I need a better quality IR laser.  I have a lasermax uni right now, and an M952v for a light. I was going to get a Steiner OTAL classic to replace the lasermax, but I saw the x400v by surefire, and was intreaged. The only issue I have is how far the laser will be from the bore. I am probably going to mount it as far forward as possible on my free float specter length rail in the 3 o'clock position. This will put the laser offset pretty far to the right of my bore. I thought about a thorntail but I don't want it to get ripped off in CQB. the more systems you have the more that can go wrong, so I'm looking at the 3 o'clock being my only option. I DONT WANT IT UNDER THE RAIL.   Have any of you used a setup like this, with that much offset?  What issues did you have? If any?

Its not the distance from your barrel that is the issue so much as it is from your optic.

I ran this setup for a while and it worked great.  Just set your laser parallel to your optic on both axis.

If I recall the center of the diode is 40mm offset to the right or left of the centerline of the barrel, and 10mm below a T-1 in a lower 1/3rd optic.

Just set the laser so it is 40mm left or right of your optic (depending on which way you mount it), and 10mm below it.

10mm below won't change elevation very much from your optics NORMAL POI at a given range, just remember that your dot is about an inch and a half offset left or right, and use the same damn hold you would with your optic otherwise.

Simple.  Works great.

IWC Thorntail 45 deg. offset mount.

Due to the distance though, when you change batteries, you'll have to re-zero since it may be a little off.

I have since put the X400 on a pistol and moved to this:





Its a little heavier, but I prefer having a really good white light on a carbine.  500 lumens is better than 150, and the slaved laser is a great thing to have.  No issues with batteries either.

Cons vs X400V IRC is that its quite a bit heavier.

Also, this is quality gear no need to worry about it "getting ripped off in CQB".

I appreciate the reply. And the pics. They are worth a thousand words. Lol. You got a nice setup there. The only time I need white light is for CQB. I have no use for 500 lumens. I didn't even want more than 200 but the new x400v is a 300 lumen light from what Victor told me at TNVC.  So I'll have to live with it.
Now I am very very hard on my equipment, I take my gear through hell. So much so in our CQB training we ripped the inforce flashlights that Halley loves right off the rails; snapped the mount. Will the thorntail handle abuse. I don't want to go to my light or laser and find it fell off in a tussle with a guy because it was attached to a high speed low drag expensive piece of crap. Lol. Halley endorses some good stuff but if this is anything like his inforce lights I won't be able to use it. Which is why I was asking about mounting straight to the 3 o'clock rail. Less parts involved, less can go wrong.

The thorntail is very tough, its a solid chunk of metal held together by two beefy screws, so honestly I don't think the offset mount will be an issue....at all.

The X400 also has a much better mounting system than the WML.

In order to get a WML to not slide back and forth on a rail, I have to use a wrench to grab that shitty little tightening knob to wrench it even harder.

Finger tight isn't tight enough, and thats my biggest gripe about those lights mounts.  Frankly, they blow.

I will second RA's suggestion that you look at the new DBAL single spectrum.  It sounds like the best answer for you and is about the same price wise as the X400 V IRc.  Best part is, you get to add whatever light you want and have a setup better suited for a rifle, hands down.  Re zeroing from a battery change sucks.  Handgun, not so bad since it doesn't shift that much on a gun you MAY use out to 25 yards.

On a rifle you can use at 100+?  Its an issue.

Thanks. I was looking at the dbal but I didn't want the dbal AND another light when I could have both in the same package. Why in the world would you have to rezero after changing the batteries. That is terrible.  Is it because you have to remove the light from the rail?  So the rear door won't come open on the rail?  NO WAY do I want a 750 dollar light I have to rezero every time I change the batteries. Now between the dbal and the OTAL classic, I like the OTAL classic because it is smaller and lighter. What do y'all think about the OTAL over the dbal.  Pro's con's?  I don't use visible lasers.

Correct.  The door doesn't have room to swing open when its attached to a rail.

The DBAL single spectrum (which is not yet available but coming) has one huge advantage, IR illuminator.  On a fighting gun, you really really really want an IR illuminator that is preferably attached to the same unit as your laser so that ONE press will activate both your laser and illuminator.

The OTAL doesn't have this, so you would be stuck getting  a vampire light, which you would have to figure out how to activate under IR mode at the same time as your laser if you went that route.

No question I would get the Dbal single spectrum once its available.

They are coming out with a single switch that runs the surefire flashlights and Steiner lasers at the same time, or individually depending on which button you press. Two wires I to one switch. I'm planning on scooping that up when they get them in. I already have an M952V so I don't want ANOTHER illuminator.  I was thinking about grabbing an x300v to save weight though. The millinium series are huge.

Think how far your irons, red dot, scope, etc are from the bore.

Keith

Thanks for all of the help. Ended up keeping the M952v and going
Ng with an LDI DBAL i2 visible red and IR.https://vault.myvzw.com/webcs/app/share/invite/vw0mj78vbq