I swapped around some gear, in the market for another MAWL.

Are the vendor lead times all the same? Any faster than others? Gotta call each one to see when they’re expecting a shipment?

Looking for tips on best way to buy. My first one was used from a buddy.

It was kind of covered in here: https://www.ar15.com/forums/Armory/B-E-Myers-Mawl-lead-times-/18-519778/

I waited for several months, ended up canceling an order, and buying 1 month old unit from somebody on FB.

B.E. has them in stock is 100.00 more than most but they have them

On second look it looks like TNVC had them in stock and they are cheaper there.

ARF discount too.

Link? What I am finding says available on backorder.

https://tnvc.com/shop/b-e-meyers-mawl-c1-ir-visible-laser/

Edit: @TNVC, is this in stock? Prefer black.

Doesn't look like it. Maybe got confused with their ad in the EE.

No tax.

Sorry it lets me put it in cart before saying backordered. Didn't use to do that.

Drives me nuts when a vendor's EE add has something like "XXXXXXXEquipment IN STOCK NOW AND READY TO SHIP!!!!!" and you click on it and its from 2017 and their website shows its long gone lol.

Anyway, I've got one on order from Mod Armory. I hit up all the vendor options, their CS response and pricing were the best so I'm giving that a shot.

When I called TNVC two weeks ago asking on their MAWLs they quoted me an 18-week lead time.

That's where the 1st one is from.

Order placed today from TNVC.
Will let you know the lead times when I know the lead time, but I'm hoping for June or July.

TNVC - 8 to 12 weeks.

Weapon outfitters says they expect their shipment in March sometime.

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Crazy!

aaannnddd that MAWL will probably sit in a safe for the next two years.

$4300 for a MAWL? LOL! P.T. Barnum lives!

Availability vs. demand. I guess some people dont want to wait and are willing to pay double price.

I was planning on getting two MAWLs when I ordered my DTNVS; then anyone who I contacted about them (the usual vendors, but I won't name them) quoted Tax-Stamp-like wait times.  So, I bought two Perst 3's and a Perst 4 for the same amount of money.  I can lose one of the the Perst 3's and the Perst 4 and still have MORE capability than a single MAWL.  Did I have to think twice about ordering a Russian unit?  Also-freaking-lutely (and if it had been Chinese, I definitely would NOT have ordered it).  But I got the PERSTs in hand within 9 days.  

So, shame on B.E. Meyers for failing to have their supply match the demand.  Glad to know that the margins are dismal on them, so I don't even feel bad about TNVC not benefiting from the lost sales.

Wat???

A single Perst-3 has more capability than a MAWL???

Yes.  A lot more.  

Really?

You haven't heard? They all come with a Russian "maid". B.E. Meyers can have their Instagram clout :)

Nobody who has a MAWL wishes they had a Perst.   And, not for IG clout.

There's just so much here...

Yea, 'merica and all that - do what you want, they earned the money. I just can't fathom paying almost double, when you could get an LS321 or P3 now, backorder a $2500 one from BE, and wait. Your still saving $1K, have capability (and with the P3, it's just button difference in reality - LASER is better, even if not practical, and I think the Illuminator is better, but that's opinion). Then you sell the LS or P3 and recoup more money.

Maybe not an unrestricted MAWL, but having a FP Perst is a significant positive for the persts over the MAWL.  Sure, the MAWL form factor is nice, but again, I bought 4 Persts, and I got 3 of the 4 for the price of one MAWL.  I had seen the Perst 2's in person, and thought the build quality was sufficient.  Plus the battery life on the MAWLs is .  

I don't believe a Perst is jUsT as gUd as an unrestricted MAWL, but the reduced cost, the "full-powernes", and battery life are all significant advantages. Oh, and virtually no wait.

Lol. No.

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Bear in mind that B.E. Meyers also has military contracts to fill. For a manufacturer that’s a legal obligation to fulfill. I want a MAWL just as bad as the next guy, but shaming BEM for not being able to keep up with the commercial market while trying to stay out of court with Uncle Sam seems a bit rash. Patience is a virtue my fellow NV lovers, and at this point, it’s patience we must have! -J

While I agree with your conclusion, as someone who has both, would you be able to share with the rest of the class why you prefer the mawl and/or the perst falls short?

Not as many Instagram Followers with the Perst.  And you don't have the pleasure of chasing batteries as often with the Perst, ya know, if you really enjoy changing batteries.  Oh, and you get a neutered unit that won't cause you as much eye damage when you look into it.

Full power aiming is next to useless. It’s the full power illum that makes FP units so desirable. I’m not doing super long range stuff, so I don’t need the focused down beam from a Peq-15 or other. I’ve used my MAWL out to 400, and that’s plenty for me.

