Night Vision PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

LoneWolfUSMC

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Jan 9, 2008
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I know that the milspec AN/PVS-14 is not "rated" to survive the recoil of a 7.62 NATO platform.

My question is......can it? Very often in life and especially in war we push equipment to do things it's not rated to do on paper.

So have any of you had extensive trigger time on a PVS-14 equipped 7.62 platform?

Please understand I am not asking about the merits of such a setup. I am simply asking about the durability of the equipment. I have used both the AN/PVS-22 and AN/PVS-14. I just haven't mounted the PVS-14 to my AR10 and banged away with it.

Thanks,
John
 
Re: PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

ITT officially does not recommend a PVS-14 on anything larger than a 5.56 mil-spec or not. They specifically state no more than 500g's.

We've had good success stories with folks using a 6.8SPC, but telling you officially what ITT mentions for warranty repairs.

In closing, I would not put a PVS-14 on a .308. Hope this helps. :)

Vic
 
Re: PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

Is it an ITT or a L3 pvs14 ?
As Vic said ITT realy are not weapons rated What's the HALO value from your tube data sheet?

An ADM mount and ajusting it so it can free recoil(Loose)could help take a Little shock off the Tube.

I think there is a mount with a Isolator that somone offers,I am not sure,But I think Mr-husky may own one ?
 
Re: PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ASM1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Is it an ITT or a L3 pvs14 ?
As Vic said ITT realy are not weapons rated What's the HALO value from your tube data sheet?

An ADM mount and ajusting it so it can free recoil(Loose)could help take a Little shock off the Tube.

I think there is a mount with a Isolator that somone offers,I am not sure,But I think Mr-husky may own one ? </div></div>

A lot of the shock resistance of the tube comes down to Halo size as ASM1 said. The problem experienced with many tubes is that the photocathode is too close to the microchannel plate and during firing the MCP can flex enough to physically impact the photocathode, causing immediate and permanent damage to the tube that usually appears as a large black spot.

It's never certain as to which tubes will experience it or which firearms will cause the damage, but it's not limited to ITT or L3 and the newer the tube the more likely you'll experience issues.

THe halo size is an effective indicator of risk because the size of the halo is directly proportional to the proximity of the MCP to the Photocathode. A small halo = big risk while a halo larger than 1.25mm in size usually means a low risk.

ITT do specifically make weapons-grade pinnacle tubes for this purpose and you can buy them. You can talk to Vic about it if that's what you're looking for. I wouldn't expect it to be a standard product though. It's the F9815WG tube.

Some people say L3 tubes fair better, but I've never seen any supporting documentation for this and it's still a risk you take. Recoil damage is not covered by warranty.

And generally, 7.62 is considered to be just a little past the "safe" point so it is not recommended to set a PVS-14 onto a 7.62 rifle. Even in the military.

I hope this helps
smile.gif


Regards
David
 
Re: PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

<span style="font-weight: bold">Ref: TM 10271A-10/1 Operator’s Manual, Monocular NVD, AN/PVS-14, 30 Dec 1997</span>


<span style="font-style: italic">See PVS-7 TTP. Most of the Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for the PVS-7 are the same as for PVS-14. The following TTP are specific to PVS-14.



Using a mounted PVS-14 during offensive actions. It is near impossible to use a mounted PVS-14 while moving with the weapon.
Using the IR illuminator in a stationary position.
2. Fire the M40 Sniper Rifle with the Unertl scope and PVS-14.

Procedure. Mount the Unertl scope to the rifle. Cut a 7-inch piece of riggers tape lengthwise. Wrap it around the focus ring of the PVS-14, making sure you don’t tape the focus ring to the body of the PVS-14. Turn the device on and focus at long range. Slide the focus ring into the ocular lens of the Unertl scope until it fits snugly. Readjust focus to ensure clarity.

Techniques. Small turns of the PVS-14 left and right will make focus adjustments.

Common Errors. Not adjusting proper eye relief for attaining good sight picture and avoiding scope bite.</span>

its old but just sayin'......
 
