Apparently Some Still Don't Get It And Want To Just Cash In

[darn2ten]

I also purchased two star dots from Walmart in the late 90's, one for a 835 and the other was a regular Invector choke. I purchased these brand new in the box myself and both had the straight grooves on the end.

[decoykrvr]

ILIKEHEVI-13,
I think you owe the gentleman selling the Star Dot chokes an apology. The Star Dot choke tubes which is is selling are not "fakes" as you claim.   I've got several of the old Highlander Sports, Inc, catalogs.  Star Dot was a licensed trademark and one of the Highlander Sports catalogs, which was intended for the wholesale trade, shows the packaging and tubes w/ the parallel grooves which you claim are "fakes".  The Colonial Mfg. tubes are shown in a retail catalog initially as Preston Pittman Shotgun Choke Tubes and it wasn't called a Star Dot Choke tube until a subsequent retail catalog after a sucessful tie-in with the Star Dot sights sold by Highland Sports.  I've shot both the Preston Pittman Knurled end tube and the Star Dot tube w/ the parallel end grooves and could discern no difference in the patterning ability of either great tube.  I assume that the internal construction/constriction were the same, but perhaps, made by different companies.

[davisd9]

My packaging:






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[ILIKEHEVI-13]

I really dont think you should classify them as "fakes" they were both sold under the Star Dot heading and from the packaging registered under trademark. I have the both and and front and back photos of packaging. Heck even the packaging bar code is the same. You say they are fake because Colonial Arms didnt make them. They were never labeled or sold under any Colonial Arms branding. I just dont see how legally you could sell a trademark choke, with retail packaging and in a national market and be selling so called fakes. One was sold by PCT and one was sold by Highlander Sports both under the Star Dot trade mark so who is the fake?
LOL The real fakes have knurled ends and the authentic PTC Walmart sold Star Dots have straight grooves and pattern great.
I guess fake is in the eye of the beholder. 

Tom,

What do you call something that you yourself made and it worked better than great and someone else copies your design and markets it without your permission? 

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

ILIKEHEVI-13,
I think you owe the gentleman selling the Star Dot chokes an apology. The Star Dot choke tubes which is is selling are not "fakes" as you claim.   I've got several of the old Highlander Sports, Inc, catalogs.  Star Dot was a licensed trademark and one of the Highlander Sports catalogs, which was intended for the wholesale trade, shows the packaging and tubes w/ the parallel grooves which you claim are "fakes".  The Colonial Mfg. tubes are shown in a retail catalog initially as Preston Pittman Shotgun Choke Tubes and it wasn't called a Star Dot Choke tube until a subsequent retail catalog after a sucessful tie-in with the Star Dot sights sold by Highland Sports.  I've shot both the Preston Pittman Knurled end tube and the Star Dot tube w/ the parallel end grooves and could discern no difference in the patterning ability of either great tube.  I assume that the internal construction/constriction were the same, but perhaps, made by different companies.

Nope.

I suggest you call and talk to Betty McDonald, the owner of Colonial Arms and see how she feels about all of this stealing of their choke tube design.  That's the exact word she used to.  Highlander stole their choke design.   

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

Ok guys some of the PTC Star Dots may have hit some of the Walmart stores.  But the majority of the chokes that Walmart sold were in fact knurled.  All of the ones I seen here at the local Walmarts in my area were all knurled.

To prove my point, why do you think sheltonsclothing on ebay has so dang many of the fake ones.  Walmart done pretty much closed them out before most of the PTC chokes were in fact made.

[Deputy 14]

I have a question, these chokes shoot great no doubt about that, and I understand colonial arms say their new chokes are the same as the old star dot, why aren't they shooting as well? It seems if they were actually the same and performed the same they would be selling them faster than they could produce them.

