Blue laser weapon sight? (noob questions)

[timdp]

A powerful blue laser (1 watt plus) might be useful in a SHTF situation (zombies, no law enforcement available, etc.) to blind threats without using ammo. Mounted on a scoped rifle with a bipod, a one watt or larger laser could probably do eye damage at a fairly significant range, especially if the opponent is looking through a scope.

Discuss....:yh:

tim

 

[wikemallace]

let me ask a kind of off topic on topic quesdtion.
if you were really using a laser sight in war/gun fight .would someone have to turn it on and off every once in a while to let it cool down? or could you just leave it on the whole time?

Well generally the military would use an ir laser and night vision, this way the enemy can't see the beam, unless of course they are also using night vision. That's at least what I have gathered about military laser sight use. I've also seen a video of them using a focusable green laser to temporarily blind enemy humvee and tank drivers

 

[flecom]

I've always wondered about the divergence issue. Even if its a good laser with 1 mrad divergence the dot would be a blob two meters in diameter by the time it is 1 kilometer from the laser. Perhaps additional optics (beam expanders) can help this to some degree, but i will never be a 'dot between the eyes' as you seen in the movies.

They could be good on an assault weapon like a AK47 or M16 though: At a range of about half a kilomter it gives a 'dot' about 1 meter in diameter. Firing 10 bullets a second somewhere within that dot is probably enough precision to kill someone, and only problematic if someone else is standing around that is not to be shot

it really does not matter since you would not be using a laser to aim 1km away... bullets do not travel in a straight line, at 1km you need to worry about things like wind and bullet drop a lot more... and for that we have trained snipers that know how to use their equipment

 

[Doofus]

My current project: http://i55.tinypic.com/208cnfd.jpg

It's a .338 Lapua Magnum. If there was some way to accurately mount and calibrate a laser for say, 1500yd zero, I'd do it. On pistols and some rifles there's a laser sight that mounts in the bore for the most accurate sighting.

I wish I was more intelligent, then maybe I could somehow ghetto rig a laser inside a 4x9 optic, that would use the calibration settings. I'd probably use a 593 though. Not for "true accuracy", just for funsies, more like "Alright, that's roughly where it's going". (Only at the range)

 

[123splat]

They didn't have many, if any, solid state lasers back in 'my day', but we, and they, had I.R. illuminators and 1st and 2nd generation NVS. There was a general warning to NOT use the illuminators, as the Sov Druganov's riflescope had a phosphor ring in it which glowed orange when you pointed the illuminator in it's direction.
Moral of the story is that it is not a good idea to be throwing a beam of visible or invisible light out there to tell the other guy where you were... they were likely to throw something back.

 

[flecom]

My current project: http://i55.tinypic.com/208cnfd.jpg

It's a .338 Lapua Magnum. If there was some way to accurately mount and calibrate a laser for say, 1500yd zero, I'd do it. On pistols and some rifles there's a laser sight that mounts in the bore for the most accurate sighting.

I wish I was more intelligent, then maybe I could somehow ghetto rig a laser inside a 4x9 optic, that would use the calibration settings. I'd probably use a 593 though. Not for "true accuracy", just for funsies, more like "Alright, that's roughly where it's going". (Only at the range)

you could have a 50BMG, you simply cant zero a laser at that far out... unless you had absolutely NO wind so you only worry about bullet drop, but realistically wind is going to be a factor... and vary through the bullets 1500 yard journey...

bore sights are just so you can rougly zero your scope and then tweak it later, but even then you have to calculate for bullet drop of whatever rounds you plan on using... things like grain and powder can make a difference too as to "zeroing"

 

[RoboChan]

Now this is my type of thread. Looking to put a laser on my 870 and my buddies AR15 just for some backyard fun.

 

[JBTexas]

Occluded Eye Gunsights (OEG) are (in my opinion) a better alternative to using lasers.

I had a lasersight on my old 9mm CZ-75 (when I was still active duty)... a Special Forces guy taught me about OEGs, and I switched over. Takes a little bit of practice and getting used to.

Basically... OEG = very small tiny tube, open on one end w/ a lens, that is mounted as a gunsight. It is filled with a tiny amount of tritrium, and has a flourescent substance at the inside / closed end / back of the tube. Just makes a small glowing dot, and you superimpose it on the target while keeping both eyes open. You use it the SAME way (basically) as a laser sight, and it does have to be calibrated at a range.

There are other similar devices that use the same principle.

Advantages:

No batteries

No maintainence

YOU are the only one that can see it... you are not projecting a beam of light out there as an ... "invitation".

EDIT: A couple of links I found. CAN'T vouch for these... its just to give an idea:

http://www.gunaccessories.com/Trijicon/OEG/index.asp

http://www.armsonusa.com/faqs.html
http://www.armsonusa.com/armsonoeg.html

The OEG I had was MUCH smaller than these (and designed for a sidearm). This was circa 1990 or so.

 

[flecom]

the original M16 optics worked like that... you could not actually see though the scope/optic... it was just a dot that you used both eyes to "superimpose"

Collimator sight - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

also as var as vouching for those, the first one is made by trijicon, and I would feel pretty safe buying anything from them, my TA-31 has been great

 

[JBTexas]

Actually, terminology may have changed a little over the years; the one I had mounted on my pistol was more like this, and the website is simply calling it a "nightsight":

Trijicon Night Sights

... but I just had one little cylinder on a much smaller mount.

The reason for the lens (in case it wasn't all that clear) is so that you can ONLY see the dot WHEN your eye is in the proper position.

 

[zombiedazzler]

finaly I found a 50mw 405nm blue laser weapon sight it looks good, & operates with one CR123A battery comes complete with recharger, battery(s)
kinda spendy but blue is so cool, it on ebay of course gonna get me one of them:

:drool:

 

[Eradicator]

finaly I found a 50mw 405nm blue laser weapon sight it looks good, & operates with one CR123A battery comes complete with recharger, battery(s)
kinda spendy but blue is so cool, it on ebay of course gonna get me one of them:

:drool:

405nm is violet not blue, and I hope you didn't spend much cause you can get a 50-100mW 405nm for about 5$.

 

[zombiedazzler]

HEY eradiator so what do you consider blue then? where can "you" get one for $5.00 in this universe? silly billy homer gomer
:crackup:

 

[Bionic-Badger]

HEY eradiator so what do you consider blue then? where can "you" get one for $5.00 in this universe? silly billy homer gomer
:crackup:

Less than $4 actually, at Amazon.com.

They're always overspec, and it's not unlikely to see it produce 50mW or more out of the box. The one I got a while ago produces about 45mW, and that's with some internal reflections since I broke the optics (for some other purpose).

 

[mhemling33]

I have been working on a blue sight

 

[Eradicator]

HEY eradiator so what do you consider blue then? where can "you" get one for $5.00 in this universe? silly billy homer gomer
:crackup:

Less than $4 actually, at Amazon.com.

They're always overspec, and it's not unlikely to see it produce 50mW or more out of the box. The one I got a while ago produces about 45mW, and that's with some internal reflections since I broke the optics (for some other purpose).

Like I said....

And I consider anywhere from ~435nm to ~490nm blue.

I got a 405 pen from ebay, its stable at 73mW with 2 rechargeable AAA's. It was 4$ and some change.