Warning on new Leupold scopes

[Ridge Runner]

I like the idea.

These batteries are deadly to children. If this saves one child's life I'm fine with the compromise it imposes.

One might not have children around but who knows where the scope might end up 10 or 20 years from now...

My VX-5 has cross hairs regardless of if red dot is on/off.

If one doesn't subscribe...sell it...knowing Leupold is doing their part to protect our kids and their kids...

I usually avoid giving a thumbs down; but I cannot phantom what your thinking is on such an assinine supposed safety feature as being a good idea/concept/feature on a rifle scope.

 

[Sideshow]

For feck sake when are these parents going to control there children! Don’t they know there ruining it for the rest of uswhat part of no don’t they know how to teach!!

 

[Daggaboy375]

This is not about protecting children.
It’s about protecting children from stupid parents.

DB

 

[CBH Australia]

Without reading the whole thread I had a similar discussion about car keys last week.
Sadly all car keys are electronic these days even if you don’t want it
But the conversation was around changing batteries.
I said, it’s tragic when something goes wrong but we need to go back to commonsense

 

[gearguywb]

The whole "if it saves one life" argument is a large pile of.....

If thats the case, then we should certainly outlaw cars, sugar rich foods, etc.

Parenting is work. One of the main jobs of parents is to not only provide a safe and loving home, but to teach children what is ok, and what is not. Our current society has lost the power to say "No, dont do that"

 

[Bandera]

I don’t see it as all that big a deal, but each to his own. If you don’t like the new fire dot buy a different model.
The battery in my fire dot scope is at least a year old and still going strong. I am not sure what the battery life is but it probably several hundred hours. Not a major concern since there are cross hairs.
I take a tool kit with me in my gun case when I travel. These days it is a Fix It sticks kit. So a cap wrench in the gun case would not be a big deal.
I guess a cap wrench could be a big deal if you are the kinda guy that looses stuff or forgets things. We probably all have a buddy like that.

 

[leslie hetrick]

View attachment 695779

also rode on hay wagans and on four bottom plows, plowing in rocky ground. and shoeing hourses an a few grumpy mules, cut quite a few cords of wood with a old chain saw all before i was 14. life is full of dangers and i don,t think eating a small battery is a very high risk.

 

[HankBuck]

I like the idea.

These batteries are deadly to children. If this saves one child's life I'm fine with the compromise it imposes.

One might not have children around but who knows where the scope might end up 10 or 20 years from now...

My VX-5 has cross hairs regardless of if red dot is on/off.

If one doesn't subscribe...sell it...knowing Leupold is doing their part to protect our kids and their kids...

@ftrovato - your comment “if this saves just one child’s life” is the EXACT same quote used by Gun Control groups everytime they want to pass additional laws for Gun/Ammo restrictions —— are You “fine with that”? If everything that is “dangerous” to kids needs to be Key Locked Away (household cleaners, kitchen knives, “peanuts”, TidePods, etc..) it is Never Ending. We All have kids/Grandkids, and Love them — but don’t use (or fall for) these types of “Emotional” definitions of “if it saves One life” as justification for restrictions….because when that becomes the standard applied — it can apply to EVERYTHING.

 

[HankBuck]

Here are a couple of solutions. One is to just replace the battery before you head out on a trip. Granted this isn't going to guarantee that it'll work when needed but it should.

The other one is to just not purchase a scope that requires batteries.

I agree with ftrovato, with a problem if a child gets a hold of the battery and swallows it and in today's world of liability law suits Leupold is just covering their rear end. I would expect for all manufactures to do the same sooner than later.

@JimP - the number of things “a Child can swallow” and “get in trouble” includes every item on Earth under 2”. More kids will choke swallowing “pennies & marbles” then be poisoned by batteries —— do we Lock Up our pocket change? This is the kind of mentality (and I don’t mean this towards You) that results in Firearm restrictions “if it saves one Life” etc.. It appeals to Emotions without any need for reasonable facts, an example of preventing a Problem that has NEVER been a problem.

 

[skydiver386]

If an infant or toddler has access to your firearm, we have a lot more to talk about than a lithium battery.

 

[Challer]

What’s more likely. Child gets into gun safe picks I gun, figures out screw cap, unscrews it, eats battery. Or, child swallows battery that falls out of TV remote or toy? BTW coin cells for consumers are coated with a bitter substance that makes them unappealing. I get protecting kids. But your rifle scope battery is so far down the list it makes no sense. As for the “if it saves just one” argument, that is definitionly flawed. Rip out your wiring and hot water, throw out all the booze and chemicals and your guns and God forbid, don’t drive them in the car.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Every scope I have with a battery, it damn near takes a pair of channel locks to unscrew the cap. IIRC, they all have an O ring that increases the torque needed to open it. I surmise Leupold has a new lawyer or law firm on board who are looking to micromanage the design process. I'm with the OP, don't need another tool to forget or lose.

 

[Philip Glass]

Here are a couple of solutions. One is to just replace the battery before you head out on a trip. Granted this isn't going to guarantee that it'll work when needed but it should.

The other one is to just not purchase a scope that requires batteries.

I agree with ftrovato, with a problem if a child gets a hold of the battery and swallows it and in today's world of liability law suits Leupold is just covering their rear end. I would expect for all manufactures to do the same sooner than later.

And the energizer lithium will last a very, very long time.

 

[JT68]

I am having my brother 3D print a couple extras for me

 

[thriller]

I have purchased 2 2-12 VX-6HD gen 2 CDS-SZl2 and 3 3-15 VX-5HD and just started to mount the first one on a rifle and came across the child proof battery covers these new scopes now have that require a special tool to deal with the batteries.

This is a horrible idea - I would have been taking these scopes to Africa but will not now as I refuse to be chained to something that I can not handle with just my fingers or commonly available tools.

I now have thousand of dollars worth of scopes that I consider garbage and would have never bought had I known of this non advertised feature. It is not disclosed it the website

I have no young children and these live in a safe unless I am working with them. Think about it - a toddler would have to have access to the scope, would have to know to unscrew the battery cover, would have to have the finger strength to do so and then would have to swallow the battery. And would have to be non supervised in the amount of time it would take to do all of that, all while playing with scopes which range into the thousands of dollars.

I have sent an email to Leupold to see if they have replacement battery covers that do not require a special tool to use.

I will revert with their response

Good to know I stopped buying their crap several years ago when they flat to warranty it.

 

[93marlin]

Here's a thought, do away with ALL firearms that use these "deadly" batteries.
"We just want to keep kids safe"
Do those words sound familiar??

 

[pilar]

It’s only a big deal to a small group.
I have illuminated scopes and carry a ziplock with tally wrench, extra batteries, scope brush, inside the zipper pocket on the soft case.

Maybe someone will make a aftermarket battery cap for the people who want one that doesn’t need a tool ,

 

[Sideshow]

Hang on a minute! My scopes don’t have batteries what the heck am I doing here?? think I’ll go and make some ammo

 

[Nevada Mike]

I think that most people resent the growing complications of modern life. If these complications are sponsored by government (such as tax law and rules intended to “socially engineer” behavior) are especially resented by many. By and large we accept them, but sometimes they are “a bridge too far”. These batteries are sold in blister packs on racks in 95% of retail outlets in the USA and other countries without any special packaging or tools - is that safe? And what is done to secure batteries from children when they are discarded?

I carry extra batteries for my rifle scopes and could easily carry the special tool in the same kit. None the less this complication feels like more overreach.

 

[thi9elsp]

What’s the choking risk to same child if the tool isn’t secured? Geez