U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- After rumors of FLIR discontinuing thermal and night vision riflescopes sales to individuals, FLIR released a press message at the SHOT Show on 21 January 2020.
FLIR is discontinuing certain Outdoor product lines as it further heightens its focus on the professional user. Select handheld product lines will continue to be offered commercially, but remaining products will be further focused toward law enforcement, public safety, and other professional users. FLIR will offer discontinued products through existing channels until inventory is fully depleted, and FLIR will continue to honor qualified warranties for all registered products. For warranty information, visit www.flir.com/support.
FLIR Outdoor thermal handheld products FLIR will continue to sell include:
- Scout family
- Scion series
- LS series
- Breach
FLIR Outdoor products to be discontinued pending inventory depletion:
- All thermal bi-oculars and thermal monoculars except for the products detailed above
- All night vision and thermal riflescopes and clip-on systems
- All night vision multi-purpose systems and goggles
- Laser systems
- All outdoor and tactical accessories
I spoke with Heider Lazzarini at the FLIR booth. He stated this was a decision by the CEO of FLIR. There will be thermal handheld products available to individual sportsmen, as stated in the press release, but not thermal and night vision riflescopes and laser systems.
There are 13 models of various thermal and night vision riflescopes and laser products now available at the FLIR online catalog. Prices of the models, from a quick survey of the FLIR website, showed a range from $1,695 for the FLIR T-Maim multi-laser aiming system, to $6,995 for the FLIR CO-XLR-LRF clip-on night vision with high-performance intensifier tubes.
Heider stated there were at least three or four competitors who offered thermal and night vision riflescopes.
FLIR’s booth at the Shot Show was impressive, with well-done videos of air and land drones being used for various security purposes.
Warfare is entering a new phase, where drones, autonomous and semi-autonomous systems are gaining ever-increasing importance. The ability to see in darkness and with various sensors is another area where possession of the capability offers large tactical advantages.
If you wish to obtain one of the FLIR systems to be discontinued, no more will be available after the existing stock is sold.
FLIR will not be selling these sorts of systems to individuals in the future. All future sales of thermal and night vision riflescopes, for example, will be to law enforcement, public safety agencies, and other professional users.
Technological advances are rapid; retail prices are expected to continue to fall over time. A system that costs $20,000 dollars a decade ago might cost $4,000 today.
Alternate systems to dedicated weapons sights exist. For example, a helmet-mounted optic might be used with a red, green, or infrared laser mounted on a rifle, handgun, or shotgun.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
Meanwhile, ATN and Pulsar are laughing all the way to the bank. Who cares if FLIR goes away altogether. Remember when Colt said they were stopping AR sales to the civilian market? Yeah me either. There are better products on the market anyway.
and you KNOW they will suck at doing any warranty work for you too,,,so buy the competition’s product when it comes out,and it will be ,SOON…
What a bunch of DOUCHES!!!!! F them!!so we see what side these douchebags are really on..They have NO desire to help the free civilian American…so F them!!!!douchebags
Lol. I would like to say this is strictly a business decision……,but fuck em. They are telling us with this move, that they would rather give government more power over it’s citizens. Which,last time i checked…the whole reason for the 2nd is to have the ability to defend against such possible tyrannical gov.,should such occasion arrive. And not have to beg said government for permission to obtain arms to defend against them….seeing the obvious answer from any form of tyrannical government would say no,if given a choice. Flir…..is a whore who profited off of good citizens, to become prosporus. Now… Read more »
It’s OK. You can get them for free from local LEOs no longer needing them when the Second American Revolution starts.
First American Revolution over taxation without representation.
Second American Revolution over taxation by representation…and gun confiscations.
prosporus????? If you really think that ANY of the weapons or weapon accessory companies are making a product with the 2nd amendment as their reason, you’re a fool! It is about MONEY! It is always about MONEY! The only reason that some of them are pro 2nd amendment is because they are protecting their ability to make an income, plain and simple!
I guess the FLIR CEO James Cannon doesn’t think citizens should have this type of technology. He’ll let us have hand helds though. How nice.
Maybe this CEO is hanging out too much with the DICK Sports CEO Ed Stack?
