AR-15 445 3.4w "illuminator"

[Jmillerdoc]

A little look into my hobbie of choice, guns.....

I just finished a ground up build on a custom AR-15 and decided to try something I've always wanted to try. Mounting a 445 running 3+ watts to a gun. I had a 30mm offset optics mount that happened to fit this giant host one of my 9mm 445's lives in right now so I bolted it on and took it out one night to see how it performed. I wish I had thought to bring a good camera with me, the iPhone just didn't take a night time picture of the gun and beam very well. Anyways, it's not intended to be like a red dot aiming device. It's used as an illuminator/flood lamp. The Aimpoint sight system works awesome with the 445 and the red dot inside really picks up well against the blue illuminated field of view the laser produces. I could clearly see well out past 200 yds by focusing the laser into a bar that was just slightly bigger than the FOV of the Aimpoint at that distance. It's basically a highly focusable, extremely bright 445nm spot light on a gun. It worked so well now I must build a dedicated laser system for an AR platform. I've still got a few heat sinks for the 501-b flashlight host that will mount directly into a 25mm scope ring. I am going to drop a 12mm copper 9mm module into one and wired up a diode to run around the same output. This flashlight host here is way too be to be practical but it's what I had immediately available when I had the itch to try this out. If it were to be used in a real combat situation the effect could probably serve as both an illuminator and a retina stun weapon. I'm not going to test that effect however. I'll just have to accept on faith that it would probably be a most uncomfortable sight if you we're on the receiving end of this weapon.

For those interested in the gun itself, it's a completely custom built AR with parts selected to fit my application. The lower receiver is a Mega Arms billet milled lower built with a CMMG lower parts kit with upgraded fire control group that includes a chrome trigger, NiB heavy hammer, Thompson heavy spring kit (for surplus military ammo's hard primers), and a KNS anti-rotation pin kit. The stock is a collapsible Magpul ACS series and has a MilSpec buffer tube and heavy buffer. The upper is again custom built using a MilSpec milled upper made by Anderson Manufacturing, CMMG upper parts kit, heavy fluted match grade Melonite w/chrome lined 1:7 twist barrel from Model 1 Sales, low profile quad rail gas block, and AB Arms hand guard. BCG is a NiB full auto purchased from PSA. Optics are by Aimpoint. If you look close I have a 501-b UltraFire "1000LM" flashlight mounted just under and to the side of the Aimpoint. It was advertised as 1000LM but it is probably more like 700-800.

Once I've built a dedicated 501 host for this same diode set up ill mount it up with a remote pigtail pressure switch and post a few more pics. Hopefully will get a chance to take some outdoor night shots through the Aimpoint to show as much as possible how it looks in real time operation.

Thanks for looking!
Jmillerdoc

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[BowtieGuy]

Very nice combo unit you got there Jeff, nice work!
With that setup it looks like it would be "light em up", then "lights out".

Wouldn't that very visible beam also serve to pinpoint your location?

 

[IWIRE]

That's cool ! My Boss has been wanting me to build him one. Wasn't sure if it would survive the recoil. Thanks for sharing it !

 

[Livinloud]

You've got my address, ill be waiting for it to arrive

 

[Jmillerdoc]

@IWIRE- unless your boss is a 8y/o girl I think your boss would be fine. This gun has very little recoil. The heavy barrel and buffer make it feel as if your shooting a 22 mag on steroids. It's a bit of what I would call a pig. It's really heavy for an AR rifle, close to 9 pounds, about 30% heavier than a standard MilSpec M16. Then add the extra pound and a half of laser/batteries on the end and it barely has any muzzle rise. This ones's not for trekking around with.

@Livingloud- although this one's nice, you'd want better than this.

 

[SyKo]

@IWIRE- unless your boss is a 8y/o girl I think your boss would be fine. This gun has very little recoil. The heavy barrel and buffer make it feel as if your shooting a 22 mag on steroids. It's a bit of what I would call a pig. It's really heavy for an AR rifle, close to 9 pounds, about 30% heavier than a standard MilSpec M16. Then add the extra pound and a half of laser/batteries on the end and it barely has any muzzle rise. This ones's not for trekking around with.

@Livingloud- although this one's nice, you'd want better than this.

I thought he meant the laser, who cares about the recoil their boss will have to deal with

:wave: :gun:
:wave: :gun:
:wave: :gun:

 

[Jmillerdoc]

@SyKp- yeah, you are correct, I misread his post. I'm pretty sure that's what he meant too. I've never been too worried about the recoil on most firearms I own. I've dropped several diodes onto hard concrete from about shoulder height before and they survived without any issues. It's hard to imagine the recoil from most firearms would cause any greater forces than a drop onto concrete like this. Now that the most recent gun scare seems to be settled the prices of the ones most feared to be banned have come back down. Just prior to the beginning of this last one I was about to buy a Barrett 50 BMG and then overnight the prices skyrocketed. I'm back in the hunt for a good deal on one now and soon we will see how much recoil a 445nm 9mm can can handle. If your not familiar with it do a Wiki search on the Barrett 50 BMG, it's a wicked gun. Shoots anywhere from about a 500-600 grain projectile (AR-15's 5.56 round is generally 55gr) that's 1/2" in diameter and about as long as your thumb. This is the gun snipers are known for shooting out beyond 1000M with enough accuracy to make a head shot. A friend of mine managed to get several API rounds somehow that I'm waiting to experience, but I diverge....

I'm betting the 445 can handle it's recoil without issue. Someday I will find out.

 

[SyKo]

he he well my good sir i shall be expecting a corresponding video in the future, also mind grabbing a DShKM, that beasty might make a good test bench for future diode stress testing