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Super Sniper history

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Bboy623 View Drop Down
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    Posted: August/17/2010 at 07:56
Am I reading correctly (from the various links under the SS home page at SWFA) that the SS started out as a Tasco, but then SWFA bought the rights to them and started making them better???? What glass does it use? Where is it made ( I know USA, but what state)??--Bboy623
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VYD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/17/2010 at 08:38

I bought mine recently 10x42 side focus. It says Made in Japan. Absolutely love it and plan to order another one with a rear focus.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote supertool73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/17/2010 at 09:03
This is basically the history that I have gathered for the original line of Super Sniper scopes.  Chris please correct me if I am off on any of this.  The two new models are brand new designs done by SWFA. 

They were infact owned by Tasco at one time. But Tasco just contracts their scopes out to foreign optic companies as do many brand names. I think Tasco was the 2nd or 3rd owners of the Super Sniper brand. They were originally spec-ed out to compete for a military contract. IIRC it was Hoffman Enterprises for a Navy Contract. Currently they are made in Japan by one of the big optics companies there to the specs that SWFA requests. Similar to the original but beefed up in certain areas and better optics have been added. Supposedly the originals were well built and tough scopes. But when Tasco took them over the quality started to go down as they started cutting corners to increase their profit margin. SWFA took them over from Tasco and fixed the quality issues. They still ship with Tasco instructions in the box to keep the costs down a little more. Tasco must have had a ton of them printed. SWFA is able to sell them for so cheap because they did not have to do all the R&D on them initially plus they sell them direct. They don't have to go through the factory, then supplier, then distributer, then marketer, then reseller, then cosumer all adding their fees into the mix. Originally I believe they sold for $800 per scope when Hoffman sold them.
Lifetime warranty and excellent customer service don't mean a thing when your gun fails during a zombie attack.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SVT_Tactical Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/17/2010 at 09:07
Short version........
Chris got his hands on the SS and injected it with plenty of steriods!  end of story
"Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be" - Abraham Lincoln
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bboy623 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/17/2010 at 09:14
Thanks Supertool & SVT!  I was just a little shocked to learn they had Tasco dealings. I know Bushnell bought them years ago and now Tasco is their cheap chinese junk. They use to be a decent optics company from my experience (early-mid 90s). I want a SS...just not enough $$$ to go around..but thats life! I'll get one eventually. Thanks again--Bboy623
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SVT_Tactical Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/17/2010 at 09:27
Anytime you want to come down and look through the 3-9 or 16X let me know.  I just got rid of the 10x and will soon get rid of the 16x when the new variables come out. 
"Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be" - Abraham Lincoln
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bboy623 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/17/2010 at 09:39
Sounds good SVT!! I'm on VAC the rest of this week after today. I'm interested in the 3-9---Bboy623
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SVT_Tactical Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/17/2010 at 09:41
Thats good.  I'll be down there again on the 28th or could meet you somewhere as I come back this way through wilmington on the 29th in the AM
"Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be" - Abraham Lincoln
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote stickbow46 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/17/2010 at 13:33
SVT might want to hold onto that original 10x,liable to be a collectors item one day esspecilly if you still have the Tasco instuction book.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SVT_Tactical Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/17/2010 at 13:35

It wasn't a tasco ss it was a swfa one.

"Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be" - Abraham Lincoln
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote stickbow46 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/17/2010 at 13:37
Got- cha
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/17/2010 at 17:00
Keep in mind that the majority of the scope brands don't actually manufacture anything, they just spec out what they want at the price point they want to sell and make a profit and put their brand name on the product.  Most contract some of the same handful of optics manufacturers to make their product to their specs.  This applies to nearly all scopes made in Japan, Philippines, and China.  In that regard, "you get what you pay for" applies here in spades.  The same optics manufacturer can make both bargain basement scopes and very high end scopes.  So, it is somewhat meaningless to know who actually made a given scope, because they make what the customer spec'ed out for them to make.  If the customer pays for a cheap scope, they get a cheap scope.  If they pay for a high end scope, they get a high end scope.  What's really important is not who made the scope, but instead the scope's design specifications.
 
For example, one of the most common Japanese optics manufacturers, Light Optical Works, makes the Bushnell Elite series, the current Weavers, and a huge % of scopes made in Japan.  They also make the optics for such brands as NightForce.  I believe the latest SS scopes are also made by Light Optical, but I'm not 100% certain of that.
 
Again, it is the design specifications that count.
Ted


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bboy623 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/18/2010 at 09:53
Thanks Rifledude---I didn't know LOW made the Weavers too. I knew about them making the BUSH. I'm ASSuming LOW makes the Nikon stuff too???--Bboy623
I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6!
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