Any plans to try and get ahold of a Z-Bolt ACAL, VCSEL 3R (This is the Civilian version) ? If not id bet this one isn't getting much attention. With VCSEL illuminator and a CO-"LOCATED" lasers, its pretty sweet tech.
I truly enjoy everyone if his deep-dive reviews! All data oriented, practical, w/out the larger crapband tactical wannabe jump is screams "used car salesman" that 99% of these other videos do. Kyle's got a great thing going, and he is an engineer by trade, so he takes that exact approach to a while new level!
I was a very early adopter of the DIR-V and while my first unit had some issues 3EIR was fantastic to work with and made it right, no muss no fuss. That’s a marked advantage over Chinese or gray market FP units.
I love everything about this unit- except for the amount of illuminator spill near the shooter, even with the diffuser cap off. If you shoot through a port or through a gap in the bushes, it blinds you. It's too much like a flashlight. I want a spotlight with no light outside of it like the PEQ-15 or DBAL or the MAWL on its long range setting for situations like that. There's just no way to make the DIR-V work there. It also paints a path from the shooter to the target because of its wide beam, so it's less ideal for LE or military users concerned about return fire.
Valid point. I did notice some spill around the illuminator. From a hunting and plinking perspective, I liked the little bit of spill it had, but for duty use I can appreciate what you’re saying.
Every time I find out about a new or lesser known laser I’m always hopeful that it’s not going to be plagued by the government contract level of price but as always I’m disappointed. I understand this kinda stuff isn’t cheap to make but it is possible to make lasers that aren’t thousands of dollars. I also understand NV isn’t exactly a budget/cheap hobby but it’s nice to find options that don’t cost what most of the popular devices cost. This looks really nice though and I like how low it sits.
Thin Line Defense review said this laser wasn't good at all. Hop & Brass were hating it this unit as well. You and 1911 Syndicate say it's the best thing since slice bread
Important to analyze bias. Who has the incentive to say what they say and why? This is a badass little unit for its size, but at $2K I can literally score two FP Perst3s or almost any other FP unit that isn't a MAWL or OGL. This is a pretty tough sell at $2000 for a civ device.
I’m aware that this unit has had iterative improvements over time, so I can only speak to the latest iteration. Not sure what versions the other guys tested
That’s why I disclose relationships. I like the way 3EIR treats their customers. Even with their massive sales, they talk to people like they’re still two dudes working out of a garage. Their product is also very impressive to me, based on my experience against other lasers and the price point it comes in at. $2k isn’t cheap, but I could buy 2 nearly of these for every raid xe or mawl and have about 90% of the function of those Gucci lasers. This is again why I like to include data in my videos, so it’s less subjective on why I claim something is good or not good
Hop's review wasn't that bad, in fact he said it was a very good layout, but that the laser was a bit too powerful and the plastic could break. He also said that the price and lack of track record made it a bit of a gamble. Find me a Hop review that says something is just right 😂
Hop did a review on a different 3EIR product, post Arisaka improvements, and spoke well of it. I just don't think Hop or Brass have an updated unit on hand to test
Really appreciate your details! I’m getting my ars handed to me by predators this year so I’m saving for a capable setup. Sightmark is working but it’s hard to walk through the woods looking through a scope. Keep it up
Happy you enjoyed the vid. They do have an IR only option if you want a compact illuminator and save some cash on a vis laser that may compliment your NV scope
Exceptional review. Very thorough. I have ordered one of these and should receive it today. 2k for a LAM that performs just as good or better than the MAWL, Raid or the PEQ15 is awesome.
Ive been running a potted Somogear PEQ clone on a UTG Ultraslim handguard for about three years now. I shoot through at least 200 rounds a month, but its generally 500-1,000. The SOMOGEAR on that handguard has held zero out to 100 yds, and running it with an Inforce "vampire" light makes it very effective inside 50 for sure. That being said, if you plan on running your LAM or the rifle its on especially hard, you may want to look into spending more. The potting, I did myself after zeroing the LAM. Light and laser together ran me $600. The hardest use it gets is on a 16" midlength 5.56 running 77 gr OTM loads for hogs and coyotes.
Not saying you can’t do it for less, that’s for sure. But people need to understand you do pay for US engineering, US sourced materials, and US sourced assembly labor; not to mention all of the above being involved with potential warranty resolutions should some issue arise. At $2k, the DIRV is NOT a “budget” option, but I feel it provides extreme value compared to the competition with similar output at nearly double the cost
@4MRRanch I agree. You get what you pay for, to a point. Most shooters just aren't going to notice the difference in quality between a $1k LAM and a $2k LAM. I feel like these products are generally more geared towards government departments with more budget. They'd absolutely notice a difference between this unit, and a setup like mine, though.
A friend has had one for a year and i have one ordered to replace my D2. The form factor and output are fantastic and right about $2k in the ir laser world is budget level as unfortunate as that is. People complaining about the housing being polymer must have forgotten the peq is too.
The reason why most people assume 3D printing is poor quality is because they're probably thinking of the kind that average home end-users use, which for the most part I still consider to be for hobbyist. Industrial 3D printing however is on a whole different level in terms of the materials that can be used and or combined together, along with being more precise.
