IR aiming lasers; a love story

The OTAL and DBAL-I2 have worked great thus far. They have held zero during shooting drills on separate M4’s using rails from different manufacturers. The units have maintained zero when taking the units off and reattaching them. The DBAL-I2 provided for testing had a green visible laser and an IR illuminator. The illuminator is limited in range when in the flood “illuminator” settings as it is not powerful enough to give me the range I want. When dialed into a tight beam it has worked great as an aiming point, which is how I employed it during testing. My biggest concern with both designs are the adjustment knobs. The recessed knobs for the aiming laser on the DBAL-I2 appear to be superior to the ones for the OTAL Classic and for the illuminator on the DBAL-I2. The recessed version is significantly harder to inadvertently adjust out of zero versus the other types. I discussed this at length with Clark who understood my concern. We all know what can happen when a curious person wants to “check out” your gear. Some people just cannot resist turning knobs or pushing buttons. I prefer my sights not fall prey to curious hands. Using witness marks on your optics once zeroed is a smart practice, but making the act much more difficult to accomplish is a good thing as well.

Over the years Laser Devices has earned my respect as a quality and inventive manufacturer. The Class I line of IR lasers is yet another example of an American company finding creative solutions to provide an outstanding product. As the future presses on we will see the use of night vision devices in the hands of law enforcement, and the need for IR aiming lasers will follow. If you have a need or just always wanted an IR aiming laser but demand quality in your kit, check out the Laser Devices line and see if one of the Class I lasers will work for you.