Here’s a very good deal if you’re looking for a premium Laser Rangefinder with excellent long-range performance and a compact form factor. The popular Leica CRF 1600 laser rangefinder is now on sale at EuroOptic.com for just $649.00. That represents a $150.00 savings over the previous price. The hundred and fifty bucks you save can pay for other gear items you need.
Why is the CRF 1600 on sale? Leica is bringing out a CRF 1600-B in June, 2012. The newer ‘1600-B’ model will have more bells and whistles, yet it will be sold at the $799.00 price. That means the price has been slashed on the current CRF 1600.
Should you wait for the ‘1600-B’ version? That depends. The new CRF 1600-B model offers built-in angle correction plus an LED output for holdovers (in inches or cm). It can also display the elevation clicks you need at particular distances, based on reference to a set of internal ballistics curves. That sounds cool, but if you already have a come-up table (as you probably do), all you really need is an accurate range to the target — and the CRF 1600 can definitely deliver that. The current CRF 1600 does offer hold-over values (in cm or inches), based on built-in ballistics curves, but it doesn’t have an inclinometer and it doesn’t provide click-value read-outs. If you don’t need the “fancy extras”, or you don’t want to wait until June for the ‘1600-B’ model, it makes sense to pick up a CRF 1600 now at the $649.00 sale price.
Two Sandia National Laboratories engineers, both hunters, have developed a patented design for a laser-guided bullet. The 4″-long laser-guided projectile has made hits at ranges up to 2000 meters. No this is NOT an April Fools’ joke. The projectile shoots from a smooth-bore rifle and uses small, movable fins to adjust its trajectory. The fins are controlled by micro-sized actuators in response to signals from a tiny, onboard laser-sensor. Plastic sabots provide a gas seal and protect the delicate fins while the projectile is in the firearm’s barrel.
Click Here for Video News Report on Sandia-developed Guided Bullet
Sandia researchers Red Jones and Brian Kast (and colleagues) have invented a dart-like, self-guided bullet for small-caliber, smooth-bore firearms that could hit laser-designated targets at distances of more than a mile. “We have a very promising technology to guide small projectiles that could be fully developed inexpensively and rapidly,” Jones said. Researchers have had initial success testing the design in computer simulations and in field tests of prototypes, built from commercially available parts, Jones said. While engineering issues remain, “we’re confident in our science base and we’re confident the engineering-technology base is there to solve the problems,” he said.
Sandia’s design for the four-inch-long bullet includes an optical sensor in the nose to detect a laser beam on a target. The sensor sends information to guidance and control electronics that use an algorithm in an eight-bit central processing unit to command electromagnetic actuators. These actuators steer tiny fins that guide the bullet to the target.
Fin-Stabilization — Like on a Guided Missile
The guided projectile is shot from smooth bore barrel with no rifling. While conventional bullets are spin-stabilized, Scandia’s guided bullet doesn’t spin in flight. To enable the guided bullet to adjust its trajectory toward a target and to simplify the design, the spin had to go, Jones said. As on most guided missiles, fins both stabilize and steer the projectile. But on this projectile, the fins are tiny — just a few millimeters tall.
The bullet flies straight due to its aerodynamically stable design, which consists of a center of gravity that sits forward in the projectile and tiny fins that enable it to fly without spin, just as a dart does, he said. The four-inch-long bullet has actuators that steer tiny fins that guide it to its target.
Projectile Flies at 2400 fps — More Speed Is Possible
Testing has shown the electromagnetic actuator performs well and the bullet can reach speeds of 2,400 feet per second, or Mach 2.1, using commercially available gunpowder. The researchers are confident it could reach standard military speeds using customized gunpowder.
Sub-MOA Accuracy at 1000m — No Matter What the Wind Does
Computer aerodynamic modeling shows the design would result in dramatic improvements in accuracy, Jones said. Computer simulations showed an unguided bullet under real-world conditions could miss a target more than a half mile away (1,000 meters away) by 9.8 yards (9 meters), but a guided bullet would get within 8 inches (0.2 meters), according to the patent.
