#Lasers

In recent weeks, Ruger announced a number of new firearms. Viridian Weapon Technologies stepped up almost immediately with laser aiming solutions for one of these new guns: the EC9s.

When the new Smith & Wesson M&P Shield pistol rolled out earlier this year, one of the new factory options was an integrated Crimson Trace laser. While still new to the market, there are a lot of people buying these guns and relating positive stories about them. How well the Crimson Trace equipped guns sell as compared to the plain guns remains to be seen.

At the 2017 Association of the United States Army annual meeting, Korean optics maker DI Optical was showing off many of their familiar products, but also had on display an interesting looking rifle attachment from a company called Jammer Korea. The attachment, named the “DRONE SNIPER”, is a familiar multi-frequency radio jammer, but in a slick underbarrel package that weighs much less than current standalone launchers.

At the 2017 Association of the United States Army annual meeting (AUSA 2017), US Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM) presented a concept for the US Army’s future soldier of the 2030 timeframe, which promised everything from powered exoskeletons, to futuristic optics, to individual network capability. I captured the Command’s two future soldier concept demo videos that were running at the conference, embedded below:

Got IR Lasers and Night Vision? Well now there is something even more invisible than that. SWIR is a lower wavelength on the infrared spectrum. NIR (Near Infrared) is what most night vision sees and IR lasers are set to. NIR is 0.75–1.4 µm. SWIR is 1.4–3 µm. What does this mean? You cannot see it with a normal night vision device.

It’s no secret that the field of war is changing, and that fact is just as true for the infantryman as it is the F-35 Lightning II pilot. Increasingly, small, inexpensive, expendable drones are being used as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) assets, as well as delivery platforms for light ordnance as well as kamikaze weapons. Today, the use of drones in this manner is in its infancy, but the next generation of purpose-built light combat drones is being designed and built right now. Israeli firms like Duke Robotics and UVision have already created armed and kamikaze (respectively) drone systems, and combatants in the Iraqi and Syrian Civil Wars famously used drones as delivery platforms for 40mm grenades. The use of civilian light drones as “snooping” devices has already spurred the development of anti-drone weapons for security forces, including both electromagnetic “rifles” that zap drones to take control of them, as well as more crude (but still effective) anti-drone shotgun payloads.

I have been eyeing the the light and laser combos from Steiner for the better part of a year but have yet to pull the trigger. Sadly, my night vision fund is much too deficient to take advantage of a visible light/laser and IR illuminator/laser device. The newest models, the SBAL-RL and DBAL-RL add the ability to attach a two button remote pressure switch for long gun applications.

So this is a thing. We have all seen all the stippling that is very popular on the GLOCK pistols, and has bled over into the rest of the polymer-framed handgun world. Stippling can be very functional and in some cases, a very aesthetically pleasing art form. It seems to be that it is the “aesthetically pleasing” part that most gun owners have trouble with.

The advances that manufacturers have made in the development of lights and lasers in the past five to ten years is nothing short of amazing. I, like most of you, remember a time when attaching a weapon light to a firearm was a head-turning event at the range. Thankfully, the idea of proper illumination has gone mainstream.

Ruger recently announced their new LCP II which has caused significant interest among .380 ACP fans. The original LCP has been a longtime top-seller of Ruger’s and the updated, modern LCP II will likely match its predecessor (if not outdo it). Of course, new pistols require new accessories which is why Viridian has now unveiled their LCP II-compatible lasers and lights.

Long known for making recoil absorbing handgun grips, especially for revolvers, Hogue has expanded its product offerings over the years. The diverse line now covers everything from rifle stocks to folding knives. Now the company has returned to its roots, but with a thoroughly modern twist.

Honor Defense announced that Crimson Trace was now making the Laserguard for the Honor Guard line of self defense handguns. The new Laserguard will use a red aiming laser and will be deisgnated the LG-498.

Trigger Point Technology is a company in California that was started by a certain Terry Abst, a former airline pilot. They have a very interesting and innovating device that they claim will help prevent negligent discharges primarily among Law Enforcement and Military users, but it can also be applied to all manner of civilian firearms. The company has a website up that attempts to explain things in detail, but as admitted by Terry, it needs some serious revamping and changing because if you go on it, you won’t understand what they are trying to get across. Initially I thought they had a trigger mounted magazine release, but after a lengthly phone call with them, I was able to acquire the straight dope.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army may be equipping their troops with new handheld laser weapons. Not quite phasers from Star Trek, or blasters from Star Wars, these weapons are designed to blind sensors, and possibly enemy personnel, preventing them from accurately deploying their own lethal weapons. The Washington Free Beacon covers the weapons and their being a possible violation of a 1998 international agreement:

While I can understand why Glock chose to not put a rail on their single-stack firearms, does not mean that I agree with the decision. Frankly, its an oversight given the huge variety of company lights and lasers meant to augment the small handguns. For the pocket-rockets, I personally feel that the laser is the most effective. With the grip often too small for all the fingers and palm to find purchase and the sights being what they are, a laser will help someone get on target faster.