Re: PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

That is frinnin awesome! Marine ingenuity at its best! Riggers tape mount.

When I left we had the PVS-7b and the SIMRAD. I seriously doubt the 7b would have worked in that manner.

Of course the Marine Corps can also afford to eat a couple -14's in the course of combat operations. I don't think my wife would be as understanding.

Thanks for the data on the halo. At least I will know what to look for.
 
Re: PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

Indeed David and ASM1 are correct, HALO measurement is key and there is no exemption on either ITT or L3.

I've seen both tubes black spot on all sorts of NODS...Well except for the PVS-22/27 line from OSTI (now FLIR)...Their patented recoil mitigation system does work well at times on big boomer guns.
 
Re: PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Victor-TNVC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Indeed David and ASM1 are correct, HALO measurement is key and there is no exemption on either ITT or L3.

I've seen both tubes black spot on all sorts of NODS...Well except for the PVS-22/27 line from OSTI (now FLIR)...Their patented recoil mitigation system does work well at times on big boomer guns. </div></div>


Is the recoil mitigation system built in the Larue mount? It's my understanding the tubes are "potted" in the OSTI systems, and are non serviceable.
 
Re: PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Wes1</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Victor-TNVC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Indeed David and ASM1 are correct, HALO measurement is key and there is no exemption on either ITT or L3.

I've seen both tubes black spot on all sorts of NODS...Well except for the PVS-22/27 line from OSTI (now FLIR)...Their patented recoil mitigation system does work well at times on big boomer guns. </div></div>


<span style="font-weight: bold">Is the recoil mitigation system built in the Larue mount?</span> It's my understanding the tubes are "potted" in the OSTI systems, and are non serviceable. </div></div>

None at all built into the LT mount.

Never had one single return of the 22 or 27 so we never had to have service. ;-) From the reports from the field as well as FLIR....Under 1% of all come back.

Edited, I do take one thing back...Had a BIG Marine twist off the power knob of a 27 once. Unbelievable he twisted past the detent.
shocked.gif
 
Re: PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Victor-TNVC</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Wes1</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Victor-TNVC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Indeed David and ASM1 are correct, HALO measurement is key and there is no exemption on either ITT or L3.

I've seen both tubes black spot on all sorts of NODS...Well except for the PVS-22/27 line from OSTI (now FLIR)...Their patented recoil mitigation system does work well at times on big boomer guns. </div></div>


<span style="font-weight: bold">Is the recoil mitigation system built in the Larue mount?</span> It's my understanding the tubes are "potted" in the OSTI systems, and are non serviceable. </div></div>


None at all built into the LT mount.

Never had one single return of the 22 or 27 so we never had to have service. ;-) From the reports from the field as well as FLIR....Under 1% of all come back.

Edited, I do take one thing back...Had a BIG Marine twist off the power knob of a 27 once. Unbelievable he twisted past the detent.
shocked.gif
</div></div>


Understood, so was the recoil mitigation system designed at the request of the mil?
I am very interested as I lost a tube to a 308 gas gun last year.
 
Re: PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Wes1</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Victor-TNVC</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Wes1</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Victor-TNVC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Indeed David and ASM1 are correct, HALO measurement is key and there is no exemption on either ITT or L3.

I've seen both tubes black spot on all sorts of NODS...Well except for the PVS-22/27 line from OSTI (now FLIR)...Their patented recoil mitigation system does work well at times on big boomer guns. </div></div>


<span style="font-weight: bold">Is the recoil mitigation system built in the Larue mount?</span> It's my understanding the tubes are "potted" in the OSTI systems, and are non serviceable. </div></div>


None at all built into the LT mount.

Never had one single return of the 22 or 27 so we never had to have service. ;-) From the reports from the field as well as FLIR....Under 1% of all come back.

