I almost vomited when the package came in

[bigbore442001]

A while back I ordered a riflescope from SWFA aka Riflescopes.com

I was waiting with great anticipation at the arrival of a nice new Burris Fullfield II 2-7 X rifle scope to be mounted on my 30-06 for deer hunting.

I was like a child when I saw the magical white box on my doorstep. I went over and cradled the package like a newborn. I opened the box ever so carefully and saw the nice packaging wrapped in plastic.

I looked at the end of the box and saw the specification and just about had an accident in my pants.

MADE IN THE PHILIPPINES

This is completely unacceptable. I bought this scope with the prior knowledge of Burris being 100% USA made. This was a shock. I called SWFA up and spoke about a return. I told them exactly why I was returning the scope. I also inquired if Burris makes any scopes in the USA. The lady got back to me and stated that all of Burris' scopes are USA made except for the Fullfield and the Tactical scopes.

So I am returning the scope and will get the short mag scope which is supposed to be made in the USA . I will wait for the email from Burris concerning this matter for clarification.

What a big disappointment with them.

 

[asknight]

Indeed. I found that out the hard way buy purchasing a Fullfield II 3-9x40 about 125 miles away and didn't open it until I got home. After it sat on my bench for a few weeks I went ahead and mounted it. I still haven't shot the rifle with it mounted yet.

 

[22WMR]

I have given up on MADE IN THE USA a long time ago.... All that means is that it is assembled in the US.... all the parts are from other countries anyway. I try to buy USA as much as possible, but now a days it really doesn't mean much.

I would feel mis-lead though if it was advertised as 100% USA product, and I received what yo did. I am glad that they are allowing an exchange. Props to them for doing so!

 

[AtomSphere]

I don't see wat the fuss is about. But as long as it works fine its ok... Don't care about where its made, if its made well in any country, its a worth it item!

 

[Hawken50]

is the problem that philippeans made optics aren't of good quality? or simply the fact that it wasn't made here? just curious. if it's the former, i would be upset too, if the latter, kudos to you for sticking up for your principles.

 

[bigbore442001]

I go out of my way to buy made in the USA. I just ordered a pair of jeans , Diamond Gusset, out of Bon Aqya Tennessee that are 100% US made. I plan to buy a few more pairs and keep them on hand when they wear out.

I hunt and shoot with firearms made right here and I like to have optics on them that are made right here as well. I know some will disagree with that but it is a personal thing.

I called up Burris and they stated that most of their optics are still US made. They now have the Fullfield and Tactical line made in the Philippines. It was just a big disappointment when I saw that on the end of the box.

 

[JohnBT]

That's what you get for buying an Italian scope.
__________________

Beretta Holding buys Burris optic company - Industry News
Shooting Industry, Dec, 2002

Beretta Holding S.p.A. announced in late October its purchase of Burris Co. Inc. Burris designs, manufactures and distributes rifle and handgun scopes, binoculars, spotting scopes and scope-mounting hardware. Burris had been owned by Inductotherm Industries Inc. for 17 years.

"Burris is a world-class maker of premium optics for the hunter and sport shooter," said Cav. Gussalli Beretta, president of Beretta Holding. "I have personally used scopes made by many different companies around the world. To me, Burris offers the best choice to the hunter and sport shooter. As part of the Beretta family of companies, we will add world-class distribution and support to the Burris organization.

In 1972, Don Burris, a design enginner, began the Burris company. In 1985, it was sold to Inductotherm Industries.

"We've enjoyed our association with the Burris Co. over the last 17 years and have helped with its dramatic four-fold growth over the past several years," said Henry Rowan, president of Inductotherm Industries. "I am proud to have been associated with this company for so long."

 

[calzoom]

USA Only Buyers. How about your toothbrush, Car, Shoes, Belts, Underwear,cooking utensils, Lightbulbs,gasoline, oil, etc, etc?

Admire your spirit but your tactics need work.

 

[xring44]

Made In the U.S.of A. should be a priorty item for all of us. Unfortunately, we are a nation of buyers, not sellers anymore. Our American dollars finance countrys all over the globe.

Please PM me the imformation on the American made Jeans mentioned above.
I could use some new duds.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

Please pm me the jean info also.

Bought Carhart's last time, but they're a US/Mexico made deal.

Thanks!

 

[Brian Williams]

I wonder what those in the PHILIPPINES would have to say about your attitudes. Our world has gotten too small to have this mind set.

