@@BrassFacts We were shooting w/ Nature and his just randomly died while using it, forced to press the regular top fire button now. Mine hasn't had any issues so far and I'm not really that worried about it.
@@Nathan-jh1ho I mic’d the male ends of both the surefire pressure switch and the modlite plug. They were identical in dimensions, it is the modlite modbutton that has a much stiffer wire that makes contact inside the laser that causes the Steiner to prolapse.
The crazy thing about this product is they could release a “pro” version or something of the sort for 100-150$ more for increased reliability and it would absolutely smoke the current civilian laser market.
@@BrassFacts do you think it's the same with others military products (i.e night vision, tactical headsets/radios, optics, and armor?) they all cost sooooo much.
On the note of building a laser. I'm working on an open source LAM. The software and hardware bench prototyping is done. Just working on housing design now for rifle testing.
Fyi you can widen the flood of the ir illuminator! Theres a mod online, you have to take apart the peq but its worth it, and while your in there you can reinforce the solder points. After that its really nice. To add their warranty is faster than any other company and are mostly no questions asked. Also the reason they market airsoft is they are based in hong kong and its the only way they could sell them past itar.
I have ~3k rounds on my MK18 with the UHP Somogear PEQ-15 running suppressed and unsuppressed and I’ve had zero issues. My lasers are coaligned pretty well. My only complaint is the built in button is loud to press so I only use the tape switch they provided. Sample size of 2 lol.
Sounds like a perfect match for something like a Tippmann M4-22. Just think about it: a rimfire AR, made by a paintball gun company, sporting an airsoft laser!
I put a $60 Chinese, airsoft grade, PEQ15 rip off on my M&P 15-22 and it has hold zero so far remarkably well after thousands of rounds. .22 LR recoil is really easy on accessories. The same can’t be said about center fire cartridges: I mounted an airsoft grade light on the rail of a .380 acp pistol and it was dead after only one shot…
a lot of cheap "airsoft" equipment have gotten pretty damn good now, 90 dollar optics with decent glass that can withstand the recoil of 7.62×54 are not uncommon now. these things like radios, active earpro, chest rigs, holsters and such are completely acceptable
I play Airosft ( just recently started more serious ) since I can’t own real firearms and have read before how people that use real gear are actually pleasantly surprised by airsoft gear and how some can be used with real firearms and hold.
@@shaggnar2014 actually what he meant, these products are somewhat designed to be used on real stuff, they just declare it as airsoft so it's not subjected to all the scrutiny of firearm regulations.
@@Nontacticalboy I understand perfectly But the amount of ITAR violations that have happened usually from Japanese airsoft players that go super hard with their kid is kind of amazing lol Those guys are super into it and probably want high class lasers for their smuggled gen III NODS
@@AwkwardYet can confirm, the 20-40 dollar Hydra mounts are practically the same quality as the "real" GBRS 500 dollar ones if not better, at the end of the day it's still a machined aluminum item as long as the manufacturing tolerances are there and the metal quality you're just paying for marketing at that point and randoms ass regulations or bureaucracy
I purchased the NGAL they have available for 450 and it's absolutely hilarious. I use it on a Zenitco'd 74 and use it alongside friends of mine who are using actual PEQ-15As and it's on par with them in terms of brightness and illumination. So far I'm at 2400 rounds of 5.45 through it and it's still holding zero. The aluminum housing of the NGAL is also quite durable and looks extremely nice, even after surviving several MSWs and rainstorms.
Interesting and overall good review. I have to say that I am super impressed with your work and I am totally done with all the Tier 1 toolbags who are in it to hawk, over priced stuff I don't need anyway! Dudes like yourself, Hop, and Admin are quickly becoming the light and the way in this area. As a 20+ Veteran I appreciate the no B.S., no ads, no product pushing way you operate. All I want are the facts, with a little comedy, and opinion thrown in for good measure. The dog video is a +1 in my book! Keep it up... I plan to reroute my allowance away from a few B.S. sites and pump up your revenue.
