"Generation Kill" Optics Lens Covers

[rudy99]

I watched a few episodes of Generation Kill and was wondering why the scopes they sometimes use have a black cover with a small hole in the middle and why the binocular lenses are covered with rectangular slits cut in them. Is this to reduce glare or possibly to prevent the lens from giving away their position? I know it is fiction, but I'd imagine the easy thing to do would be to leave the lenses exposed.

 

[beatcop]

Glare for binocs, but I believe some of the old night vision scopes may have been able to be used with a pinhole cap during daylight...not 100% on that though.

 

[jbkebert]

Yes the small slit in a rifle scope lens cover or on binoculars is made to reduce glare. They do in some sense take the place of a sunshade. Also they cut down on light reflecting off of your scope and "giving away your position". BSA optics came out with a civilian scope with a shutter system that does this. Also the marines in the movie Jarhead use a similar set up. I would not think they would have much use in everyday shooting unless in desert enviroment or shooting over open water. The later you should not be doing anyway.

 

[rudy99]

Wasn't really thinking about doing it. Just curious and couldn't find anything on google as far as a rhyme or reason for it.

 

[rcmodel]

Heres a better way to do it.

You can still see through it and get almost full light transmission.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=182263

rc

 

[Jim Watson]

I recall reading that the Tenebraex honeycomb shade had a light transmission of 85%.

 

[andcam]

beatcop is right about some night vision scopes having the caps with the hole in them...our pvs-4's had those kind of caps and also our pvs-7b's and 14b's. They work in the day, but everything is green and sort of throws depth perception off a bit...

 

[pathill]

Those are pretty cool.Are there glare binocs for sale out there? That actually works?

 

[lipadj46]

I believe the honeycomb type flashkill covers work better and let in more light.

 

[andcam]

the last time i was in iraq (2007), all of our acogs had flashkills. i think the army guys had flashkills on their m68's as well. our binos didn't have anything special to cover then lenses though...i don't remember if the binos had anti-reflective lenses or not. (usually we just ghetto rigged or made do.)

 

[mcwjr13]

I have heard of people stretching pantyhose over their scopes then putting on a scope cap and trimming the hose. Supposedly it works but I have never tried it.