Tactical laser power

[Bateman96]

I am after a laser for my rifle, I have found some ranging from 1mw to 5mw, can anyone tell me what sort of range you will get from 1mw and still maintain a fairly sting beam? Any help will be appreciated!

[Tariq]

Red lasers wont be a beam, just a dot. Unless you are in smoke, fog etc.

Green lasers are usually produce a visible beam however are usually more than 5mW.

 

UK legal ones are maximum at 5mW. You technically can import more powerful ones legally, however most reputable sites will not allow anything more powerful than 5mW.

 

Go for a 5mW, they're not really that powerful but you can use them at most sites.

 

 

Range wise you will get about 30m before the dot becomes quite faint during the daytime outside. Indoors you generally dont need to worry.

[Bateman96]

Okay thanks, this will be for CQB indoors. It's just I have found a 1mw that's is what I'm after and a good price so would it be worth it as it will not be going more than 10-15 metres ?

[Tariq]

The laser itself should be fine. Usually though from the "cheaper" ones though is that they sometimes lack a large range of adjustability to zero in the laser to the gun.

[Bateman96]

Okay thanks, that's been a great help!

[CaptainDumbass]

Bear in mind many sites don't allow green lasers so check before you buy a green one!

[AK47frizzle]

Bear in mind many sites don't allow green lasers so check before you buy a green one!

Why is green a particular colour not to use?

[Tariq]

The wavelenth is different compared to red.

The beam travels further, and generally is more powerful.

 

Your eyes also react different to it because of the different wavelength

[JackHG]

You could always get a purple one and just burn holes through your opponents....

[CaptainDumbass]

You could always get a purple one and just burn holes through your opponents....

 

ahhh no

[Tariq]

My blue one lights cigarettes and pops baloons

[akey]

you need a class 3r or below laser, ideally a class 2.

 

The real issue with Green lasers is nothing to do with power or the colour exactly, in simple terms in order to make a green laser you have to use a more complex set up that usually starts with a higher power infra red laser, this is then converted to a lower power green laser (change to frequency / wavelength) this light then has to go through a filter to remove the more dangerous infra red also produced (although now at a lower power).

 

They only appear brighter because the eye is more responsive to that frequency and so for the same power 'appears' brighter but that is in itself not more dangerous.

 

some good reference material here http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/Radiation/UnderstandingRadiation/InformationSheets/info_LaserPointers/

 

M