More than likely what happened for these things greatness to be recognized is that some milsim player needed a cheap night vision laser or illuminator and it was either placed on a gas blowback or just absolutely beaten on an AEG and still held up. A lot of real shooters ex military and current Leo play at bigger events. Hundreds of people at once.
Or he just got bored as was like, "damn this is really nice under NV, lets see if it works on a real gun" and then it did and everybody lost their minds. When people are bored, theres innovation haha
I picked up a FMA LAB PEQ15 which seems to be similar to the Somogear if not from the exact same factory. From my limited testing, seems good to go with similar issues to yours. Glad to see the Chinese no name companies making a solid product that can fill the gap where US companies can't. EDIT: Do not buy the FMA LAB. It's low power and shit quality.
have 2k through mine. holding zero, mine is the newer generation past yours, they updated the silcone on the outside, not sure if the inside has changed. these are more then good to go
I have a $70 one that I have on a rifle. I removed the visible light led and replaced it with an ir led, cost me $13. That was 2 years ago. It's still going strong. Bought a second one and completed the ir mod and placed on my 458. Damn thing works like a mack truck! Both hold zero out to 100 yards easily. Could push further to 200 yards and still hit thorax sized steel.
So glad you made this video, as a broke boy I looked deep into somogear and purchased their ngal replica. Quality is pretty good and people have tested it with 5.56/300 blackout with no issue for several hundred rounds. The market for these type of devices is ridiculous to me so I'm looking forward to pushing somogear through its paces on my 14.5
Just a warning, I tried ordering one awhile back for funsies and it got seized by customs. Somogear got me a refund after explaining to them what that meant though but I never tried to re-order.
Mine came in through the Port of Miami without issues, probably just some bad luck. I'm assuming one of the reasons Sumogear doesn't offer the Zenitco clones anymore is to do with that.
Definitely still a spring chicken here, but in my (admittedly limited) experience, chinese knockoff doesnt ALWAYS mean garbage, it just doesnt have any sort of consistency that we would expect from the real thing. Sometimes you can find a gem that *works* for a fraction of the cost, but most of the time itll either not work as desired or itll break soon after the purchase
FP lasers are overhyped. They're primarily used for signaling airstrike locations from extremely far away in battlefields. Using them in an average shooting range you're more likely to end up blinding yourself
To blind someone with a full powered lazer would require very specific placement for a very long time. Considering that usually means someone is about to shoot you wellllllll….. Full powered illuminators are not overhyped they are under hyped it’s why idiots didn’t get the perst and bought dbal i2s and other such trash
For airsoft? Yessssss. For real firearms? Well…if you’re pointing a firearm at a person? There’s a very good reason and a laser is the last thing they should worry about
@@SuperXrayDoc If you knew what FP lasers are meant to be used for then you would know nobody would be using them at some average range under normal conditions.
i have said it once and i will say it again The tactical gear industry is out of control with their completely insane prices, in no world should anyone be paying north of 100 dollars for an aluminum riser mount
I love this channel brother. Probably one of five, including mine, I can trust. I’m super tiny comparatively and only just started last year, but dig your approach. We need more honest feedback from people that aren’t paid shills. Hard to find on social media!!!
I plan on using this for the foreseeable future, in the 1k rounds or so Ive put through it on my rifle, granted not all at night, it has held up pretty solid. My IR laser doesnt sit in the middle of my Illuminator, even after trying to adjust it, but it still works. They have an NGAL clone thats had a Gen 2 coming out soon and I plan on getting that as well. I have this on my primary rifle, because its my first step into laser devices and tbh I dont see a reason to drop 1k on a laser module as long as this keeps holding up. I would love a real full power IR unit, but the grey area of owning one isnt very appealing
It’s perfectly legal to own a fp. The issue is importing because of itar and can’t manufacture in the US because of the fda. It has no application to private ownership though. Just don’t buy a hot unit online or you may be in trouble or try leaving the US with it. That’s an itar violation I believe without state dept approval. Nobody is going to knock on your door. It’s not like a hellfire shit trigger lmao!