The prototype does not require a device found in guided missiles called an inertial measuring unit, which would have added substantially to its cost. Instead, the researchers found that the bullet’s relatively small size when compared to guided missiles “is helping us all around. It’s kind of a fortuitous thing that none of us saw when we started,” Jones said.
As the bullet flies through the air, it pitches and yaws at a set rate based on its mass and size. In larger guided missiles, the rate of flight-path corrections is relatively slow, so each correction needs to be very precise because fewer corrections are possible during flight. But “the natural body frequency of this bullet is about 30 hertz, so we can make corrections 30 times per second. That means we can over-correct, so we don’t have to be as precise each time,” Jones said.
Projectile Becomes More Stable After Launch
Researchers also filmed high-speed video of the bullet radically pitching as it exited the barrel. The bullet pitches less as it flies down range, a phenomenon known to long-range firearms experts as “going to sleep.” Because the bullet’s motions settle the longer it is in flight, accuracy improves at longer ranges, Jones said. “Nobody had ever seen that, but we’ve got high-speed video photography that shows that it’s true,” he said. (See below)
Here’s a clever product that provides visual feedback of your aim on the target while you dry-fire. LaserLyte, makers of laser pistol sights and bore-sighting tools, has come up with a smart new application of a miniature laser system. The new caliber-specific Laser Trainer Cartridge fits inside the pistol chamber and features a firing-pin activated switch that indicates bullet impact with a bright red laser dot. To practice, simply cock the hammer or striker, and pull the trigger as you would normally. When the firing pin hits the Laser Trainer Cartridge, a bright red laser displays on your target for 100 milliseconds. Available for 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP, the $99.95 (MSRP) Laser Training Cartridges are rimless so you can work the slide without ejecting the Laser Cartridges.
With a Laser Trainer Cartridge in the chamber of your 9mm, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP pistol, you can practice your trigger pull and sight acquisition. But unlike traditional dry-firing, you can see your point of aim when you “break the shot”. This modified cartridge is rimless, so the Laser Trainer Cartridge is not expelled during dry fire, which allows for tap, rack, bang or malfunction training drills. A hardened rubber plunger on the laser also acts as a built-in snap cap to protect the firing pin. The Laser Trainer Cartridge requires three #377 batteries, good for approximately 3,000 shots. For more info on Laser Training Cartridges visit LaserLyte.com.
With larger-caliber rifles, manual bore-sighting (with your eyeballs) is not that difficult. Just remove the bolt, and look through the bore at the target. It helps to have a well-illuminated, high-contrast circle target about 8″ to 12″ in diameter. When you’ve got the target centered, then stabilize your gun on the rest so it doesn’t move from that position. Because bore-sighting the old-fashioned way is not that difficult with larger calibers, we’re not sure laser bore-sighters and other gadgets are really needed.
However, with smaller calibers (.17, .204, .223), manual bore-sighting is not so easy. Much less light makes its way down the smaller-diameter bore, and it’s more difficult to find the target on the background. That’s why we welcome two new products from Sightmark. This Texas-based company has developed in-chamber laser boresights for 17 HMR and .22LR rimfire guns. The tiny boresights are correctly dimensioned so they fit in rimfire chambers just like normal 17 HMR or .22LR cartridges. With the boresight in place, simply flick a switch on the battery pack and the laser dot shows exactly where the rifle is aimed. The dot is roughly 2″ in diameter at 100 yards.
Sightmark rimfire boresights are made from brass, so they are gentle on your chambers. The separate battery pack holds two (2) AAA batteries, which will power the laser for about 30 hours. We like the fact that the battery pack is separate. That makes it easier to swap in new batteries, AND, importantly, the battery pack makes it obvious when the boresight is in use. That lessens the chance that someone could mistakenly try to chamber a live round with the boresight in place.
