Let me pop on here and make a quick and simple point... I frequently see A LOT of comments on this video about “why does the genuine cost so much...” “why would I pay for the real one when the fake is so much cheaper”. Bla bla bla. The genuine ACOG is LIGHTYEARS better than this fake one. I’m sorry if I didn’t make that clear in the video. The fake isn’t worth even the $70 I paid for it to be honest. It broke very shortly after this video and was not repairable. Trust me I took it apart and the internals are held together with glue lol! If you’ve never handled a genuine ACOG you may not understand why it’s almost $1,000. I get it. But trust me... a real ACOG is in fact worth the money. And the fake actually isn’t. Believe it or not. Some (many) will doubt, and that’s ok. To those people I say, “may your M&P sport rifle and sightmark optic last you many many years of well over 100 rounds shot”.
Well unfortunately some of us are broke gun enthusiasts. Sorry some of us aren't brand queens like you elitists. My fake one works just as good and hasn't malfunctioned. So I guess I'm a okay
Ian Henderson, not hating on you brother. Just saying a fake is okay if you can’t afford it yet. I say yet, it took me twenty years before I could afford one. I bought fakes too, every fake broke in less than 600 shots and would not hold zero. A great option if you want a scope like the Acog is to purchase a Primary Arms Prism 4x34. It is a affordable scope ($280) that matches the Acog in purpose and durability. I have both but rather use the Acog.
@@TheRerunn The cheapest reliable optic is maybe 150-200. Cheapest reliable irons are 30-60. These fake ones are not worth more than 30 dollars. They sell for 5-10 in most other countries simply because in the US they market them like a real ACOG, something they dont have in other coutnries
Glad I saw this. I got a fake exactly like that one. The fake Triji came with my FN AR-15 but my AR also came with a flip up rear sight and the classic carry handle and two types of handgaurds. The price I got it for was a steal (yes I am flexing a little) . Obviously I'm using the carry handle because its sexy. But I was curious to see if there was something I could to do to make the fake Trijicon worth trying out, but it seems its not even battery powered and if it is the batteries already died and to top it off, it has no zoom what so ever. Its just a cheap red dot but it came in the exact box so I guess I got because the guy who sold me the rifle just wanted it gun. That was a real good video. You did a good job and answered my question.
man you just saved me from a $800 fake. Almost everything else was correct on the one this guy was selling until the serial number setup was very similar to your replica. honestly thank you for posting.
Brandon Kollar... My initial instinct on that ad is that it appears to be a genuine ACOG. You'd have to look at it in person to know for sure. It looks like it has the serial numbers in the correct place and the trijicon ACOG logo has raised lettering (molded in the side). Looks legit to me.
11:57 in your video was the giveaway. I took a screenshot of the video and compared it to the photos he uploaded. The serial number set up looked just like your replica.
Brandon Kollar If the one in the ad is fake it's a REALLY good knockoff. I'm leaning toward it being genuine. You may want to get a look at it in person. Take some good pics of it and email trijicon if you have doubts. They're pretty helpful when it comes to that stuff.
Ty Simkins Great eye! Hahaha I noticed that after I made the video. Actually I should confess that it was actually a buddy (with much better eyesight) who noticed it while messing around with it.
I have two TERMINUS OPTIC fakeogs chevron/bdc red and green. Work very well and hold zero. I slid two white tritium vials under fiber optic and secured with optics glue and it works like a charm. perhaps i was lucky with my two samples. Best cheap scopes i have ever tested. Had i purchased a Genuine ACOG and received a clone id be hecka pissed though. OUCH
Hahaha good video, but the longer it went on, the more it sounded like you were starting to like it! I got one of the fake ones to compare to the real one I used in the Marines. It was good from far, but far from good. Cosmetically they actually look pretty good. They made them a little better since you posted this video. Like the letters are actually like cut into the piece, it fits perfectly on the AR picatinny rails, no imperfection inside the visuals, ect. Still has the same QR code that I can't scan. They didn't change that. Still glued fiber optics, which isn't really a big deal I guess, but you know, different. Haven't tried it out yet, it's just been sitting there. Prob should 0 it in and see if it holds. But good video. I felt the same way, expecting a really trashy piece, but the more I looked at it the more impressed I was
I have never seen an online retailer try to pass one of these off as “real“. In every review that I’ve seen, the fakes actually look like they work pretty well. I love how a couple times you actually sounded like you were impressed with the fake and then corrected yourself. It almost sounds like you now regret paying all that money for your genuine scope lol.
