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The difference between a laser pointer and a firearm's laser?
- Thread starter KuKu
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2001
- Messages
- 135
Its all in the case, the way its built and the intended purpose.
A commercial laser pointer is made simply to project a dot. The user only needs to be able to move his hand to direct the dot where he wants it. The tolerances are not important because its not important that the user know precicely where the dot will be when he turns it on. Thus the case doesn't have to be all that strong. Its not that big of a deal if the mechanism in the case shifts slightly as its carried or used or if the lense moves a bit in its housing. No serious engineering is necessary to insure that the laser pointer is accurate or durable under the stresses or recoil.
Obviously this wouldn't work for a gun where the mechanism would be jarred constantly. I would imagine that the engineering that goes into making sure that the laser mechanism cannot shift and thus can be mounted solidly on a weapon would add considerably to the cost.
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"I'm inuspeptic, frasmotic, even compunctious to have caused you such pericumbobulations."--Mr. E Blackadder
A commercial laser pointer is made simply to project a dot. The user only needs to be able to move his hand to direct the dot where he wants it. The tolerances are not important because its not important that the user know precicely where the dot will be when he turns it on. Thus the case doesn't have to be all that strong. Its not that big of a deal if the mechanism in the case shifts slightly as its carried or used or if the lense moves a bit in its housing. No serious engineering is necessary to insure that the laser pointer is accurate or durable under the stresses or recoil.
Obviously this wouldn't work for a gun where the mechanism would be jarred constantly. I would imagine that the engineering that goes into making sure that the laser mechanism cannot shift and thus can be mounted solidly on a weapon would add considerably to the cost.
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"I'm inuspeptic, frasmotic, even compunctious to have caused you such pericumbobulations."--Mr. E Blackadder
Bronco
Moderator
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2000
- Messages
- 7,601
Some other potential differences in addition to the ones Mr E pointed out might include:
--Windage and elevation adjustments are often built into the housing of the weapon laser.
--Besides shockproofing, some higher end weapon lasers also feature waterproof housings (the one on my USP .40 is waterproof to something like 30').
--Many laser pointers use cheap plastic lenses to project their beam. Some of the better weapon lasers use optical glass lenses resulting in a cleaner, better focused beam.
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Semper Fi
-Bill
--Windage and elevation adjustments are often built into the housing of the weapon laser.
--Besides shockproofing, some higher end weapon lasers also feature waterproof housings (the one on my USP .40 is waterproof to something like 30').
--Many laser pointers use cheap plastic lenses to project their beam. Some of the better weapon lasers use optical glass lenses resulting in a cleaner, better focused beam.
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Semper Fi
-Bill