The term "3D printing" is definitely associated with hobbyist's. The proper terminology is actually referred to as 'additive manufacturing", and doesn't have the negative connotations associated with 3d printing.
The performance of these is great, but a friend I shoot with had not 1 or 2, but THREE units break in different ways. The durability isn't there with these currently.
How recent did their units break? They pretty regularly update and improve these from what I can tell. So I’m curious how current of a version your friend had durability issues with.
@@4MRRanch I believe they were purcased in 2023. 2 broke this winter (illuminator seemed tocome loose inside the housing) and another this summer (zero lost and turrets spinning freely). All seemed to be issues with durability of the housing.
I've been having great performance from the SomoGear NGAL. About a year later, and around 900 rounds, its still going without issue. It was about $400. Hard to beat that.
@4MRRanch I have a ziploc taped around it for rain, it hasn't died yet. Plastic, 100mph tape, and 550 cord might not look cool, but is cheap and works wonders for lots of kit issues.
I just ordered this laser illuminator. The ir aiming laser is a 6”diameter of about 10 lasers. Is this right? I am new to night vision and the ir world. Any help would be appreciated.
It’s not uncommon for IR lasers to have some spill, as well as some divergence. In my video you see how mine looks, if you’re is substantially worse than mine you may want to reach out to them
I detect a new drinking game in the making, "Without Getting Further into the Weeds." So, if you sell merch, sell shot glasses with that phrase printed on it. Or abbreviate it. Something like WiGFiT-W... :))
I think it’s just slightly brighter but it being IR only there is only a single button and no selector switch. Plus it’s over all slightly smaller I made a post about it a while ago size comparing the two
@@nurse-dudecan confirm. IR only variant smacks! And it’s $500 cheaper and according to Dave, and is more durable because it has less moving parts and is lighter
What scope mount height were you able to run on this? I've noticed the issue you covered about certain units getting in the way. How low were you able to go with this unit on the setup in the video? Thanks!
If they would drop the price of the IR laser/illuminator from 1500 to about 1000 they’d have a winner. If I’m spending any more than 12 or so I’m getting a grey market peq15
I’m fine with clones, mainly because they’re the only ones I can come remotely close to affording. I’m also building my own digital night vision because I can’t afford premade ones and I can spread the cost out over time
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with clones for non-duty use. For hunting or plinking, I think they make sense as a way to save some cash for other needs.
I got the DIR1. It's IR laser only, with a Surfire Vampire IR/white light for $850. I figured that if I needed a white light, why not get a flashlight that has both IR and white light, and then not have to get an IR designator that has built-in IR illumination for additional cost. I hope i made the right choice. Where does my setup fall short? In IR flood light throw? Are designators usually better at casting IR light further distances than IR flashlights?
Some hero needs to scan the housing and machine a metal body to increase resilience and ensure waterproofing. Would fix the 2 major issues most people have with the unit.
I asked them if they have ever considered a machined housing, the short answer is the printed approach helps them stay as slim as they currently are, as well as well sealed
If you know the general direction to be looking for it, I had no issues in spotting it. Will you see a laser trace and will it jump out at you at further distance in the day? No. But they have it as strong as fda regs will allow them to.
Bought one right when they released and it was fantastic but I had issues with the waterproofing so they replaced it with the new upgraded unit for no cost in about a week. I’ve been trying to tell people how good this thing is but everyone believes what people say on Reddit as if it’s gospel. Funny part is you know 99 percent of the people trash talking it for being plastic have never used it yet they’ll use a peq15.
@@svenskaskene199 yeah I would have been down to collect viable developmental data for them, but it’s only been recently that companies making these kinds of products have learned of my channel and my detailed review style.
At $2k, this makes this laser fall outside the “budget” category.. BUT the mawl and raid Xe come in at nearly double the cost, without double the capabilities. So for the $2k and under budget this one takes the cake, especially when considering form factor and ergonomics.
They seem to be struggling with QC at the moment. They are trying to provide good customer service, but the size of the company leaves them a little lite on bandwidth.
@@4MRRanch Shift up and right when it got hot on day 1, then back down close to zero when it cooled. Plus, logistical issues with the return. Hopefully it gets fixed. I will keep you updated.
@@4MRRanch other reviews have said these things break a lot too with only a 2 year warranty.. the mk4 has a lifetime warranty and according to Mr invisible, he has lead time down to 4-6 months but limits his orders. Lifetime warranty is pretty impressive assuming he doesn't die or disappear. I don't think anyone else offers that The spill and non adjustable nature of this device along with reports ofn vast QC issues has me hesitant on trying it.. I guess us civilians are always looking out for the small, light, powerful device that's at retail prices and not at government contract "we don't care of you buy it or not" prices. Maybe the IRIS will be our savior. Or maybe I'll just buy a raid xe and be done with it for a while haha. Nothing checks all the boxes I guess
Seems like the illuminator has too much spill. If you were say, aiming through foliage, the spill / reflection would wreak havoc with your autogaiting.