Rickinvegas LOL 😂. Things.... 1) if you've never heard of a retailer passing off a fake as genuine go to Amazon and read the reviews for trijicon acogs. 2) there's nothing impressive about that knock off, other than it did "seem" to be built fairly tough for the price (it's since broken). There's NO regret in the money I spent for my ACOG. In fact I'm planning on getting another one soon. In all honesty, people who knock acogs for their price simply have never used one! Thanks for watching!
Awh! It did break. Too bad I was seriously considering buying one of these. I recently got a Bushmaster AR15 and have been satisfied with the no name red dot that came with it. So I was going to get one of these because their 4x usable and don't seem to break. Well if they do break I guess a really can't use it. Oh well
Nice comparison video. I appreciate the detail you went into... I know that for a cheap plinking rifle, this would be a fine little scope and I plan getting a couple for some cheap rifles I have and typically shoot simply for Sh ts and giggles (in other words - rifles that I don't trust my life to and don't need a $1000 scope). If it holds 0 at $75 shipped, I consider that a victory, you are never going to see high quality glass and all the real features of an ACOG at under $100, unless it's prison labor and the materials are subsidized by someone else.
mpeugeot Well I'll say that it "held" zero. For a while. The thing actually ended up falling apart inside. There's a wedge shoes mirror prism thing right inside the eyepiece. That part somehow got a chip in it and then completely came loose. I took the thing apart and turns out it's just glued in (surprise). I "fixed" it and gave it away to someone. I have no idea if it works at all now. I'd steer clear of the FACOGs even at $75.
sgav8r good to know. I will look at the one I have coming in, I can probably "fix" the problem before it occurs. I am just using it on a low recoil range toy anyway. I am not expecting much, so it is good to know about the potential defect in the design.
It's like a Mexican strat (fender Stratocaster) vs an American strat. I can't tell the difference... but Eric Johnson can. thanks for taking the time to do this.
Alex Harvin more like if there was a completely fake Chinese fender strat you could buy for less than a tenth the price of the genuine one! Of course when you played it it would sound like an out of tune yard sale banjo! Hahahahaha.
Just last week I was admiring a ACOG on a guy's Steyr AUG bullpup at the range. I really liked the reticle. It was the green horseshoe style. I told him how much I liked it, but that they were way more expensive than I could afford. He said that he found his for about $700 on Ebay. Thinking back about it now, either he paid way too much for a fake, or he got a great deal on a genuine thing. It was a very nice optic, regardless. I'm sure going to be keeping my eyes open. Great video, BTW.
Allan Uribe 7 months later... How is the CLONE ACOG working out ? Oh, Two points to check/mod as it affect ZERO. 1: Connection between upper and lower sections of mount. Most are prone to "wiggle".. FIX bed with epoxy. 2: Real ACOG has (2) screws which engage locking recesses on Picatinny rail. (1) of the screws on Clones is drilled so it purposely does NOT engage. FIX Redrill at correct postion. or Add a 3rd screw @ correct spacing / depth.
Very nice comparison. I’ve owned a fake for a couple years. It’s ok. Buying a fake one is a good way to see if you’d like a real one or not. I just purchased a used authentic one. Can’t wait for it to arrive.
the "weld" marks you are referring too are actually the seems from the forging process trijicon uses to make all of their optic housings. that is the easiest way to spot a fake. the fake ones are not forged and then machined they are just machined from a block of metal therefore not having those seems.
For the note on the difference on the bodies. I believe it is due to the real McCoy having a forged body, and the replica having a cast body, which is then likely tumble polished after casting to smooth it out.