Sightmark Rimfire Boresights Developed After Extensive Comparison Testing
“We tested every competitor’s chamber boresight for the 17 HMR and .22LR currently on the market and found that they did not work well, so we decided to create one that would,” said James Sellers, president of Sightmark. “Our Sightmark 17 HMR and .22LR boresights are as accurate as our other award-winning chamber boresights, so there’s no guessing if you’re on target”. Sightmark 17 HMR and .22LR Rimfire boresights retail for $47.99 and can be ordered directly from the Sightmark Online Catalog.
Cabelas.com and LaserLyte have teamed up to produce compact laser bore-sighters that fit inside your firearm’s chamber. The laser is housed in a brass assembly machined to duplicate an actual cartridge. To activate the laser, simply place the bore-sighter in the rifle’s chamber and close the bolt. There are two core units, the Laserlyte Cabela’s Premium .223 (collimated lens $99.00) and the Pro .223 (standard lens $69.99). Both the Premium and Pro bore-sighters fit a .223 Rem, but they can be adapted to other chamberings by adding a caliber-specific sleeve over the .223 core unit. In addition, LaserLyte makes separate in-chamber bore-sighters for the 17HMR and 50 BMG.
Adapt Basic Unit to other Calibers with SAAMI Sleeves
Both the Premium and the Professional .223 Boresighters can be used for a variety of chamberings by fitting additional caliber-specific sleeves (sold separately). Each sleeve is precision-machined from brass to SAAMI specs. Available chamber sleeve calibers include:
Bore-Sighting the Old-Fashion Way
We are not big fans of laser bore-sighters, as we think they are unnecessary for most situations — at least with conventional bolt-action rifles. Visual bore-sighting is not difficult. Set up your gun securely on bags, remove your bolt and set up a 50-yard target with a large bright orange or black center circle. Look through the back of the action and you should be able to sight down the bore with your own eyes just fine. In fact it may be easier to bore-sight the “old-fashioned way” rather that try to see a laser in bright sunlight at 50 or 100 yards.
When a Laser Bore-Sighter is Valuable
There are instances when having a laser bore-sighter can save time, such as when setting up a chronograph. Also, with many semiautos and lever guns, it is difficult to sight down the bore because of the action design. Without using mirrors, it’s hard to visually bore-sight an M1 Garand, for example. Likewise, it can be difficult to bore-sight an AR15, because the stock and buffer is in line with the bore. For these rifle types, a laser bore-sighter is a valuable tool.
In-Chamber Laser Should Be Safer
We like the new LaserLyte design because it fits in the chamber, rather than in the bore. In-Chamber laser bore-sighters are also made by Aimshot, Firefield, and SightMark, in a variety of sizes. With muzzle-entry laser bore-sighters, you could have a nasty accident if you forget to remove the device. There is always the chance you could chamber and fire a round with the muzzle-entry bore-sighter still in place. Instant Kaboom. That has happened more than once. The new LaserLyte/Cabela’s bore-sighter fills your chamber, so there is no possibility you could chamber a loaded round with the bore-sighter in place. That’s an important safety advantage. The LaserLyte K-50 in-chamber bore-sighter is shown in the video below.
On defensive handguns, we like the option of an easily-activated laser sight. Lasers assist training and help you get your rounds on target even in low light conditions (when sights aren’t visible), or when you are not able to raise the gun to a normal sighting position. The laser gives you the ability to direct fire accurately even when you don’t have the time or ability to acquire a normal sight picture.
Crimson Trace $50 Rebate for April, May, June Purchases
Right now, Crimson Trace is offering a $50.00 REBATE on its LaserGrips and Laser Sight products. The offer applies to items purchased from April 2, 2011 through June 30, 2011. To receive your Mail-ln Rebate after purchasing a qualifying Crimson Trace product, send all the items listed below to: Consumer Rebate — CTC, CS11-7673, P.O. Box 472, Scottsdale, AZ 85252-0472.
Original Store Receipt (dated 4/2 – 6/30/2011) with purchase circled.
Original UPC Code from Crimson Trace Box.