I haven’t personally noticed an issue with auto-gating but have not yet been using this in point blank proximity to brush. This is a fair point of concern, and I’ll carry this forward as a possible data point to test for future reviews.
@@4MRRanch you can also use something like shooting past / through a loophole on a barrier on the flat range. It has the same effect. Thanks for the response!
It's so underrated it's $2000.00. Bro why tf would I spring for that when it's made of 3d plastic and will probably break under the weight of its own logo?
It’s made with additive manufacturing of high quality composite, but by no means is on the same planet of 3d printed items made on hobbyist level printers. You don’t even see seam lines from the extrusion passes on this. It looks molded.
Roughly half of what a new MAWL or Raid Xe comes in at. Never said it was a budget option, $2k is a LOT of money for an auxiliary accessory, but still saves you the cost of a half decent rifle compared to some of its competition.
@@4MRRanch Underrated means it's worth more that people give it credit for. At the end of the day this some components that cost a couple dollars at most dunked in epoxy and wrapped in a fancy box with a button. Laser aiming modules that work cost about $300, an LED or LEP based IR illuminator that's zeroable with focusable beam (if the industry made such a product with those features for this market) would cost less that $100. When you combine the two you lose the need for switches and a second battery, meaning the price should come down. Two thousand bloody dollars for a combo laser illuminator is obscene, not underrated. It's not even dod contract where they can't sell it to civs for cheap or else the gvmt will demand the same. This is marketed to us, the hobbyists. The only reason this costs $2k is because the market, you and I, is willing to tolerate that, and it's time we said enough. If streamlight saw there was market demand from us in that price bracket they could tighten the beam on the tlr-vir and it would be an almost perfect entry level laser/illum combo, for like $350.
Assuming you mean a front sight, yes. The illuminator and laser is offset to allow for a front sight. But keep in mind, the farther back you mount any laser, the more IR bounce back you may get off lights, the barrel/suppressor. The diffuser on this makes the illumination very wide and spill on your rig will be something to consider.
If you’re ok with clone options, the IS-EG or somo NGALs are decent budget options. Currently testing the M6TR which seems solid thus far and can be had around $1k with the current pre orders. Will be testing the IRIS in hopes it steals the sub $1k market
A collaboration with @DeltaThirtyFour would be SICKKK. Y’all put similarly admirable and autistic level amounts of information for us fellow gear queers. I retired out of the infantry and am going back to kickin doors after i finish up my degree… I thought the PEQ was king… boy was I wrong. Between me and my friends, we’ve broken 5-10 of those plastic lil shits. NGAL is the way
I have the DIR-V and a D2, and I like both. The DIR-V having allen key adjustments is insane to me. Now I need to keep a special tool in my AR grip. This would be a deal breaker if the civ laser market wasn't so barren. The form factor is great. I can see my D2 in my line of sight thru an EXPS-3, with or without my 3x magnifier (so I run a 5x with it). But the DIR-V stays out of your POV completely. Being in the field of view is insanely annoying to me when running magnification. Not a big deal to me at 1x. The DIR-V is much lighter. The mounting worries me a bit more than the D2. And even if it isn't practically needed, I still wish it had two laser power levels like the D2. The DIR-V has a lot less parasitic drain than the D2. If I forget to move the switch to off on the D2, it'll be dead pretty soon. I left the DIR-V on standby for a few months. I think it was finally dead after 3 or 4 months maybe... Overall, despite the weight and size, I prefer the D2. It feels more trustworthy to me, and is almost half the cost.
Thanks for sharing your analysis from your end as well. I agree with a lot of your points. Just a heads up though, the D2 is selling for closer to $1700 now
The brightest daylight laser I have tested is the rovbyvon GL4 Pro FP, but that’s $800. The Somogear NGAL is stupid bright too. If you don’t want NV though you should buy a dedicated vid laser otherwise you’re spending more money, and getting a larger laser than necessary
I gave data points on why I think it’s the best. Mentioned performance at its price point as well, and still chose to disclose it was sent for free for transparency sake. Cant make everyone happy though, and some people will still find a way to criticize.
@@GWOTalchem check out his IR device comparison. He backs up his points with data and examples. Not to mention he openly stated a relationship with the manufacturer and let us know it was provided free of charge with ammo but I see your point 😆
$2000 dollars for this is insane! I paid $1000 each for my D2 and A3, is this 50% better than those? No. This is worth $1000 tops. There is too many other options out there from reputable and established companies to be charging this price. Even Holosun has the iris launching soon at the $800 price point. In the civ market, the performance is so similar it makes no sense to pay this much for a unit.
Checkout my laser comparison video. This laser crushes the civilian legal A3 in illumination performance and form factor. It’s about even with the D2 in terms of illumination (which by the way sells for around $1700 now) but is way lighter, more compact, doesn’t have prolapse issues or lengthy warranty processes So yeah this is the best laser for a $2k and under budget at the moment. I’ll be testing the IRIS, and just started testing on the new laserspeed M6TR, either of which could take the place of best for under $2k. That’s why I said at the time of this video this is my favorite. New lasers are coming out, and even 3EIR will drop new gear eventually
Agreed, there is ZERO justification in these costs, tge level of technology in these items is not that of an Apple MacBook, hell it's not even the level of a Playstation, yet costs 4 times as much. This is where Somogear and the other Chinese competition is going to smoke these guys out of the CIV market. Which honestly they don't care, their main sales are to MIL/LE who just buy another at the expense of tax payers.