I actually believe that if you're not getting deployed and is going to bang the scope up real bad, or have to trust your life on the scope. You can just buy the fake one, it holds zero and it does its job, just don't expect it to last forever, its gonna fail at some point, but you can easily replace it for another 75 bucks.
how do you know it'll hold zero? the cheap knock-off sights and cheap sights in general are unreliable and absolutely poorly made. if you hunt or ever need to use your rifle to save your life, would you trust a $50 Amazon optic? a $25 optic? or one that costs $1200 made in America using Tritium? you can keep your knock-off sight but don't wonder why it'll break after using it a couple times or dropping it once....
@@duMaurier15 not if it isn't mission specific I'm sure, they pay well enough to set your shit up how you want it and you might even get to write it off idk
ive been using two Terminus optic fakeogs for a few yrs now. no issues on 223/556 and 7.62 thus far. toss a couple white tritium viles under the fiber and good to go. maybe i got lucky with mine. dunno
@@internetuser8371 "that if you're not getting deployed and is going to bang the scope up real bad, or have to trust your life on the scope." did you even read the comment?!
@@jakecheck3225 Absolutely it works while sitting in your gun cabinet. Here is an analogy, a regular person buys cheap tools from Harbor Freight because they barely use the them while on the other hand a career technician buys whatever tool will give them the best value for the life of their career which leads to buying way more high quality brands for certain things. Same analogy for optics, a homeowner is going to buy a low quality crap optic and never abuse it because it's barely used, and on the other hand you have an operator pumping thousands of rounds through it monthly. Fixing cars and tools doesn't have a huge case for being life & death, however sometimes when on the topic of the 2nd amendment, a single firearm and it's reliability is indeed life & death.
@@RwP223 I can live with this analogy. I'm new to firearms. Bought my first AR last year. I'm not made of money and I'm not in a warzone. I do have a reliable a2 handle sight if my scope were to break tomorrow. I'm not a professional and the quality ypu do get does justify the pice point for the facog I feel.
Hey all, I buy old acogs from govt surplus and resell them. The serial number method shown on the fake is actually used on older real acogs. So use other clues along with age to decide.
I’ve been shooting for about 8-9 years,i go once a month to the best of my ability and shoot about 500-1000 rounds per trip. I’ve had just about every cheap optic and they’ve all broken on me in some way. Its time i suck it up and spend coin on something marine proof,yes its a lot of money but so is buying ten cheap scopes because they keep breaking. I’m tired of dealing with RMA’s,I’ve been saving for about 6 months and I’m currently looking at used cogs. Thanks for the video,it’s definitely a lot of money and there’s a lot of shitty people out there and a lot of people that don’t know there is a difference. My buddy got a facog for 200 bucks against my suggestion, the first 2-3 times he took it out it was fine. Last time he went shooting with me and he couldn’t hit the barn side of a broad. Asked me to check it out,the reticle was in the upper left of the glass and we couldn’t get it to go back.
I bought the Fake and I'm very happy. It has never failed and if it does I'll just buy another one. For $99 dollars I can buy 13 more for the price of the Real one.
Year after, I bought the FAKE ACOG for $70. They must have watched your video and improved the quality a lot, including metal material and the reticle etc. Holding zero for my AR15 w/o problem.
same here. bought two Terminus optics branded and gtg on both. If you order some white tritium vials and place then under the fiber optic with optics glue your golden and your welcome. lol
No, not so Jeff. You can buy used military used surplus for $400. The Marines are releasing old ones that you can buy from distributors. There usually very torn up but usable the fiber optic is functioning but the trivium is a little weak. It only needs a coat of Cerokote. Just keep your eyes open for them. They sell out all the time. Look on Classic Firearms .com. There are a few on eBay that are legit but they usually ask for $600 to $800.
@@TheRerunn is there anywhere else to check/watch for surplus ACOG's other than Classic Firearms, that you are aware of? I wonder exactly what the whole process is for those, and other similar military surplus items, to transition from military ownership to ending up for sale on the civilian market. If I could learn how that process works, it would probably be a bit easier to find out where to look for such items. Probably would be able to find the best prices a lot easier too, if I had that knowledge.
Do NOT buy a cheap ACOG. Bought one and didn't even get through magazine of .223 before it lost zero. Only thing it's good for is airsoft guns. Picked up a TA31 recently and I genuinely believe you cannot pick up a better fixed magnification optic. Field of View and clarity are on a other level. If you need to buy a budget magnified optic, look at Vortex's options for variable zoom stuff. Not as durable or clear as Trijicon ACOGs but fits the budget much better. At a couple hundred to few hundred dollars.
