Vis laser vs MRDS

[ASH556]

This is a thing I put together that I like a lot. The lower is a Form4 DD Factory SBR that usually wears a 10.3 upper. This is an auxiliary upper with short-term intentions of my kids hunting with it via tripod from a ground blind. I also like the capabilities of better ID, better precision, etc. I've been all over the optics gamut with everything from a T1 to a 6.5-20 and every combination of LPVO, magnifier, ACOG, etc you can think of in the last 20 years. At the end of the day, the Leupold Mark 4 3.5-10 M3 is still my favorite all-time scope when magnification is called for. Otherwise it's just a T1 (which is what the 10.3 upper wears). Still, for walking in and out of the woods on properties with Hogs, Coyotes, and Armadillos, I like some kind of reflex aiming option. Other than Crimson Trace grips on a J-Frame and an M&P about a decade ago, this is my only experience with lasers. I've always considered them to be kludgy and unreliable. Sort of relegated to the "Tapco" crowd. That said, this Steiner unit (TOR mini) came highly recommended to me by a friend I trust. Still, I'm lukewarm on it.

Anyone with input on this or a similar setup? The other option would be to drop $450 on a different optic mount and $500 on an RMR. I'm a little hesitant to make that investment.

Also, I do consider all my AR's "working guns" and so everything needs to be "duty grade." If the mount and RMR are really the only way to get there, I guess that's what I'll end up doing (eventually).

Thanks for any feedback.

[Default.mp3]

Is there enough room to just throw on an RMR using a 30mm ring mount? Something like this: https://reptiliacorp.com/product/trijicon-rmr-rof-sar/ paired with this if needed: https://reptiliacorp.com/product/rof...-trijicon-rmr/

Also, if you're buying RMRs for 500 USD... you're getting ripped off, IMO, especially if you're willing to buy second-hand. At that point, might as well just do an ACRO P-2 when those drop.

I don't think there's any real viable visible lasers out there, outside of those that are part of an IR pointing system. That being said, perhaps take a look at the Steiner CQBL-1 if you're interested in a dual spectrum solution and moving the TOR Mini elsewhere; the CQBL-1 can be found on sale regularly for around the price of what you were willing to pay for just an RMR.

That being said, I don't think visible lasers can supplant the RDS for most conditions, even full-power ones, especially in an outdoor environment. While I love my lasers on my handguns, even there they were niche, even before my transition from irons to MRDSes (I still use my lasers with the MRDSes).

[theJanitor]

if you want to leave the MRDS attached to the rifle, separate from your main optic, the arisaka mount plus a Holosun 507 would be economically reasonable.

[Duke]

IR Laser with NODS is the way

That’s the reason visible only laser are tapco grade.

Visible slaved laser saves time daytime zeroing for NVG work - no one leaves the visible on after that IMO

[Andy T]

The problem with visible lasers is extremely short "visible" range, especially in bright sunshine. Years ago I experimented with a green lasered DBAL I2. I could barely see the green laser at 7 yards on a bright day. This was at max settings.
The red dot, on the other hand, is always there.

[nalesq]

The other issue with visible lasers is that the reflected intensity can be so variable depending on what the beam is shining on, it can be difficult to track, even if it is technically visible. The eye perceives it winking in and out of existence unpredictably as it moves across varied surfaces, and time is wasted reacquiring the dot. This is a non-issue with a red dot optic.


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[karmapolice]

Vis Laser have a place and can be important. Green is the only good ones and particularly I have had great success with ones coming from a B.E. Meyer's MAWL. The nuance was I used it for work in ways a lot of regular folks myself now included wouldn't but it is still a viable thing in certain use if the laser quality is good enough. This place as all is full of a lot of half baked bullshit opinions based off little to no actual use and or experience. MRDS are awesome but I find offset ones to be sub optimal, a top mounted one is better but also requires the user to deal with two different sighting offsets (laser has this as well but less pronounced).

[Glock26]

I recently switched to a Zenitco Perst 4M Gen 3 Green+ as the primary and only sighting option on my competition PCCs.

I chose the 4M because it's compact, mounts directly over bore, and is crazy powerful. Every other brand is limited to 5mW for their civilian lasers. The Perst 4M goes to 40mW max. Even in its normal high mode, I dry-fire with sunglasses to protect my eyes.

Though this experiment is in its infancy, I'm shooting about as fast and accurate as my Trijicon SRO.

I've considered other lasers, but anything limited to 5mW gets washed out on bright sunny days.

Even went with the DIY laser to MLOK route but those failed to hold zero. Unfortunately, I don't think it's possible to spend less than $500 and get a quality off the shelf visible laser due to the 5mW limit.

[Duke]

Vis Laser have a place and can be important. Green is the only good ones and particularly I have had great success with ones coming from a B.E. Meyer's MAWL. The nuance was I used it for work in ways a lot of regular folks myself now included wouldn't but it is still a viable thing in certain use if the laser quality is good enough. This place as all is full of a lot of half baked bullshit opinions based off little to no actual use and or experience. MRDS are awesome but I find offset ones to be sub optimal, a top mounted one is better but also requires the user to deal with two different sighting offsets (laser has this as well but less pronounced).

How dare you cite your real world experience to make a valid statement

[Wake27]

I’d probably go MRDS. Holosun is putting out significant competition to RMRs IMO. Offset MRDS was very easy for me to pickup though I didn’t like the bulky profile of the gun. Top mounted was obviously more sleek, but not as easy to get behind the optic IMO. Lasers can work but the good ones are going to cost as much as an MRDS or more from what I’ve seen. And I think they’re more limited in they ways they could be used unless you’re talking about an IR/VIS unit.


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