Great review. Glad to hear it performed well. This is super interesting, and I'm hoping it'll burn the market, and create better products. I can only hope!
Ordered one of these with the potting early this summer. It's been on a S&W 15-22 for around approximately 3,000 rounds between the kids and I. No issues yet. Not sure how it will like our winters yet but I have no regrets for 250$. Good trainer with the possibility of being a backup for the PERST. "You'll fry your eye out kid."
FMA, another Chinese manufacturer, makes an LA5 UHP variant that goes for about $500 and is advertised as being able to endure 556 and 308 recoil. Through 1500 rounds of 556 over 18 months, it has proven to not have any of the downsides of the Somogear.
Im actually building my own module myself. Using all class 3 laser diodes and im using a driver that also has the ability to dim or brighten the laser and light. Im designing a housing on CAD and will do a lost PLA cast of it.
Fellow Utah guy who owns one of these and uses it for airsoft on a gas blowback. Far superior to its Amazon counterparts, but for some reason I can’t coalign the Illuminator the laser. Other than that, and buyers remorse for getting the black one and not the tan one, it does the job!
Great timing with this topic. Someone recently posted a pic of their AR on reddit with one of these units, and there were a few comments backing up his claim that his unit made it through a few thousand rounds and is still kicking properly. I wonder what some of the other "airsoft" IR units are like, given the OTAL-Cs and PERSTs are like $100 and made of aluminum. Also, someone reviewed a digital NV device called the NV10 that was pretty impressive quality for $400. Maybe a viable Sub-$1k night vision set up will be available soon, but shrouded under the deceptive guise of cheap airsoft parts.
I doubt it on the sub 1000 dollar NV at least for a bit longer. The tech isn't quite there for it. Give it another 5 years and we'll probably see a "okay" digital night vision setup
@@BrassFacts I bought a TKKOK NVG 10 and paired it up with a Ebay Sotac Perst 4. and running on a 9mm PCC for almost a year now with no problems from either device. I wont call it the poor man's setup but I will call it the cheap man's NV setup
Own it, bought potted and we were hip shooting 100 yards with this thing no problem. It's held zero. Probably bought it because I saw this video a long time ago btw and bought it way before my NVGs. Now ive been playing with it in the dark too and the IR is good but not very "focused". All in all, it works for me and I use it on my main rig! Love the vids, keep 'em coming
I bought one of these and have one night shoot with it so far, roughly 100 rounds. Zeroed well and performed awesome. The fake unity taps switch it came with kept coming out of the housing. Not too worried, I’ll just put a dap of glue on the outside of the house and it’ll be great
Honestly, in my opinion, I need to revisit this video and make another comment. I predict that this is just the beginning of “airsoft“ laser aiming devices. My predictions are in the next five years, these will be on par if not better than a good majority of the big name brand companies. I personally think that people are getting scammed out of good quality products from these big companies because they have held the market in control for so long and only because of government contracts that there was almost no way to get the same quality of product for an actual affordable price/price gouging/government contract and full control) The market is evolving with the consumer in mind, rooted by Constitutional values. And honestly it’s a beautiful thing to witness. Love your channel man. You give such incredible information and valuable ideas to people. A lot of your videos have opened my mind and I’m sure have opened the mind of all of the other viewers as well. In times like we are in now, channels like yours are truly a godsend to the people.
Just bought one a couple days ago. We'll see how she goes. Their customer service seems to be pretty good though, I forgot to add the potting service to my cart cause I was in a hurry, and I messaged them the next day asking if they could add it and they responded within 10min saying they would.