Edited, I do take one thing back...Had a BIG Marine twist off the power knob of a 27 once. Unbelievable he twisted past the detent.
shocked.gif
</div></div>


Understood, so was the recoil mitigation system designed at the request of the mil?
I am very interested as I lost a tube to a 308 gas gun last year.
</div></div>

Hey Wes, I gotta give out a bit of history here first... :)

I think (if my old memory serves me correctly), it was a bit of both. Several years ago as you probably remember I and many others including Night Vision Equipment Company had started having NUMEROUS Raptor tubes fail left and right when the newer Omni Pinnacles starting hitting the shelves.

Regardless of the HALO values something was different about these tubes vs. Omni IV that were being used at that time with great success. This debate still rages... Some say it was the new thin film ITT Pinnacle technology that was introduced, others say this or that. Never really got the real story what had transpired from one Omni contract to the next that made the newer ITT contract tubes less recoil resistant. (Same as ever finding out all the data points in which make up a Mil-Spec tube vs. a commercial one ;-) ).

During this time frame we had a fail rate of 50% of Raptors and also at that time clip-ons from OSTI (now FLIR) were getting contracted to phase out all the Raptors. KAC contracted OSTI back then to make the first clip-ons, but then lawsuits happened and OSTI broke off, and the lawyers and courts intervened...and do not want to get into any of that! ;-)

Regardless, OSTI and the Mil knew all too well about the new black spot issues with the Raptors so OSTI at that time went to work to eliminated or at least mitigate the effects of recoil related tube issues.

The other important thing to remember at this early time, it was a logistical nightmare to have a sniper with 2 weapon systems. One platform with day optics and yet another that had to be a dedicated NV platform. This also proved to be very expensive and the Mil knew they could kill 2 birds with one stone sorta speak with a modern day clip-on device. They also knew they would sacrifice a bit of edge to edge sharpness and a tad bit less contrast with a clip-on vs. a dedicated optic. BUT the Mil knew as you know the benefits of a modern day clip-on device and the Raptor was breathing it's last breath in the Mil circles.

In the end, the OSTI system worked so well, the actual President of ITT paid OSTI a visit some years ago to personally get some hands on demos of the newly released kit the Mil folks were getting.

I've hammered the 22's and the 27's over the years, and so has the Mil with .308's, 300's, 338's etc and have yet to see ANY ill effects from recoil. This is a very rare feat that a system works so well for such a long duration with time down range.

Vic
 
Re: PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: brunop</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Stupid question: what does "potted" mean regarding tubes on the 22s and 27s?

Thanks in advance.</div></div>

Potted basically means "Siloconed In" - ie, the tubes are held into the housing by the silicon elastomer that they use to fill the tube and insulate it.

It's like the stuff you find in those small rubber balls. You pour it in wet and it goes hard.Kind of like epoxy except it's soft and bouncy.

It's pretty rare to have a tube potted into a NOD.

Regards
David
 
Re: PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ASM1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have seen 10160 TUBES Potted in NOD's with what looked like Black RTV..PITA to salvage the tube.. </div></div>

I would imagine... Did you succeed in getting the tube out? Sometimes it's easier to cut the housing away from the case and pick the elastomer off.

Was it a PVS-18 by any chance?

Regards
David
 
Re: PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

Was a NVEC NOD that was droped and busted the houseing,I played with it as I went not knowing what the hell I was doing,I pushed it out and worked the stuff off carfuly There where washers glued on each end that had to come off to allow it to fit into another houseing I was a wreck untill I figured what was going on ,It was a bitch to get out and to remove all the poting material,The wires where soldred on the power ports.<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: cj7hawk</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ASM1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have seen 10160 TUBES Potted in NOD's with what looked like Black RTV..PITA to salvage the tube.. </div></div>

I would imagine... Did you succeed in getting the tube out? Sometimes it's easier to cut the housing away from the case and pick the elastomer off.

Was it a PVS-18 by any chance?

Regards
David </div></div>
 
Re: PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

Yeah, that is hard work... Still, if you managed to get the tube out in one piece and it was still working, that's a reasonable outcome. Last two times I tried, I broke the tube..
frown.gif
Now I just cut the housing away with a really small cutting disk on a dremel.

