Night Vision/Thermal Imaging Equipment

[Toepopper]

I have been researching all the latest night vision equipment along with thermal imaging rifle scopes and sights to get a handle on their capabilities and how much they cost. I was surprised at how many types were on the market and for sale to the general public. The prices on a night vision riflescope have come down from $3000 for a gun show surplus ANPVS-2, to $450 for the new ATN Aries MK 350 which comes with a mount that will fit any standard rail. The ATN Aries has an orange duplex reticle and a 2.5 magnification and when you look through it everything has a green tint, but that bright orange reticle leaps out at you and makes it hard to miss the target. This scope uses the older technology from the 1960s but in a more compact and streamlined version with a smaller, more powerfull rectifyer tube and it runs on a small 3 volt battery.
Thermal imaging devices are another story. Although there are many makes and models available to the public the cost puts them out of reach for the average working person. They start at $5,000 and go up to as much as $19,000 for the more exotic models. The govt is the biggest buyer of these units and all armored cars, tanks and gunship helicopters are equipped with thermal imagers. They make several T.I. rifle scope models that are designed to be mounted forward of your daytime scope so you can use the crosshairs of your regular scope plus see the target through the thermal image scope so your zero remains the same and there is no chance of losing your bullets point of impact. Several models of handheld monoculars and binoculars as well as helmet mounted thermal imagers are also on the market. Hopefully these units will eventually come down in price and be affordable to the general public.

[308gun]

The downside to these night vision scopes etc. is the battery life , so I would add buy extra battery's and get a solar battery charger, and in the field always carry 1 extra battery in waterproof case and same for the charger...