@@ryanisacuc8381 except if you end up needing it, it WILL fail. It also loses zero before a full mag so it won't even retain zero before you get a chance to zero it in. There is NO reason to get one for even range use. If you can't afford a real ACOG, get a primary arms LPVO that will WORK for half the price or less.
The problem isnt the scope it is almost certainly you lma gtfoh with your fanboy garbage you probably couldnt hit the broadside of a barn if you were standing 2 feet from it ya fucking stormtrooper
Should all three serial numbers match on the real one? I've seen one that has the two top S/N matched but the third one (where the QR is) does not match. Is that normal?
jeez guys....cant we discuss pros and cons of this without the name calling? i have a friend that got a non trijicon "acog" from ebay years ago, and i couldnt tell you if its chinese or not. im looking at getting one of these or paying the extra for the real thing. im just interested in info, not insults.
Same. The problem is you have a crowd of sour grapes who claim the clone is just as good as the real thing (which it isn't), and another group of people who paid too much to be willing to accept that a knock off is somewhat decent.
holds up on 3 inch 12ga slugs just fine. so itll be gtg on 5.56. been rockin two Terminus optic branded ones for a few yrs. no issues yet. few thousand rds
Even Though This Video Is 2.5 Year's Old, An $80.00 Imitation ACOG Will Give You Combat Accuracy And Last Year's Before It'll Have To Be Replaced. By Then, The Chinese Made Imitation AGOG's May Get Closer To The Real Thing In Quality And Performance Over Time! The Most Important Thing Is To Train With It And Get To Know Your Equipment. WWI, WWII, Korea War, Vietnam War, Etc. Have Been Fought With Equipment That Weren't Even Close To The Quality Of The Imitation ACOG! If You've Trained With Your Equipment, Trust It And Know How It Functions, You're Good To Go! If Its Combat Effective As Far As Accuracy, That's All You Need To Succeed In Defending Yourself!
One of them is battle proven and has recorded a 20 year history of its durability in combat. The other was put together by a 13 year old girl in china and is designed for airsoft. The best isn't cheap. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Trijicon is into the top of the line market. The average working man is not a top of the line customer. Its not like those customers even need an acog when there are plenty of budget scopes on the market, so there isn't much incentive for Trijicon to lower their product line.
They're on eBay for as little as $65. There are differences in the reticle, be sure you get the one with the Chevron. They all seem to be made at same place as they all seem to come in that same box, a slight difference in the number. As for differences, the turret caps are different and the turrets are marked "R" & "UP" but there is no directional arrow, you have to guess which way to go. Like you say, for less than a tenth the price, what would you want? ( besides arrows ) lol For a better case (or a case, period...) go to Harbor Freight, store or on line (on line, like off line, is two words, people. Dont buy into all the "jargonism" of the internet. lol) and get yourself an Apache 1800 weatherproof case. Sized for a Go-Pro, it's perfect for an ACOG and It's just as good (pretty much a direct knock-off) as a Pelican and even has the environmental control knob to seal/release pressure and keep out moisture (toss in a desiccant pack) to prevent corrosion. They're $15 with a coupon. Full price is still less than half of a Pelican. If you need more space, the Apache 2800 will hold a pistol, mag and box of shells, no prob.
mitchell moore You get what you pay for. And for the record you can buy a real ACOG like this one for around 1,000. If you get the chance to see them side by side for yourself you might change your opinion.
My Acog says "ACOG4X43JN8:12 on the right side underneath the molded Trijicon Acog logo On the left hand side, I have the S/N as above with the two serial numbers, but at the bottom of the "warning" there's no JN8 12 as shown on yours.
That's a reference to a bible verse. Every acog has different versus I've heard some don't have any at all. I would say if you have the raised lettering and the serial numbers you have a legit one.
Another observation. Tritium on the fake is misspelled. It is spelled Trinium on the fake. I own a real ACOG. I really enjoy it. Glass quality is superb. Those concerned with price, I understand. There are quality optics in lower price ranges, but they are not as durable as this optic and it will not have the optic clarity of this scope. Maybe consider a quality red dot if you don't want to go this high. The Aimpoint PRO is a great red dot and the price is competitive. Battery life is measured in years. I love mine. Don't buy a fake ACOG unless you are an airsoft shooter.
