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Powerful green laser for competition use

39K views 202 replies 23 participants last post by  Fundy 
#1 ·
I'm looking for a green laser sight sufficiently powerful for use on my subbie out to 100-150 yards. The ones I've seen in use don't have the power to do the job past 25 yards...even less on a killer bright Florida day. Any recommendations? Also looking for a decent reflex sight. I plan on sanding down the "hump" on the existing picatinny sight on the forestock to stabilize the platform.
 
#3 ·
Crimson Trace RailMaster is the brightest and cleanest dot that is a reasonable cost. I shoot mine in full light out to about 50. I can find it further, but I have to hunt for it a bit.

When you cross over into the $500 range, it gets better. My military grade unit is a Burris labeled (no longer offered) with a IR and Green and it is visible in full light out to about 100 before I have to hunt for it a tad. It retailed for about $1200 and also has a FFII on top.
 
#4 ·
When you cross over into the $500 range, it gets better. My military grade unit is a Burris labeled (no longer offered) with a IR and Green and it is visible in full light out to about 100 before I have to hunt for it a tad. It retailed for about $1200 and also has a FFII on top.
The problem with the green laser is that it takes twice the power (or more) of a red laser.
To get one like you're talking about, it will not be class IIIa (<5mw) and will be big because of the batteries to drive it. (think 4 packs of cigarettes)
While you're waiting to get an "industrial" quality laser, for the price of buying lunch for yourself and two buddies, you can get this one to play with. Yeah, it's cheap;).
It's really bright though (the max for IIIa, I can see it past 50 yards) and has survived on my RFB since 2013:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012SNQVY/

Out past 50 yards, you need a scope anyway. (at least I do:rolleyes:)
 
#6 · (Edited)
Good info. Have you had any problems holding zero?
Me?
I have a problem holding zero all the time
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The adjustment screws are underneath the front end cap. They seem to stay put. I haven't had to tweak them since setup.
I can only vouch that it is as accurate as I am:rolleyes:.
But I don't go shooting at quarters either:confused:.
The main thing is, it has survived, unlike a lot of other cheap stuff living in the 'organ-donor' box:(.
For thirty bucks? It's a lot of fun:).
Edit: Zero in the scope, walk the dot to the center of the crosshairs; done.
Here it is decorated with some smut from the RFB's gas valve. You think it's been shot?
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#8 · (Edited)
#14 ·
So I was out at the range teaching yesterday and we had several lasers. The CTC laser could be seen in full light by everyone at 50-60 yards. When the sun was behind one of the scattered clouds, that was easily pushed out to 80-100 yards.

Some guys had some of the cheaper lasers, one was an NcStar. A few guys could see it at 50 yards in full sun, but most could not. Seemed to be about 15-20% less distance than the CTC.
 
#16 ·
In truth, if I am using an over-powered laser to aim a firearm at you, becoming blind should be the least of your concerns and may be a short lived problem anyway!
But aren't you terrified that you might accidentally roast your weenie?:eek:
Compared to an AD, I think it would be more like an accidental tattoo:D.

at JWFOX: You going to get one first, or does it have to be me?
I'd like to see the evil "forbidden-light"
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#19 ·
Did you read the article?
2 points
1 - Some put out much more IR than green, and you will not be aware of it.
2 - IR can be reflected back at you from Low-E glass even though the green passes through and all looks normal.

Just something to be aware of when choosing between a name brand and a cheap import.
 
#21 · (Edited)
I'm well aware of the dangers of IR. The article is about cheap lasers that are sold as "safe" and actually aren't. The ones we're talking about are not "safe" and we know it.
Much more insidious are the IR laser designators used for night-vision. The beam is invisible. More likely that some idiot will look in the hole to see if it is even on. Bado_O.
IR carries much more damaging "heat" than all others and is used in industry.
All can be reflected back into the users eyes from any glass, mirror or chrome surface:eek:.
Some of us deal with hazardous compounds, chemicals, equipment, and firearms every day. We do so successfully everyday because we have studied and learned about them and understand their hazards.
Lasers more powerful than 5mw are no different. Know the hazards.
The Food and Drug Administration limit on laser power output is equal to saying: "everyone can have guns as long as they are Airsoft, everyone can have knives as long as they have a rubber blade instead of metal".
I'm good with a knife with a metal blade, guns that shoot real bullets, and I'll be good with a
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non-compliant
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laser.
Viridian makes good green lasers. http://www.viridiangreenlaser.com/
Yes. For pistols and close-quarters-combat.
I have a really nice one shown in post #6.
For anything past 50 yards in daylight? No.
<5mw limit.

