Vintage M19 Bell & Howell Military 7x50 Binoculars

Condition:

These are Vintage M19 Bell & Howell Military 7x50 binoculars from approximately the 1980s in good condition. These are just the binoculars themselves, without dust caps, a box, a case, or a strap included.  This is built like a tank, because that's one of the places where it was used.  They're in perfect collimation even after all this time.  If you're wondering about the price, it's because these are collector's items.  

The objective optics are relatively clean, with some minor spotting; the eyepiece optics are much less so; see the photos of all four optical surfaces.  However, these optical  imperfections will not hinder your view - we have taken these out and the view is terrific, clean, and sharp, from edge to edge.  

The information below was gleaned from a few different sources on the web:  

Bell & Howell M19 7X50

Manufacturer/Model: Bell & Howell M19 7X50

Field of View: 7.3 deg = 128 m/1,000 m; APFOV 51 deg

Weight: 985 gr

Exit Pupil: 7.14 mm

Notes: The M19 was developed to replace the World War II Bausch & Lomb type M17 7X50. Development began in the 1950’s and the model went into production sometime during the 1970’s – early 1980’s. The binocular was designed in the U.S.; its optical components were made in Japan; and it was assembled in U.S.. Some sellers claim it was used by American troops during the Vietnam War, but there is no photographic or documentary evidence of this and if so it would have been only in small numbers toward the end of the war. It is reported that Navy M19’s were black. 

Optically and mechanically the M19 has at least seven innovative and interesting features not all of which proved successful but which, nonetheless, fascinate binocular enthusiasts:

1) Air-spaced 3 element objective lenses were introduced in order to reduce focal length to create a lightweight, compact 7X50 binocular. Although the M19 is considerably better in this way than the U.S. military’s earlier 7X50 designs, at 985 grams it is still heavy for its intended use as an infantry binocular. Also, the air-spaced lenses create six light reflecting surfaces reducing light transmission three times more than the conventional single achromatic objective lens.

2) Cemented prism assemblies rare in a Porro I binocular, make cleaning the prism assembly easier, are compact, and improve light transmission by eliminating two air-glass surfaces. Additionally, the part is modular and could be simply replaced if broken. However, it is reported that in usage prisms were fracture prone because of improper glue cure during manufacture. Although binocular lacks eccentric rings for collimation, adjustments can be made by loosening the three screws securing the prism assembly to the chassis and slightly rotating the assembly. If this fails, the prisms must be removed, repositioned and rebonded or else the entire prism assembly must be replaced.

3) Field flattener lenses, usually only present in telescopes and astronomical binoculars, are used to reduce distortion, the right field flattener also serving as a graticule. The M19’s view is very sharp almost to the edge of field no doubt thanks to the field flatteners. However, they also decrease light transmission by increasing number of light reflecting surfaces.

4) The binocular has a sophisticated six element (three doublets) wide angle Erfle ocular, but with an APOV of only 51 degrees is hardly a wide-angle instrument. The Erfle ocular is required, however, to support the binocular’s short focal length. The three doublet ocular has six light reflecting surfaces compared to the four on most earlier 7X50 models.

5) Helical (linear movement) individual focus mechanisms hearkening back to World War I French designs give extremely smooth and precise focusing and fortunately, unlike their French predecessors, are easily disassembled for cleaning and lubrication. The mechanism contains a rubber bellows for weatherproofing.

6) Modular design to facilitate and speed field repairs which along with size/weight reduction and weatherproofing were the primary considerations in designing this model. The binocular basically consists of five modules (i.e. i-objective assemblies (two interchangeable units), ii-prism assemblies (two non-interchangeable units), iii-housings (two non-interchangeable units), iv-ocular assemblies (two interchangeable units) and v-hinge assembly (one unit)) all of which can be easily and quickly removed for maintenance or replacement as required. This system apparently was successful (I personally found disassembly and cleaning of this binocular to be remarkably fast and easy), but the cost of production was much higher than expected due to the high tolerances needed to make precision interchangeable modular units and wastage of unsatisfactory parts.

7) Ports for Nitrogen purging are present at the base of the objective barrels making it, probably, the first mass-produced American military binocular with this capacity.

The M19 delivers an extremely sharp view going almost from edge to edge.  The field flatteners are effective giving a sharp distortion-free view but also magnify any minute particle which may settle on them. Baffling is minimal probably done so to reduce weight. The main problem is an unexpectedly dim view for a binocular of 1970’s-80’s vintage and an amber tint to the image both of which are attributable, in my opinion, to its high number of air-glass surfaces (32) which not only reflect light but most of which have anti-reflection coatings (the field flatteners are not coated) with a red/green bias. Compared with a 1943 Leitz beh 7X50 Kriegsmarine, the Leitz gives a more pleasing view. Although the M19 has superior sharpness to the edge, the Leitz with 16 light reflecting surfaces as opposed to the M19’s 32 is noticeably brighter and more color neutral.

This is a fantastic representation of the first modular type binoculars employed by the US Military, the M-19. The lenses are still clear and able to be focused properly. The M19 binocular provided the U.S. armed forces with a truly modular instrument suitable for use in the severe environments encountered by the military, environments such as the jungle. Additionally, the M19 provided a high-quality opto-mechanical device with significantly reduced size and weight that enabled simple, rapid field-maintenance, where it mattered most.

Modularity of the M19 was certainly its most striking aspect. To appreciate the extent to which this instrument was made modular, it is worthwhile to note that a typical WWII-era binocular was manufactured using selective assembly, was comprised of approximately 250 parts, and required more than 100 special tools for maintenance. In contrast, the M19 was composed of a minimal number of interchangeable modules and required only two special tools, an adapter plug for a torque wrench and a spanner wrench, for assembly or disassembly. This concept minimized the time and complexity required for service and maintenance. Unfortunately if there were any tools located on the interior of the case they are unfortunately no longer present.

The objective and eyepiece modules of the M19 were interchangeable among units without sacrificing performance in collimation, focus, or resolving power. Both of which function properly though we made no attempts to see if they were able to be removed. The lenses are a little dirty but are undamaged from what we could see. The M19’s aluminum body housings held the prism pairs, bonded together with a UV-curing adhesive, and fixed into place with an adhesive developed by the U.S. Army. The two prisms in each monocular were precisely aligned and seated on machined surfaces within the housing.

The coating of the M19 used fused vinyl rather than paint or hand-glued vinyl which feels almost like rubber. This coating offered a comfortable, easily applied, machinable surface to the exterior of the product. The coating is retained almost in its entirety and served its protective purpose. 

Specifications

7X50
Fov: 7 1/3*
Light transmission 70%
Focus adjustment +/- 4 diopters
Fully antireflection coated
Size 6"x7.5"x2.5"
Weight 34 oz.
Vinyl coated aluminum
Resolution 6 sec.