[KC&97TA]

anyone have advice on night vision rifle scopes? maybe looking at 50-200 yards.

There's many on the market and prices seem to vary widely. Does anyone have personal experiance good or bad with certain models/manufactures?

[Grunt]

How much you wanna spend? An M-68 Aimpoint combined with an AN/PVS-14 on an M-4 is pretty much top of the line in night sighted weaponry...and VERY expensive but also very versatile and excellent quality. Moving down the scale (and aging a little) a bit, the old AN/PVS-4 that was used on the M-16 rifle is still a decent night scope though around $1,000 or so. Rugged and the vision isn't too bad but it's a bit more bulky and not as quickly removeable without loosing your zero as the newer M-68/PVS-14 combo is. Going down another generation you come to the AN/PVS-2. This behemoth was designed to work with the M-14 and early M-16 rifles through the use of an adaptor. They are large, heavy (about 5 pounds give or take) and aren't the clearest view in the world being rather grainy. However, at around $500-600, they are still a viable scope that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

[beerslurpy]

I have idly wondered about this as well. How do the surplus ruskie scopes fare? I wrote them off as garbage, but I have learned over the years that a lot of their stuff was pretty good for the cost.

[Jeff White]

The best solution to your problem isn't a scope to mount on the rifle. It's goggles or a moncular and a laser sight. It doesn't have to be an expensive and almost unobtainable IR laser. A visible laser will work just fine.

You'll have night vision everywhere you look and you can use the laser to aim.

The Army has moved away from weapon mounted night vision on most small arms and gone to PVS-14s and PEQ-2s or PAQ-4s.

Sniper rifles and things like the M2 MK19 still sport mounted night sights. Everyone else is using lasers.

Jeff

[bdcochran]

You didn't provide enough iinformation.

How do YOU define night vision?

What firearm, what context, what weight, what purpose?

"Night vision" is too generic an expression.

You can have an original aimpoint made in 1975. No batteries and requires binocular human vision.

You can have a cheap non coated low power optics without a warranty.

You may not care to "see" and "identify" a target", but only to see a rough outline.

You may want to "identify" a target.

You may want "night vision" that is used by YOU for long term monitoring.

YOU may want "night vision" that can be put into your shirt pocket.

YOU might want a "night vision rifle scope" for plinking or to use when shtf.

Now YOU understand why the term is too generic.

[bdcochran]

I will give a specific example of why the question is too generic.

Goggles.

We are doing hostage rescue/structure takedown. The $5000 Litton googgles are NOT working at the time for the purpose. They are discarded. What is specificially needed is a low power optic on the ARs or a non target indicator like an Eotech.

Unless a person gives a specific enough context, the exercise in response is almost useless.

[Gordon]

I have a Siber Yukon 2.5X Gen 2 I bought on a smoking deal for $1000 that works well on a ranch. It has built in Weaver rings so I put it on things like an 1100 Rem 12 gauge for coyotes around barnyard ect. My neighbor has the same thing in Gen 1 and while not near as bright as mine , with the built in Lazer on it works ok out to 75 yards or so-$499.
I have an ANPVS-4 on a CAR 15 for HD purposes and it is plenty good for me!It lives in a safe however.
I have a reconditioned ANPVS-2 on an old M-14 , for nostalgia purposes:D , but it would be pretty dangerous to 200 yards from a fixed position, it IS heavy.

[KC&97TA]

bdcochran - you got a good point, I'm asking a pretty general question.

I guess I'm looking for general answers and people that have useded certain models of night vision scopes and what they use them for, there is a wide array of them on the market, most of them carry a high price tag.

I have experiance with PAQ-4's and they've earned thier right on the battle field, I was looking for something a little more accurate, PAQ-4's are great on 249 SAW's IMHO and battle rifles to allow the user the ability to "shot from the hip" or not shoulder the rifle.

The PVS-14 does seem like a decent choice.

[Crosshair]

I have a MK-390 Paladin scope mounted on my Marlin 880SS. (Rabbit season:D ) I got the scope on clearance for only $300. FOV is rather narrow but it is very good on passive infared. On active infared it simply lights things up One of the best Gen 1 scopes. Won't compare to a Gen 3 scope, but better than nothing. I think they sacrificed FOV to get the good performance, but it is good.