Did you repot the tube into another NOD or stick it in a boot?

Regards
David

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ASM1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Was a NVEC NOD that was droped and busted the houseing,I played with it as I went not knowing what the hell I was doing,I pushed it out and worked the stuff off carfuly There where washers glued on each end that had to come off to allow it to fit into another houseing I was a wreck untill I figured what was going on ,It was a bitch to get out and to remove all the poting material,The wires where soldred on the power ports.<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: cj7hawk</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ASM1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have seen 10160 TUBES Potted in NOD's with what looked like Black RTV..PITA to salvage the tube.. </div></div>

I would imagine... Did you succeed in getting the tube out? Sometimes it's easier to cut the housing away from the case and pick the elastomer off.

Was it a PVS-18 by any chance?

Regards
David </div></div> </div></div>
 
Re: PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ASM1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It was a standard 10160 tube ready to drop in when I got it cleaned up..</div></div>

I think you just solved a mystery for me... A few of us have been wondering why mx10160's show up from time with solder marks on the contacts from time to time...

Now you have me wondering if your discovery was the source of those tubes. I image a few have been depotted like that over time -

Regards
David
 
Re: PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

NVEC MANTIS units had the same thing done to them,They had Hi performance 10160 tubes with crapy low tech plastic houseings hence the need for atachment of the contacts with solder and glued in 10160 tubes. The Mantis where weapons NOD's so the Potting and solder contacts may have helped with recoil,But the unit houseing just lack quality to be used long term on any weapon.. The front lens is larger than a pvs14/ENVIS BUT USES the same cap.. <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: cj7hawk</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ASM1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It was a standard 10160 tube ready to drop in when I got it cleaned up..</div></div>

I think you just solved a mystery for me... A few of us have been wondering why mx10160's show up from time with solder marks on the contacts from time to time...

Now you have me wondering if your discovery was the source of those tubes. I image a few have been depotted like that over time -

Regards
David </div></div>
 
Re: PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

I got a NEW PVS14 L3 in Friday,This is My first L3 PVS14,Reason I bought it is I was sold on it is weapons SHOCK warranted...I asked about the 7.62 and was told Yes go for it...I shot 320 Rounds with HOT 308 load's threw My MA-10 No issue other than looking for my Brass in the Grass with NV or a flashlight is hard,New Thermal will be here next week so I will have that solved.
smile.gif



 
Re: PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ASM1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I got a NEW PVS14 L3 in Friday,This is My first L3 PVS14,Reason I bought it is I was sold on it is weapons SHOCK warranted...I asked about the 7.62 and was told Yes go for it...I shot 320 Rounds on HOT 308 load's threw My MA-10 No issue other than looking for my Brass in the Grass with NV or a flashlight is hard,New Thermal will be here next week so I will have that solved.
smile.gif



</div></div>
That's funny but very true, I've used my X200xp many times to locate brass during a night shoot.
What are you getting?
 
Re: PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

X50 thermal spotter to try out,Just looking for something to do a quick scan to find anything Hot,Then Move Direct to NVD... <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Wes1</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ASM1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I got a NEW PVS14 L3 in Friday,This is My first L3 PVS14,Reason I bought it is I was sold on it is weapons SHOCK warranted...I asked about the 7.62 and was told Yes go for it...I shot 320 Rounds on HOT 308 load's threw My MA-10 No issue other than looking for my Brass in the Grass with NV or a flashlight is hard,New Thermal will be here next week so I will have that solved.
smile.gif



</div></div>
That's funny but very true, I've used my X200xp many times to locate brass during a night shoot.
What are you getting? </div></div>
 
Re: PVS-14 on a 7.62 system

Ive used the MTM,Also Prototype RECON FlIR,same as current production less a few tweeks and still the FlIR was head and shoulders above the MTM...
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: NoveSPR</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Have you ever tried the Flir Scout/HS or the MTM? </div></div>