How to spot a fake Larue mount.....

[Smitty908]

I will have to break this into two due to the number of photos....

In the interest of others not wasting their money like I did.....

I knew it was too good to be true. I found the Larue Eotech mount I had been looking for on Gunbroker
for $50. I was slightly suspicious, but I guess I WANTED to believe it.

I looked at the pictures of the mount on Larue's website, and tried to compare them to the pics the seller had listed
on the auction. It looked enough like the real deal, that I hit 'buy now' hoping that someone had just ordered the wrong mount for their
build, and was cutting their losses.

I was wrong.

After installing my 'new' mount, I noticed some slight deficiencies, that I will show with the following pics.

Here is the REAL Larue LT-110 Eotech Mount

It comes in a labeled ziploc bag with a Larue label.



Included in the bag is the mount, and a Larue adjustment wrench for the tension on the throw lever.



Here is the REAL LT-110



Here is a side by side with the fake on top.

Notice the diffenerce in finish of the two mounts.
The fake is shinier, almost like paint (which it may be).



The fake has a 'shelf' in the machining which the real LT-110 does not have.



This was my first real clue as to having a fake. Note the approx. 5-7 deg cant of the mount and Eotech to the left.
(See top of Troy BUIS in foreground as a reference.)



Upon closer inspection, the FAKE has an uneven gap visible at the front of the rail.



After removing the mount (After shooting about 50-60 rounds), I discovered the finish had been rubbed off
the inside of the mount anywhere that the rail on my Bushy touched it. (I can only assume this means it was moving
under recoil)



Then I noticed that the writing on the side of the mount looked 'funny'. Kinda 'squished down'.
REAL is on top.



Continued --->

 

[Smitty908]

The outline of the state of Texas looked weird as well. The real LT-110 says '2004 APPI Pantented'
The fake mount says '2004 APM Pat Pend'
REAL is top photo.




Another place you can see a difference is the quality / look of the throw levers themselves.
The fake has sharp edges and a thin finish that rubs off if you look at it sideways.
The real LT-110 has a deep black finish and rounded smooth edges.
REAL is on the left.



The hardware on the throw lever is also different as you can see. The real mount has a smaller nut on
the stud, while the fake has a large nut of a different color.
REAL is on top.



The easiest way too tell is to flip them over. The real Larue has 'LT-110' and USA stamped into the bottom of it.
REAL is on top.




Here is the real LT-110 installed, note it is level with the top of the Troy BUIS in foreground.



Here is the evenly spaced gap at the front end of the real mount.



So, it seems that I bought an Airsoft replica of a Larue LT-110.

After reviewing the gunbroker ad that I purchased it from, I realized the description did say
"Larue STYLE QD Mount" but the seller did use the same description and graphic
that Larue uses about adjusting the locking lever. (No mention that it was an airsoft replica).

I should have read more closely, but now if you see one at a gunshow, you will know what to look for.


-Tim S.

 

[wally]

I don't have a problem with fakes/imatators or airsoft until they start ripping off the Logos! LaRue should be hitting these guys with Copyright infringement at the least, maybe Trademark infringement too!

--wally.

 

[Big44mag]

Very nice comparison.

I'm sure you saved or will save a few people from making a mistake thinking they are getting the real deal.

Great pictures as well.

 

[tango2echo]

Great post. Thank you. If I were LaRue I would be talking to a Trademark/Patent Attorney.

 

[Glock Holiday]

I've got mine mounted on a OEM Rock River mount but thanks for all the detailed pictures and the obvious work that went into your post.
Your work is appreciated.

 

[DHJenkins]

Hopefully you reported the seller to gunbroker and Mark LaRue for selling counterfeit merchandise, right after you smacked yourself in the back of the head for diving headfirst into a "too good to be true" transaction.

If you want legit LaRue gear, buy it from LaRue. Their stuff retains it's value very well.

 

[Uncle Mike]

Excellent write-up....

Anyone experiencing this type of thing should make it public

 

[DasFriek]

As the owner of a S&W 15-22 at times it makes sense to not buy the most "Hardcore" well made accessories as recoil is nil.
And boy do i see knock-offs all day long, Mounts as well as optics both.
Sue China? I mean really, The whole country is doing this type of stuff. LaRue will do best to "educate" prospective customers on what to look for to spot the real thing. Or just buy direct when possible.

What i hate is when i see people buying these Chinese knock-offs that are costing as much as a well made brand name item with them just reading 5 pages of of a thread where half the people had questionable experiences with that item and they are ready to roll the dice.

The cheap stuff also can make a person a loyal customer also, Once you get burnt on a knock-off and paid even 50% of the price of a real one and it sucks so badly you throw it away and go buy the "Real" one from the right company you may never try that route ever again.

But the knock-off market can have its benefits, Most times the stuff works. Just not as well as the real one does. And when dealing with lower cost items for Airsoft and even rimfire guns you can make a decent setup at a fraction of the cost.

But great write up and was interesting seeing all the differences and all the work that went into the Larue and all the short cuts the knock-off has.

 

[GPWASR10]

Dude that sucks, unfortunately you really cannot sue the entire nation of China for being huge design stealing ******bags.

Good to see you fixed it though.

 

[Zerodefect]

Larue has the best mounts i've seen so far. I can remove my Aimpoint ML3 with its LT-129 cantilever mount and put it back on without loseing zero.

Folks using scopes have been only off by a 1/4" at 100yds after removing and remounting thier Larue mount. Thats insane.

THE BEST PLACE TO GET LARUE MOUNTS IS FROM LARUE TACTICAL.COM.

That way your sure your getting the real thing. Never seen anyone, I know, sell thier mount used. Except for 1 guy that wanted to upgrade to the lt-129 and sold his lt-150. Don't expect to see these mounts just floating around at gun shows. don't expect anyone to take much of a loss on these as well. some of these mounts are $150-250, so when you see one for 50-80......

That goes for Eotechs, Aimpoints, ACOG's, Trigicon scopes, Nightforce scopes, Leopold Scopes (lots of lupy knockoffs out there), as well. If your not familliar with the scope, get it from Larue so you won't get a fake..
Plus you can get them in optic combos to be certain youhave the right mount.



For example: I need a Nightforce, Trijicon, or Leopold scope for my next 6.8spc AR build. I don't know how to spot a fake scope or which Larue mounts fit which scope bodies. So I'll just get a combo from Larue and be done with it.