Frequently Asked Questions

Many of our customers have asked questions that may be similar to yours. Below you'll find the most frequently asked questions and their corresponding answers. If you still can't find the answer to your question, please contact us by sending an email to sales@laserdevices.com or by calling 831-373-0701 or 800-235-2162 (outside of CA).

• About Laser Aiming Devices
• Tactical Flashlights
• Shooting Accuracy

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About Laser Aiming Devices

Q:  Which laser is right for my firearm?

A:   LDI manufactures a variety of laser aiming devices that will fit most rifles, pistols and shotguns equipped with an accessory rail. Sometimes more than one product will work with a specific model of firearm. In fact, most of LDI’s products can be attached to a rifle equipped with a NATO/PICATINNY Rail. The correct product for your specific application probably depends on the capabilities you require (Infrared 835nm, extended daytime visibility using a green 532nm laser, or low light and nighttime operations using a red 635nm laser).

Q:  What if my rifle or shotgun doesn’t have NATO/PICATINNY Rail? 

A:   LDI has a number of mounting brackets that can be used to attach lasers or lights to most rifles and shotguns. We have also built relationships with a number of excellent manufactures that have mounting solutions for your specific firearm.  

Q:  I have revolver or an older semi-automatic pistol without a rail on the dust cover. What should I do? 

A:   In the past LDI has manufactured lasers for many revolvers and semi-automatic pistols. Presently most of these products are no longer in production. If you have a special requirement that requires several hundred devices, LDI is always willing to manufacture older systems to meet this type of special requirement.

Q:   Do your lasers work on large caliber rifles like the .50Cal. BMG?

A:   Yes, our lasers have been used on .50Cal BMG rifles and M2 machine guns. We have tested our products on a variety of calibers from 5.56 to .50Cal. We are confident that LDI’s products will operate reliably on all military, law enforcement and commercially available firearms.

Q:    My pistol has a rail but it doesn’t look like a NATO/PICATINNY rail?

A:     We see two primary standards of rails on most pistols. Some pistol manufacturers use a non-standard rail that has a single cross bar slot that is a little narrower than the NATO/PICATINNY standard rail. Other manufacturers offer a standard NATO/PICATINNY style rail. LDI’s products can be configured to fit either of the two standards. In addition, LDI manufactures rails adapters for several hard to fit pistols like the HK USP, HK USP Compact and the original Walther P99. Please contact one of our sales representatives if you have any questions about which of our products will fit your pistol.

Q:   Do you offer a green laser?

A:  Yes, LDI offers a green (532nm) Ultra-Power-Point^TM green laser for many of its aiming products and is adding additional green laser models on a regular basis.

Q:  What are the advantages offered by the Green Laser?

A:  In bright daylight conditions the green Ultra Power Point laser is roughly five times more visible than the standard Super Power Point 635nm laser. This is because the human eye is more sensitive to green wavelength light. LDI’s tests indicate that when a red laser and green laser are projected side by side the green laser appears brighter and is more visible at a longer distance. This improved visibility in bright sunlight makes the green Ultra Power Point Laser the preferred choice for daytime use. At night, indoors and in low light conditions both the red and the green lasers offer excellent visibility and range.  

Q:   Are there any disadvantages to selecting the Green Laser for my product?

A:    The primary disadvantage of using a green laser is that the Green laser offers a shorter battery life due the increased power required to produce the green laser light. The shorter battery life is most apparent in applications where the laser is turned on continuously and used until the battery dies. Most operators, who use the laser intermittently for the few seconds needed to acquire the target and fire a round, probably won’t notice a significant decrease in the battery life.

The other disadvantage of green lasers is their operational temperature range. Green lasers do not operate well below -5° C.     

Q:  What is an Infrared laser used for?  

A:   Infrared lasers are used with night vision goggles to project an infrared laser point on a target. You can only see the IR laser when wearing night vision goggles. This makes the IR laser a valuable tool for law enforcement and military users who may need to covertly aim a firearm at night or during low light conditions.

Q:  Can I purchase an Infrared (835nm) aiming laser for my personal use? 

A:  No! Class IIIb lasers are not available for commercial sale.  

Q:   What is the Danger Label on my laser? 

A:   Lasers are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Devices and Radiological Health. The FDA has determined that even low power lasers, like most laser pointers, may pose an optical hazard if used incorrectly. LDI includes the necessary safety features in the aiming lasers it sells and has labeled its products to notify customers of the known hazards.

Q:  Can I buy a High Power 50mW laser for personal use?

A:  No, FDA regulations do not allow LDI to sell high powered systems or Class IIIb lasers for personal use.  

