Almost perfect - SureFire XVL2-IRC Pistol & Carbine LED Light and Laser Module System

I’ve tried numerous IR laser products over the years. Holosun LS321G, DBAL-i2, DBAL-A3, Surefire X400V to name a few. They each had their own individual pros and cons. None of them ever checked off all of the boxes for me. When the XVL2-IRC started to become available (and issue that is still a problem as I look at this product currently out of stock pretty much everywhere) I decided to swallow the admittedly high price in hopes of finding that unicorn products that covers all of the bases as a 4-in-1 unit (visible laser and light and IR laser and IR light) that didn’t weigh a pound and take up what’s left of the already small rail estate on my SBR.

First the pros:
-Super lightweight at a little over 5 oz.
-Super small compared to other laser units
-Easy to use activation methods. Using the paddles or buy buying the Surefire tape switches.
-I found the performance of the 4 modes to be satisfactory when acknowledging its design purpose. This isn’t meant to be a long range IR designation tool to call in air strikes or for use to illuminate 600+ yards.
-Battery changes don’t require you to remove the laser from your rail, making you rezero after every battery change like the X400V.

Now the single con in my eyes:
-The mode selector switch is sub par. Assuming that you’ll be adjusting it in the dark, it’s hard to know what mode it is currently in just by feeling it with your fingers. The selector wheel is pretty smooth (assuming it was meant to be this way to avoid snagging and to fit into holsters). Forget adjusting the modes if you’re wearing gloves of any kind. It requires fine motor skills for sure as well as remembering the order of what mode comes next to be able to adjust the modes. The selector also doesn’t rotate 360*. Which for me means that if I want to switch from white light + green laser mode to the IR light + IR laser mode, I can’t just click the wheel over two clicks. I have to turn the wheel completely around ~315* to switch between those two modes.

So to end this long review. The unit is almost perfect. The mode selector is its sole con in my eyes. Not a deal breaker by any means, and I love this unit overall with zero plans of selling (unless a version with a new and improves selector wheel comes out that isn’t vaporware). If you can get over the price, it’s a fantastic product that allowed me to check off the most boxes in my hierarchy of needs. I’d highly recommend. Especially if the mode selector wheel doesn’t bother you.