L-3 EOTech Sights – Recognizing counterfeit

When you buy an L-3 EOTech sight you expect the highest quality, because you will pay a very decent sum of money for it. This is why counterfeit, cheaply made knock-offs of the L-3 can be a devastating buy. Producers of these fake L-3 EOTech sights often make you pay a similarly high price like the real sight would cost and offer you an accessory that isn’t worth half as much.

Producers of such counterfeit items are criminals and they exist all over the world. One of the first signs to look out for when buying an L-3 EOTech sight from a dubious source is to see where it was made. ALL L-3 EOTech sights are made in the U.S.A. If your sight says otherwise you have bought a fake one.

Three of the L-3 models appear as counterfeits in markets like local gun shows, eBay and shady dealers worldwide. These models are the:

1. Eotech Model 552 which has two AA batteries,
2. Eotech Model 551 which has two N batteries
3. Eotech Model 553 which has two CR 123 batteries.

All counterfeits are created to look alike the original sights on the exterior, but the materials and inner design are by far cheaper. Some will even have original logos on them, making it even harder to tell apart the real deal from the cheap fakes. What the counterfeits lack mostly is the new holographic technology. In fact you will be buying an older model red dot sight, looking like a brand new holographic one.
Here are some solid tips to recognize a counterfeit once you hold one in your hands:

• First of all, look at the optics of the sight. A curved and reflective surface is a sign of a fake L-3 sight. Real L-3 EOTech sights have a smooth, flat surface that has anti-reflection coating. A fake L-3 will reflect brightly the light on its optics surface. This is incomparably inferior to use than a real L-3 would be. This difference can be found in all three counterfeit L-3 models.
  
• Secondly, you should look at the top of the window on the back. Real L-3 from EOTech will have a rounded optical component there. If this component is missing, then you have bought a fake.
• Third, look at your sight’s bottom side. No counterfeit L-3s we have found so far have the logo of EOTech on the bottom, nor do they have a serial number. There are dealers who sell serial numbers online though. So having these is not an absolute guarantee that you bought a real L-3.
  
• Fourth, Model 553 uses two CR123 batteries if it is original. The counterfeits often use two AAA batteries instead. This is a good way to recognize a fake from a real L-3. This goes only for the 553 model though. The 551 and 552 models have similar battery compartments to the counterfeits.
• Fifth, model 553 has two throw lever mounts that are supplied by Atlantic Research Marketing Systems, Inc (A.R.M.S Inc). This design is patented and anyone copying it infringes on the rights of A.R.M.S, Inc and EOTech as well.
• Sixth, the counterfeits do not have real holographic technology, but the older red dot sight tech. This means that the red dot of a fake L-3 will be distorted if you don’t view it directly in the center of the window. Holographic sights allow you to aim no matter from what angle you look at the sight’s window.
• Seventh, the fake L-3s have no brightness setting for night vision. This means that when you use a fake L-3 the dot won’t dim enough for you to be able to see through your N.V device properly. Counterfeit sights only change from red to a green dot when you press the night vision button.
• Lastly, there should be no light source visible from the window. A real L-3 never has any lights visible within the housing.

Why is buying a counterfeit so bad?
Counterfeits are often a little bit cheaper than the original merchandise, so many wonder why they should not buy one. Others argue that someone who can’t tell apart a real EOTech from a fake one doesn’t deserve the real deal.
Both these stances are wrong. Counterfeits technology can cost us in real human lives. If military personnel and law enforcement officers use low quality equipment expecting something better from it, then most certainly there will be accidents and the sights won’t deliver the wanted result.
Counterfeiting high quality gear is extremely dangerous for the lives of those who depend on the superiority in design and quality.
The prices of fake gear also are not reflecting their quality. These prices might be a bit lower than real EOTech sights would cost, to lure the customer, but they never reflect the quality of what you buy. So, in fact you are being duped out of your money for cheap junk.
Always look out for the signs that help you recognize real EOTech sights, because only the best deserves the name of EOTech!