Anyone Know of Someone Who Does Professional Scope Repair In The Houston Area?

[RedRobin]

I have a Japanese Tasco World Class 24X fixed power target scope, (same scope as Weaver T Series 24X). There are black flakes appearing on the inside of the objective lens that I'm guessing are from the coating inside the tube. It's never been used nor even mounted and still in it's factory box so I guess the quality of the coating just wasn't that great. Is anyone aware of someone in the Houston area that does professional scope repair that might be able to remedy that problem? I understand that this scope isn't that valuable and if it would be an expensive endeavor it wouldn't be worth it . I've had a couple of the Weaver branded versions and they worked really well for viewing 22 cal holes in 100 yd targets. So I'm willing to spend a little on it if I can get done. I found a couple of repair facilities out of state but haven't inquired with them yet because I wanted to see if there was anyone local.

I also have another scope with the same problem and it's only 2 yrs old and has only been used for a couple of range trips on rimfires. But it's a SWFA so it's going back for repair or replace. I may be mistaken but I believe SWFA and the Japanese Tasco come from the same manufacturer.

 

[baboon]

Why not just email Tasco & let them send you a new scope?

 

[RedRobin]

I checked on the Tasco site and the warranty is only good for the original owner and I'm probably the 3rd owner.

 

[baboon]

I checked on the Tasco site and the warranty is only good for the original owner and I'm probably the 3rd owner.

Raise hell with them. Tell them it is clearly a quality control issue. Them taking care of you would be the best advertising they could find. Point out that not taking care of you would be their worst move of the company history.

 

[GeorgeS]

I doubt they know who the original owner is. Give it a shot.

 

[Txhillbilly]

Why not just email Tasco & let them send you a new scope?

Even if they do warranty the scope, and they replace it, the new scope will be Chinese junk not the fantastic Japanese scope that the OP has.
Those old Japanese Tasco's were pretty good scopes.

 

[baboon]

I doubt they know who the original owner is. Give it a shot.

Unless the filled out the warranty card.

 

[RedRobin]

Raise hell with them. Tell them it is clearly a quality control issue. Them taking care of you would be the best advertising they could find. Point out that not taking care of you would be their worst move of the company history.

I'll call on Monday and just play dumb about the "original owner" aspect and see if they ask for any verification.

 

[RedRobin]

I doubt they know who the original owner is. Give it a shot.

I think I will.

 

[Iowashooter]

Try the repair yourself? Could be an interesting project

 

[RedRobin]

Even if they do warranty the scope, and they replace it, the new scope will be Chinese junk not the fantastic Japanese scope that the OP has.
Those old Japanese Tasco's were pretty good scopes.

That was my second concern. If they DID accept the scope under warranty they would probably only have the newer Chinese crap to offer in exchange. I know that Tasco is usually viewed as cheap junk, even when it was almost all Japanese manufactured, except by those that actually owned a Jap version. Before this issue that I'm having with two of my Jap made scopes now, the reliability and glass quality was great considering the price point of the scopes.

 

[RedRobin]

Try the repair yourself? Could be an interesting project

I considered that. Youtube is a great tutor. But I'm guessing it would need to be re-gassed after it's opened up. it. I dug around on Youtube for awhile yesterday and didn't find anything too specific to my problem but there were some general disassemble/reassemble videos and that might be all I would need. Then again, if I were to be able to get into the scope I wouldn't want to just clean off the lens. I would need to remove the old coating and reapply a new one and that's what intimidates me. But hey, if I screwed it up, well it was already parlty screwed up so at least it would be a learning experience.

 

[GeorgeS]

A search brought up several outfits that repair 'vintage' scopes. See vintage scope repair

 

[baboon]

In 983 I bought some Steiner Commander binoculars that had a life time warranty on them. I drop them & the compass range finer & illumination compartment breaks off. Then they start clouding up, so I send them back.

Now they are telling me they are not covered by a lifetime warranty, tough shit have a nice day. These are the same binoculars that Tank Commander in NATO are said to be using. I tell them I do have a card that said they are lifetime & would be more then happy to mack a copy & send it to themMore phuc you from them.

At the time I was pretty active on Accurate Reloading in the safari section.I started a thread & it was mixed like 60/40 % as far as don't let them screw you.

