The legendary PVS-4 Night Vision Weapon Sight is one of the most
prolific night vision scopes ever made. Originally designed by Optic
Electronic Corporation of Dallas in 1975, it was adopted by the U.S.
Military in 1978 and served through 2008. That is an incredibly long
time for a night vision device! The reason is that it is hard to beat,
even by today’s standards. The PVS-4 utilizes a catadioptic lens system
that gathers a tremendous amount of light. This provides incredibly
clean and clear images, even in a Gen2 configuration. In fact, the Gen2
version looks almost as good as the Gen3 systems due to its lack of
halo.
The PVS-4 can also serve as a Day/Night Sight. This is due to its
innovative Day/Night Adapter. The adapter acts as a protective lens
cover, but features a user-controllable aperture that allows the amount
of light gathered to be regulated by the user. Three evenly-spaced
holes are located around the periphery. As the dial on the front of the
adapter is turned, different aperture sizes are lined up in front of
the three holes. During daylight hours, the pinhole-sized apertures are
used. At night, the apertures can be completely opened for use in
semi-lit environments such as urban, or the adapter can be completely
removed for use in total darkness. When the PVS-4 is used during the
day, the image is still going to be green. While this may not be as
ideal as using a standard dayscope, the ability to not have to change
the scope between day and night is wonderful.
The TNV/PVS-4 is our version of this classic weapon sight. We start
off with a completely refurbished and refinished original PVS-4
housing/optical system. There are no more PVS-4's being built, so
anything available today is going to be "used.” However, these units
are meticulously refurbished and upgraded. Parts are replaced and the
entire system is just like new. The original systems were manufactured
by Varo (Litton) We use new/unissued L3 MX-9644/UV Gen2 image
intensifier tubes for the best possible resolution in their class. The
reticle is fully adjustable for windage and elevation and features the
standard M-16 pattern. This reticle features a range-estimator and a
three-point cross hair that provides an aiming point for close range,
200m, and 400m.
The mounting interface on the TNV/PVS-4 has been upgraded from the
original design. M1913 Picatinny Rail was not around in 1975, so the
original PVS-4 was attached to weapons using proprietary brackets and
mounts. Today’s modular weapon platforms feature much easier attachment
methods. The TNV/PVS-4 has an excellent LaRue Tactical OEM LT100 quick
detach mount. This incredibly solid mount allows users to add or
remove the scope from standard M1913 rail without losing their zero.
Our TNV/PVS-4 also features an upgraded power supply. It runs off
the ubiquitous CR123A 3-Volt Battery. This helps with commonality of
batteries in the field since the majority of electronic devices use this
power supply. It will also run off the old military button battery.
The TNV/PVS4 is a highly rugged day/night weapon sight. It is built
like a tank and will stand up to plenty of abuse in the field. The
incredible catadioptic lens system provides an incredible image when
paired with its Gen2 tube. The lack of halo makes it especially
effective in areas with light sources such as urban environments, while
the large objective gathers enough light to make it very effective in
complete darkness. The TNV/PVS-4 breathes new life into a classic
system. This night vision weapon sight is perfect for hunters and
professionals alike!