Leupold Custom Shop update

[OldSchoolHunter]

The CDS turrets are still being made. Their custom shop has been down for some time. I have an older scope that I am going to have the CDS system installed, that has to wait until the Custom shop opens up. But the CDS dials are still being made. They do that in their main Factory.

 

[cornshank]

The CDS turrets are still being made. Their custom shop has been down for some time. I have an older scope that I am going to have the CDS system installed, that has to wait until the Custom shop opens up. But the CDS dials are still being made. They do that in their main Factory.

Yeah , me to ,waiting . Thanks

 

[slam2107]

Here's my understanding of what Leupold will do. They will make the CDS dials and perform warrantee repairs, but they will not do 'elective surgery' on our scopes until they re-open their custom shop. I have a VX5-HD that I wanted converted to the CDS and they won't do that, or change reticles, or any other changes that don't fall under the warrantee umbrella. Bummer for sure, but I still like their products.

1 employee who cares is worth 1,000 who don't.
If you pay more & stay clear of college grads, you can build a workforce that cares.
Then with any process that allows caring employees to tell you when you're doing something stupid, you can stop doing stupid things as a company.

Leupold has done stupid things for quite a while, driving themselves straight to nearly zero influence over the scope market.
The only way that can happen, given where they were, is to operate in an unconscious and uncaring mode. A fresh out of college manager mode. It's not a capitalist model that can survive the dark challenges ahead.

Look

 

[Justice1327]

Spoke to a rep at Leupold yesterday about replacing a reticle and turret on an existing scope. Sadly, I was informed that their custom shop is closed and not reopening in the foreseeable future. I was assured that it would come back in some capacity, but the management has no plans to do so anytime soon.

Although I'm disappointed with the outcome of my query, I was pleasantly surprised at how short my hold time was. Rep asked how the scope was performing and if I had any other products that I was concerned about. Not at all dismissive like some other companies.
Overall; typical friendly staff, polite and helpful.

Agree with the politness...but them being closed isnt new. I called 5years ago for a Mark 4 and was told the same thing.

 

[sp6x6]

Corn shank,I cut my own dial and was good for 850 was farthest on game A rough good workable distance for a flat shooter is 700 yards if you shoot well I pulled dial and scope is now on my 6.5 before on my 338 nm. With mil dial. Also made it with ZS

 

[Carlos88]

Corn shank,I cut my own dial and was good for 850 was farthest on game A rough good workable distance for a flat shooter is 700 yards if you shoot well I pulled dial and scope is now on my 6.5 before on my 338 nm. With mil dial

Slick.

 

[cornshank]

Corn shank,I cut my own dial and was good for 850 was farthest on game A rough good workable distance for a flat shooter is 700 yards if you shoot well I pulled dial and scope is now on my 6.5 before on my 338 nm. With mil dial. Also made it with ZS

Nice! But afraid if I can't make one out of duct tape and claw hammer , I'll have to wait,or buy scope.
Thanks for reply

 

[Mike D Texas]

No i apologize , I was half of that conversation .
I guess I get fired up once in a while .
Anyway I called the Leupold custom shop, this morning to see if I could get a dial for my scope ?
They said , If your scope already has an exposed turret with numbers on it , yes we can make you a dial.
But if it has low profile type covers on it ,without numbers on the outside ,No we can't right now,the only work the custom shop is doing is the dials on the scopes with certificate or set up wit generic dial.
Guess witch one I have ,yep the low profile 4-12 vx2, no go
For now unless I can find a vx3 3x 15 x44 .

Can Kenton industries make a known for you? I have one on an older Mark 4 and it's dead on in my 308 out to 650'ish so far.

 

[cornshank]

Can Kenton industries make a known for you? I have one on an older Mark 4 and it's dead on in my 308 out to 650'ish so far.

I will call them, thanks, my old gunsmithfriend used to look at me work on something and just shake his head ,and say ,
( Bob, your to heavy handed to do that ) !

 

[P7M13]

Leupold is poorly managed, and won't survive (even from gov't contracts) another decade.
It's what our education system has done to the world..
And I'm sure most keystone product companies in America are on their way out, right now.

Time will tell, but I find your opinion invalid.
I pass by their parking lot almost every day, and it's mostly full. Can't say the same for other companies I pass.
I work closely with two former Leupold engineers. They speak highly of the company, and their friends there are happy.
I have found their product support to be superlative.
Finding talented engineers seems to be difficult for most companies lately, but their ads that I have seen do not indicate that they are relaxing their standards.
I have faith they will be around for many more decades. China's gambit with Putin and Russia showed their hand. Watch a lot more manufacturing return to the US.

 

[Mikecr]

Hope you're right, I love their past Mk4 scopes.
But I can imagine General Motors parking lot is pretty full (for the moment) as well.
And Leupold IS poorly managed

 

[xsn10s]

Time will tell, but I find your opinion invalid.
I pass by their parking lot almost every day, and it's mostly full. Can't say the same for other companies I pass.
I work closely with two former Leupold engineers. They speak highly of the company, and their friends there are happy.
I have found their product support to be superlative.
Finding talented engineers seems to be difficult for most companies lately, but their ads that I have seen do not indicate that they are relaxing their standards.
I have faith they will be around for many more decades. China's gambit with Putin and Russia showed their hand. Watch a lot more manufacturing return to the US.

Yeah I know a guy that moved from Central Oregon to work at Leupold, it's gotta be over ten ago now. As far as I know they closed the Custom Shop part that would convert reticles and install dials (target dials). Every time I call their customer service they've been helpful and polite. A few months ago they sent me target knob screws for free. I'll still buy and use them, they're at least a baseline scope for me.

 

[Mark37082]

There has been significant competition in the optics world in the past couple of decades. I agree with the comments about a growing trend to purchase USA based products. The firearms community seems to be more aligned with with this trend. I am not aware of the "management issues" that was referenced. I truly hope Leupold does not attempt to radically change their model. It produces great products that have served the hunting and shooting community well for decades.

 

[Bullwhacker]

Staffing manufacturing businesses is a challenge everywhere right now, I can imagine in western Oregon it's even worse.