The night time has long been considered a special time. These few hours are of great importance for people in combat or in some other extreme situation. Very often, from the lips of some hero of an action movie or thriller you can hear: “Catch up to the dark” or “Wait for the night”. These phrases are not meaningless. In the dark it is easier to go unnoticed, quietly commit an unseemly act and just as quietly leave a dangerous place. It was at night until recently that military sorties were carried out behind enemy lines and sabotage. The night vision sight for the smooth-bore gun that appeared on the arms counters completely changed the idea of darkness and of “calm” night watches.
What is the equipment?
The night vision sight for a smoothbore gun is a special device that looks like a monocular. Thanks to its installation on weapons, the shooter gets the opportunity to conduct targeted shooting and to monitor at night. This device can be mounted on sports and hunting weapons and used for aimed shooting at any distance.
The night vision sight for a smoothbore gun is equipped with high-aperture optics, which increases accuracy several times when aiming.
A special reticle with a rangefinder scale increases the efficiency of the monocular. Equipped with such a grid, a night vision sight for a smoothbore gun (the photo below shows the design features of the device) allows the shooter to accurately determine the distance to the target.
Electron-optical converter (EOC): types
The electron-optical converter (EOC) installed in the device determines its main parameters.
Technical characteristics of electron-optical converters are indicated in the number of its generation. Today, there are three levels of generation of image intensifier tubes:
- Products of the first generation belong to the amateur class and have basic functionality. They are characterized by increased sensitivity to flare, they are characterized by blurred images at the edges (1). The use of first-generation night sights, which have high light protection and a resolution of an image intensifier tube higher (1+), gives a high-quality image that is clear throughout the field. These night sights are effective in urban environments.
- The second generation night sights (2), working in low light conditions, are much better in range than their predecessors. Products (2+) are good in open areas, as they provide high rates of shots.
- In the manufacture of third-generation night sights, a photocathode is installed in the kit for their electron-optical converters, the basis of which is gallium arsenide. Due to this, the devices can work effectively in the most low light conditions. At a cost, this product is considered the most expensive, but it gives an optimally clear and detailed image.
Main manufacturers
The night vision sight for a smoothbore gun is included in the line of Russian and foreign manufacturers. The device is manufactured by such companies as Yukon, Pulsar, Super Gen, Infratek, Daedalus, and Modern Optical Technologies.
"Daedalus NV"
The Russian manufacturer Daedalus NV produces an ideal device in low light conditions - a night vision scope for the Daedalus 180 HR smoothbore gun. It can be used as a means for observation and as an aiming device for firing at short and medium distances. This product has its own circle of consumers. Mostly they are night hunters, security workers, rescuers and police officers.
"Daedalus 180 HR": description, characteristics
This product is a compact model of the first generation, characterized by reliability, ease of operation and low price. The device is contained in a moisture-proof metal-ceramic case, which is tight, so that products are 98% protected from moisture. Main characteristics:
- Dimensions of the device: 280x89x79 mm.
- According to the parameters of the image intensifier tubes and a constant magnification (2.8x), the Daedalus 180 HR sight is not inferior to products with a second-generation image intensifier.
- The device is intended for aimed shooting at a distance of 150 meters. The distance can be increased up to 200 meters. To do this, you need an additional IR flashlight.
- Unit weight: 0.85 kg.
- Two AA batteries are designed for the sight.
- The device is designed for 60 hours of operation.
- Night work is provided by high-aperture optics with built-in lens focusing and a built-in IR illuminator that provides 75 mW backlighting.
- The angle of the field of view is 10 degrees, which makes it possible to conduct targeted shooting at close distances and to track fast-moving targets.
- The Daedalus 180 HR night vision scope is used for both rifled and smoothbore weapons. Installation is carried out using side mounting, Weaver and Europrism.
- When creating a red reticle, a Mil-Dot notch is used.
- The sight lens has a diameter of 10 cm, which allows it to pass through a large number of light rays necessary for a high-quality and bright image.
- Lightweight, but very durable metal-ceramic tube guarantees the integrity and safety of the device during recoil when firing large-caliber weapons.
