Tucked just beyond the front range of the Colorado Rockies, you’ll find a factory where some of the world’s best premium hunting optics are built. Here’s an inside look at the operation that supports Burris and Steiner.
Today’s factory tour occurred while Steiner riflescopes were in production. My first impression setting foot on the factory floor could be summed up like this: remarkable cleanliness and organization combined with machine technology and skilled craftsmen/women, with purposeful focus on build quality in a safe manufacturing environment.
High-quality single-tube riflescopes such as those from Burris and Steiner begin with high-grade aluminum blanks. Blanks are stacked and ready to be turned by expensive CNC machines with incredible precision. The bits shown here (far right) are used according to the specifications of the wide variety of scope tubes created. Aluminum filings are the by-product of the process, which are recycled. The freshly minted tubes shown have a 56mm objective and are for the next phase of becoming a fully functional riflescope.
This board shows all the fixtures and cutting tools for the CNC machines. These are used to make the scope tubes, eyepieces, turrets and knobs. There are many shapes and sizes due to the fact Steiner makes a wide variety of hunting scopes for many applications.
These are the eyepieces for the Steiner T5Xi 3-15x50mm scopes. These pieces will go into the assembly department where the lenses are installed.
Once the scope tubes are milled on the CNC machines (left), they are washed (right) to remove all the oil and dirt before going out to be anodized. Anodizing the aluminum scope body is the electrochemical process that creates the corrosion-resistant, anodic oxide finish.
After the anodizing and coating process, the tubes are ready for the installation of the precision glass, turrets, and other components used to complete the scope. Shown here are tubes just prior to the final assembly process.
Viewed here is the static- and dust-free clean room where the fine Steiner optical glass is installed with other key components. Notice the far wall with small windows—technicians seated at each window test every scope to make certain both optics and reticles meet rigorous standards at distant targets from the building.
The popular Burris Eliminator laserscope is being tested for a variety of optical quality standards before getting boxed up for customer shipment. The technician gave me the opportunity to get behind the scope to walk me through the checklist of what she was testing; it was impressive!
Once all the steps have been completed for building every Steiner scope, they are packaged and boxed in preparation for shipping. This is one row of the many scopes and binoculars on the shipping floor. And for good reason, there many security cameras watching over them.
A great scope company wouldn’t be what it is without a great repair and parts department. There was a huge room with benches and testing equipment to help customers around the globe get their scopes back to working order. An adjacent room had scope and binocular parts organized in rows of cabinets and labeled storage bins. Decades-old scope models are brought back to life, as well as new scopes that endured a mishap on a hunting trip or military exercise.
I’ve never taken a complete tour of an optics facility, so I have no basis for comparison. However, I was truly astonished by the care, precision, and professionalism on the Burris-Steiner factory visit. Maybe there’s a reason they offer a Forever Warranty …