Have a knife with a rubber blade.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Well with 10-20 days shipping it's coming out of the distributor in China. It's hard to tell on quality, there is so much mark-up on the LP stuff imported and then sold over here by US companies. I'm betting that they are all made in the same factory over there.
And I have plenty of time to dream up a way to do head-to-head comparison with the 5mw
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. Let's see, one at 12:00 and one at 3:00 on the quad rail...
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#33 · (Edited)
Well the evil
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'non-compliant' laser is on the move!
Latest tracking data:
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So, it's on a plane
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. Picked up? Thank goodness it's the 'English' version of the siteo_O.
Anyone fluent in Chinese, please feel free to chime in
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Edit: You guys are no fun so I translated it:
"Fuzhou, Express Logistics Branch South of the city of Fuzhou international Range Rover vote has been received (embrace cast member name: Huang Hao)"
 
#35 · (Edited)
I ran the numbers (you know I like math:D) on the capability of the battery to supply how much power for how many seconds. The 250mw was only a few dollars more, so why not
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According to my calculations, a single CR123A can't supply that much power for more than 30 seconds before it will drop below 3-volts. I need longer runtime than that and 20X of the output of a 5mw should be plenty.
Remember everything comes out in "chinglish" thru interpretation: "embrace cast member name: Huang Hao
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" so it takes some looking to figure stuff out.

They have a different 100mw model that has flush adjusting screws to zero it:
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The one I'm interested in has caps on the screws and I believe that comes thru the interpreter as "hat-shaped" and the flush one does not. I was more interested in them staying-put and water resistance.
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*as always, these may not be real, and of course, you'll shoot your eye out!o_O.
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#37 ·
That's the $64 question.
You can't calculate by output power because they are not 100% efficient, more like 3%. A bigger problem will be heat build-up in the diode of the more powerful ones. They probably limit this by battery capacity.
The 16340 battery is a rechargeable CR123A so you can bet it's not going to last very long in a 250mw:eek: compared to a 100mw.
 
#39 · (Edited)
All of the ones (>5mw) with gun mounts use: slim ones the CR2/15270, others the CR123A/16340.
The 50mw ships with a CR123A so it must not be terribly voracious.
I'm pretty sure that they wouldn't be shipping the powerful ones with the rechargeable 16340 if they didn't eat batteries.
A charger and batteries aren't expensive:
https://www.amazon.com/EaseBuy-16340-Lithium-Batteries-Rechargeable/dp/B01GL78DHC/

(notice on the charger it says: "FORBIDS TO NVERT")
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Edit: speaking of ROTFLMAO, I noticed in all of the close-up pictures of the sleek lasers, the warning labels all say:"Output <5mw". (wink
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#48 · (Edited)
Great, now to mount it to the RFB.
Will it hold up under fire?
Why not the more powerful one?
Tell us about those hat shaped adjustment covers.
And what is the tube diameter?
And for $40, it's almost certainly junk.
Let's not be too hasty:rolleyes:. Remember, this costs about the same as a good bottle of wine that will be gone in an evening:p.
First I want to do the "Why it's junk, and why it is not" review.

Why it is junk:
1. The pictures on the website clearly show it with no front window glass:
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That makes the the nice tight oring seal on the front cap a little pointless:rolleyes:.
I guess it's special expensive glass or they were tired of people sending ones back with Hershey's Chocolate smeared on it:p.
2. The mount for the hat-shaped one only has one bolt to hold it's mount on the rail.
The RFB's recoil would make short work of this:eek::
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I'll just swap them since they are both 1" diameter.
3. The cord with the switch has a break in the wire and only works if you twist it a certain way. I had no intention of using this since I like the 'twist to turn on' button better.
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Why it is not junk:
1. Under the caps are genuine click-adjust screws stolen off of a small scope that won't "wander".
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2. It's brighter than anything else around. I think we'll see a big difference in the 100-yard daylight test:D.

Edit: Oh, why not the more powerful one? I think this one will be plenty bright at 100 yds with decent battery life. Side-note: the spot for 15 seconds in the palm of the hand is pain! (remember, I test so you don't have too_O) Anything more would be a fire hazard.
 
#55 · (Edited)
Bear in mind, my test was with the July afternoon sun shining directly on the target.
I can add a few things about the 100 since I have been playing with it:
1. After dusk, there is a distinct bright line visible back to your shooting position which could be bad. Not so with the 5.
2. In low light in a home-defense situation, if it was shined on center-mass of a white t-shirt, the "light-splatter" would be so bright you wouldn't be able to make out the person's face. (see post 46) The 5 would be a much better choice.
3. Still haven't done power consumption tests with the 100. Run time for even it may be less than 5 minutes.
4. You'll shoot your eye out! o_O
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(Feel free to post your findings in this thread:D)
Can the 100 light a match?
Yes. And even worse, can light paper on fire; which can be really bad. (see post 48)
 
#56 · (Edited)
3. Still haven't done power consumption tests with the 100. Run time for even it may be less than 5 minutes.
Well, I promised consumption data, and the rechargeable battery runs at a higher voltage than the CR123A, so I ran both lasers with both batteries.
Consumption:
100mw: 3.78v 466ma = 1761 mw
5mw: 3.78v 169ma = 638 mw

100mw: 3.10v 410ma = 1271 mw
5mw: 3.10v 165ma = 511 mw
If there's a math wiz here, he can post the efficiency numbers. (hint: 100mw output with 1000 mw consumption is 10% efficiency.)
These lasers are not rated for continuous use but you can quickly assume a 800 ma/hr battery isn't going to run a 466 ma load for very long at all:rolleyes:.
 
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