Gun Digest the Magazine has reported, more than once, on warnings from firearms optics manufacturers that consumers needed to watch out for faked copies of their products.  Recently, U.S. Customers snagged a shipment of these fakes, in this case counterfeit holographic sights, with a potential retail value of nearly a half million dollars.

State law enforcement in California, according to the Los Angeles Times, filed criminal charges against three men for allegedly selling the fake optics on the Internet via a company called Field Sport, Inc.

The charges stem from an investigation that began in early March after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers were conducting a routine mail inspection at an Alaska sorting center and found 700 counterfeit rifle sights and 200 magnifier systems in a shipment sent from China to Field Sports headquarters, the Times noted.

According to the criminal complaint, the three men advertised for sale online about 700 counterfeit EOTech gun sights and 200 magnifier systems. They said the equipment had a retail value of about $475,000. Based in Michigan, EOTech has a copyright on the manufacture and sale of the holographic rifle sights sold by the defendants. The brand is popular with law enforcement and the military.

On its website, EOTech has posted a Counterfeit Alert, explaining how to tell genuine EOTech products from the fakes. Read the alert at:   https://www.eotech-inc.com/counterfeit_notice.php

Resources for Tactical Operators

The Gun Digest Book of Tactical Gear

The Gun Digest Book of Tactical Weapons Assembly/Disassembly

Own the Night: Selection and Use of Tactical Lights and Lasers

Tactical Pistol Shooting: Your Guide to Tactics that Work, 2nd Ed.