Tasco 8x30 USMC rubber armored binoculars, history question. (1 Viewer)

I have a pair of binoculars that I can't identify. They are like the ones pictured below, United States Marine Corps marked 8x30 m3/m6 style binoculars, but with rubber armor which is the odd part. I suppose the 8x30 power isn't common either. I can't find any history on them though. The contractor is Tasco. Has anyone ever seen a pair of these and know when they might have been used?

Very interesting glass. Looks a little like the German Hensoldt FeRo 16, the standard Bundeswehr issue binocular, but with very non military touches such as the "Wide Angle" and the "446ft@1000yds" scripting. It seems a civil market item, made to look like a govt. issue. If that is correct, the USMC stamp on the hinge is truly a small masterpiece of deceptive marketing.
It would be helpful to get the insights of some expert like Fan Tao to clear up the history of this design. What is your impression of the optical performance? The specs seem pretty ambitious.

etudiant said:

What is your impression of the optical performance? The specs seem pretty ambitious.

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I can't get very technical, but the clearity rivals that of the Hensoldt D12 8x30, the German issue binocular before the Steiner D12's. It has the same image color as well, so no laser filtering going on.

They seem military to me, just judging by fit and finish. I've owned Leica 8x30's from the Swiss, German Hensoldt d12's and Steiner d12's 8x30, Fero d16's, Hensoldt 10x50's from the Bundeswehr as well, owned the range of NVA DF and EDF's as well. This binocular is right along side all those in ruggedness and feel. The rubber is not cheap civi rubber, but heavy guage military style like the Hensoldt d12's. It's very heavy duty. Well accept the Steiner d12's I should say, heh, those are more like civi's I've always felt, cheap cheap cheap.

These do have a military range gride as well. Also, the serial number, model number and USMC is electropenciled on the top of the bridge on the two pair that I own. I don't think you'd see that on a civi pair.

Here's a picture of the reticule of one of the pair I own.

It's beyond me, but someone like Peter Abrahams at this site:
http://home.europa.com/~telscope/binotele.htm
either knows himself or has contacts in the binoculars community who can give you more background on this glass. There might well be someone on this forum as well, but individual focus binoculars are not ideal for birding, so these are unlikely to have been discussed.

I used to have a pair of these. I agree that they were genuine military issue, probably from the 80's or maybe as early as the 70's. There were very similar civilian offerings with Celestron and Pentax badging, probably others, during the 80's.

I didn't have a very high opinion of the optics. I never tested them thoroughly, but I recall very short eye relief of maybe 8-9mm and poor off-axis sharpness. Mechanical quality is excellent. I think the eyepiece design is the problem.

henry link said:

.. but I recall very short eye relief of maybe 8-9mm and poor off-axis sharpness. Mechanical quality is excellent...

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Yep, I agree here. They're excellent as far as mechanical quality, but the image tends to blur slightly towards the outer edges. Nice image quality 70% and in though.