I always thought it would be cool to be a real life Super Hero. They have the baddest gear and the coolest super powers, one of the most intriguing to me is Night Vision. You want to know what would be even cooler than seeing in the dark? Shooting in the dark!
This is my Remington 700 chambered in 300 AAC Blackout with a SilencerCo Omega 300 suppressor and Trijicon IR Patrol Thermal optic. This is one of the quietest suppressed firearms in my collection and I thought it was only fitting to dress it up with a Thermal Imager. Getting into the night vision game is not only expensive but it’s pretty confusing as well. When you’re going to be spending thousands of dollars on something it would be nice to understand what it is you’re buying. This Blog Post is going to attempt to help with that very conundrum.
Let’s begin by discussing the different types of Night Vision Devices on the market. Truly, there are three options to look at; thermals, night vision and hybrids. The first option I’ll talk about are Thermal Imagers such as the one on my Remington 700. A Thermal Imager is not a standard optic in that you do not look through the device or a series of lenses to achieve the desired result. A thermal imager uses an instrument affixed to the front of the “scope” that is not actually “seeing” anything. It is reading heat patterns in the environment and then converting those patterns into a viewable image displayed on a small screen inside of your “scope”. By coupling that image with a reticle you achieve a functional thermal scope allowing you to not only “see” in the dark, but shoot in the dark.
In comparison, the gun featured in this photo is my Colt M16A1 machine gun. Notice on the rail in front of the scope, there is a clip-on Night Vision unit. It is affixed to a side-folding mount so it can be flipped out of the way during daytime use of the rifle. This is a true Night Vision PVS14 purchased through Tactical Night Vision Company (TNVC). Night vision devices differ from thermals in that you are actually looking through them. These devices aren’t as complicated as one might think. The technology is actually extremely interesting. Basically a NV device takes an image (whatever you’re looking at) which is nothing more than a pattern of photons within light and as those photons enter the NV device they go through a light-sensitive surface called a photocathode converting photons into electrons which are then amplified by a photomultiplier. The electrons hit a phosphor screen which creates tiny flashes of light and with the increased number of electrons the image is simply duplicated, but brighter. This can be further enhanced using infrared light. A night vision device does need light present in order to see in the dark. WAIT! What? How could that be night vision if you need light?
Hold onto your britches, let me explain! A PVS14 or similar Night Vision Device “collects” as much light as it can within the environment and uses that to produce a picture much brighter than can be seen with the naked eye. Keep in mind you can damage NV devices by exposing them to bright light, including daylight. So what if there truly is NO light in your environment? Well then your PVS14 will not work… without an Infrared Illuminator. On my M16 near the muzzle (front) of the gun you’ll notice a device that looks sort of like a flashlight, it is a BE Meyers MAWL. The MAWL is an infrared (IR) light and aiming device designed to be coupled with NV optics such as the PVS14. When there is no or very low light the MAWL acts as a flashlight (and aiming device) that can only be seen when looking through NV. Pretty cool, huh? A flashlight that nobody else can see.
The final option you have is a hybrid device. There are not a lot of these devices on the market and from what I have come across they are also not very highly sought after, go figure. But I found a device in this category that I absolutely love. The gun pictured here is my Kriss USA DMK22 with a Sightmark Photon RT Thermal/NV hybrid optic.
Since you are one of my readers I’m assuming you are very smart and can thus conclude that a Hybrid is nothing more than a mix of the two technologies. You’d be right.
Sightmark used both thermal imagining and light collecting/illuminating technologies to develop this magical see-in-the-dark device at an extremely competitive price point, around $500. I highly recommend anyone interested in NV or thermal imagining to give one of these a try. Despite being a relatively large, bulkier unit, the Sightmark Photon RT is a very functional and feature packed device.
So what are my thoughts on these devices? I tend to go back-and-forth. If I was constrained by budget I wouldn’t have any issue at all purchasing the Sightmark Photon RT, as a matter of fact I highly recommend it and my only concern with the unit is it’s ability to stand up to heavier recoil over time. The down-side to the Sightmark is that there is simply no comparison in image quality. For example, I can make out individual shingles on rooftops from over 200 yards with the Trijicon IR Patrol Thermal Imager but I cannot get that same quality at 50 yards from the Sightmark. Similarly the photo quality of the PVS14 is in a different ballpark from the Sightmark as well. For hunting or precision shooting I would recommend the finer details of a Thermal Imager, although keep in mind that during the day it is hard to see the screen inside of your imager. For home defense and/or tactical shooting I would recommend the more familiar site-picture of the PVS14. Using a PVS14 “feels” like playing a video game to me and therefore is much more intuitive than spending moments figuring out what you’re looking at in the thermal imager. And if you just can’t decide, or budget is a major constraint then find yourself a Sightmark Photon RT, you’ll be happy with it.
If you have always wanted to have super powers such as Night Vision, I suggest you come see us at the Prescott Caliber Club. We can get you set up with your own Thermal Imager or Night Vision Device or if you just want to try one out we’d be happy to book one of our Night Vision Shooting Experiences for you!