Re: Pistol IR laser/light
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: titus7</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What's the best IR laser/light setup for a pistol or is there such a thing? The only setup I can figure is the lasermax uni-ir and a streamlight or Surefire light mounted below it but it's still not an IR light. So any ideas or does anyone else have the same question? </div></div>
If your objective is to put a clearly-visible, well-defined, Class 1 infrared aiming dot on your target without a lot of other, bulky stuff hanging off your pistol, then the Lasermax UNI IR will do everything you need it to do in the most compact chassis on the market. The aiming dot on the Class 1 (0.7 mW) version is easily visible (via PVS-14) at 350 yards, which is well beyond the range of pistol ballistics. In fact, I have photos posted on this forum that show the dot to be visible at 550 yards -- and without becoming as big as the side of a house!
The rumors about the fragility of the Lasermax are just that: hearsay. The chassis is made from fiberglass reinforced polymer which is easily as strong as the frame on a Glock, HK USP, FN FNP, etc. Plus with its very low profile, it stays tight to the contour of the pistol's dustcover and doesn't give a lot of leverage points for snagging and then having parts break off. It is about as small and as unobtrusive as IR lasers can get, and that's important on handguns (especially ones that you have to carry).
What the Lasermax isn't is: it isn't waterproof or water resistent. If you submerge it into the saltwater during your U.S. Navy SEALs BUD/S training, yeah, it will probably go kaput. That's where the Insight LAM (Laser Aiming Module) has its strength. The LAM-400 (or PEQ-6) was designed for the HK Mark 23 pistol, which as a weapon system was intended by the U.S. SOCOM to be hardened for "hostile environment" use, such as in highly corrosive 'marine' environments. Where the LAM now falls short, is in its visible illuminator. It uses a halogen bulb, which burns out and breaks much more easily than an LED lamp. Also, LED lamps such as in the Surefire X.400 put out a whopping 170 lumens compared to the 90 lumens on the LAM flashlight. If you're seeking an IR laser aimer and IR laser illuminator in the same device, then the LAM does provide that - also, the visible laser is aligned with the IR aiming laser, making it easy / convenient to get your IR aimer to point of impact by adjusting the visible laser to point of impact. However, having all this "stuff" (IR laser, IR illuminator, visible laser, flashlight) in one module does make for a rather large and bulky blob beneath your pistol's dust cover.
Many new technologies are emerging to help with night-time target acquisition. Trijicon's RMR (mini reflex sight) with *adjustable* LED output is very impressive on a hangun and when viewing with night vision. The red dot has unlimited eye relief and the lowest 3 of the 8 output settings are night vision compatible. When viewed with night vision, it gives a crisp, clear aiming dot that is easy (quick) to acquire ... and projects clearly onto targets at any (infinite) distance. From an accuracy perspective, the Trijicon RMR is parallax free out to 50 yards. It is a great day / night system. When you use it with night vision, you have to keep reminding yourself that the aiming dot is not a laser dot reflecting off the target (though that's how it appears). A huge advantage to this is that your aiming dot is completely invisible to anyone opposite your muzzle. In use [on handgun] with night vision goggles, I'm actually starting to prefer the aiming dot from the night-vision mode on the RMR (adjustable LED model) to the IR laser aimers!
IR-V