I have or have had 15, 15a, (civ) I2, PERST-3, and MAWL.

Just my experience with the perst- it looks like and feels like a tank, but my SCAR still killed it. So for all that weight and bulk and “think in Russian”, you still don’t get a bullet proof laser. The Russians took care of me on it, but it took about 5 or 6 months round trip plus $75 in shipping. I’d have been screwed if that was my only laser.

The illum on my perst and the others I’ve looked at are noisier than not only the mawl, but also the 15’s and 15a’s. Yes it’s strong, but at a certain point I’d trade some grunt power for a smooth beam. Especially so when I’m trying to determine hog, deer with head down, or tree stump at long ranges.

There’s no cap covering the aiming laser, and the diffuser over the FP illum is a joke. To me this is a safety issue, especially with something that really isn’t meant to have the battery removed regularly.

The bright shiny spot of the perst is the dial switch. That’s super convenient and I wish something similar were made for US counterparts. Then mine broke.

The issues I’ve heard about the MAWL have not been observed on my unit. I haven’t had any parasitic drain, and I tried to freeze my propellor cap by putting it in the freezer.

The MAWL costs a lot more, and it’s not going to be worth it for everyone. I like that I can bang it around on a night RnG, bounce around with it on a SxS hunting hogs, or mount it on my SCAR, and have some US based support if something goes wrong.

I’d have a fleet of FP Peq -15s if they were serviceable- they’re the sweet spot in $/performance until something breaks.

Perst has its place and I still have mine set up on a rifle, but to objectively say it’s “better” than a MAWL is laughable.


ETA: I just noticed you’re in Texas. If you’re within driving range of ETTS, there’s a night shoot on the 27th and I’ll bring both for you to compare yourself.

I like the D2 as well - if you can stomach the size.

We missed you and your Persts at the CO Fieldcraft NVG class last weekend, you could've shown us Mawl/ATPIAL guys what was up. I'm really interested in spliced pressure pads, inconsistent QC, and warranties that involve international shipping.

To OP and others - Love it or hate it, BE Meyers seems to put units for sale on their website fairly regularly and before other outstanding orders are filled. You'll pay 'full' price, but you'll have it to your door in a few days if you catch it in stock.

I am just getting into night vision. No nods or laser yet. But based from what I have seen from comparison videos and people I know and trust with a lot  of experience, I am getting a mawl over the perst

My use will be the same, chasing pigs and just messing around at night.

I think I will prefer the mawl since it’s just by and large more useable. Inside of reasonable nighttime engagement distances it just seems much more usable than the perst or any other laser/illuminator. The perst has such a narrow beam, barely wider than the mawl on its long range setting, that it really makes me dislike it. When I start shooting an pigs at running all over the place, it will be much more useful to have the mawl in it’s mid range setting with a flood close up and at distance. Even if I get a mawl with a battery drain issues, ya that kind of sucks, but I can just change the batteries regularly and keep extras on hand, and it’s not going to be as big of an issue. If I needed to illuminate and point out stuff way past 300yds then sure, a perst would no doubt be better, but I’m not. It’s cool that it can do that, but that’s just not something I’m looking for.

As for availability my plan is just to figure out who has the mawl for the cheapest, back order it and wait for it like I do for my tax stamps.

These are 3 good comparison videos for people looking for a side by side
https://youtu.be/7VtApUpfq0o
https://youtu.be/mlmp5K3A7nk
https://youtu.be/pFRIf3W1UAk

Thanks for the offer. I am actually down in the Houston area. If I do make it up for one of their night shoots in the future I will send you a dm.

You also must have missed my post where I said "I don't believe a Perst is jUsT as gUd as an unrestricted MAWL."

But I know that reading comprehension is hard for some, so I try not to be too hard on people like you @M4wheeler.

My contention has never been about quality or reliability (again for the reading comprehension-impaired), it's about capabilities and other benefits.  I think I've already delineated them, but they are 1) Cost, 2) FP vs/neutered, 3) No wait, 4) battery life.

Remember how this started - I was planning on buying two MAWLs.  But switched course once I was told it was 4 months' wait.  And then I said, *even if one of the Persts goes down* (see, I accounted for the reliability question there), I'd still have more capability (i.e . full power and battery life) than a MAWL.  That statement is still true.  

Lol ok.

Looks like the civilian warranty on a MAWL is typical for a company with large govt contracts. A guy on the hide is reporting they don’t even cover all the parts (midsection). I emailed BE Meyers about mine maybe two years ago asking to buy a new bezel that melted under full auto fire and they still haven’t responded (In fairness, I sold it as is so I stopped following up) and another guy here recently reported an oblong shaped illuminator projection and BE told him to pound sand.

Really comes down to the retailer to support you with issues, but it shouldn’t be that way.