Crimson Trace is making good on its promise to market infrared lasers for civilian shooters. The first models to hit store shelves will be mounted on a vertical foregrip for rifles and on their Rail Master unit that attaches to anything with a rail. They’ll also be cranking out Lasergrips for 1911s and Glocks. And while they’re priced between $300 and $600, remember that doesn’t include the night vision equipment you’ll need to actually, you know, see what you’re illuminating. And that doesn’t come cheap. Press release after the jump . . .
(Wilsonville, OR) Drawing heavily on technology developed in support of America’s warfighters by its defense division, Crimson Trace is proud to introduce a line of InfraRed (IR) laser sights for the civilian market. Observable only through night vision equipment, these laser sights offer the user the ability to mark a target invisibly, which is a boon for predator control, security personnel or anyone involved in the growing sport of hog hunting. Due to ITAR restrictions, these new IR sights are available through select distributors, online retailers and direct from www.crimsontrace.com and are the most cost-effective solution for anyone who seeks to add a covert night sighting solution to their firearm, listing at MSRPs of between $299 and $599.
In order to assure the widest possible number of gun fitments, the IR lasers available include the award-wining MVF-515 vertical foregrip and the hugely popular Rail Master™ mini laser. The Rail Master fits almost any firearm with a Picatinny rail and adds less than 2oz to the overall weight, while incorporating the most powerful laser available by law. The MVF-515 has an incredibly long run time and offers the additional benefit of a blinding, 200 lumen white light to enable the use of daytime optics as well as night vision devices. Crimson Trace also introduces IR versions of its patented Instinctive Activation Lasergrips® for the 1911 and Glock pistols, assuring the same night vision compatible performance for sidearms.
The company subjected the new IR sights to the same rigorous testing protocols as their standard products, but in this instance went a little further. “Listening to our customers and the marketplace, adding these IR platforms to our commercial line up address consistent requests we receive as the market leader,“ said Kent Thomas, Director of Marketing for Crimson Trace. “In preparation for the launch, we field-tested the Rail Master’s performance on two Texas hog hunts this spring. In both cases, they turned in outstanding performances and surpassed our already high expectations on multiple weapon platforms in complete darkness.”
Wow, we too can own the night!
Hog hunting is about the only use I can see for this, and even then a spot light would probably work better and is a fraction of the cost. Checking on things that go bump in the night with night vision goggles and an IR laser seems silly, and if the boogie man has a flashlight a quick shine to the face and you’re out of the game.
I always thought it was funny that they gave us IR sensors and IR reflectors so we couldn’t be seen without special equipment. But any cell phone easily sees the IR light. Don’t believe me? Take a picture of your TV remote through your cell phone camera. Bright as day.
All digital photos sensors see IR, but in cameras they put in a filter to block it. Because teeny-tiny little camera photos sensors need all the light they can get, they don’t add the filter.
Ok, which one of you has been calling in air strikes with IR lasers?
Haven’t done that in a few years 😉
I would rather have a flashlight shone in my eyes with NVGs on than without. IR lasers can be dangerous given they do not initiate the eyes natural blink reflex to laser light. Be careful with those things.
It’s a neat thing, I suppose. However, as buying night vision equipment isn’t even on my radar, this by extension isn’t either.
LaserMax makes a UniMAX laser in IR that is sold to civilians too. If you look hard enough, you can find “surplus” military lasers on various markets if want something brighter than 5mW.