ID_deerslayer
Active member
While I live in Montana, my in-laws live in Oregon and grandmother in-law just happens to know a few people from the Leupold family. This all started when my wife informed me she had to travel to Portland for a conference for work and Sadie we should make an action of it to see her parents and allow them some time with our four month old, Elenore. I said sure and put in the request for time off from work. My wonderful in-laws figure that since I work in outdoor retail I might want to see the factory at Leupold to see how their riflescopes are made. I said I would try and fit it into my schedule! A few phone calls later and the tour was set up. I patiently waited for my vacation to come for the next four months and it finally arrived yesterday.
Today was the day of my tour so my father in law and I headed over to Beaverton, Oregon to get a unique experience. We arrived and got checked in at the front desk after verifying that we were U.S. Citizens and had a great start in the lobby looking at old prototypes of riflescopes, compasses, and survey equipment. There were also old product boxes and ads in display cases along with their centennial scope they came out with in 2007 which was pretty spectacular to see. I felt like a kid in a candy store!
We met our tour guide, Greg Waggoner who is of the Leupold family and started our descent into the basement of the facility where there are around 50-60 CNC machines that make the various components of a scope. Every scope is made from round bar stock aluminum that is custom made for Leupold. We went through from start to finish on what it takes to make an order of scopes as well as the rings and bases that are manufacture in the same facility. The practices and tolerances the Leupold keeps to in making their scopes is extremely impressive and I learned a lot of valuable things I will use in promoting their products above any other. Overall from the starting process to a finished in box product it takes two weeks to build each scope. The quantity that Leupold is producing per week is in the 8,500 unit range currently which is amazing. I am so thankful to have gotten the opportunity to see the factory and meet people who couldn't be more proud to work for an American company making products for the American sportsman and outdoorsman. I wasn't able to get any photos which is okay by me, other than one of the sign in front of the building. Hope you all enjoy the short write up.
Today was the day of my tour so my father in law and I headed over to Beaverton, Oregon to get a unique experience. We arrived and got checked in at the front desk after verifying that we were U.S. Citizens and had a great start in the lobby looking at old prototypes of riflescopes, compasses, and survey equipment. There were also old product boxes and ads in display cases along with their centennial scope they came out with in 2007 which was pretty spectacular to see. I felt like a kid in a candy store!
We met our tour guide, Greg Waggoner who is of the Leupold family and started our descent into the basement of the facility where there are around 50-60 CNC machines that make the various components of a scope. Every scope is made from round bar stock aluminum that is custom made for Leupold. We went through from start to finish on what it takes to make an order of scopes as well as the rings and bases that are manufacture in the same facility. The practices and tolerances the Leupold keeps to in making their scopes is extremely impressive and I learned a lot of valuable things I will use in promoting their products above any other. Overall from the starting process to a finished in box product it takes two weeks to build each scope. The quantity that Leupold is producing per week is in the 8,500 unit range currently which is amazing. I am so thankful to have gotten the opportunity to see the factory and meet people who couldn't be more proud to work for an American company making products for the American sportsman and outdoorsman. I wasn't able to get any photos which is okay by me, other than one of the sign in front of the building. Hope you all enjoy the short write up.