I thought you were really breaking his balls about his nails and then I noticed. He either used quality American made clippers that are a little more rough around the edges compared w Chinese ones. Lol. Actually looks like he used a chainsaw. Hahaha
thank you for letting me know how to tell the real deal. but seam like 50 bucks shipped on wish is not too bad of deal. though they list it as costing 1400 bucks and i would be saving over 1000 doll hairs lol, now i know im only saving like 50 bucks lol...
Definitely getting a cheap one, no question about it. Why waste $1k on a scope you only take to the range. You aren't going to war. That's literally more expensive than my monthly rent, utilities, internet, and groceries combined..
J S, you don’t have to settle. You can pick up a 4 or 3 power scope from Primary Arms that is a magnified scope that is only 11 ounces and cost around $280. I have both and while I prefer the Acog I wish that I had known about the primary arms prism scope.
All the people talking about buying the Chinese crap knockoff over a genuine ACOG are either jealous that they cannot afford a $1400 ACOG or are ignorant. The ACOG is a tough battle optic for your rifle. I’d rather have a cheap rifle with an ACOG that costs more than the rifle, than an expensive rifle with a cheap optic.
Jameson Reid, I agree. I can switch the optic, it last a lifetime. No matter how my rifle of choice taste changes the scope will always be there. I have offers from people wanting to buy it constantly. No one can say that about a COVID-19 fake optic.
I purchased the real deal years and years ago, and had it mounted on my Colt SP1, time has taken it's toll on the tritium illumination, and the fiber optic is dull and cracking, if it were a Zippo lighter it would go back for a free factory overhaul, but not an option. For me to do it again the knock of would be worth a try for the occasional use I would give it. But the real thing is what to have if you can afford the cost.
The ACOGs are so expensive for us civilians. However, the TA31RCO served us extremely well in some shitty places. Dirty, wet, banged up and with many rounds underneath it. Unfortunately, I wish I didn't know the difference between the two. Where can you buy a knockoff ACOG that says Trijicon? I've seen many on eBay but none that are marked Trijicon! Thanks for the video. *update, I found one LOL. Bought it.
I was a marksmanship instructor and the original used to break all the time lol therefore I bought I fake one knowing it wouldn’t be worth it and it works the same.
Sorry. Gotta call BS on this. I’m not in the habit of responding to comments anymore on this video because it’s gotten out of hand but in this case I’ll make an exception lol.
sgav8r lol I’m just saying what I witnessed. Yes, it’s a great scope but it shouldn’t be worth 1k. All I was saying is that I’m sure there are better scopes for the price. The Marines might be changing to another scope soon. But hey I’m pretty sure they will still be using Trijicon as their main manufacturer lol
In fact... yes, if you are someone who would use those features. For example, perfectly fine for a plinking gun or airsoft gun. Not good for duty use where lives are on the line.
The fake doesn't say TRITIUM on it, I guess they are not lying if they say it contains TRIRIUM, whatever that is, read it again. Haha... I just looked Tririum is NOT a word. Good video.
If Trijicon can’t change the mount to do away with the carry handle slant. And put out a new design to better suit the now common flat top .... well, I still want one, but common Trijicon...get caught up with the times and come out with a better updated model.
Trijicon won't because the government still wants the carry handle capability. Additionally many rifles around the world still don't have rail capabilities.
I like how the real ones are 'rougher' when it comes to welding and the finish on it. These optics are created for combat, not to look pretty and it shows you what the brand stands for; performance.
if the fake were to cost the same as the Real Acog then i could see the point of this comparisson but your talking $70.00 vs $2000.00. how many 70.00 in 2000.000
To answer your question no. The Fake did not hold up. There is a prism/mirror (wedge shaped thing) in the eyepiece that came loose. I took thing apart and actually was able re-glue it (yes it's assembled with cheap ass GLUE). It was all for not though because the piece was chipped anyway and left a fairly visible blemish in the glass. Not that any of that matters given the fact that the turrets apparently decided to stop reliably operating the reticle. It got to the point where you could NOT zero it without maxing out the turret adjustment in one direction or the other.