Q:  Can I buy a Laser and send it to my buddy overseas?

A:   No, LDI’s lasers require a U.S. export license prior to export. The export license applies whether you are hand carrying the laser or sending it to an APO address overseas. Export of most of LDI’s visible laser products are regulated by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).  Infrared lasers and some of our high powered visible lasers are regulated by the U.S. Department of State under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Significant criminal and civil penalties may be imposed if you are caught exporting one of these products without the appropriate license.  

Q:  What kind of batteries will I need for my laser?

A:   LDI uses commercially available batteries to power all of its products. Most of our laser aiming devices for rifles use either a 3-Volt lithium CR1 23A battery, or a 1.5-volt AA battery. Many of our products are available with dual battery capability that allows operators to use either a 3-volt CR 123A or a 1.5-volt AA battery.  LDI recommends the use of high quality batteries.

Q:   Can I use a Lithium AA (L92) battery with LDI products that use an AA battery?

A:   Yes, the lithium AA (L92) batteries will work with any LDI product that is powered by an AA alkaline battery.  The AA lithium battery offers almost twice the life of a standard AA alkaline battery.

Q:   Where can I find this little 6-volt, PX28L battery?

A:   The 6-volt PX28L battery is used in the MP5 laser and several other classic laser products.  This is a camera battery that is available at most department stores or camera stores.  LDI also sells this battery on its website.

Q:   What type of battery is used in the LaserBlaster-Z?

A:    The LaserBlaster-Z uses a custom battery assembled by Laser Devices, Inc. and is sold on its website.

Q:   I found a laser on the Internet that looks like one of your lasers, but is being shipped from China.  Where do you manufacture your aiming lasers?

A:   LDI assembles all products in its production facility located in Monterey, California. Many of our products have inspired laser pointer makers in China to develop cheap copy-cat products. Many of the copy-cat products do not meet U.S. FDA safety requirements and have a very low standard of quality. of the majority of the copy-cat products will not survive the recoil of a real firearm.  

Q:  I can’t see my laser point on the target at 100 meters. How can I sight in my laser? 

A:   LDI uses the brightest, visible lasers allowed by law. Our Ultra Power Point™ green lasers are visible in bright sunlight to approximately 30 meters. If you want to zero a visible laser at 100 or 200 yards in bright light conditions, you can use one of LDI’s Accur-Aim™ targets. The Accur-Aim targets reflect back the laser light and allow the laser to be zeroed in bright sunlight.

Q:  Will I need to make a permanent modification to my firearm to install one of your lasers?

A:  No, LDI's products do not change the original factory configuration of the firearm. This means that you will continue to use the original parts supplied with your firearm.  Since LDI's products do not permanently modify the weapon your firearm’s factory warranty will not be void by the use of our products.

Q:  Can I buy products directly from Laser Devices?

A:  YES! LDI has pricing structures set up for Law Enforcement and Military Agencies, Dealers, Distributors and Retail customers. Check our website for special pricing and offers.

Q:  Do you have a holster that will fit my pistol with the laser attached?

A:  Yes, LDI stocks a Bianchi Cobra Series holster. This is a military style holster that will expand to fit your pistol with any of LDI’s lasers or tactical lights attached. The Bianchi holster comes in three sizes to fit different sized pistols with lasers and lights attached.

Q:  Can I use an aiming laser for hunting:

A:   Maybe, it depends upon the hunting rules and regulations in your State and local jurisdiction. Please check with your state regulatory authority.

 

Tactical Flashlights

Q:  What are the advantages offered by an LED Light?

A:     LDI’s high intensity LED’s are more efficient than high pressure xenon filament lamps. In addition, our LED's are brighter than filament lamps without sacrificing battery life. LDI LED lights use solid state technology and are recoil-resistant.  

Q:  Why do you still offer the xenon lamp?

A:    Our LED based lights do not produce enough near infrared wavelength lights to work with an IR tip-off filter.  Our Xenon lights paired with an IR tip-off filter offers operators using night vision goggles both a near infrared illumination and visible illumination for specialized applications.

Q:  I have an older xenon light. Can I replace the lamp assembly with a new LED?

A:  Yes, LDI offers replacement heads for all of its tactical flashlights to allow existing customers the ability to upgrade their light to a state-of-the-art, high intensity LED.

Q:  Do you have a tactical flashlight that will fit my pistol?

A:  LDI’s LAS/TAC 2 lights will fit full sized and compact pistols equipped with an accessory rail on the dust cover. We also have mounting brackets that will attach these lights to hard to fit accessory rails like the HK USP, HK USP Compact and the original Walther P99.