After receiving your submission, Crimson Trace will send a rebate check for $50 via U.S. Mail within approximately 6 to 8 weeks. CLICK HERE for Crimson Trace Rebate Form.
If you’re looking for a versatile carry revolver, consider the new Smith & Wesson Governor, introduced at the 2011 SHOT Show. The six-shot Governor will chamber three types of ammo: .45 ACP, .45 Long Colt, and .410ga 2.5″ shotshells.
The ability to chamber shotshells makes this piece more useful as a “trail gun” that can put down snakes and other threats that are difficult to hit quickly with a pistol round. If you choose, you can load a mix of shotshells and regular cartridges. The 29.6 oz. Governor has a Scandium frame with blackened stainless cylinder. The basic model ($679.00 MSRP) comes standard with a Tritium dot front sight. There is also a more expensive ($899.00 MSRP) version with a Crimson Trace grip with built-in laser. A button in the grip activates the laser.
This Editor personally likes the shape and feel of the laser grip better than the standard grip. The laser grip (shown in the slideshow below) lets you position your hand up higher on the frame for better control, and it has a smoother profile. The laser obviously offers an advantage in low-light situations. We think, if you can afford the laser version, that’s the smart choice.
A century has passed since John Moses Browning created the legendary 1911 single-action pistol. In that time a whole sub-industry has developed to supply parts and accessories for 1911-style pistols. Among the myriad grip options available today, we were impressed with the lastest generation of 1911 Lasergrips from Crimson Trace (CT). If you want a laser-equipped 1911 grip, you’re no longer limited to an ugly, spongy rubber grip. CT’s new “Master Series” 1911 Lasergrips come in a variety of materials including Wood, Laminated Wood, Micarta, and the popular G10 compound, a laminated composite of woven glass fabric, carbon graphite fibers and epoxy resin. G10 is impervious to common solvents.
Honey, I Shrunk the Laser
Crimson Trace’s engineers have down-sized the laser module so it can be fitted to normal-thickness, standard-profile 1911 grips. And the smaller laser has been mounted further forward so there is no interference with ambidextrous safeties. We like this upgrade, and we predict these grips will become very popular with 1911 shooters. The new Master Series 1911 Lasergrips will be offered in a range of sizes and profiles to fit Full-size, Commander, Officers’ Model, and Bobtail 1911 frames. CT hopes to have the Master Series Lasergrips on the market in May, 2011, with an MSRP of $359.00.
In the GunsAmerica video below, Top Shot Champion Iain Harrison (now CT’s Media Relations Manager), explains the features of the new Crimson Trace Master Series 1911 Lasergrips:
To compete with the vaunted Leica Geovids, Steiner Optik has released its new 10×50 porro-prism binoculars equipped with a built-in Laser Rangefinder. Steiner’s new model 398 10×50 LRF Military Rangefinder Binoculars feature a handy two-button interface and a powerful Class 1 laser rangefinder with claimed maximum ranging distance of 1,600 yards. That meets or beats the range of any other commercial laser rangefinder on the market. Beam divergence on the Steiner LRF binocular is impressively narrow. This allows ranging at very long distances. Steiner claims: “With sunshine and good visibility, the unit’s accuracy is within one yard at ranges up to 380 yards, within two yards to 763 yards, and within approximately 0.5% to 1,600 yards.”
Yes, There is a Mounting Slot for Tripods and Monopods
We were pleased to see that Steiner’s LRF binoculars incorporate a 1/4-20 tripod adapter mount. We think all “serious” laser rangefinders should have mounts for tripods and/or monopods. You simply can’t make use of the full ranging capability of these devices unless you can hold them rock steady when aiming at far-away objects. Steiner’s “easy-on” two-button control also helps you aim precisely. With some LRFs, such as the Swarovski LaserGuide, you must press down quite hard to activate the “on button”. This can upset your aim.
