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Where is Nikon Monarch made?

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Category: Scopes
Forum Name: Rifle Scopes
Forum Description: Centerfire long gun scopes
URL: http://www.opticstalk.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=16836
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Topic: Where is Nikon Monarch made?
Posted By: bagderRed
Subject: Where is Nikon Monarch made?
Date Posted: April/25/2009 at 12:24
I think I read somewhere that they are assembled in the Phillipines with japanese glass?  I don't know could be way off though...
I'm looking at the 2-8x32 Monarch.  This little scope just intrigues me for some reason.  Just a cool little scope I believe.  I've posted before about and read some topics about the Nikon vs. the Zeiss Conquest 2.5-8x32. Majority says go with a Conquest and this makes sense.  I know my experience with a 3-9x40 Conquest was excellent.  I don't know maybe its just a want to try something different.  I never owned a NIkon before.



Replies:
Posted By: cheaptrick
Date Posted: April/25/2009 at 13:31
My last Nikon was the "new" model Monarch and it said it was made in the PI.

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If at first you don't secede...try..try again.


Posted By: doctor duck
Date Posted: April/25/2009 at 16:58
 Nikon Monarch is a smart buy.  I've got Monarchs, Leupolds, Conquests, Elites and a few others. A lot of glass for a real good price.  


Posted By: hunter12345
Date Posted: April/25/2009 at 18:34
I would like to think that with Nikon lenses were made in Japan for the Monarch,but all new Monarchs are made in Phillipines to Nikon specs. 


Posted By: Voodoo6
Date Posted: April/25/2009 at 18:39
Originally posted by hunter12345 hunter12345 wrote:

I would like to think that with Nikon lenses were made in Japan for the Monarch,but all new Monarchs are made in Phillipines to Nikon specs. 
 
Is an American made BMW better or worse than a Euro built model?  


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"A prisoner of the white lines on the freeway"


Posted By: hunter12345
Date Posted: April/25/2009 at 18:55
I do like the older BMW that were made in Germany Thanks! 
Originally posted by Voodoo6 Voodoo6 wrote:

Originally posted by hunter12345 hunter12345 wrote:

I would like to think that with Nikon lenses were made in Japan for the Monarch,but all new Monarchs are made in Phillipines to Nikon specs. 
 
Is an American made BMW better or worse than a Euro built model?  


Posted By: cheaptrick
Date Posted: April/25/2009 at 19:10
I have owned and shot under several Nikons over the years. Some were Jap and others were made in the PI.
I've never noticed any quality issues between the Japs and the
Philo-peen models. All have been 100% reliable, usable and were a decent bargain price wise.  


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If at first you don't secede...try..try again.


Posted By: bagderRed
Date Posted: April/26/2009 at 14:37

I was not intending to say or ask that if the Nikon were made in "x-country" then they are better or worse, more of a simple question of where they are actually made, and I knew the fine folks here would surely know.

Thanks for the replies.
 
Badger


Posted By: Horsemany
Date Posted: April/26/2009 at 15:29
The fit and finish is better on my Thailand and Japanese made Monarchs compared to the new Phillipines Monarch.   The new ones are still good scopes but IMO they did not enhance the optics and took a small step backwards with finish.  Parts of the new ones look like they're painted, not anodized IMO.


Posted By: bagderRed
Date Posted: April/26/2009 at 18:21

That stinks that there is a variance with the older monarchs compared to the new phillipines model.  I'd gladly pay a little more for a riflescope that has been truly improved or at least maintained instead of corners cut to make a very good scope into a good one that gets all kind of marketing hype and glossy ads.   Oh well, that being said I will go ahead and probably bring home a 2-8x32 monarch someday here. 

BAdger 


Posted By: cheaptrick
Date Posted: April/26/2009 at 18:32
Glass stayed the same, which is to say that it's still pretty good.
4x erector and 4" fixed eye relief were added to the new Monarch.
 
Still a pretty decent scope overall, in my opinion....which seemingly doesn't count for much these days.......Really Sad   


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If at first you don't secede...try..try again.


Posted By: bagderRed
Date Posted: April/26/2009 at 18:46
Sorry cheaptrick I just seen horsemanny's post here recently and didn't take into account yours and other posts.  Say they stayed the same or virtually the same, I agree the price for what you get seems good.  Others have said the reliabliltiy might not be as good as some but I see you have faith in the Nikons.  I think they will hold up fine.  What do you think of that little 2-8x32.  I believe 2x is a little better than 2.5x on the low end and the compactness of the scope itself is cool.  8x will be plenty for me.  4x erector and 4" of eye relief is a good upgrade I believe.


Posted By: Voodoo6
Date Posted: April/26/2009 at 19:29
Originally posted by cheaptrick cheaptrick wrote:

Still a pretty decent scope overall, in my opinion....which seemingly doesn't count for much these days.......Really Sad   
Oh for Petes sake!! Pleeeeze tell me your NOT really crying, dude.


