#multi function aiming laser

Both on Dual IR Laser/Illuminator Mode Illuminators on both units were focused at their widest divergence without the use of diffuser caps (neither have any right now anyways).

Dual Low Mode:

Steiner DBAL A2 Holosun IRIS-3

Dual High Mode:

Steiner DBAL A2 Holosun IRIS-3

It really is quite amazing that a $900 civilian laser can match the performance of a $1,500 full power military laser, all with smaller form factor, better control ergonomics, and a full warranty to boot.

Obviously not the "best" laser on the market, but if your only goal is getting similar capability as 'fell-off-the-truck' FP MIL/LEO units, within a lower price bracket, without buying lasers from less reputable companies, the IRIS is incredibly hard to beat.

From where I was standing, I believe the treeline was around 200-300 yards away, if not more (I'll measure it later). Phone camera through my NVG's obviously looks 1000 times worse than the naked eye, but both units performed roughly about the same.

The IRIS's VCSEL illuminator is definitely much cleaner than the DBAL A2's EEL-based illuminator, and a bit more visible on low power than the latter.

The dreaded 'ring' artifact that initial IRIS buyers were reporting is also not present on my unit in both wide and small cone divergence.

I decided to move the DBAL A2 back a little bit to clear up space for a dedicated flip-up front sight.

Something about the lack of anti-rotation geometry on the Railscales LEAF just rubs me the wrong way :V

Having it back here also gives me more instantaneous access to the controls on the unit itself. Though I'll need to see how much (if any) IR splashback I get from the illuminator before I fully commit to this arrangement.

Some of you may have noticed that my DBAL no longer has its default rubber dust caps and I've since added a neutral density filter to the laser side to cut back on the bloom of the full power laser.

Oh boy, another fucking laser! :D Holosun IRIS-3

Nothing I can really say about it that hasn't been said by a half-dozen gunfluencers at this point. Very small, light, and very ergonomically convenient - the controls are right where I need them to be without needing to break my grip and I don't even need to use a remote cable for this setup.

Main drawback is it's lack of a proper flood setting on the illumination, with the beam being a bit too tight on the widest setting and the smallest divergence being uselessly small. Hopefully VWS will come out with a diffuser cap in the near future. My only other complaint is the control switches on the back are ridiculously stiff, but that just tells me they're at least waterproofed properly.

^Size comparison with an EG NGAL.

Admittedly, the Chinesium NGAL is a bit more functional on paper since it has upgraded diffuser/neutral density caps from DarkLight Dynamics to give the illuminator a nice flood and to cut back on the intense bloom of the full-power laser.

So update on the PEQ15A

Turns out this unit wasn't just handled rough, it was purposefully demilled - glass in both apertures are busted out and while the laser seems to work fine, the illuminator pattern is fucked, focus knob won't diverge or converge the beam.

Thankfully I paid literally nothing on this unit so it's zero loss to me outside of being a little disappointing.

But honestly? I might try to buy one in better condition later down the road. I hate the idea of buying gray market FP lasers, but this thing is just so damn pretty with its colors and the form factor is just what I like for a long gun laser.

God's saltiest DBAL A2/PEQ15A All emitters still work, somehow.

CTF Photonics - CTF-3 Laser Aiming Module

So far it seems very well-constructed. The CNC billet 6065 aluminum body feels solid, the rail clamp is well thought-out, the and the battery caps don't impede button activation as much as I thought they would.

However, getting the bad out of the way first, the adjustment turrets, contrary to my original assumption, do not feature 'clicky' MOA increments - they seem like they've got an internal o-ring somewhere to tension the screws for zeroing adjustment and the marks on the vertical turret are just there as witness marks more than actual adjustments.

Additionally the screws are small and seem easy to strip for how much pressure's needed to turn them. But for they do seem like they'll hold zero no issue once adjusted, for what it's worth.

The unit is incredibly low-profile as you would expect - an IR-only laser diode sits center over bore with what amounts to two independent 300-style scout flashlight bodies sitting saddleback on either side of the top rail. One holds a white light and the other would hold some form of IR illuminator head (B.E. Meyers KIJI, Z-Bolt Blazer, 3EIR Vulcan).

It seems like a good solution for secondary or tertiary builds that you wanna tack NV capabilities onto. Incidentally, due to being so low-profile, it's the perfect MFAL for an AK or other rifles that you can't put excessively tall optic risers on due to the stock being lower than the top of the receiver.

I've ordered a Z-Bolt Blazer Head and will be donating this laser to @bureau-of-mines' AK in trade for a Holosun IRIS-3 or AMMJ Penumbra (depending on whether the former restocks before I make up the additional cash to afford the latter).

For the sake of comparison, here's the CTF-3 without any heads in between a Steiner DBAL D2 and an EG NGAL.

The CTF-3 seems like a large unit, but it's very flat and carries most of its weight in the integral flashlight bodies, which it spreads out nicely. Plus the fact it eliminates a separate white light setup also cuts down greatly on weight.