Posted on 09/19/2012 1:46:09 AM PDT by marktwain
Wilsonville, OR) Drawing heavily on technology developed in support of America’s warfighters by its defense division, Crimson Trace is proud to introduce a line of InfraRed (IR) laser sights for the civilian market. Observable only through night vision equipment, these laser sights offer the user the ability to mark a target invisibly, which is a boon for predator control, security personnel or anyone involved in the growing sport of hog hunting. Due to ITAR restrictions, these new IR sights are available through select distributors, online retailers and direct from www.crimsontrace.com and are the most cost-effective solution for anyone who seeks to add a covert night sighting solution to their firearm, listing at MSRPs of between $299 and $599.
In order to assure the widest possible number of gun fitments, the IR lasers available include the award-wining MVF-515 vertical foregrip and the hugely popular Rail Master™ mini laser. The Rail Master fits almost any firearm with a Picatinny rail and adds less than 2oz to the overall weight, while incorporating the most powerful laser available by law. The MVF-515 has an incredibly long run time and offers the additional benefit of a blinding, 200 lumen white light to enable the use of daytime optics as well as night vision devices. Crimson Trace also introduces IR versions of its patented Instinctive Activation Lasergrips® for the 1911 and Glock pistols, assuring the same night vision compatible performance for sidearms.
The company subjected the new IR sights to the same rigorous testing protocols as their standard products, but in this instance went a little further. “Listening to our customers and the marketplace, adding these IR platforms to our commercial line up address consistent requests we receive as the market leader,“ said Kent Thomas, Director of Marketing for Crimson Trace. “In preparation for the launch, we field-tested the Rail Master’s performance on two Texas hog hunts this spring. In both cases, they turned in outstanding performances and surpassed our already high expectations on multiple weapon platforms in complete darkness.”
I use a regular lazer with GEN3 NVG now and am wondering why I would need this for hogs? The green or red lazer just shows white in the NVG kinda like the EOTECH hologram site on low intensity.
In a tactical situation if the other side had NVG and you were using this, you would just be making yourself a target, IMO.
Dedicated night vision weapons sights are heavy and expensive, but you can use an infrared laser with an ordinary night vision headset.
Do not need night vision to detect IR, you can do it with a cheap night camera or heck an Iphone w/ nv app.
Try it, light up an IR beacon or IR assist on a NVG and turn on a night capable camera or video cam and you NVG will be compromised, and FRiend you will be a compromised target.
Just picked up a Mil Spec GEN3 weapon sight and put it on my M1A. Prices are coming down (4200), but you are correct, weight is still up there. Do not plan on humpin’ around with it, so does not matter much.
This is my first stationary, everything else is monoculars w/headsets
Yeah, sounds like you read the Michael Yon piece yesterday, too. It was very educational.
michael piece yesterday?
Hint: a laser that you can't see can still blind you...but you won't realize that you are being blinded until it is too late. Black ops has used UV lasers for exactly this purpose. An IR laser is less energetic than a UV laser and would take longer to work, but it could still blind.
Not sure if I did or not, but have experience being “lit up” by others IR and it will scare the crap out of you and make you drop to the ground. Will blind you if you are using bino NVG, so I only use monos.
Worked down South with CBP with helos using strobes. The CBP all used friend or foe beacons on their caps so that the helo could id them from the wets. The smugglers started using cheap NV vid cams to locate the helos and boots and evade in the brush. You see on the Border War crud, where the helo is shining his IR in one spot and his spot in another and the boots go to the IR. Works fine if the group does not have a savvy smuggler.
Easy to evade the techno crap.
Ya, I did read that one. Great article
sfl
Exactly.
True, and as Yon stated in his most recent posting, there are plenty of affordable, consumer level still and video cameras with IR sensitivity embedded in them that can trace your IR beam back to you when the enemy looks in their viewfinder.
And yet, the same "elite" instructors who advise against the use of lasers for these reasons will always claim that one MUST have a super-powerful flashlight ("weaponlight") for night fighting -- mounted right next to the flash suppressor!
It has been difficult for civilians to get infrared lazer sights until now, so it is the time to aquire them.
You are correct. Good Second Amendment items.
lol. Pick your poison.
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