Everyone on here trying to convince themselves that the fake is just as good as a real Trijicon ACOG. Hahaha. Its only cuz they can't afford one or their wives won't allow them to purchase one. Lets be honest, if they could afford the real thing they'd buy the real thing because no matter how you slice it theres nothing like the genuine ACOG.
I've owned both and truthfully I'd rather buy the 25 fakes before I'd buy another real one. Yes the real one is better but not $1500 better. Not even close.
I mean I don't really see the appeal in buying an Acog other than cool factor. After serving with the m16a4 and trying out a number of different optics I Honestly can say with a sound opinion that Acog's aren't worth the 1000+ you pay for them and that there are better cheaper alternatives the same goes for EOTECHS
Nick Graham and of course the author of the video didn't come in and insult you like everybody else I've seen I completely agree with you they are good but not as good as they are priced I'd pay 300-500 for the real on that about it. But in the long run if I were to put my money somewhere I'd go with different brands like Leopold which I've used my whole life
Not welds. Welding aluminium for a precision combat optic would warp it. Then you'd have to machine it and why leave blemishes? Those are casting marks. If you're going to bash someone for not wanting to spend way too much and bash on other firearms to boost your ego, know what you're talking about.
Taofladermaus did a review on the budget model and liked it. They took it apart to examine it and found quality materials and good performance shooting 12 ga slugs. Man, from your tone you really want this thing to fail. Btw, the fake is made of aluminum as well.
Yes I understand. It’s very difficult to believe, for some people, how genuine ACOGs can command the premium they do. They see a product that looks the same, is made out of similar materials, and appears to do roughly the same thing... for 1/10 the cost. What a deal right? Go ahead and buy the fake. Just don’t come cryin to me when you realize the optics are horrible and it breaks. The “DERP” is just too strong in some people and they simply cannot or will not concede the fact that you get what pay for.
Went down the RU-vid rabbit hole again.. However, if you are gonna use an optic for anything other than weekend fuckery at your grandparents farm. Buy the real deal. In basic our drill instructors would often grab our M16A4 Service Rifles out of our hands and toss them across the squad bay with the RCO still on it. The RCO is just military jargon for ACOG. The scopes held 0 and never had any issues. That experience sold me on the quality of a real scope. Now I cant dumb the kind of cash for one right now. But dont skimp on a scope. You'll regret it when you get downrange, lose 0 and cant hit the broad side of a cruise ship at point blank. Just saying.
11:00, I think both of them are aluminum castings. The line you're pointing out is a parting line in the mold halves. The eyepiece on the fake is tapered to allow it to come out of the mold as one piece.
i just picked up a trijicon TA11 on craigslist for $1050, everything looks good besides the data matrix code, when i scan it only the serial number comes up, isnt the model of the optic supposed to come up as well?
Mista Phelps Id email trijicon for an answer on that. However I'd say that if the QR code gives any legit info whatsoever I'd tend to believe it's genuine vs fake. Also I don't believe there is near the amount of fakes out there on the TA11 model.
if you benchrest or vice your rifle. just hold it still however and turn the dials youll see the reticle move. so place a shot while aiming dead center with gun vised. then move your reticle until its over your shot and your zeroed to whatever that shot was.
First ACOG is a type not a brand. The knock off models have come a long way since this was posted. I've found several that put their own brand on them. The original is the single most overpriced optic on the market even still today. Most now run as much as 1500.00 for a 4 power red dot that's only real different feature is the fiber optic lighting. Some of the cheaper ones do now use tritium while others make sure the reticle is etched well enough to still be of use. I got to test the originals, and i said the same thing then. Crazy overpriced. Look through the knock off models. Pitny makes one for less than 100.00 bucks and gets excellent reviews. I would at least make sure they are sure enough of their product to put their own name and warranty on it. No way I would pay 1500.00 bucks for such a simple optic.
The genuine one is a lot more durable than the cheap one. That is partially why it is rougher. Also people who buy real ACOGs don't care about appearances, but the quality of the internals. The difference is most apparent when you use one to shoot at longer ranges, or when you are using it in low light.