New LRF Binoculars are Built Tough Inside and Out
The new Steiner LRF binoculars are built to withstand tough use, even though, at 46 ounces, they are still fairly lightweight. The chassis is made with Makrolon®, a fiber-reinforced polycarbonate material that is very impact resistant. The exterior is fully armored with Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) for protection. The interior is pressurized with dry nitrogen fill and is waterproof to 16 feet. All alloy components are anodized, and external metal parts are enamel-finished to prevent corrosion.
Lowest Web Price is Under $2100.00
Though Steiner’s 10×50 LRF binos have “Military” in the product name, this unit can be purchased by the public. Current “street price” at most online optics dealers is $2,499.00. However a few dealers are now undercutting MAP pricing, so if you shop around, you may find the model 398 Steiner 10×50 Military LRF binoculars for under $2,100.00. DigitalFoto.com is listing the unit at $2079.48. For comparison, DigitalFoto.com sells the 8×56 Leica Geovid rangefinder binoculars for $2699.00.
With modern benchrest guns capable of shooting “zero” groups in competition, one wonders what is next in the accuracy game. Perhaps laser rifles? Well, the U.S. Navy believes high-tech lasers may replace projectile weapons in the future — the very near future. In fact, the Navy has already successfully tested a deadly laser cannon.
U.S. Navy Blasts Drones Out of Sky with 32 Kilowatt Laser Cannon
The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), with support from Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), successfully tracked, engaged, and destroyed mock-threat Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) flying over the ocean. The Navy’s new “Death Ray”, actually a high-intensity (32 Kw) laser, was aimed using a beam director on a KINETO Tracking Mount, controlled by a MK 15 Close In Weapon System (CIWS).
According to Scientific American: “During the test, the Navy’s Laser Weapon System (LaWS) … engaged and destroyed four UAV targets flying over water near the Navy’s weapons and training facility on San Nicolas Island in California’s Santa Barbara Channel, about 120 kilometers west of Los Angeles. The Phalanx — a rapid-fire, computer-controlled, radar-guided gun system — used electro-optical tracking and radio frequency sensors to provide range data to the LaWS, which is made up of six solid-state lasers with an output of 32 kilowatts that simultaneously focus on a target.”
According to Navy sources: “This marks the first detect-thru-engage laser shoot-down of a threat representative target in an over-the-water, combat representative scenario. Multiple UAV targets were engaged and destroyed in a maritime environment during the testing, the second series of successes for the U.S. Navy’s Laser Weapon System (LaWS) Program. This brings to a total of seven UAVs destroyed by the Surface Navy’s first tactical development for fielding a Directed Energy weapon system.”
Watch the video below to see delta-winged UAV “splashed” by the Navy’s new “Death Ray”.
According to Program Manager Capt. David Kiel: “Further development and integration of increasingly more powerful lasers into Surface Navy LaWS will increase both the engagement range and target sets that can be successfully engaged and destroyed.” As lasers and other directed-energy systems are perfected, the Navy expects to improve the speed of its responses to aerial threats, while reducing weapons costs: “Laser weapons that provide for speed-of-light engagements at tactically significant ranges [can achieve] cost savings by minimizing the use of defensive missiles and projectiles.”
Here’s a very good deal if you’re looking for a premium Laser Rangefinder with excellent long-range performance and a compact form factor. The popular Leica CRF 1600 laser rangefinder is now on sale at EuroOptic.com for just $649.00. That represents a $150.00 savings over the previous price. The hundred and fifty bucks you save can pay for other gear items you need.
However, with smaller calibers (.17, .204, .223), manual bore-sighting is not so easy. Much less light makes its way down the smaller-diameter bore, and it’s more difficult to find the target on the background. That’s why we welcome two new products from 
The ability to chamber shotshells makes this piece more useful as a “trail gun” that can put down snakes and other threats that are difficult to hit quickly with a pistol round. If you choose, you can load a mix of shotshells and regular cartridges. The 29.6 oz. Governor has a Scandium frame with blackened stainless cylinder. The basic model ($679.00 MSRP) comes standard with a Tritium dot front sight. There is also a more expensive ($899.00 MSRP) version with a Crimson Trace grip with built-in laser. A button in the grip activates the laser.