So, the A3 which sucks in comparison and the D2 which is only $300 cheaper is a huge brick in comparison. Sounds like you get what you pay for when you buy the 3EIR.
Nah dude, that only applies to an actual flag in a parade or flag patches worn on Army uniforms. On official vehicles, specifically aircraft it's prescribed as the union facing forward. Flag Code suggests the union to be displayed to the observer's left in most of the applicable examples, but Flag Code only applies to actual flags and not the image of the flag (except in the case of temporary use goods). But the flag's on the underside of the unit and is facing in the correct orientation in relation to the rest of markings.
Doesn't really matter as long as they hold up. Peq15s/16s aren't super impressive in person either, but they have great useability and features. I wish all these damn prices would come down too man.
I completely agree with you on judging the look. I was in the same boat. Do yourself a favor and go to a local gun store than stocks these. They’re solid. I was super surprised how well made they feel. Their extrusion process doesn’t leave seams the way cheap 3D printing processes do. Other than it not being cold to the touch, it feels like it was a molded piece of metal. Super impressive tech, and allows them to make it as small as it is.
@@4MRRanch Holosun is about to drop another full power vcsel unit, ir, green vis with illuminator for much smaller than this called the Iris and they’re letting us have it for around $900
So how does this $2000 plstic guy compare against the$1000 holosun iris? That’s my only question. And does this thing have comparable warranty to holosun’s flawless no questions asked warranty?
If you appreciate the content, please subscribe to the channel so I can get the videos bigger and badder for you all. Thanks for watching!
Any plans to try and get ahold of a Z-Bolt ACAL, VCSEL 3R (This is the Civilian version) ? If not id bet this one isn't getting much attention. With VCSEL illuminator and a CO-"LOCATED" lasers, its pretty sweet tech.
you could supply a link to where to purchase reviewed items.
$2,000 for anyone wondering
I mention this. Just can’t link these kind of toys due to RUclips policy
@@4MRRanch I’m still saving up for dual tubes 😅
@DEATER155 get a 2nd pvs14 lol
Shewr, that's banannas!
Gross
Been saying this for almost a year!
Great content my dude. Seriously, the amount of work and detail in these videos is next level.
Much appreciated! More to come
I truly enjoy everyone if his deep-dive reviews! All data oriented, practical, w/out the larger crapband tactical wannabe jump is screams "used car salesman" that 99% of these other videos do. Kyle's got a great thing going, and he is an engineer by trade, so he takes that exact approach to a while new level!
I was a very early adopter of the DIR-V and while my first unit had some issues 3EIR was fantastic to work with and made it right, no muss no fuss. That’s a marked advantage over Chinese or gray market FP units.
They are TOP TIER in customer service. I’ll be featuring more of the gear in the future due to how well they take care of their customers
I was searching 3dir thank you
I love how flush it is to the hand guard.
They feel fantastic to use, best LAM ergos.
Yep, insanely low profile.
Agreed. And half the price of a mawl
@@KidCorporate Yeah, I just looked up the price… very reasonable for a USA made product.
@@4MRRanch The screw thing would bother me, wonder if you could replace it with a more flush option?
Love these demonstrations. Great work.
Glad you like them, many more in the works.
The way you analyze everything is just so meticulous. Great work as always! Thank you for featuring our Night Vision!
I bought one back in January. Amazing product and company! They called my cellphone and we talked for an hour. Great people!
I hear this same experience from a lot of people, glad you know what I mean when I say I like how they take care of their customers
@@4MRRanch Just purchased one myself. Spoke to the owner, great dude and great company.
Oh! A new 4MR Ranch video! Let’s go!
Enjoy!
You are doing a great content... for a smaller group of people, but we much appreciate it.
Yep, this is a niche target audience for these but I do enjoy putting out this info
I love everything about this unit- except for the amount of illuminator spill near the shooter, even with the diffuser cap off. If you shoot through a port or through a gap in the bushes, it blinds you. It's too much like a flashlight. I want a spotlight with no light outside of it like the PEQ-15 or DBAL or the MAWL on its long range setting for situations like that. There's just no way to make the DIR-V work there. It also paints a path from the shooter to the target because of its wide beam, so it's less ideal for LE or military users concerned about return fire.
Valid point. I did notice some spill around the illuminator. From a hunting and plinking perspective, I liked the little bit of spill it had, but for duty use I can appreciate what you’re saying.
If you're LE/MIL, if you needed it, it would be issued to you. Outside of that, you're LARPing. The spill is a non-issue.
Best reviews for NV content! Keep em coming sir
Much appreciated. More in the works!
Every time I find out about a new or lesser known laser I’m always hopeful that it’s not going to be plagued by the government contract level of price but as always I’m disappointed. I understand this kinda stuff isn’t cheap to make but it is possible to make lasers that aren’t thousands of dollars. I also understand NV isn’t exactly a budget/cheap hobby but it’s nice to find options that don’t cost what most of the popular devices cost. This looks really nice though and I like how low it sits.
