Another fake No32 spotted......

[Brian Dick]

I'm not shopping. I was just curious as to what they were asking for the fake. I've seen one too come to think of it but didn't look too closely. Guess what? It was at Northridge's tables at Knob Creek.

[Hal O'Peridol]

I think one of the folks here may have ended up with that one. BTW, does that look like a sliding eyeshade on the repop scope?

[RJW NZ]

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..

Just to clarify, do you mean Northridge International from los angeles? Its not a defining piece of info I'm after, just that if you don't mean them, it should be said, no good blaming incorrectly.

[jmoore]

That's them. -Yay.

It does have the eyeshade, and the Mk.I elevation/ windage adjustments so it's really more of a No.32 Mk.I .(Unless it's got the finer clicks, then its an early Mk.II [?]) So it won't fool folk that know these scopes, but its close enough to fool a beginner. (On purpose?)

[Surpmil]

Whoever is making these must have made them in some quantity, but are certainly being coy about releasing them. Presumably in the hope that they will not be noticed as fake if fed out slowly enough. Rather a vain hope.

So much trouble for so little benefit. If they'd made Mk3s and just continued from where the orginal numbers left off, there would be no need to pretend, no odour of fakery, and they'd probably sell just fine as repros.

Why they bothered with Mk3 numbers on MkI scopes I don't know.

[Roger Payne]

Yes, eye shades. Drums were Mk2 not Mk1 (had intermediate graduations on them) -- but still wrong whichever way you look at it.

Thanks for the interest chaps. I don't want to pee on anyone's cornflakes, & am hardly in a position to complain about people reproing stuff (!!) but as has been said above, it is the lack of clear information confirming these to be reproductions that is worrying. They won't fool any of the more experienced forummers here, but they'll fool a novice into parting with more money than he should.

ATB

[PrinzEugen]

Yep - at first glance it looks cosher, especially if you didn't know there were any repros around - and hitherto there haven't been so far as I know! It's only when you spot the mk3 incorrect markings that the penny drops (at least so far as I was concerned).

[MJ1]

Just to clarify, do you mean Northridge International from los angeles? Its not a defining piece of info I'm after, just that if you don't mean them, it should be said, no good blaming incorrectly.

Did I blame someone? Don't think I blamed anyone for anything. It was more like 1+1=2.

There is only one Northridge at that address that I know of in the past twenty-five years. In the early 80's you could walk in and walk out with some nice rifles new and old.

......

[RJW NZ]

MJ1, point taken. I was mostly just curious that it was about a company I knew of and had patronized. This forum covers so much of the planet I thought there could easily be another northridge out there someplace, not so much with that full name.

[RobD]

Roger, I suspect the guy you saw at the Belgian show was the guy from AAS-SNIPER 98 - Pièces détachées d'armes, sabres, épées
And it is interesting that his stock list and Northridge's have some identical, previously unobtainably rare, items...

Can I make a plea: Can the experts keep some giveaway aspects of the fakes up their sleeve to enable detection? In other words, Roger, Peter & Co can say "fake"or "real"but not reveal exactly why. I reckon the forgers probably visit these forums, and may well seek to refine their efforts in the light of what is revealed.