Somogear? More like OH NO BEER! (Brock doesn't like beer he prefers Mike's Harder Lemonade, and my algorithm comments are becoming decreasingly coherent)
What sold me on this unit was a guy had 1,500+ rounds on his SCAR(and still counting) with the Somogear and its still holding Zero. Should have a potted one coming in this tuesday🤟
Just got my potted one in the other day. Visual laser is powerful too! Tried to get our cat to chase beam on low power but you can see the laser in the air so it didn't fool the cat 😕😬
Thank you for the info, I'm getting into the gun community and there's a lot to learn. Good to know there's dude's like you out there beta testing different components for all to see.
I actually bought a Airsoft DBAL for $150 just to try the IR laser and stuff and threw it on a AK. At first it had trouble holding zero but I set it and locktighted the screws so they wouldn't walk out and it works like a absolute charm. About 2000 rounds with it and it still drives nails and I am pretty sure it's full power too. Might not be the most durable option. But for less than $200 I am very happy with it
As a project I made a peq15 and to solve the issue of keeping ZERO and not shaking parts loose I used "instamorph" and molded it as one solid piece inside a peq box. It still holds zero and no issues six years later
I remember watching a video of a dude with a wish.china blue laser and he was light paper on fire, then he replaced the diode and ran more power to it and was catching stuff on fire from pretty far distances.
Reviews are all over the place. I've seen several where even the potted units lose zero quickly. Buy a good condition real FP for a primary and don't worry about it.
I really enjoy the videos like this, we're all just trying to expand our capability with without having to sell a kidney. Sometimes, spending good money on higher end stuff is necessary, sometimes it's not.
Great review. I have two somogears (NGAL and a non illum PEQ) that held up well on .22s but I was really impressed most with their lifetime warranty. I over adjusted my NGAL and broke the windage adjustment and SOMOGEAR send me a free replacement in about a week no hassles. My only gripe is the IR laser was a bit too bright and bloomy and not as clean and precise as my holosuns on low, but that was only really noticeable and a problem when zeroing and trying to get as tight of a group as possible. After zero its not really an issue for me.
Always wanted a real one, but never planned on having NODs and didn't want to pay for a neutered one. This looks like it would scratch the itch. Then if I ever got NODs I'd have something to play with still as I financially recover.
Regulations are what make this all expensive. I want a light weight ir/vis only and good luck finding any. I use a Steiner pistol ir only for my SBR and it seems pretty good out to 200 which at night is really hard to see. Cons are the batteries are impossible to find and I can’t use lights at the same time.
It’s not really regulations but instead it’s a relatively small market item and not very profitable for most companies to be able to enter and offer a cheaper alternative without using stolen tech and copycat products. Also, defense contractors can’t inflate the price of a product for .mil use while selling the same product to civilians at a fraction of the cost. It’s one or the other. DoD is the main purchaser of nv kit. Which market would you go after if you ran L3/teledyne or Steiner? I’d be hawking my shit to the pentagon personally. And as a taxpayer I don’t think it’s wise to pay a defense contractor a price above what a civilian would pay. This tech is stolen by China and cuts out all of the R&D costs that went into the product by others. I guess Persts are probably unobtanium these days but I’m sure happy mine is in the US right now sold off on eBay by corrupt Russia while their shitbags run iron sights in Ukraine lmao.
You have a point but nv and lasers are highly regulated. The actual cost of components is not that expensive I get r&d costs but still. A peq-15 is not a 1500 piece of equipment.
Bought the 80 dollar version one for my airsoft rifle. Can't have real guns in my country so I use airsoft as a substitute. Got it today and it feels great. I love it
Keep up the good work! love seeing the channel grow in method and style. Would like to see a vid on the CFT2 that hop looked at and maybe compare it to this.
