What's the practical use of a laser on a rifle?

[theGinsue]

I bought one of those cheap green lasers and mounted it on my rifle just to play with. While it's cool and all to see the green beam at night, I'm not seeing what practical purpose a laser serves. During the day I don't see it offering anything above my aimpoint as a sighting system and at night it seems to act as a 'shoot here' indicator since the beam can be clearly seen and traced back to the source.

?? This post confuses me. Thinking back to High School physics class, and then testing my theory with my own laser, I've always understood that because a laser uses coherant light, you can not see the beam of a laser, just the termination point - UNLESS there is matter in the path of the beam (such as dust, fog, etc.) for the beam to relect off of.

...I don't "need" an assault rifle ..

That really is a term that you should consider abstaining from using. NO civilian non-NFA firearm is truly an "assualt rifle". This is a term adopted by the Brady bunch and other anti-gunners to classify any firearm that they think will elicit an emotional reation from the masses. Use of this term by the pro 2A side of the house only re-enforces the anti-gunners position on the matter.

Unless I use it to guide a cat missile across the room and up the wall to the light switch.

I have a little mouse shaped laser that I use to tease the cat. He goes absolutely ape shit chasing the thing around the house & freaks out when you put the dot on his paw.


.

[rondog]

"Laser on a rifle for guiding in missles". Oooo, now THAT sounds like a good time! I could dig it.

[GunTroll]

?? This post confuses me. Thinking back to High School physics class, and then testing my theory with my own laser, I've always understood that because a laser uses coherant light, you can not see the beam of a laser, just the termination point - UNLESS there is matter in the path of the beam (such as dust, fog, etc.) for the beam to relect off of.



That really is a term that you should consider abstaining from using. NO civilian non-NFA firearm is truly an "assualt rifle". This is a term adopted by the Brady bunch and other anti-gunners to classify any firearm that they think will elicit an emotional reation from the masses. Use of this term by the pro 2A side of the house only re-enforces the anti-gunners position on the matter.



I have a little mouse shaped laser that I use to tease the cat. He goes absolutely ape shit chasing the thing around the house & freaks out when you put the dot on his paw.


.

Dang!

[SA Friday]

Some lasers are more visible than others. Don't forget, there are a lot of particles in the air we breath. They reflect (and sometimes even refract) light. You can never ensure the laser isn't going to point both ways.

To the original question: there is none really except for close quarter combat and night combat. This is serious stuff in military applications. Trying to mate up an Aimpoint M-2 mounted on your M-4 and a PVS-14 mounted to your helmet is a bitch. Trying to shoot like that is even worse. Trying to shoot accurately is virtually impossible. IR laser allows for over-the-top sighting with helmet mounted NVGs.

long distance shooting with a laser = tacticool poser BS.

[Tora]

To the original question: there is none really except for close quarter combat and night combat. This is serious stuff in military applications. Trying to mate up an Aimpoint M-2 mounted on your M-4 and a PVS-14 mounted to your helmet is a bitch. Trying to shoot like that is even worse. Trying to shoot accurately is virtually impossible. IR laser allows for over-the-top sighting with helmet mounted NVGs.

long distance shooting with a laser = tacticool poser BS.

+1
And this is the only real reason to use a laser on a rifle, as I see it.

[BigBear]

Yay, I got one thing right!


and just to brag, (early birthday present) my bolt for the long rifle got sent off to Kampfeld today! I just might be going to one of those PD shots' y'all keep talking about soon!

[mutt]

?? This post confuses me. Thinking back to High School physics class, and then testing my theory with my own laser, I've always understood that because a laser uses coherant light, you can not see the beam of a laser, just the termination point - UNLESS there is matter in the path of the beam (such as dust, fog, etc.) for the beam to relect off of.

Correct, I can't actually see the stream of photons the laser is emitting. However, at night, I can see all the reflective airborne particles in the path of the stream. This gives the visual effect of a wispy green line that can be traced back to me...

Dang Ginsue, next time I won't leave any details out of my post =)

[mutt]

Trying to mate up an Aimpoint M-2 mounted on your M-4 and a PVS-14 mounted to your helmet is a bitch. Trying to shoot like that is even worse. Trying to shoot accurately is virtually impossible. IR laser allows for over-the-top sighting with helmet mounted NVGs.

long distance shooting with a laser = tacticool poser BS.

Huh, good to know my decision to buy a Aimpoint M3 over the ML3 was pointless then. I thought having NV capability would be useful if I ever got a helmet mounted NV device to play with. No you're telling me it's an impossible to use setup.

See, you live and you learn. I'm just glad the M3 only cost $50 more than the ML3 or I'd really be upset.

[SA Friday]

Huh, good to know my decision to buy a Aimpoint M3 over the ML3 was pointless then. I thought having NV capability would be useful if I ever got a helmet mounted NV device to play with. No you're telling me it's an impossible to use setup.

See, you live and you learn. I'm just glad the M3 only cost $50 more than the ML3 or I'd really be upset.

Not impossible, just slightly better than guessing under the stress of a firefight. We didn't have IR lasers for our M-4's down range. Something I spent a lot of time lobbying for after my return and then spent a lot of your all taxes on purchasing before I retired. We were mounting our PVS-14's in tandem with our Aimpoints on the M-4's for our night missions. Half the team would helmet mount, the other half would weapon mount. One of each in each set up in each ranger buddy team. It gave us the ability to scan, indentify, and engage without sweeping loaded guns all over.

AN/PEQ-16A's are the cats meow, BTW. Insight Tech wanted me to be one of their sale reps after all the business I did with them, but in the DC area. I was all for the job, but no fricken way I'm living there again.