Green lasers are the rage this year in weapon-mounted lights. Why? If you were to set a green laser and a red laser side by side in a dark room, you'd hardly notice the difference. The green systems really shine in daylight or moderately bright environments. Our eyes see images in a defined spectrum from near infrared to near ultraviolet. Red is at the far edge of the spectrum close to infrared. But green is right smack dab in the middle of that spectrum, which is the most efficient frequency for the human eye. Read "Lights and Lasers: It's Easy Being Green."
Lights and Lasers: 2010
The folks at Streamlight announced the introduction of the TLR-1s and theTLR-2s, strobe-equipped versions of the company's very popular tactical gun-mount lights. The new lights feature C4 LED technology providing greater brightness than earlier models. The TRL-1s is a white light only system, whereas the TLR-2s features an integrated laser. The new versions of the lights not only include a strobe function, but deliver more bright light. Both feature enhanced brightness over earlier models and provide the same ease of use when mounting to and detaching from the gun. The mounting system eliminates the need for tools or passing your hand in front of the muzzle.
Viridian is one of the nation's fastest growing laser sight manufacturers and is focused exclusively on green lasers - hence the name from the Latin viridis, meaning green. They offer compact, powerful, green lasers for military, law enforcement, and civilian markets. Viridian's line is designed to precisely fit specific guns and uses the maximum allowed power. So far this year the company has introduced the C5 (others will be right around the corner), the world's only subcompact weapon mountable green laser. It's so small it tucks neatly between trigger guard and muzzle with no overhang. It will work not just with subcompacts but with virtually any railed gun.
American Technologies Network Corp. (ATN) recently ventured into white light weapons illumination tools with its Javelin line of lights. ATN's flagship is the Javelin J600W. This light produces 600 lumens of paint blistering white light. That much light directed at a suspect's dark-adapted eyes can produce up to 10 seconds of transient blindness—a huge advantage when you may have to go hands-on and a real disadvantage to the bad guy if he's trying to get a sight picture that includes you.
The Elzetta ZFL-M60 Weapon-Grade LED Flashlight produces 235 out-the-front lumens. It features optical beam projection (not a mere reflector), creating an intense light pattern with a "soft edge" that minimizes the tunnel-vision effect common with other lights. Made from hard anodized 6061-T6 aluminum, the ZFLM60 features fully-potted electronics to withstand harsh recoil and severe impact.
If you have one of the older SureFire Millennium Universal Weapon Lights with its tungsten filament light source, SureFire has introduced the new V-Series KM3 LED conversion head. It's a direct screw-on replacement for the existing head on certain Millennium Universal Weapon Lights. The KM3 produces brilliant white light and intense IR output from a single dual-LED emitter assembly. A bezel selector ring allows you to easily switch back and forth from white to infrared output—and it's selflocking so it stays securely on the selected light output until you decide otherwise.
Insight Technologies teamed up with Smith & Wesson this year to add built-in lasers to the Bodyguard 38 and the Bodyguard 380. These are not add-ons; they are integral to the Smith & Wesson frame. Engineers at both S&W and Insight worked together on the gun/laser system to make it ergonomically pleasing and the activation intuitive. The activation button on the .38 caliber +P rated revolver is on top and the button on the .380 autoloader is forward of the trigger on the frame.
SIG introduced the G-LAD (Green Laser Aiming Device) this year. It produces a visible green laser beam visible for 60 yards during daylight and one mile at night. It's 20 times brighter than a red laser. The G-LAD produces a target dot smaller than two inches at 100 yards. The G-LAD is manufactured with an anodized aircraft aluminum housing and includes a mount for Picatinny rails, a momentary activation pressure pad and cord, as well as a momentary pressure-activated tail cap. It easily mounts on any rail equipped gun and has high end optical scope-like adjustments for windage and elevation.
LaserMax has long been known for its great guide rod replacement laser systems and this year it didn't disappoint on that front. The company recently introduced the new guide rod laser system for the full-size Smith & Wesson M&P in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .357 SIG calibers. Once activated, the guide rod laser for the M&P provides pinpoint accuracy to two inches at 20 yards. Alignment of the laser is set at the factory, so there's no need for windage or elevation adjustment after changing batteries or accidentally dropping your firearm.
Crimson Trace Laser Grips introduced the MVF 515 Green integrated laser and white light foregrip. The hard polymer shell surrounds a hard anodized 6061-T6 aircraft aluminum tang. The MVF 515 Green has ambidextrous controls and three modes to choose from—constant on, momentary, and strobe. It also has a master on switch that can isolate either side's activation pressure pads.