Wow. Thank you!!!
Thin Line Defense review said this laser wasn't good at all. Hop & Brass were hating it this unit as well. You and 1911 Syndicate say it's the best thing since slice bread
Important to analyze bias. Who has the incentive to say what they say and why? This is a badass little unit for its size, but at $2K I can literally score two FP Perst3s or almost any other FP unit that isn't a MAWL or OGL. This is a pretty tough sell at $2000 for a civ device.
I’m aware that this unit has had iterative improvements over time, so I can only speak to the latest iteration. Not sure what versions the other guys tested
That’s why I disclose relationships. I like the way 3EIR treats their customers. Even with their massive sales, they talk to people like they’re still two dudes working out of a garage.
Their product is also very impressive to me, based on my experience against other lasers and the price point it comes in at. $2k isn’t cheap, but I could buy 2 nearly of these for every raid xe or mawl and have about 90% of the function of those Gucci lasers.
This is again why I like to include data in my videos, so it’s less subjective on why I claim something is good or not good
Hop's review wasn't that bad, in fact he said it was a very good layout, but that the laser was a bit too powerful and the plastic could break. He also said that the price and lack of track record made it a bit of a gamble. Find me a Hop review that says something is just right 😂
Hop did a review on a different 3EIR product, post Arisaka improvements, and spoke well of it. I just don't think Hop or Brass have an updated unit on hand to test
Really appreciate your details! I’m getting my ars handed to me by predators this year so I’m saving for a capable setup. Sightmark is working but it’s hard to walk through the woods looking through a scope. Keep it up
Happy you enjoyed the vid. They do have an IR only option if you want a compact illuminator and save some cash on a vis laser that may compliment your NV scope
Exceptional review. Very thorough. I have ordered one of these and should receive it today. 2k for a LAM that performs just as good or better than the MAWL, Raid or the PEQ15 is awesome.
Ive been running a potted Somogear PEQ clone on a UTG Ultraslim handguard for about three years now. I shoot through at least 200 rounds a month, but its generally 500-1,000. The SOMOGEAR on that handguard has held zero out to 100 yds, and running it with an Inforce "vampire" light makes it very effective inside 50 for sure.
That being said, if you plan on running your LAM or the rifle its on especially hard, you may want to look into spending more.
The potting, I did myself after zeroing the LAM. Light and laser together ran me $600. The hardest use it gets is on a 16" midlength 5.56 running 77 gr OTM loads for hogs and coyotes.
Not saying you can’t do it for less, that’s for sure. But people need to understand you do pay for US engineering, US sourced materials, and US sourced assembly labor; not to mention all of the above being involved with potential warranty resolutions should some issue arise.
At $2k, the DIRV is NOT a “budget” option, but I feel it provides extreme value compared to the competition with similar output at nearly double the cost
@4MRRanch I agree. You get what you pay for, to a point.
Most shooters just aren't going to notice the difference in quality between a $1k LAM and a $2k LAM. I feel like these products are generally more geared towards government departments with more budget.
They'd absolutely notice a difference between this unit, and a setup like mine, though.
@@4MRRanch US bureaucracy artificially driving up cost
Great job man. Useable review. And saves me 2000 buck just to find out. God bless you and yours.
Thanks for watching. Hope this let you know if this is the right laser for you or not
Good review, brother
Thanks for watching. Just posted another!
A friend has had one for a year and i have one ordered to replace my D2. The form factor and output are fantastic and right about $2k in the ir laser world is budget level as unfortunate as that is. People complaining about the housing being polymer must have forgotten the peq is too.
THANKS FOR POSTING ON RUMBLE!!!!
Yep, need to start backing my videos up there sadly
The reason why most people assume 3D printing is poor quality is because they're probably thinking of the kind that average home end-users use, which for the most part I still consider to be for hobbyist. Industrial 3D printing however is on a whole different level in terms of the materials that can be used and or combined together, along with being more precise.
The term "3D printing" is definitely associated with hobbyist's. The proper terminology is actually referred to as 'additive manufacturing", and doesn't have the negative connotations associated with 3d printing.
This might be what I needed to push me into scooping one or two
You won’t regret it if you do this unit is nearly perfect
I liked the thoughts of that unit at the price point it was at before the Arisaka version. :)
Earned a like and sub. Thanks for this vid. Asking before the end, can this be mounted on the side? Actually asking for a friend. LOL
Yes, and it’s why they did include the crane port
@@4MRRanch ok that tracks, thanks so much.
Brother great content and it looks clean on the rifle . Skunks on the range what the …
Thanks for watching.
Yeah we have a lot of skunks in south Texas, common to see them out at night.
The performance of these is great, but a friend I shoot with had not 1 or 2, but THREE units break in different ways. The durability isn't there with these currently.
How recent did their units break? They pretty regularly update and improve these from what I can tell. So I’m curious how current of a version your friend had durability issues with.
@@4MRRanch I believe they were purcased in 2023. 2 broke this winter (illuminator seemed tocome loose inside the housing) and another this summer (zero lost and turrets spinning freely). All seemed to be issues with durability of the housing.
