Another fake No32 spotted......

Some forummers may recall that 6 months ago I reported a fake No32 scope spotted at a large Belgian arms fair. Just got back from there again this evening & not only saw the same scope on the same (fake) rifle, but also saw another one, complete with its bracket & tin with adjusting tool. Everything was repro but quite well done. The tin was the round ended type & was engraved BE 1944. The bracket was a repro & I'm not sure if it was from another new source of copies or whether it was a 'roughed up' Sarco type. The scope was marked up No32 Mk 3 AK&S & was serialled 1704X. Although both scopes were engraved as Mk3's they had Mk2 drum assemblies fitted (the one on the faked up rifles was spuriously dated 1943 & serialled 33XXX). I tried the adjustments & the clicks were sloppy. Optics were reasonably good. Edges were too sharp & everything generally looked too new (which it is). I asked the French speaking stall-holder (he may have been French or Belgian) where the scopes were made & he smiled, looked rather awkward & said he presumed in the UK. I said I thought not & how about China? He looked a lot more awkward & rushed over to his pal muttering & mumbling. They didn't look exactly ecstatic with me, so I asked no more questions & moved along. At the risk of repeating myself; beware, as it's only a matter of time till they start turning up on the on-line auction sites, & they do look superficially correct.
Caveat Emptor.

ATB

Too bad. If they would be up front about it, label them as repros, they could sell thousands of them, not the dozens.

What was the price on the one in the can with the tool Rog?

Brian

If you had been the only bidder, you could have had scope, bracket, tin and key for US $1200 here:

ENFIELD RIFLE SCOPE WITH CAN AND ADJUSTING TOOL. - eBay (item 260577554166 end time Mar-29-10 21:26:39 PDT)

If the link doesn't work it was item No 260577554166.

Hope they didn't start at 17000 serial No range as I have an early A.K. & S MK 111 one in this range.

Brian,
the one in the tin was 950 euros. For that you got the scope, bracket, scope tool & tin. To my mind it's cheap (by current standards) for an original, but rather too dear for my liking for a phoney.

Just about to wrap your poster of Vimy. Sorry, sloths are speedy compared to me.....!

ATB

Valley Sniper, I think you've been inside enough real No32's to spot these a mile off!
ATB

Well spotted Hugh. That is indeed one of them. One of the two I saw was very close to that serial number indeed. It has started..........Beware!

ATB

Is it worth sending the seller a message to say we know it is a fake?
or something to get some info out of him?

Thanks for this thread, Roger, I'm making a link to this on enfieldresource, so that should spread the word a bit.

That is Northridge and they are Indian merchants I think. I saw them at the Cow Palace a few years ago floging Indian SLR parts kits in the worst condition that could still be called useful. So this could be Mrs. Petals boys cranking out copies.

..MJ..