Choosing the Correct Laser Sight

     Choosing a laser sight these days can be very confusing with the wide variety of makes and models available. To assist you in making a good choice we have created this page to guide you through this process.

     Determining which laser sight you need is a balance of budget, desire, need and function. We want your experience with our laser products to be a good and lasting one. The real secret is to balance need and function against desire. (i.e.: do you really need the 20X power laser sight for use inside a building when the 5X power would work just fine and cost less)

General information on laser sights:

Construction:

    The majority of laser sights are constructed out of T6061 aircraft aluminum, which is very strong and light. The major difference between inexpensive laser pointers and laser gun sights is in the design of the laser emitters. Laser pointers typically use .5 ~ 2 mw laser emitters, which have poor power regulation, and no shock resistance. Laser gun sights typically use higher output emitters, advanced power regulation, good heat sinking and silicone damping material between the actual laser diode and the emitter housing to withstand the tremendous shock associated with gun fire.

Power Output:

    While all laser sight manufacturers list the power of their units as "5mw" (FDA requirement), they all employ laser emitters that are typically 2.5mw (medium output) or 3.5mw (high output). There are minor variations to this, but these are a good "rule of thumb". Then there the very confusing 5X, 10X and 20X "power" ratings. This is not actually a power rating, but a visibility rating, based on the wavelength of the emitter. The first lasers used 670nm (nanometer) emitters. When the 650nm emitters came out, they were called "five times" (5X)  brighter than the the 670nm units. When the new 645~635nm emitters came out, they called them "ten times" (10X) brighter than the 690nm units. And the newest 632nm are called "twenty times" (20X) brighter. To understand this is very simple. The human eye is more sensitive to red than orange. The higher the nanometer rating, the more orange the laser. The lower the nanometer rating, the more red the laser. Therefore, we can see a 650nm laser "five times" further than the 670nm. And we can see a 635nm laser "ten times" further than the 670nm. Etc, etc, etc.....

Visibilty:

     Most manufacturers will rate lasers in "yards"; ie. - 500 Yards, or 800 Yards, etc.... These ratings are based on VISIBLE dot in DARK conditions. The actual USABLE distance (in diminished lighting) on most lasers is 100 ~ 150 yards because the dot size is so large past these distances that the error variance is no longer acceptable.  As to daylight use..... ALL RED (bar none) lasers sold to the general public fall under the above "less than 5mw" FDA rating AND ARE NOT VISIBLE IN THE DAYTIME beyond 10 ~ 25 FEET ! PERIOD. Any one who tells you different is not being honest with you. Only the newer GREEN lasers offer daylight visibility.

Optics:

    Most lasers employ optical grade plastic lenses for collimating the laser light. While plastic lenses work ok, there is some output power lost thru these lenses. Plastic lenses are also very temperature sensitive and will have a greater dot variance, at any given range, with temperature changes. Optical glass lenses are more efficient, passing  more laser output than plastic ones,  and are more stable over a wide range of temperatures.

Highlights by Manufacturer:

BeamShot:

   Entry level laser. Medium output diodes. Medium duty mounting system. (not recommended for large calibers) Use plastic lenses. 1 year warranty. All guns. (with proper mount)

AimSHot:

    Medium level laser. High output diodes. Heavy duty mounting system. (More secure on large calibers) The 10X and 20X units use optical grade glass lenses instead of plastic. 5 year warranty. All guns. (with proper mount)

Laserlyte:

    Medium level laser. Medium+ output diodes. Medium+ duty mounting system. (not recommended over .45 cal) Plastic lenses. 1 year warranty. Typically, pistols.

Our Custom Rail Kits;

    Medium level laser. Medium+ output diodes. Super heavy duty mounting system for intended guns. Plastic lenses. 1 year warranty. Only for Glocks and HKs.

LaserMax Guide Rod Lasers:

    High end laser. High output diodes. Optical glass lens. 3 year warranty. Gun specific.

CTC Lasergrips:

    High end laser. High+ output diodes. Optical glass lens. 3 year warranty. Gun specific.