Can’t See, Can’t Fight! Get An Infrared Aiming Laser from US NightVision

Authors Clay Martin Columns Gear Reviews Gunfight Science Laser & Lights Optics/Sights
IR Laser US Night Vision

Being able to shoot in the dark is a true game changer.

Of all the items I see on prepping websites, there is one that is almost always missing. Among the piles of guns and truckloads of ammunition, radiation detectors, and gas masks, I never see what should be considered mission-critical equipment. Infrared gear.

I know from the Global War on Terror, as does everyone else that fought in that conflict, what happens if you try and fight people that can see in the dark when you can’t. You die. End of story.

There is no magical tactic or “Johnnie Rambo” way around fighting in the dark. It is one of the few places technology not only makes a difference, it makes a decisive difference.

There are two pieces to this equation, night vision goggles (or devices) and infrared (IR) aiming lasers. Today, we are taking a look at lasers. I teamed up with my buddies over at US NightVision for a closer look at their first civilian-legal laser aiming device: the Triad C1 Class 1 Green-IR Dual Beam Laser, or Triad C1 for short.

Can't See, Can't Fight! Get An Infrared Aiming Laser from US NightVision

The Triad C1 laser aiming module.  This week, catch the special SHOT Show pricing: $695.  It’s normally $999.

First, we must discuss the civilian legal part. Lasers are controlled items, strictly governed by ITAR regulation. There is a maximum output for non-military/law enforcement IR lasers for two reasons. First, higher power lasers can be used by nefarious miscreants to blind people. Second, we have a vested interest in making sure foreign militaries don’t get their hands on our high-power laser technology.

Can't See, Can't Fight! Get An Infrared Aiming Laser from US NightVision

Artist rendering of all three lasers if you could see them with the naked eye.

Highlights

  • 0.7mW 830nm IR Illuminator
  • 0.5mW 520nm Green Laser
  • Anodized Aluminum Housing
  • 1/4 MOA Windage / Elevation
  • Dial Type Control Switch
  • Single Tap Button or Remote Activation
  • Two Picatinny Mounts
  • Made in the USA

So, does this mean the one you can buy and have delivered to your front door is weak sauce? Heck no!

This Triad C1 will still reach out and do its job. During testing on a moonless night in Idaho, it was easily capable of engaging targets as far as my PVS-14 GEN III googles could see. Which is about 250 meters, give or take.

The difference between this civilian version and the military one only comes into play when you’re running super advanced equipment, like a Universal Night Sight that clips in front of a riflescope. And if you are running a $30,000-night sight, you probably don’t need my opinion on the matter.

Can't See, Can't Fight! Get An Infrared Aiming Laser from US NightVision

The tools of the trade.

The Triad C1 is feature rich, and a very impressive unit for its price point. It is small and runs on a single CR-123 battery. It includes a visible laser, IR aiming laser, and an IR illuminator, hence the name Triad.

All of those are important. The visible laser and IR aiming laser are mounted in a parallel orientation, which means moving one moves the other. This does two things. First, you can zero the IR laser in daylight with the visible laser. You actually don’t even need to fire to zero. Move the laser to the right beside your aiming dot, and you are good to go. Second, you can use the visible aiming laser if you don’t have your night vision goggles on.

SEE ALSO: 9 Critical Concealed Carry Lessons: Ep. 4 Lights and Lasers!

The laser technology in this unit is second to none. I have used a lot of them, including several generations of military ones. The Triad C1 features the sharpest beam I have ever seen on an IR laser, which allows for pinpoint shooting. Think of the beam dispersal like a red dot optic. A tighter beam would be more like a 2 MOA dot.  And a wider beam would be like a 6 MOA dot. That really starts to matter past 100 yards or so.

Can't See, Can't Fight! Get An Infrared Aiming Laser from US NightVision

Zeroing is simple and easy with the visible laser feature.

The illuminator or floodlight is also clean. The beam is adjustable for dispersion, which makes it useful at more ranges. Like the adjustment on a Maglite, you can make it wide for close range targets, or narrow to really reach far out.

Can't See, Can't Fight! Get An Infrared Aiming Laser from US NightVision

Winter night shoots may void warranties.  LOL.