Q:  I have an older pistol without an accessory rail. Do you have a flashlight that will fit my pistol?

A: LDI has phased out the Classic LAS/TAC line of pistol lights. Many aftermarket rail accessories are available for a variety of pistols that do not have an integrated accessory rail. In addition, LDI can custom manufacture products for older pistols on large quantity orders.

Q:  Which mount should I select for mounting your light to my rifle?

A:  LDI manufactures a number of different mounting brackets that can be used to attach its tactical lights to any NATO/Picatinny rail. Specific mounts may depend on the rifle and the position where you want to mount the light.  

LASER BORESIGHTS and OTHER PRODUCTS

Q: What is a Laser Boresight?

A:  A laser boresight is a precision instrument that can be used to align all of the aiming devices mounted to your weapon.

Q:  How does a Laser boresight work? 

A:  The laser boresight fits into the bore of your rifle and is used to project a laser point onto a paper target that is typically placed about 10 meters in front of the bore. The laser spot on the target is used as a reference point showing the center of the bore that can then be used to align your sighting devices using a premarked target.

Q:  Does LDI supply the Premarked targets? 

A:  No. Premarked targets are specific to the weapon platform, ammunition and weapon sight that is being aligned. There are literally thousands of target options available. Check with your local weapon dealer.

Q:  What calibers do your laser boresights fit?

A:  Currently our MBS-1WE and MBS-AA fit the most common NATO military calibers including .223Cal/5.56mm, 7mm, .30Call/.308Cal/7.62mm, .38Cal/.357Cal/9mm, .40Cal/10mm, 45Cal and .50Cal.  

Q:  What is the LaserBlaster-Z?

A:  The LaserBlaster-Z is an in bore laser-based training device that is used by professionals to hone their shooting skills by using dry fire techniques.  The LaserBlaster-Z fires a laser pulse each time the weapon is dry fired. The laser pulse is visible to the operator and shows where the bullet would impact the target. Watching how the laser point moves following each dry fire event can show the operator is they are properly actuating the trigger.

 

Shooting Accuracy

Q:  Do laser sights offer any advantage over the standard open sight mounted on my pistol?

A:  Laser aiming devices offer a significant increase in shooting effectiveness in night and in low-light environments. While at the range, you may have noticed that as the sun sets, it becomes increasingly difficult for your eye to distinguish the target when looking over an open sight. As the light becomes dimmer, it is more difficult to see the target even though you may still be able to resolve the shape of the target. Laser aiming devices offer unmatched accuracy and shooting effectiveness in a low light environment because they make it easier to focus on a target.

Q:  Will an aiming laser make me a better shot?

A:  Yes, in a low light environment an aiming laser can make you a better shot!  Several years ago, the U.S. military conducted testing using a visible laser aiming device. Representatives from the Army, Navy and Air Force Special Operations units evaluated laser-aiming systems with the stated goal of determining the versatility and possible increases in operational shooting effectiveness in Close Quarter Battle ("CQB") conditions. The testing was conducted using an M-4 rifle. The tests indicated that laser sights increased aiming accuracy by 15% in low-light environments over the baseline M-4 Carbine with flashlight. In fact, they determined that "The increase in effectiveness shown through the user assessment was 43% over the baseline iron sights with a flashlight. (Average for 5 shooters – stationary). During other testing at Ft. Campbell, KY it [the laser] was 10% more effective (moving through a CQB shoot house) than the baseline sights and 52% more effective when an NBC mask was employed."

If a laser aiming device can offer this type of significant improvement to the shooting effectiveness of a highly-trained member of the U.S. military, it should offer similar or even greater shooting effectiveness for the average law enforcement and home defense users operating under similar conditions.

Q:  Could laser aiming devices deter a potentially violent assailant?

A:  Yes! Several police agencies have reported that laser aiming devices clearly added an additional less-than-lethal force alternative. In moments of tension and high stress, an Officer’s verbal commands to a suspect at gunpoint often go unanswered. These are critical moments when the officer must make split-second, life or death decisions. The visual impact of the red laser dot has assisted officers in quickly gaining compliance. Kevin Stich of the Newberg Police Department, Oregon said in the April 1998 edition of Law Enforcement Technology, “[In one case] pointing the laser dot on a suspect convinced him to give up, where verbal commands didn't work.”

We have heard several antidotes from law enforcement customers in the past concerning tense situations that were suddenly defused when the good guys decided to deploy an aiming laser. In our view, if using an aiming laser will improve the likelihood of ending a standoff, or if it frightens off a potential assailant without a shooting, it is well worth trying. As such, we believe that an aiming laser is an appropriate device to be used as part of your threat continuum.