Would you buy a gun if you knew it was a knockoff of another gun?

[Pale_Rider]

Copying another mans invention and selling it as your own is straight up and down cheating. Inventors might spend years and large sums of money developing an invention, just for another to swoop in and profit off their invention. I’m not talking about having a similar invention. I’m talking direct patent infringement where the only thing differentiating them are cosmetic. 
I don’t support companies like this but I notice a lot of people do. This isn’t meant to bash anyone for owning a knockoff, I’m just sharing my perspective on the subject.

I do wonder though how many people would support, for example, an Edgun Leshiy knockoff. I don’t think many would. Perhaps it’s because Ed has done an excellent job connecting with the AG community. When you think Edgun you can connect a face and personality to the company. Where as no one knows the inventor of huben. To most it’s just a company in China that has created a revolutionary airgun. People love the huben but they don’t love Mr. Huben like they love Ed. Ed has created loyalty to his brand by connecting with the AG community. This is perhaps the best patent protection you can get. Because if their were a knockoff Leshiy it would be exposed instantly on the forums and I think would not be met with open arms

 

[Yo]

I'd buy a CHINESE KNOCKOFF of a CHINESE GUN ANYTIME. ITS JUST LIKE LETTING THEM HAVE IT. Have a Young Heng and a knockoff. Surprised the knockoff looks like better quality than the real one. Yo!

 

[kkarmical]

Have a Leshiy clone that sells for $600, and see exactly how much product/manufacturer loyalty really means to the masses.

 

[hawkeye69]

When people want a Rolex and don't have the $ for a real one, they buy a knock off. Some are pretty good too.

Maybe the same for airguns?

 

[Long_Gun_Dallas]

Sometimes a repro/knockoff is better than the original. Not often.... But still

 

[270windude]

I’ve had so many “good people” screw me over on such grand scales that I could care less in my old age. Sure I’d have a little guilt feeling but I’d silence it. Stuff like that is simply how the world works now. Watch that McDonald’s movie, I think it’s called founder. 

 

[Yo]

I have name brand and bipod clones. Whats bad about is that don't wanna get the expensive ones dirty and mostly just use the cheap ones in the field. Yo!

 

[Pale_Rider]

I’m not talking about the masses, I’m talking about guys who frequent the forums and have been buying, for example, edgun products already. Would that guy who can afford the Leshiy and likes Ed, I don’t think it would be that easy to sway him. 
If there were a Leshiy clone for $600 it would most likely be a POS unless they sold it at what it cost them to make it and made no profit. 


@Hawkeye How many fake rolexes did you have to buy to find a good fake lol. I understand that people will buy knockoffs but I’m not talking about those people. I’m talking about guys that can afford it. If a guy can afford a real Rolex I don’t think there is anyway he would buy a fake Rolex even if the cost was 95% less

 

[Pale_Rider]

@Yo the clones do serve their purpose in that way. Is the bipod clone a knockoff of another Chinese bipod?

 

[Yo]

A Chinese Edgun Leshiy clone would NEVER BE as good as the real thing. NO WAY JOSE! Yo!

 

[hawkeye69]

When people want a Rolex and don't have the $ for a real one, they buy a knock off. Some are pretty good too.

Maybe the same for airguns?

Betcha waiting for a Daystate. Yo!

I own two Daystates already, not the quality that I expected and paid for. A knock-off might be just about as good.

 

[hawkeye69]

I’m not talking about the masses, I’m talking about guys who frequent the forums and have been buying, for example, edgun products already. Would that guy who can afford the Leshiy and likes Ed, I don’t think it would be that easy to sway him. 
If there were a Leshiy clone for $600 it would most likely be a POS unless they sold it at what it cost them to make it and made no profit. 


@Hawkeye How many fake rolexes did you have to buy to find a good fake lol. I understand that people will buy knockoffs but I’m not talking about those people. I’m talking about guys that can afford it. If a guy can afford a real Rolex I don’t think there is anyway he would buy a fake Rolex even if the cost was 95% less

I never wanted a Rolex and never bought a knockoff, but I've seen them.

Sure if you can afford the real thing I don't know why someone would buy a knockoff.

 

[Yo]

@Yo the clones do serve their purpose in that way. Is the bipod clone a knockoff of another Chinese bipod?

Its an Atlas clone came with a used rifle I bought. I have never bought a new Atlas knockoff and hadn't believed in stealing intellectual property before but it came free with the gun. Looks close but isn't as good. Yo!

 

[Raden1942]

I own a Harris knockoff bipod and it sucks compared to Harris but $40 vs $200 is a big difference. As a single dad I have never had the money to buy tier 1 airguns. Eventually I would love to buy an edgun or raw or fx but until then I enjoy many budget guns. Honestly I think my pp700w is a knock off of something. I can't verify and don't know what gun it copies but that's what I heard. I don't think I would go out of my way to avoid getting a clone of a design. I don't find it immoral to buy one. In my case even if I knew for sure the mrodair mk2 was a copy I would still buy another one. Absolutely one of the best purchases I've ever made in airguns. 200 got me a really great gun that never leaks and is super dupper accurate. I guess I just don't care. 

 

[Yo]

When people want a Rolex and don't have the $ for a real one, they buy a knock off. Some are pretty good too.

Maybe the same for airguns?

Betcha waiting for a Daystate.

Yo!

I own two Daystates already, not the quality that I expected and paid for. A knock-off might be just about as good.

Yo!

 

[nervoustrig]

I find myself more annoyed by a direct copy of something more so than copying an innovative feature. I realize that's illogical because the latter is generally more damaging financially. It's just that a carbon copy screams, "Hey, we're so lazy, we didn't bother to change a thing." and laziness is as attractive as a rotting carcass and smells every bit as good.

What's funny is they will usually replicate every detail, even the things that are bad design. For example, I have a Xisico B51 which is a clone of the original Daystate Huntsman. The poppet is known to be destroyed if you ever dry fire it because there's nothing to limit valve stem travel, and the valve spring is so massive that it quickly reaches coil bind and the hammer drives the stem right through the poppet. But it's a faithful copy in almost every conceivable way, down to the presence of imperial threads, dash O-ring sizes, and a 3/8" dovetail.

 

[cmatera]

If I find something from China that is of similar (not necessarily exact) quality and it is good on the features that are important to me, and I feel it is a good value for it's price-yes. My wife does not like me buying Chinese, only if I must. She does not understand how hard it is to find non-Chinese stuff sometimes. 15 minutes ago, I shot a squirrel at 25 yards under my bird feeder. I used my Artemis P15 in .25 (China), topped with a UTG 4-16x44 mil dot scope (China). The squirrel did not know the difference.

 

[biohazardman]

Unless you do some in depth research it is fairly easy to end up with a clone as there are so many Chinese knock offs out there. I really did not mind my Atlas bipod clone at 10% of the price even though it is junk compared to the real thing I found it fairly useful until I bought a decent USA made UTG. The Chinese have been raping the world for decades as far as the knock offs go and I really dislike them for it. I don't buy Chinese guns period knock offs or not. I buy the original when I can afford it which is pretty much always these days. Still as far as I know the Yong Hengs originated in China as I don't see anything out there that comes close to them so until I get moved and a 220V outlet I will stick with them.

 

[rich177]

My answer is NO! I actually bought a P-3 instead of a P-17.

Rick

 

[Yo]

I bought 3 Beeman P17s before my HW40 and P3. RATHER SHOCKED EVEN BEEMAN CONDONES SUCH PRACTICES. The expensive ORIGINAL GERMAN ones are better but not 7x-8x better. Yo!