The Daedalus 180 HR night vision sight - as a product based on the first-generation electron-optical converter - is much cheaper than products with 2 and 3 generations of image intensifier tubes. This largely explains its popularity among night hunting enthusiasts, who appreciated the availability and relatively low cost of the device.
Night vision scope for smooth-bore gun IZH-27
This optical device is designed for a 12-gauge smoothbore hunting rifle. For mounting the sight does not require special tools. The installation or removal process itself is quick and easy. No loss of reconciliation is observed.
The advantages of the optical sight for IL-27 are its reliability and durability. In the production process, a sealed enclosure is used, characterized by resistance to various climatic conditions. The device is equipped with a brightness switch, for which the developers have three positions: “Off”, “Night” and “Day”.
Specifications
- The sight weighs 1.5 kg.
- Dimensions: 100x50x35 mm.
- The increase is 1 time.
- Powered by “Blik – 1”, CR1, 3N batteries.
- It is mounted only on the hunting rifle IZH-27.
- The exit pupil has a diameter of 11 mm.
- It is suitable for use at any temperature conditions (-40 … +50 о С).
- At a distance of 50 m, the sighting point has a size of 3 cm.
- 100 hours - the maximum time during which you can use the night vision sight for a smoothbore gun without recharging.
Pulsar: easier shooting process
The process of shooting weapons can be greatly facilitated. This will be facilitated by the use of such a device as a night vision sight for a smooth-bore gun “Pulsar” (manufacturer - Belarus), due to the Freeze function available in its design. The principle of its action is the ability of the sight to save in its memory the image of the target after the shot. Thus, the shooting is faster and better, using only one ammunition. This sight has three options, it is equipped with separate aiming marks for each type of weapon.
"Pulsar 870": design features
The Pulsar 870 sight is effective in cases where you need to measure the distance to the target horizontally, the angle of its elevation and scan. These functions of the sight are provided by the built-in laser rangefinder, which works at a distance of up to 400 meters. Measurement accuracy ranges from 1 m.
The Pulsar 870 riflescope has a feature that consumers call a “weapon block”. Its principle is that when it deviates horizontally over five degrees, special arrows appear on the display that indicate in which direction the weapon should be turned in order to eliminate the “blockage” that has appeared.
The shooter, if necessary, can use another function that the Pulsar 870 sight is equipped with. This is an energy-saving mute function. It is performed automatically in cases when the weapon is raised, lowered or retracted from the optical axis to the side. In such situations, automation is triggered after ten seconds.
Instrument Specifications
The working lights with which the Pulsar 870 smoothbore gun works, range from 0.00001 to 30, 000 lux (from a moonless night to a bright day).
The lens diameter is 5 cm. The image obtained from the CCD in the video output mode is reflected on the OLED display (640x480 pixels). To do this, the sight is equipped with a special connector that allows you to record images without an additional adapter, photo or video camera. The sensitivity of the matrix can be increased by using the automatic function Sum Light, which is activated in the event of a decrease in illumination.
The exit pupil has a removal that is 67 mm. This prevents the possibility of injury when using weapons with high returns.
You can control the functions of the sight using a wireless remote control.
To operate the Pulsar 870 night vision scope, four AA batteries are required. Also, its battery life can be increased using external power sources EPS3 or EPS5.
The night vision "Pulsar 870" is characterized by insensitivity to external exposure.
What weapons are you targeting?
"Pulsar 870" can be installed on pneumatic, smoothbore and rifled weapons. The device is suitable for use in large-caliber models equipped with 9.3x64, 30x06 ammunition.
The product goes on sale without a mounting device. Brackets can be purchased separately. Weaver, Prism and side mounts are suitable for this scope.
For the manufacture of the sight using high-strength structural plastic. The device weighs no more than 1 kg, but has impact resistance, which can withstand the firing of cartridges with an energy of 6, 000 J.
Advanced model
The new model of the Belarusian manufacturer - the night vision sight for the Pulsar 770A smoothbore gun - is one of the most advanced.
The device is an upgraded version of the sight number 770. The changes affected the graphical interface, which is equipped with thirteen interchangeable tags in 770A. The aiming grid has four color options (black, red, white, green). The main one is black. The IR LED has an adjustable power and operates in a range invisible to the human eye.
Model 770A uses an OLED display (640x480 pixels).
