The first laser sights that started to appear in 1980s B-movies were rather massive and probably heavy. Action heroes obviously didn't mind, but technology has moved on, so of course you won't find such historical models here.

What is a laser

But before we look at our offer, let's take a quick look at what a laser actually means. It is an English acronym from the words Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.

The theoretical foundations of the laser were already laid in 1917 by the famous Albert Einstein. But it wasn't until 1960 that the laser saw its first practical implementation. Its creator is Theodore H. Maiman from the United States. The result of the laser is a stream of photons, which is visible laser light. And because this light is amplified, it can also blind. This is also why teenagers' pranks with laser lights around airports are often classified as a general threat. It's no fun.

Lasers use a pair of resonators or mirrors in an active environment and an energy source to function. The result of this excess energy are the photons just mentioned, which we see as a line of light or a dot on the wall.

Laser sights as one of the applications

Military applications, including laser targeting, began shortly after its invention. This uses a laser source attached to the barrel of the weapon, either short or long, and makes aiming easier. And since laser sights are attached to guns, when choosing them, you also need to think about compatibility with your gun mount.

Making shooting easier

So to be clear, laser sighting really just makes aiming and shooting easier. It is therefore not a self-saving solution. Those shooters who want to aim really accurately can adjust the settings of their weapon "by hand" or by eye. The laser sight aims exactly straight (okay, even this statement would probably be disproved by quantum physicists), but it does not take into account ballistics and external influences such as wind, which can affect the projectile during its flight. And the higher the distance, the less accurate the laser naturally becomes.

Laser by color

Initially, it was easiest to make a red laser, so until recently only sights with a red laser color were produced. In 2007, however, the LaserMax company came up with the first green laser sight, and subsequently blue or purple lasers also began to be used. Members of the military sometimes use infrared laser sights, the light of which cannot be detected by the naked eye – but soldiers with night vision (NVG) can see it. And that's exactly the purpose.