Wolf Ammunition Now Making Tactical Optics

When I hear the name "Wolf," I immediately think of economical steel-case ammunition. That's what put the company on the map. But now the company has added optics to its product line — offerings that will include both night vision devices and day optics.

To accomplish this, Wolf teamed with Russia's Novosibirsk Instrument-Making Plant (NPZ). Founded in 1905, this optical works has a long history of producing military and commercial optics. In both size and capability, NPZ is an optical giant. I visited the plant in 2012, and it is very impressive.

Initially, Wolf will offer four night-vision devices: PN21K, PN22K, PN23 and PNN14M. Performance-wise, they will be Generation 2+ or Generation 3. In addition, the company will be offering a 1-4x32mm riflescope called the PSU, with more day optics to follow.

RifleShooter was given an exclusive first look at these devices. Here is a quick overview.

The PN21K is a versatile night-vision monocular and is available with either a Generation 2+ or Generation 3 image intensifier. The unit is auto-gated to prevent image intensifier damage if exposed to intense light. It sports a wide 36-degree field of view and is powered by a single, universally available 1.5-volt AA battery.

It's waterproof and features include a removable objective lens, soft rubber eyecup and a built-in IR illuminator. It weighs just 10 ounces and can be head mounted or helmet mounted for comfortable hands-free use. So mounted, it flips up and out of the way when not required. Higher magnification 3X and 5X lenses are available as accessories. Two units, fitted with 1X or 3X lenses, can be joined together to form a binocular.

The PN22K is an interesting design that combines the features of a day optic and a night-vision device into one professional-grade sighting system. To accomplish this, it has two parallel channels — night and daylight — that the user can select by rotating a large knob. This allows a rifleman to engage targets in both day and night scenarios using only one optic.

The PN22K has 3X magnification and either a Generation 2+ or 3 image-intensifier tube. The sight incorporates an IR illuminator and is powered by a single 1.5-volt AA battery. The design is shock resistant and capable of handling the recoil impulse of .30-06-level cartridges. Recognition range with the Generation 3 is 450 meters. Adjustments are in one-centimeter clicks (80cm total adjustment), and the user-friendly reticle is illuminated. It's 12.6 inches long and weighs 45.8 ounces.

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The PN23 is a dedicated night-vision sight. What I liked about this unit is its compact size (8.2 inches) and light weight (23 ounces). Magnification is 3X, and it sports a Generation 3 image-intensifier tube. This provides an impressive 400-meter recognition range. Field of view is a wide 12 degrees. The illuminated reticle is designed to provide both speed and precision. The sight zeroes easily and features 10 mils of adjustment.

It is powered by a single AA battery, features an IR illuminator for use in total darkness and mounts easily onto a 1913 rail. This compact Gen 3 sight works very well on an AR-15 rifle and would be a valuable aid in hunting hogs or coyotes where night vision is legal.

The fourth piece in Wolf's line is the PNN14M, which is basically a robust single-tube night-vision goggle. A good-looking and comfortable design, it is available with either a Generation 2+ or Generation 3 image intensifier and is auto-gated. The PNN14M incorporates an IR illuminator and sports a wide 36-degree field of view with its standard 1X objective lens.  The unit is waterproof, and features include a removable objective lens and soft rubber eyecups. It's powered by a single AA battery and weighs just 15 ounces.

Wolf's day optic line will launch with the PSU riflescope, which is built Kalashnikov tough but is refined enough to be at home on an AR-15. A compact piece, it switches from 1X to 4X and back with the throw of a lever. When set on 1X, the PSU provides a 26-degree field of view, facilitating rapid both-eyes-open target engagement similar to a reflex sight.

If you need magnification, flip a switch on the left side of the scope body. The magnification increases to 4X, and an illuminated bullet-drop-compensating reticle — combined with a simple to use "no math" telemetric rangefinder — permits hits at medium distances. The BDC reticle provides ballistic compensation out to 800 meters, and the telemetric rangefinder allows ranging out to the same distance. Compact in size, the PSU is only 7.4 inches long. Weight is just 24 ounces, including the QD mount.

Wolf is launching its new optics division with these five products, but it has much more going on behind the scenes and more models on the way. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for this interesting new line.