Great idea, less-than-ideal execution - Viridian Weapon Technologies HS1 M-Lok Mounting Infrared Laser

I got this on a great sale at Optics Planet. I've just entered the very pricey world of night vision, and I was looking for an IR aiming module. Since I don't make DBAL or MAWL money, I was seeking a less expensive alternative. These were on sale at OP and Viridian is a recognized brand, so figured I should give it a try. For me, the unit itself was a little small. I use a BCM KFG on my AR-style carbines, so I'm no stranger to smaller handstops [vs. broomhandles, AFGs, etc.]. It took some familiarization with the unit to figure out good hand placement so as not to cover up the laser. It took some practice, as with even my pixie-sized hands, my forefinger would naturally fall in front of the sight window. Once I figured out my hand placement and zero, I moved forward.

On to the test phase: I kitted up and proceeded to my personal range at around 11:30pm. There was some cloud cover, so it was suitably dark to play round. The short version is that the range of the laser is almost useless on a rifle. I could clearly see the dot up to about 5-7 meters if I was reflecting it off a wall or a tree. However, anything past that and it was completely indiscernible. I painted my chicken coop, my vehicle, my barn. It didn’t matter. Anything past 8-10 meters and you could not see the dot on anything. I recognize that this isn’t a full-powered DBAL or anything, but I would at least expect it to show up at 25 meters at least. I even ran it along the ground to make sure I wasn’t losing it… I would track the laser on the ground until I couldn’t see it anymore, which was just past 10 meters or so.

So as a viable NVG laser aiming system, I would give this one star. It’s marketed for long guns, but doesn’t have a modicum of long-gun distance throw. So what’s the point? To be fair, this is a civilian-rated commercial device, so I wasn’t expecting MAWL-like performance, but if you can’t use the designator on your rifle past stink-breath distance, what good is it? I gave it 2 stars because it did work. It was easy to mount and operate and Viridian is a pretty solid company. However, this aiming device literally misses the mark.

Kudos to Optics Planet for being so easy to work with. I returned it without any hitches. Their customer service is top notch.