I've been having great performance from the SomoGear NGAL. About a year later, and around 900 rounds, its still going without issue. It was about $400. Hard to beat that.
Get it wet.. report back to us.
But for plinking I agree it’s hard to beat. I reviewed it very positively
@4MRRanch I have a ziploc taped around it for rain, it hasn't died yet.
Plastic, 100mph tape, and 550 cord might not look cool, but is cheap and works wonders for lots of kit issues.
I just ordered this laser illuminator. The ir aiming laser is a 6”diameter of about 10 lasers. Is this right? I am new to night vision and the ir world. Any help would be appreciated.
It’s not uncommon for IR lasers to have some spill, as well as some divergence. In my video you see how mine looks, if you’re is substantially worse than mine you may want to reach out to them
I detect a new drinking game in the making, "Without Getting Further into the Weeds."
So, if you sell merch, sell shot glasses with that phrase printed on it. Or abbreviate it. Something like WiGFiT-W... :))
What about testing the AMMJ Penumbra laser?
I’ll look into it!
You should do a Kiji vs Vulcan review.
I could make that happen
The best laser system is the PERST 4 from Russia. When I got it, I got it for $800 before we put sanctions. It’s the best system that I’ve used.
Nice.
Thanks
What nods do you run
I have 2, the IR only one is even better
In terms of output?
I think it’s just slightly brighter but it being IR only there is only a single button and no selector switch. Plus it’s over all slightly smaller
I made a post about it a while ago size comparing the two
@@nurse-dudecan confirm. IR only variant smacks! And it’s $500 cheaper and according to Dave, and is more durable because it has less moving parts and is lighter
@@Gunbrah I can confirm cheeper and lighter, I love mine
What scope mount height were you able to run on this? I've noticed the issue you covered about certain units getting in the way. How low were you able to go with this unit on the setup in the video? Thanks!
1.54”, I realized I should have probably mentioned that lol. But it’s standard height, and still doesn’t eat into your pov much at all
If they would drop the price of the IR laser/illuminator from 1500 to about 1000 they’d have a winner. If I’m spending any more than 12 or so I’m getting a grey market peq15
I’m fine with clones, mainly because they’re the only ones I can come remotely close to affording. I’m also building my own digital night vision because I can’t afford premade ones and I can spread the cost out over time
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with clones for non-duty use. For hunting or plinking, I think they make sense as a way to save some cash for other needs.
I got the DIR1. It's IR laser only, with a Surfire Vampire IR/white light for $850.
I figured that if I needed a white light, why not get a flashlight that has both IR and white light, and then not have to get an IR designator that has built-in IR illumination for additional cost.
I hope i made the right choice.
Where does my setup fall short? In IR flood light throw?
Are designators usually better at casting IR light further distances than IR flashlights?
Some hero needs to scan the housing and machine a metal body to increase resilience and ensure waterproofing. Would fix the 2 major issues most people have with the unit.
I asked them if they have ever considered a machined housing, the short answer is the printed approach helps them stay as slim as they currently are, as well as well sealed
Would you say the vis laser is day light bright? I've heard people have trouble seeing it at 50 yards. Which would make zeroing harder.
If you know the general direction to be looking for it, I had no issues in spotting it. Will you see a laser trace and will it jump out at you at further distance in the day? No.
But they have it as strong as fda regs will allow them to.
You’re the goat
Appreciate the support
Bought one right when they released and it was fantastic but I had issues with the waterproofing so they replaced it with the new upgraded unit for no cost in about a week.
I’ve been trying to tell people how good this thing is but everyone believes what people say on Reddit as if it’s gospel. Funny part is you know 99 percent of the people trash talking it for being plastic have never used it yet they’ll use a peq15.
How do you think it compares to a FP peq?
Due to gray market issues I’d go with this
Pls tell me holosun has sent you an iris.
I am supposed to get one sent, you can expect a similar review format.
They would have benefited from sending you a preproduction model, oh well.
@@svenskaskene199 yeah I would have been down to collect viable developmental data for them, but it’s only been recently that companies making these kinds of products have learned of my channel and my detailed review style.
Price is a bit steep, me thinks.
At $2k, this makes this laser fall outside the “budget” category.. BUT the mawl and raid Xe come in at nearly double the cost, without double the capabilities. So for the $2k and under budget this one takes the cake, especially when considering form factor and ergonomics.
It looks like a Peq2 tried to evolve into a peq15 but keep it's boxiness
Way slimmer than a peq 15, I did a quick POV comparison to the peq 15.
They seem to be struggling with QC at the moment. They are trying to provide good customer service, but the size of the company leaves them a little lite on bandwidth.
What kind of issue did you have?
@@4MRRanch Shift up and right when it got hot on day 1, then back down close to zero when it cooled. Plus, logistical issues with the return. Hopefully it gets fixed. I will keep you updated.
@@4MRRanch They are working on it. Really trying to make it right. That's all I can ask
invisiblesight ngal mk4 kinda looks way better at half the price.... thoughts?
