Saw this linked on the Hide and figured I'll repost it here
https://www.vermilionchina.com/p/holosun-chinese-or-american
I have my own opinions, of course, and I do not hide them.
Still, in this case, before I elaborate on my personal thoughts, I really want to see what all of you think.
EDITED TO ADD MY OWN TAKE ON THIS:
Not unexpectedly, this is both simple and complicated.
The theoretical part is simple: if I can get a made in US product at the same or similar quality and price as made elsewhere, I will go with a US-made product every time.
The practical part is complicated: for conventionally manufactured products, the ship on US-made products has largely sailed. US manufacturing can, somewhat, compete on products that has enough expertise/knowledge/knowhow content to warrant a higher price. Cultural shifts in the US have made the return of traditional manufacturing the way we know it unlikely. The government's attempts to keep it up for DOD purposes result in inefficient manufacturing enterprises that can not compete in a private market. My dayjob is partially in that world. It is horribly inefficient and oftentimes backwards, but we do not have a good way around that. As a side note, that is why I take the railing against the military-industrial complex with a huge grain of salt. We need it to be able to defend ourselves if the barbarians come for us. The barbarians are gunning for us and if we do not look sufficiently scary, bad things will happen. That is one of the reason I am generally in favor of somewhat muscular foreign policy.
China is clearly gunning for us. In theory, it would be nice to not buy anything from them. In practice, they have become very good in making stuff. For a lot of mechanical stuff, the dirty secret is that when I want to make something very precise and very complicated, China is the better option and not only because of price. I have had essentially the same parts made in the US, in Israel, in UK and in China. It is not uncommon for a Chinese made part to be cheaper AND better made. That last part is a problem. In my work, I am often ready to pay more for a US made part if it is as good. I have had to settle for a poorly made part because the program had a "Made in US" requirements. That is a VERY bad sign.
That's mechanical stuff. It should be simple, but it is not.
On the high tech end of things, China has a weakness where innovation is concerned. That's why they are so eggregious with IP theft. The Japanese are even weaker in that, so they go and buy patents in droves. The Chinese steal them. We have to find a way to put a lid on that and I am in favor of keeping critical high tech technologies (semiconductor, biotech, etc) from China.
The weaponsight stuff is not as high tech, but it can go both ways. Companies like Holosun never really hid that they are coming to the US to learn how to make these products so that they can make them for themselves. "For themselves" turned out to be "for the chinese military". I try to avoid Holosun as much as I can because of that. I still track carefully what else they are up to. They are trying to move up the foodchain toward into fused thermal/reflex sight. I give you a 100% guarantee they are not going into to make money in the US market. They want to use the US market as a testbed for it and once mature it is likely to become an issue optic for Chinese storm troopers.
On the other hand, I know plenty smaller Chinese OEMs who make riflescopes other comparatively low tech things and have about as much love for the communist party as we do here. They are good people, trying to do good work and make a good product. As Chinese government continues to crack down on business, many of them are quietly trying to set up auxiliary manufacturing facilities elsewhere: Vietnam, Thailand, etc. Having grown up on the other side of the iron curtain, I do sympathize with their plight. It is still a Chinese product and in the case of war, they could be commandeered to work for the PLA. However, they are mostly trying to fly under PLA's radar and live a normal life. I can live with buying their products.
Taiwan is capable of making good products at the same basic cost as China and they want to play. Vietnam is the place where many Chinese companies are trying to set up manufacturing to avoid the communist party oversight.
Then, there is the issue of trade and tariffs. While punitive tarrifs is not my thing, reciprocal tarrif levels is not a bad thing.
Lastly, I do not know how to make US manufacturing more competitive. The only glimmer of hope, the way I see it, lies with additive manufacturing techniques. In economic terms, if we get our retarded politicians somewhat out of the way, US is a knowledge and energy superpower. That is uniquely beneficial for additive manufacturing.
Not bad, but a little more width would help. The tripod is Field Optics Research's Dome Top Hunter 32.
Rather amazingly, the balance on this thing is just right as is.