During SHOT Show, but available on the website to the general public as well, the Triad C1 is at a special price. You can pick up it up for $695 when you use discount code GunsAmerica, which makes it the best deal I have ever seen on an IR aiming laser.

Even if you don’t have goggles yet, this is worth picking up. The usual price for this model is $999, and every comparable unit I have seen in closer to $1,500. If I had more money lying around, I would buy two.

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  • David January 25, 2018, 7:12 pm

    I had ordered one from B&H Photo/Video on Jan 19th. Today they cancelled the order saying the manufacturer told them it was discontinued. I contacted US Night Vision and they said “Sir This a major FUBAR situation. Go to US Night Vision dot com.”
    I then went and ordered it from their site.

  • ttabs January 24, 2018, 8:46 pm

    How com these things have been discontinued? Can’t buy them anywhere.

  • Larry January 22, 2018, 3:42 pm

    Conspiracy theorist? Been watching one too many episodes of X-files?

  • Leighton Cavendish January 20, 2018, 9:57 am

    So…the high-power lasers that we are not supposed to own…that are made in China?
    Laser tech is not that complicated any more…
    As for ITAR…the US does NOT have the most advanced optics/guns in most categories…so it just makes it harder to export.
    The average person knows nothing about ITAR.

  • ~ Occams January 19, 2018, 1:19 pm

    lol…’global war on terror’…Love how Clay NEVER FAILS to try to sell that lie.

    Shilling much, there Clay?

    • Clay Martin January 19, 2018, 2:11 pm

      Shilling for who? I fought in it, last I checked that was the name.

      • ~ Occams January 19, 2018, 6:45 pm

        Then you fought for Big Oil, Israel, banks and opium. 9/11 was done by the US and Israel so we could invade the Middle East. And you DON’T know this?

        Sorry. Shilling.

        “The US and Israel are the 2 greatest threats to world peace today, and perhaps to mankind itself” ~ Stephen Lendman

      • ~ Occams January 20, 2018, 12:37 am

        Well, the 2nd Amendment guys here aren’t going to let me post my 1st amendment, so….

        Illegally and unconstitutionally invading a sovereign nation over a lie is NOT ‘fighting a war’. That makes YOU the terrorist.

        Sorry, Clay.

        • Leighton Cavendish January 20, 2018, 10:01 am

          Attacking Afghanistan and training camps? That was OK. Staying over a decade…not so much.
          Invading Iraq? Not so much.
          Should have hit Saudi since most 9/11 held those passports.

          • ~ Occams January 20, 2018, 11:19 am

            Yea. Since the US and Israel did 9/11, and 11? 13? of the Saudi’s ARE STILL ALIVE. Go look it up if you don’t think so.

    • JSK January 20, 2018, 7:59 am

      You obviously are keyboard clown that has never traveled much, or are a delisional publicly educated snowflake that has no real world experience!

      • ~ Occams January 21, 2018, 1:32 pm

        I WILL try to ‘get out more’ – especially since it took me all of about 3 seconds to identify a belt-fed 7.62 weapon report in Vegas – WHILE ALL OF YOU ‘EXPERTS’ HERE WERE ARGUING 5.56 BUMPSTOCK NONSENSE.

        And probably still think ‘Paddock did it’…..

        But I WILL try! Thanks for the tip!

  • Jim January 19, 2018, 11:32 am

    I see from the one photo you posted that shooters in Idaho can be despicable, littering pigs just like so many of the shooters on public lands in Oregon. Pretty sad. Gives all shooters a bad reputation.

    • Clay Martin January 19, 2018, 11:45 am

      I know it brother, I hate that part of our community. The first two miles of public lands here in Idaho are always trashed, from morons shooting TV’s and washing machines, etc. It isn’t that hard to clean up your mess. Sad state of affairs.

      • Peter January 19, 2018, 3:45 pm

        I agree. Broken bottles and though I’d really enjoy tenderizing my hp printer with .308 rounds, I’d never do so on any land.
        To some, the world is their dump and ashtray. That irresponsible littering/dumping paints all shooters in a bad light.

  • El Mac January 19, 2018, 10:13 am

    Where do you get the PVS 14s?

    • Clay Martin January 19, 2018, 11:35 am

      same company, had them for a couple of years

  • lukeumm January 19, 2018, 7:57 am

    a bad ass rig i must say

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