If you’re down to wait on the year lead time for the mk4, and potentially just as long for any warranty work then yes, save that money
@@4MRRanch other reviews have said these things break a lot too with only a 2 year warranty.. the mk4 has a lifetime warranty and according to Mr invisible, he has lead time down to 4-6 months but limits his orders. Lifetime warranty is pretty impressive assuming he doesn't die or disappear. I don't think anyone else offers that
The spill and non adjustable nature of this device along with reports ofn vast QC issues has me hesitant on trying it..
I guess us civilians are always looking out for the small, light, powerful device that's at retail prices and not at government contract "we don't care of you buy it or not" prices.
Maybe the IRIS will be our savior. Or maybe I'll just buy a raid xe and be done with it for a while haha. Nothing checks all the boxes I guess
Seems like the illuminator has too much spill. If you were say, aiming through foliage, the spill / reflection would wreak havoc with your autogaiting.
I haven’t personally noticed an issue with auto-gating but have not yet been using this in point blank proximity to brush. This is a fair point of concern, and I’ll carry this forward as a possible data point to test for future reviews.
@@4MRRanch you can also use something like shooting past / through a loophole on a barrier on the flat range. It has the same effect. Thanks for the response!
It's so underrated it's $2000.00.
Bro why tf would I spring for that when it's made of 3d plastic and will probably break under the weight of its own logo?
It’s made with additive manufacturing of high quality composite, but by no means is on the same planet of 3d printed items made on hobbyist level printers. You don’t even see seam lines from the extrusion passes on this. It looks molded.
Ain't no $2k laser possibly underrated. What a miserable industry.
Roughly half of what a new MAWL or Raid Xe comes in at.
Never said it was a budget option, $2k is a LOT of money for an auxiliary accessory, but still saves you the cost of a half decent rifle compared to some of its competition.
@@4MRRanch Underrated means it's worth more that people give it credit for.
At the end of the day this some components that cost a couple dollars at most dunked in epoxy and wrapped in a fancy box with a button. Laser aiming modules that work cost about $300, an LED or LEP based IR illuminator that's zeroable with focusable beam (if the industry made such a product with those features for this market) would cost less that $100. When you combine the two you lose the need for switches and a second battery, meaning the price should come down. Two thousand bloody dollars for a combo laser illuminator is obscene, not underrated. It's not even dod contract where they can't sell it to civs for cheap or else the gvmt will demand the same. This is marketed to us, the hobbyists. The only reason this costs $2k is because the market, you and I, is willing to tolerate that, and it's time we said enough.
If streamlight saw there was market demand from us in that price bracket they could tighten the beam on the tlr-vir and it would be an almost perfect entry level laser/illum combo, for like $350.
Get your money up brokie
@@Danny_Oceanwatermelon tier behavior
Anyone know how well this one works with a FSB?
Assuming you mean a front sight, yes. The illuminator and laser is offset to allow for a front sight. But keep in mind, the farther back you mount any laser, the more IR bounce back you may get off lights, the barrel/suppressor. The diffuser on this makes the illumination very wide and spill on your rig will be something to consider.
What's your 2nd favorite one?
Under a $1000?
If you’re ok with clone options, the IS-EG or somo NGALs are decent budget options. Currently testing the M6TR which seems solid thus far and can be had around $1k with the current pre orders. Will be testing the IRIS in hopes it steals the sub $1k market
🙏🏼
These are under US night Vision on ebay? Who is that?
USNV has a collaboration with 3EIR. It’s the same unit.
@ thank you!!!
A collaboration with @DeltaThirtyFour would be SICKKK. Y’all put similarly admirable and autistic level amounts of information for us fellow gear queers. I retired out of the infantry and am going back to kickin doors after i finish up my degree… I thought the PEQ was king… boy was I wrong. Between me and my friends, we’ve broken 5-10 of those plastic lil shits. NGAL is the way
How hard was it to get the 2k$ laser for free? Man I gotta get a channel going..... I'd have to save for a month and a half to buy that......
If you factor in the hours put into making the video, it certainly wasn’t free lol
@4MRRanch how many hours?
I have the DIR-V and a D2, and I like both.
The DIR-V having allen key adjustments is insane to me. Now I need to keep a special tool in my AR grip. This would be a deal breaker if the civ laser market wasn't so barren.
The form factor is great. I can see my D2 in my line of sight thru an EXPS-3, with or without my 3x magnifier (so I run a 5x with it). But the DIR-V stays out of your POV completely. Being in the field of view is insanely annoying to me when running magnification. Not a big deal to me at 1x.
The DIR-V is much lighter. The mounting worries me a bit more than the D2. And even if it isn't practically needed, I still wish it had two laser power levels like the D2.
The DIR-V has a lot less parasitic drain than the D2. If I forget to move the switch to off on the D2, it'll be dead pretty soon. I left the DIR-V on standby for a few months. I think it was finally dead after 3 or 4 months maybe...
Overall, despite the weight and size, I prefer the D2. It feels more trustworthy to me, and is almost half the cost.
Thanks for sharing your analysis from your end as well.
I agree with a lot of your points.
Just a heads up though, the D2 is selling for closer to $1700 now
2k? Larping like a seal is expensive.
