Night Vision PEQ15 illuminator is starting to speckle and bloom around the edges

[TheGerman]

Unit has to have been on the carbine for 12-15k rounds and has never had any issues. The only downside is that since its on a KAC 11.5m the unit has to sit pretty far on front of the rail, a bit behind where the MAMS brake is. With that, the front side of it is basically black from carbon as is my weapon light. This can be negated by putting the suppressor on it, but I dont always do.

I generally clean the Surefire lens off with Boretech carbon cleaner and it takes the carbon basically blacking out the light away, yet leaves the finish alone. I've been doing the same thing with the PEQ15 and putting a Q tip worth of carbon cleaner on the lenses to get the soot/carbon off and it removes it, and leaves the finish alone.

Recently started to notice that the illuminator looks speckled. Laser is fine, and it doesn't matter what setting the illum is on, but the circular beam is now splotchy with bloom around the edges that make it look like one of those horrible Christmas light projectors people put outside of their house.

Looked at the lenses, and they all look fine. No carbon, no scratches, nothing. Whats causing this? Is there still carbon hanging around in the edge that I didnt remove or whats the deal?

I've seen some PEQ15s straight up blow up or have parts fly off, but have never seen this before.

 

[TheHorta]

If you don't shoot it much in the rain, break-out the plastic protective lens and see if you notice the same phenomena. The diode is recessed so it won't get too fouled by shooting with modest cleaning between 1-2K rounds.

I ran one for a couple of years without the lens in place. Actually cleaned up the illumination circle without the lens in place.

Fortunately, they're relatively cheap to replace.

 

[TheGerman]

If you don't shoot it much in the rain, break-out the plastic protective lens and see if you notice the same phenomena. The diode is recessed so it won't get too fouled by shooting with modest cleaning between 1-2K rounds.

I ran one for a couple of years without the lens in place. Actually cleaned up the illumination circle without the lens in place.

Fortunately, they're relatively cheap to replace.

Whats a safe way to get the lens out and how the hell do you get a new one back in?

Where do you find a replacement lens?

Either theres a tiny bit of carbon around the edge causing this or the lens is etched from the muzzle blast.

 

[TheHorta]

I’d say lens has likely become etched and carbon might be building up in the etching. I had the same thing happen to a MAWL. No amount of alcohol, swabs and other cleaners would work. I had to send it into BEM for propeller replacement.

I used a brass punch, a small hammer, and a lot of patience to punch-out the lens cover on that PEQ. Took maybe an hour. Held it inverted once I broke through to keep bits out of the diode housing. Then I used small forceps to pull pieces out.

I never replaced the lens, but HEAT has. They would know.