Or maybe they were not selling enough $1,500 sights. You don’t keep selling a product that no one is buying especially when they are getting undercut on sights like amazon or wish.com
Well that sucks a**.
Wow. That feels like a slap in the face. So. Sales to law enforcement, but nothing further for us civilian deplorables, eh? Get woke, go broke, FLIR
Daylight shooting only eh?.
Wait any longer and Body Armor will be gone, better get it now if you can afford $300.00,you can get TL IV and a simple plate carrier Ceramic plates NOT steel.
AP will not go through ceramic.
Doszap: While I can agree with your sentiments, one needs to keep in mind the potential situations one might face. Night shooting, NODs, plate carriers, etc., are almost irrelevant for a self defense scenario. On the offense, they are a great force multiplier, but keep in mind that it is the attacker that needs overwhelming force, not the defender. Defenders get many force multipliers simply by cover and familiarity with the terrain. In my own house, on my own property, in pitch darkness, one would need a very great amount of force to pry me out, even in my skivvies…… Read more »
Lets not forget that there are also fairly simple ways to make FLIR ineffective. In most cases all you need is a barrier that blocks FLIR penetration. Also, an advancing enemy that is using NVGs or FLIR will not see tripwires or other nearly invisible obstacles, which can be used to permanently or temporarily postpone their advance long enough to make THEM the easy target!
I think the commenters here are reading way to much into this. How many people do you know that can drop $1500+ on a sight? And $1500 is the low end of their offerings. If FLIR is not making money and the low end civilian items are cutting into their sales for higher end government items why keep selling these items? This is purely economic decision, nothing more. Now without their own competition hurting themselves they are free to mark up the Military and Law Enforcement offerings because what other choice will they have?
Is FLIR’s CEO the brother of Dick’s CEO?
Well another VICTIM of the LEFT.
I wonder if this has anything to do with the reports of the FBI seizing all stocks of latest night vision devices under imminent domain? Or is that another unfounded internet rumor?
Sooo, FLIR is screwing the common buyer. FLIR has OBVIOUSLY been infiltrated by or caved into the left.
How many people can afford that expensive crap anyway?,not me, buy ATN.
No, they made an economic decision. The civilian retail market was driving down their government prices. Why should local PD or FBI buy there fancy government sights when they could go down to sports world and pick up one of these for a quarter of the price? FLIR was only hurting themselves so they killed their own competition. Now they will continue selling to local and federal government at huge mark ups making them way more money than if they keep the civilian lines alive.
IT IS ALWAYS ABOUT MONEY!
Flir sees the handwriting on the wall. They know good and well that the implementation of USMCA will require these items only be made available to government types and not individuals exercising their right to keep and bear arms. If folks keep thinking Trump is making America great, you’re fixing to get what you deserve. Here’s my promise. If and when I need a piece of equipment that has been banned or made impossible to get ahold of as a citizen of this Republic. I will take it from a government type who has it. That is my right. Don’t… Read more »
Reminds me of a kid that stole an AR out of a police car. He might of got away with it but he posted pictures of him with it on Facebook. Kids are stupid.
If you’re blaming Trump, you’re a fool! Trump doesn’t make the laws, congress does! Even if Trump vetoes a law/bill, congress can override that veto with enough votes. Trump isn’t perfect and will make a few mistakes, but what he has accomplished so far for the good of this nation is amazing, especially since he has been fighting congress the entire term. Trusting any politician is a 50-50 proposition, trusting a leftist politician is a 0% proposition!
But you are correct that when the SHTF “battlefield” requisition will be used to fill requirements for special equipment, additional weapons, and ammo.
Am I understanding correctly, they are not just discontinuing products aimed at consumers – but discontinuing all except select products which they will only sell to LEO and military? I understand legal restrictions for military only products, but why ever would they restrict sales to LEO instead of making the additional money selling same products to general consumers? Would LEO sales be limited to department purchases, or would individual officers be eligible as with “LEO only” firearms? Maybe I will have to get lasik so that I can meet TX minimum LEO requirements… may make volunteering as auxiliary deputy even… Read more »
pretty much telling us civilians to go F ourselves,,,the word DICKS comes to mind,,,hope you never decide you need us again,as by then your competition will be selling their new products to US,,,
Bitches afraid of LAWSUITS.