I emailed Steiner in Germany including link to the thread. I mentioned the lifetime warranty card I had from the purchase. I also pointed out the Zeiss, Swarovski, Leica, and all the other high end manufactures had lifetime warranties also. I told them if I knew they were not going to be honorable in the warranty I would have save a little longer for some Swarovski EL's.

Apparently the Germans did not like the thread on Accurate reloading and caved to the American distributors to shut that guy up.

I get phone call from Pioneer Marketing who represent Steiner at the time. He explains the Germany want me to STFP & go away.& they were going to send mea new set of binoculars. I said will these be cover by the lifetime warranty & he said no. The binoculars no longer came with a lifetime warranty. What's it going to take to make you happy? I said replace them with some Swarovski with a life time, to which nested no can do.I ended up getting their 7X42 Predators instead. He explained their binoculars are basically high end disposables. The bodies are plastic and when the purge them with nitrogen they are the sealed shut.

One thing I learned really fast working as a meat cutter in a grocery store. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. One pissed off customer tells 5 people who each tells another 5 people, next thing you know your phuced.

 

[Orbie]

I went down the same path years back. I had an old Japanese Tasco that I wanted to have warrantied. If I remember correctly, they were bought out and the “lifetime” warranty is no longer valid. I may be getting my facts mixed up but that’s how I recall it.

Found my old thread from when I began searching. https://www.texasguntalk.com/threads/scope-repair-for-reticle.66971/

 

[GeorgeS]

In 983 I bought some Steiner Commander binoculars that had a life time warranty on them. I drop them & the compass range finer & illumination compartment breaks off. Then they start clouding up, so I send them back.

Now they are telling me they are not covered by a lifetime warranty, tough shit have a nice day. These are the same binoculars that Tank Commander in NATO are said to be using. I tell them I do have a card that said they are lifetime & would be more then happy to mack a copy & send it to themMore phuc you from them.

At the time I was pretty active on Accurate Reloading in the safari section.I started a thread & it was mixed like 60/40 % as far as don't let them screw you.

I emailed Steiner in Germany including link to the thread. I mentioned the lifetime warranty card I had from the purchase. I also pointed out the Zeiss, Swarovski, Leica, and all the other high end manufactures had lifetime warranties also. I told them if I knew they were not going to be honorable in the warranty I would have save a little longer for some Swarovski EL's.

Apparently the Germans did not like the thread on Accurate reloading and caved to the American distributors to shut that guy up.

I get phone call from Pioneer Marketing who represent Steiner at the time. He explains the Germany want me to STFP & go away.& they were going to send mea new set of binoculars. I said will these be cover by the lifetime warranty & he said no. The binoculars no longer came with a lifetime warranty. What's it going to take to make you happy? I said replace them with some Swarovski with a life time, to which nested no can do.I ended up getting their 7X42 Predators instead. He explained their binoculars are basically high end disposables. The bodies are plastic and when the purge them with nitrogen they are the sealed shut.

One thing I learned really fast working as a meat cutter in a grocery store. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. One pissed off customer tells 5 people who each tells another 5 people, next thing you know your phuced.

I remember that thread.

 

[xkon]

Out of curiosity, why were there multiple owners of the scope before you and no one ever used it?

 

[RedRobin]

A search brought up several outfits that repair 'vintage' scopes. See vintage scope repair

Thanks George! I looked up a couple on Friday afternoon but it was after closing time. I plan to contact them on Monday. They were both out of state so I thought I would check around for someone local before I try to send it off somewhere else.

 

[RedRobin]

Out of curiosity, why were there multiple owners of the scope before you and no one ever used it?

I'm guessing I'm the 3rd. The guy I bought it from just buys up batches of stuff from estate sales. Since it appears to never have been mounted, still in it's factory wrapping inside the box, I figured it was initially purchased by hoarder type who buys a lot of things that they never get around to using. I've known quite a few of those type guys, and I'm jealous of them. LOL. I'm just too poor to do it myself.

 

[Txhillbilly]

Most " Lifetime" warranties aren't worth the paper they are printed on. Just look at Nikon, Weaver, and many other brands that either quit making scopes, or were bought out and combined with other companies.
Most of the companies that do honor their warranties will only replace an out dated model with a lesser value scope. Most do not make repairs to them.