USA Only Buyers

I know that we need to uphold American ways and way of live, but why can't we help out the rest of the world. If our labor force would stop demanding so much and get off their a$$es and work, we would have less to worry about. This goes for those on the dole also. I hate Gimmmeeee attitudes.

 

[BigO01]

If you thought this way about your gasoline you would be doing a whole bunch of walking .

 

[Malapai]

bigbore442001 I understand that it is of personal preferance to be (or try to be) 100% US made. I commend that.

Unfortunately it is impossible in this day and age. One way to try to change some of this would be in how we all vote. NAFTA is getting old with alot of us and it is just one treaty out of many. Im suspect it will also be looked at hard with all the immigration issues we have with Mexico.

I think alot of us are too quiet with how we feel about the importation here in America and we need to let our politicians know about it and other issues. I think our politicians are not feeling as accountable to their constituants as they should be. Make sure they know we have the power to vote them out of office as well as into office. They are more interested in getting paid off by corporations to keep quiet than to make some noise for their constituants.

But I also realize that we will always have products from foreign countries in this country. Some are good, some are crap. I prefer US made but sometimes I do buy a product made elsewhere. AS LONG AS ITS NOT FRANCE. (Like Sportsmans Guide has been bought out by a french company. I no longer buy from there.)http://www.startribune.com/535/story/415495.html If it is profiting a company that is owned in a foreign country that has snubbed the US in recent conflicts, then I will absolutely not buy crap from them.

 

[shermacman]

I drive a Ford with a Japanese made engine, assembled in Canada.
There are Hondas that are completely assembled in the USA.
There is no way to make distinctions about "Made in the USA". If all of the engineering, computer CAD and research is done here, then who cares whose little fingers put the things together?

Oh, yeah, thanks, Malapai, unless it is made in France.

 

[LlanoEstacado]

All things equal, I'll go with US made. However, I'm not against something made in Taiwan, Phillipines, etc as long as it is a free country not relying on slave labor. Clearly, things made in China do NOT meet those criteria, so I do my best to avoid things made there. OTOH, try buying shoes, hunting boots, and a myriad other things - it is often difficult to find items made in the free world. When you do (I'm thinking of hunting boots), they often cost 50 - 100% more for similar quality. No surprise - slave labor does not cost anything beyond the occaional bowl of gruel and leaky hovel or dank cell. The hardest to avoid are those trivial, 50 cent purchases made without much thought - more times than not, made in China.

 

[Derek Zeanah]

The last time we bought cars both my wife and I bought new: I got a VW sedan, and she got a Mercury.

After dealing with the quality of the product and (especially) the quality of the service, I don't think we'll ever own another American made car, thanks. Had the pleasure of helping a buddy bring his enderly father-in-law's car to the Chevy dealership to get the alternator replaced. They threw in a refurbished alternator and charged $750 for the service (more than $400 was for a refurbished alternator!), so I don't think I'll pay much attention to Chevy either.

I love the VW, but service costs can be high. I'm leaning strongly toward a Toyota next time.

But never again American. I gave 'em an honest shot, and they've spit in my face as much as I intend to let them. This is mostly a service issue -- lying about work performed, parts ordered, rental car availability, lying-upon-lying-upon-lying that stranded my wife for 3 hours and caused her to almost miss an exam in med school that could not be made up, not checking whether a repair had worked so we were stranded in the middle of Arkansas for 4 hours until another car came along the road, etc. Multiple dealers, 3 states, same crappy service.

Service matters. If US car makers can't figure that out, then I'll happily throw a some dirt on their coffin.

 

[AnthonyRSS]

They all make lemons. I have a Mercury with 130k still going strong with no problems and a 70k German Cabriolet in the garage with the transmission currently on the ground.

I give myself good service, though......

 

[James NM]

The country of ownership, eg (Toyota-Japan, Ford-USA) has little to do with where a car is made today. Some "American Cars" are assembled in the US with mostly foreign made parts. Some "American" cars are not even assembled in the USA. Some "foreign cars" are assembled in the US using mostly American parts. Paul Harvey was just talking about a Ford made outside the USA with about 60% American parts, and a Toyota made in the USA with about 90% American parts. It seems some foreign cars are more American than Ford and GM.

And as to trying to buy American, when was the last time you bought electronics (cell phones, TV's, etc.) made in the USA?