This isn’t a clone, or a budget option. Just good value for what you get considering other US offerings are double the cost.
I don't know man..... It's a smooth pillow.
I'm a Poor. I"m waiting on the Holosun Iris to replace my Holosun LS321. Sad... I know.
It costs more than the weaponized drone that will home in on you using it.
Whats like the best day light laser ?
Somogear?
I dont use NV… so dont care bout that
The brightest daylight laser I have tested is the rovbyvon GL4 Pro FP, but that’s $800. The Somogear NGAL is stupid bright too. If you don’t want NV though you should buy a dedicated vid laser otherwise you’re spending more money, and getting a larger laser than necessary
$2K, I’ll just keep being poor with my dbal. 😂
DBAL D2 is $1900 now
Probably because they cost almost as much as a used MAWL, but with significantly less features and less durability
Not for what they for them
Im not a sell out, I just got a free 2k, that’s all, no competition.
Now let me tell you why my new free toy is the best.
I gave data points on why I think it’s the best. Mentioned performance at its price point as well, and still chose to disclose it was sent for free for transparency sake.
Cant make everyone happy though, and some people will still find a way to criticize.
@@GWOTalchem check out his IR device comparison. He backs up his points with data and examples. Not to mention he openly stated a relationship with the manufacturer and let us know it was provided free of charge with ammo but I see your point 😆
Grossly Overpriced
Not when you understand what you’re getting
$2000 dollars for this is insane! I paid $1000 each for my D2 and A3, is this 50% better than those? No. This is worth $1000 tops. There is too many other options out there from reputable and established companies to be charging this price. Even Holosun has the iris launching soon at the $800 price point. In the civ market, the performance is so similar it makes no sense to pay this much for a unit.
Checkout my laser comparison video. This laser crushes the civilian legal A3 in illumination performance and form factor.
It’s about even with the D2 in terms of illumination (which by the way sells for around $1700 now) but is way lighter, more compact, doesn’t have prolapse issues or lengthy warranty processes
So yeah this is the best laser for a $2k and under budget at the moment.
I’ll be testing the IRIS, and just started testing on the new laserspeed M6TR, either of which could take the place of best for under $2k. That’s why I said at the time of this video this is my favorite. New lasers are coming out, and even 3EIR will drop new gear eventually
Agreed, there is ZERO justification in these costs, tge level of technology in these items is not that of an Apple MacBook, hell it's not even the level of a Playstation, yet costs 4 times as much.
This is where Somogear and the other Chinese competition is going to smoke these guys out of the CIV market.
Which honestly they don't care, their main sales are to MIL/LE who just buy another at the expense of tax payers.
So, the A3 which sucks in comparison and the D2 which is only $300 cheaper is a huge brick in comparison. Sounds like you get what you pay for when you buy the 3EIR.
The flatness is appealing. It helps keep people from buying stupid 1.93 and 2.04 scope mounts
Yep, I showed the pov through standard height rings
The flag is in the incorrect orientation. The US flag is not supposed to be in retreat. They need to flip that flag around.
Nah dude, that only applies to an actual flag in a parade or flag patches worn on Army uniforms.
On official vehicles, specifically aircraft it's prescribed as the union facing forward. Flag Code suggests the union to be displayed to the observer's left in most of the applicable examples, but Flag Code only applies to actual flags and not the image of the flag (except in the case of temporary use goods).
But the flag's on the underside of the unit and is facing in the correct orientation in relation to the rest of markings.
@@iaredavid02 Nah dude, you don’t know what you’re talking about.
@@SuperTrb0 Nope, he is actually right. Look it up. There is a difference between uniform regulations and federal law.
+
Gonna be another company that dissappears in 6 months.
Phantom Hill etc
Why’s that?
@@4MRRanch it's not a certainty, just a trend I've noticed with new and upcoming optics/nvg companies I catch an interest in.
I'm sorry, but those lasers look so damn cheap, and like every other not airsoft laser out there, they charge entirely way too much for what it is.
Doesn't really matter as long as they hold up. Peq15s/16s aren't super impressive in person either, but they have great useability and features. I wish all these damn prices would come down too man.
I completely agree with you on judging the look. I was in the same boat. Do yourself a favor and go to a local gun store than stocks these. They’re solid. I was super surprised how well made they feel. Their extrusion process doesn’t leave seams the way cheap 3D printing processes do. Other than it not being cold to the touch, it feels like it was a molded piece of metal. Super impressive tech, and allows them to make it as small as it is.
Let me guess, ridiculously stupid overpriced?
$2k, so depends on what you call overpriced. Similar output and performance to the Raid Xe and Mawl, which is double the cost
@@4MRRanch when the markup on these products given the material and laser diodes, electronics etc. is above $1300 that’s what I call overpriced
@@4MRRanch Holosun is about to drop another full power vcsel unit, ir, green vis with illuminator for much smaller than this called the Iris and they’re letting us have it for around $900
So how does this $2000 plstic guy compare against the$1000 holosun iris? That’s my only question. And does this thing have comparable warranty to holosun’s flawless no questions asked warranty?
The IRIS isn’t released yet, so can’t give you an educated outlook yet