Night Vision Anyone have any experience with the GSCI PVS-31C housing?

[cruiserweight]

See a few American companies building googles using this housing but there’s very little info about it.

PVS-31C-MOD Dual-Tube Tactical Night Vision Goggles Gen 2+, Gen 3, ECHO, 4G | GSCI

Made in Canada, all aluminum, weighs in at a whopping 42oz. Any thoughts on this behemoth? Kinda wanna try it, worried about the weight however.

 

[TheHorta]

Well, for starters, they’re not 31’s. They’re just piggybacking on the PVS-31 lore/legend/name.

They should be made out of pure lead if they’re really 42-ounces. Perhaps they’re EMP-proof.

 

[zinny]

I looked into them since a vendor I bought from was offering the housing at a really attractive price (housing includes optic). Yeah some vendors say 42oz, others 23oz. The actual datasheet from GSCI blanks on the table by weight... I decided its just not worth it when other housings are available and proven YMMV.

 

[jeffl838]

42 has got to be shipping weight... there’s no way. Even 23 is too heavy for a “31”

 

[TexasGunGuy2003]

I own a set of these and while I have not put them on a scale, but there is no way they are close to 42oz
I do like that they are Al housings and it is nice to be able to run a regular cell phone battery pack instead of a PVS31A battery back ($500-1000).
The Lema cable for the PVS31C has a USB attachment on the other end.

 

[MK20]

How does durability for the 31C compare to real 31s?

 

[zinny]

The Cs are made of aluminum while the As are composite. So inherently the Cs should be more durable, the big question is still weight of the Cs. Hopefully TGG2003 will get back to us on that.

 

[TheHorta]

24 ounces without battery

 

[zinny]

24 ounces without battery

Thats not bad, though not great. To make nomenclature even more confusing, seems like L3 got a new contract for the 31s for USAF with the designation PVS-31C.

ADS Inc - L3HARRIS AN/PVS-31C BNVD | Soldier Systems Daily

The L3HARRIS AN/PVS-31C is a Binocular Night Vision Device being procured by the US Air Force. The Gen III Image Intensification Tubes (I2) integrate Auto-G ...

soldiersystems.net

sounds like for USAF ground boys and not aviators, I wonder if theres any difference between these and SOCOM's. P/N ends in A48AF instead of A48

 

[TheHorta]

Thats not bad, though not great. To make nomenclature even more confusing, seems like L3 got a new contract for the 31s for USAF with the designation PVS-31C.

ADS Inc - L3HARRIS AN/PVS-31C BNVD | Soldier Systems Daily

The L3HARRIS AN/PVS-31C is a Binocular Night Vision Device being procured by the US Air Force. The Gen III Image Intensification Tubes (I2) integrate Auto-G ...

soldiersystems.net

sounds like for USAF ground boys and not aviators, I wonder if theres any difference between these and SOCOM's. P/N ends in A48AF instead of A48

Probably some minor changes based on specific feature requests. Likely for PJ’s and Weather guys. No reason for other AF ground units to have them, only SF guys.