I don't know a ton about Eotechs, but am I correct in thinking that the non-military (i.e., non-550) series are exactly the same with the exception of no NV settings? If they are the same in terms of durability, optics, etc., this would be great for those of us that aren't planning on getting NV in the near future.

A question from another thread. Anyone know the answer? I was wondering myself.

Quoted: I don't know a ton about Eotechs, but am I correct in thinking that the non-military (i.e., non-550) series are exactly the same with the exception of no NV settings? If they are the same in terms of durability, optics, etc., this would be great for those of us that aren't planning on getting NV in the near future. A question from another thread. Anyone know the answer? I was wondering myself.

The 550's have a heavy steel roll bar over the top.

The 510 series and 550 series both have the metal hood.  The 500 series are the old versions and don't have a hood.

The 511 and 551 are the "short" EOTechs that use the Type "N" batteries.  The 511 is not NV compatible - the 551 is.  The 512 and 552 are the "long" EOTechs that use "AA" batteries.  The 512 is not NV compatible - the 552 is.

Hope this helps.

I had an opportunity to compare both a 511 and 551 side by side.

I noticed two major differences besides the NV mode:

1. Glare - The 511 has noticable reflection/glare compare to the 551 in which reflection is almost non-existent.

2. Front Side Signature - Light from the target end of the 511 can be easily seen from across a darkened room when pointed at you. I observed both the target side of the 511 and 551 from across a darkened room with an omni-IV spec NVD. Both units were set at the same brightness levels an the 551 was NOT in NV mode. What did I see - the 511 lighting up the room like a Las Vegas casino.

This page says the 510 is night vision compatible with Gen II & III but not Gen 1 [URL]http://1stoptacticalgear.com/eotech.htm[/URL]

I think that saying the 510 series is gen2 and gen3 NV compatible is a stretch. I thought the reticle on the lowest brightness setting on a 511 was much too bright for gen2 or gen3 equipment.