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"A prisoner of the white lines on the freeway"


Posted By: Horsemany
Date Posted: April/26/2009 at 19:45
Originally posted by cheaptrick cheaptrick wrote:

Glass stayed the same, which is to say that it's still pretty good.
4x erector and 4" fixed eye relief were added to the new Monarch.
 
Still a pretty decent scope overall, in my opinion....which seemingly doesn't count for much these days.......Really Sad   
 
I should say I wasn't really disagreeing with your opinion of Monarchs.  I think they're just as good as they always were with a few enhancements as you mentioned.  The aesthetic thing is my only complaint.


Posted By: cyborg
Date Posted: May/05/2009 at 14:55
Ultimately it really doesn't matter where anything is made. What does matter is the companies diligence towards the quality of the product. Nikon is a very diligent company to that end. It should also be mentioned that great glass can come from any number of companies, yes even from China. The price you pay for it is the determining factor. This is information that was garnered from a respectable source that is known to have a few connections and spilled these beans when Ted, Brandon, and myself tied him up and tickled him into submission. 

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With Freedom comes great responsibility, you cannot have one without the other

An armed public are citizens. A disarmed public are subjects.

OATH KEEPER #8233 Support us, and join our cause.

Cyborg


Posted By: RifleDude
Date Posted: May/05/2009 at 15:34
Originally posted by cyborg cyborg wrote:

This is information that was garnered from a respectable source that is known to have a few connections and spilled these beans when Ted, Brandon, and myself tied him up and tickled him into submission. 
 
Actually, you two were doing the tickling.  I was snuffing out lit cigars on his forehead to make him talk!Cool


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Ted


Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle.


Posted By: Dshusker
Date Posted: May/05/2009 at 15:51
I really agree with Cyborg that it doesn't matter where things are made if the appropriate quality control processes are in place and the company is aggressive in its QC activities. A really good example is the Lenovo laptops being made in  China. Lenovo purchased the "Think Pad" brand and specs from IBM and produces one of the best laptops in the world. The manufacturing facilities are state of the art the the QC processes are more rigorous than IBM's. No reason why the Philippines and Thailand can't replicate the quality of Western countries if the commitment to Quality is in place.


Posted By: cyborg
Date Posted: May/05/2009 at 16:17
Originally posted by RifleDude RifleDude wrote:

Originally posted by cyborg cyborg wrote:

This is information that was garnered from a respectable source that is known to have a few connections and spilled these beans when Ted, Brandon, and myself tied him up and tickled him into submission. 
 
Actually, you two were doing the tickling.  I was snuffing out lit cigars on his forehead to make him talk!Cool
Poker  I wasn't going to release the interrogation techniques that we employ to garner valuable intelligence. Now we may have to face a congressional tribunal.

-------------
With Freedom comes great responsibility, you cannot have one without the other

An armed public are citizens. A disarmed public are subjects.

OATH KEEPER #8233 Support us, and join our cause.

Cyborg


Posted By: RifleDude
Date Posted: May/05/2009 at 16:21
Scopes, like many consumer goods whose production is outsourced to contractors, are made to specific specs mandated by the company whose logo is emblazoned on the optic.  Regardless of where made, the end product is only as good as the specs and what the company is willing to pay for the product in order to sell at a certain price point with a reasonable profit. 

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Ted


Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle.


Posted By: FunShot
Date Posted: May/09/2009 at 01:32

Nikons, as well as other good quality scopes, rangefinders, binos are assembled here in the Philippines by the Philippine Kenko Plant on a contract basis. As far as i know, the lenses are also made and polished by the same plant as per standard set by the scope company they are in contract with. These is the same plant that manufactures and assembles scopes at one time or another for burris, bushnell, vortex, simmons, intensity, etc... The tubes, springs, and other materials used for the scope are usually imported or provided for the plant by the company they are in contract with, it is only the lenses that are manufactured, polished, and coated in the plant. The kenko plant has even provided lenses for leupold though i don't know if it was for a spotting scope or rilflescope.

Anyway although the plant is in the phil, the owners of the plant are mostly Japanese Foreign Investors who are said to also own optical plants in japan. So as far as quality is concerned, it's safe to assume that quality control should at least follow the japanese standard. In Asia, the philippine's has one of the more expensive labor and development costs as compared with other countries in the region. So it follows that scopes here aren't cheaply made but more of mid priced when it comes to manufacturing. The plants and factories too at the Mactan Export Processing Zone of where the Philippine Kenko Plant is located have a high standard when it comes to it's workers. You can be rest assured that the Philippine Made Nikon scope has passed thru educated and well trained hands in the production line. (",) 



Posted By: Dshusker
Date Posted: May/09/2009 at 08:22
Excellent summary!



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