I am looking to purchase a daylight visible laser for my patrol rifle (LE) but not really sure where to start. My patrol rifle has a standard fsb. I do not need IR capabilities as I do not have night vision.

I came across the Laser Devices OTAL-C and the DBAL I2 but am unsure of the quality as well as the distance that the laser is visible in daylight as on the LD website it says 5 meters but TNVC says 50 meters.

Also saw the Surefire X400 Ultra with the green laser but did not see the distance at which the laser was visible.

Any other recommendations are welcome.

Red lasers are generally visible best under low light conditions.  In bright sunlight, it may only be visible 15-20 yards.  Green lasers are visible out ot 50 yards in bright sunlight and further under the right conditions.  That said, lasers are generally less effective as aiming tools than red dot sights like the Aimpoint T1.    Unless you are having to shoot positionally in a way that you can't get your eye behind the red dot, the laser has limited improved functionality.

Where the laser adds value is using NVGs since it is hard to keep the NOD behind the rifle.

I have a couple of DBAL I2s and they are great kit.  I also have a OTAL in IR and it is good too.  I don't know if the OTAL can be had in green though.

No "visible" laser are going to be useful for shooting during daylight.

You may find a shaded area good enough to do a close zero on, but none will be bright enough to use reliably through daylight conditions.

Due to the above comments about lighting, and I certainly agree with the comment on the use of lasers, I would recommend the X400U...


I thought about this same thing just a little while ago...I wanted a laser, and while the IR capabilities would be nice, I don't don NV at work...so it is extra weight that I really don't need.  The X400U gives you the visible laser when you want it, and the light when you need it.  I like the idea of the laser for the unorthodox shooting positions one may encounter.  It doesn't add much weight over the X300U, if you knew you wanted a good light source, but it gives you the added comfort of the laser.


Realistically you need to assess what your use with the laser will be....even a standalone makes sense if you are going to be using it at distance and/or for durations of time...the Surefire X400U is limited in its battery life (almost a 4th of the laser devices OTAL).