affordable. I think Dion optical who make march scopes do minimal outsourcing which may explain part of the cost. Small production runs would be another.
Andy.
 
The best lenses in the world are made in Japan. But they are not cheap.

Gene
 
Debateable

Gene Pool said:
The best lenses in the world are made in Japan. But they are not cheap.

Gene
Click to expand...

Lenses are application specific. So I wouldn't generalise "lenses" meaning all. I don't think many manufacturers could hold a candle to Rodenstock when it came to making lenses to produce printed circuits. In actual fact some Fujinon lenses that are used in camera lenses and scopes are made by Schneider.
Andy.
 
IF (big if) Memory serves me, Nightforce was originally manufactured in part or in whole by a Japanese company that did or does make a scope called Hakko (spelling?),
I learned this while doing similar research about 8 years ago while looking for a cheaper alternative to the night force.
The Japanese do have some very good optics and some not so good just like anywhere else. Its all in what yo want to or can pay.
 
I also heard that the engineers that worked at Nightforce (Japan) said that they could make them sharper, better, stronger (you get the idea) and they kept getting shut down so they started their own company (Deon Optical) and made the March scopes, which are better glass, more zoom range and ....
 
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