[DirtNap647]

what is done to the original that makes it shoot better... naked eye its the same rather than the knurling...?

can someone answer this...im starting to think there is no shooting difference between the two some people are just making this choke to be gold to drive price up I have both and neither one shoot as good as my pure gold or ic I cant figure this out

[davisd9]

I have a question, these chokes shoot great no doubt about that, and I understand colonial arms say their new chokes are the same as the old star dot, why aren't they shooting as well? It seems if they were actually the same and performed the same they would be selling them faster than they could produce them.

It is very interesting that no one has really posted results of it.  It keeps being said that it is the "orginial" Star Dot but why has it not been shot and reported on.  If it has then I must have missed it, but one would think that it would create the same hype that the Star Dot created.

[Clint Shook]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Star-Dot-Choke-Tube-12-Gauge-Shotgun-Extra-Full-Browning-Invector-Plus-SD913XF-/231162937539?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35d26280c3

How bout this one?

[runningdeer]

Based on who has it listed........my guess would be fake

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

Craftsman wrenches are not made by Sears.  If a new company wins the next contract bid, will the Craftsman wrenches they produce be fakes?  Just playing devil's advocate here.

Both were labeled, marketed, and sold as Star Dot choke tubes.  So far, no proof has surfaced that there is any difference, other than the knurling vs straight grooves on the exterior.  Someone with the proper tools needs to analyze both types in great detail and prove this out.

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

Craftsman wrenches are not made by Sears.  If a new company wins the next contract bid, will the Craftsman wrenches they produce be fakes?  Just playing devil's advocate here.

Both were labeled, marketed, and sold as Star Dot choke tubes.  So far, no proof has surfaced that there is any difference, other than the knurling vs straight grooves on the exterior.  Someone with the proper tools needs to analyze both types in great detail and prove this out.

Your missing the point I am trying to make.  I'm saying you have a choke that you made yourself.  One of your clients you make these chokes for that they are selling under a different name stops paying you.  Then you stop making chokes for them which you have no choice to do unless you are in fact not all there.  Then they take it upon themself to have another company copy your chokes you made for them and then continue to sell your chokes like nothing bothers them to the least and they could care less if it was your choke tube design or not.  Now you tell me how you would like that?  I guess your client has the right to do so is what some of these folks are trying to say.  You guys that don't get that, I feel for ya. 

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

In their contract they should have clearly stated that they owned the rights to the design.  If they didn't, then their customer entered into a contract with another machining company, without fear of retribution.  The new company probably beat the old company's price, without a significant change in the design.  the switch to the straight lines was just an attempt to not build an exact copy, though it was only a cosmetic change.

Where is the praise for the patterns from the new models?  They should have been proven good by now.

[darn2ten]

Craftsman wrenches are not made by Sears.  If a new company wins the next contract bid, will the Craftsman wrenches they produce be fakes?  Just playing devil's advocate here.

Both were labeled, marketed, and sold as Star Dot choke tubes.  So far, no proof has surfaced that there is any difference, other than the knurling vs straight grooves on the exterior.  Someone with the proper tools needs to analyze both types in great detail and prove this out.

Your missing the point I am trying to make.  I'm saying you have a choke that you made yourself.  One of your clients you make these chokes for that they are selling under a different name stops paying you.  Then you stop making chokes for them which you have no choice to do unless you are in fact not all there.  Then they take it upon themself to have another company copy your chokes you made for them and then continue to sell your chokes like nothing bothers them to the least and they could care less if it was your choke tube design or not.  Now you tell me how you would like that?  I guess your client has the right to do so is what some of these folks are trying to say.  You guys that don't get that, I feel for ya.

What I think a bunch of people are saying is, what does it matter? Both chokes are the same except for the straight or knurled end. I've seen one of the straight grooved ones go in the 320's with 3.5" #7 Hevi.  Both choke designs were made around the same time and have not been in production in over 10 years. Most people just want one of those Star Dots that are the holy grail of 835's wether there straight or knurled as long as they shoot the same, and to my knowledge they do. I don't think most folks care about a dispute between two companies. Both choke designs were marketed as Star Dots have long been discontinued and pattern the same. I think that's all that matters to most.