 

[Stormin n]

Interesting....I'll bet that most of you voted "R" or even Lib last time around. But lots of talk here sounds disturbingly "Union". Isn't globalism good for America? Isn't our economy booming with all of the new jobs we created by shipping manufacturing and now technology jobs overseas (along with corp. tax base)? Sorry the original poster didn't get what he wanted, but all the trade bills were passed by a pro business congress controlled by...who was that again? If chineese passport security is good for the US, and Araab ownership of military suppliers is good for the US, then a made in Philipines scope assembled by a dedicated 13 year old working for $2/hour has got to be good for the US too.

 

[Beren]

If part of my criteria for making a purchase was that it was advertised as having been built in country X, then yeah, I'd be upset to find out it wasn't. Have you returned the scope yet?

As for the "Buy American" stuff, well, I've never owned a car from an American company. My first car was a VW. My second and third were Hondas. They just run and have never given me a hassle. My current Honda was assembled in Colorado, so I guess some hard-working Americans made money from it.

The laptop I'm typing this on was made in China. It's an IBM laptop. IBM, one of the largest corporations in the world - an American corporation. The wireless gateway connecting me to the Internet certainly wasn't made here, either. Neither was my TV - it was made in Thailand with an LCD panel from China. Did I mention the major Sony plant near where I live that employs many Americans?

My carry pistol was made in Austria. My rifle was made in northeast of here. My hearing protection was made by a European company that was recently bought out by a company right here in the Pittsburgh area.

The world is a complicated place. Don't knee-jerk it.

 

[horge]

Originally posted by bigbore442001
A while back I ordered a riflescope from SWFA aka Riflescopes.com
...
I looked at the end of the box and saw the specification and just about had an accident in my pants.
MADE IN THE PHILIPPINES
This is completely unacceptable. I bought this scope with the prior knowledge of Burris being 100% USA made. This was a shock.

A reply by by Brian Williams
I wonder what those in the PHILIPPINES would have to say about your attitudes. Our world has gotten too small to have this mind set.

Most of those in the Philippines would be a bit disappointed, but
would respect the patriotic desire of an American to buy American.
The world HAS gotten smaller, and manufacturing is increasingly a
transnational proposition.

Still, there is for some that patriotic desire to buy local.
It may be impossible to fulfill such a desire in today's world, but
that doesn't make the attitude any less worthy.


Mabuhay!

horge

 

[carebear]

Our heavy industry jobs didn't go to foreign workers, they went to foreign robots. After all, it's not like our remaining industries employ legions of laborers now either.

Industrialization has (and continues to) replaced human labor, for the better in most cases. For the most part we need CAD/CAM operators and robot repairmen in industry now, wherever the factory is located. Those old jobs are gone and even if we brought all the manufacturing back in-country we still wouldn't be putting workers back on the line in any numbers.

Buggy whips, mom-and-pop agriculture or mass labor. It isn't cost effective and shouldn't be subsidized. We all need to leave the past behind and learn the modern trades.

If you want to be a more-or-less unskilled laborer and stay in the 19th century, be prepared to get paid 19th century wages.

 

[hksw]

Eh, I've bought a couple optical products recently produced in the Philippines (Simmons - before they went Chinese and Nikon) that have worked very well.

But, to get back on subject,

What a big disappointment with them.

With SWFA or Burris? Can't see how SWFA would garner any disapproval. As for Burris, personally, I can't see at all any problem with that either. If a company can have a product produced in another country at a lower cost that meets their quality criteria, why shouldn't they go in that direction? By not doing so (lower costs by whatever means without compromising a certain level of quality) will, IMO, drive themselves out of business. Everybody does it. GM, Ford, Microsoft, etc.

 

[AJAX22]

I agree with the philiosophy of buy american, but that being said, while my toy cars are both made in the usa (Dodge Dart and Plymouth Trailduster) my daily drivers are vw and volvo, I didnt plan it that way, just sort of happened, one was free the other I traded my chopper for. all my bikes are japanese.

the only thing america makes with any quality and pride in craftsmanship anymore are guns, and those are getting more and more expesnive.


we need well designed, well made american products to buy again. corporations need to realise that we as americans will pay a little more for a product that isn't designed to break down at a designated time.

I try to reduce my dependance on foreign gas as much as possible.

I walk two hours to school three days a week, the rest of the time I try to drive my motorcycle.

 

[Schuey2002]

I love the VW, but service costs can be high. I'm leaning strongly toward a Toyota next time.

Toyota's prices on their parts is freakin' nuts.

Just so you know..............