So if they are making these in Chinese sweatshops it's safe to say China would be a much tuffer opponent on the battlefield than Russia has shown to be
First off, I wanted to say this was a surprisingly enjoyable video, it hasn't convinced me to put this on my main firearm however it does have some really good training applications on my M&P-15/22 for night drills. Probably why this video caught my eye like it did is because I have an affinity for equipping "airsoft gear" on my 22 caliber training rifle. Though it's probably not a consistently good look for a TH-camr too vouch for airsoft items (based on the premise of 22 caliber trainers) the off-brand trijicon ACOGs are a surprisingly good quality optic for "trainers" that offer comparable weight / ergonomics and retical design, though I've already drug mine through the mud, I know quite a few people that would enjoy a more professional review.
Yeah the fact that they explicitly say to not put it on an actual firearm would keep me from running it seriously. Its just not meant to stand up to recoil over time doesn't mean that its a bad product just that putting it on a real gun is something that isn't intended for it. .22 recoil is basically airsoft level though so it should be absolutely fine on one. Or even temporarily on an ar 15 but id expect issues after enough rounds fired
My first thought was to have a couple of these to throw on different secondary guns easily adapted for night fighting, but to have a separate primary (pricey) set up for 'sErIoUs' use.
The fact that full power laser components are relatively easy to source makes me wonder why it’s not common for people to buy civilian lasers and just swap out the internals. That way you get the benefits of a “duty” housing with full power capabilities. I’m sure I’m not the first person to think of this so I guess there has to be a reason it’s not viable, but fuck if I know what it is.
Took me about a week to get mine from ordering, no problems with customs or anything. I think the "airsoft only" marketing is mainly to circumvent import and export regulations, especially with export for a possible warranty repair. What really cemented it for me is that they specifically state that the potting service is not what you should have for firearms use, which is asinine. Good call-out on the illuminator focus zero shift, hadn't noticed that yet but that explains some things. Thanks for the video and looking forward to the next one!
@@minutemenapparel yes, it's exactly what you'd want should you want it to hold up to recoil, so I went ahead and paid the extra 10 bucks. Brass Facts goes over it in the video a bit
@@lucasmartinez1679 it (potting) is encasing the components in a nonconductive material, such as resin or silicone, to ensure that the parts are protected for physical shock and incursions of debris or liquid.
I like your straight up no bullshit approach. It either is worth a look or it isn’t.. and this is what you pay. It was worth it for me and that’s good enough for the moment.
The price difference is in China stealing our military technology and not incurring any r&d costs, patent infringement, all while likely using slave labor but you be you. Fund communism at your own demise…
If you aren't using it for a year out if a spray foam tent, i.e. it lives in your safe until range day, it works just fine. I have no idea what depth it could go to, but that's usually a non-issue.
it really is. It basically relegates that feature to a dog toy. I'll be reviewing a pretty nice laser next week. It's a bit pricy, but the performance is quite impressive
Seems like the perfect product for me. Not because I'm just some poor (which I am, please no bully), but also because I'm looking at getting into night vision, and it seems like literally the best, cheapest option. If it breaks to the point I can't fix it, I can get another. Or I can go with the Phantom Hill module that just recently got an update
Yes! Relegate it as a backup or for another gun when you can buy a "real" laser. Get a Crye night cap to get you by until a helmet, then spend as much as you can afford on the tube quality.
My somo peq has surprised me that it hasn't broken, yet. But it does give me an IR laser/illuminator stand in until I can get an actually good unit. Does your unit's lasers shift if you press on the adjustment screws? Not turn, just apply pressure.
A training laser for a training weapon (air soft, simunition, laser/dry fire, budget range rifle, etc.) which excels at that job. Frugal, Functional, Expendable.
Adding my own data point here - I got two Somogear PEQ15s and the first one could not remain on when mounted. The mounting would warp the body and disconnect some electronics. The second one would turn off as soon as I shot it. Mounted it on a 9mm PCC and an AR with the same results.
@@AnotherClich3 depending how new your unit is, there should already be 1 oring in the bottom of the battery compartment. Add 1 more. Then put the battery in. Should keep connection under recoil.
Thanks for the review. I think a product like this may fall into a few categories. 1. The person that can't afford the best of gear and wants something, just in case or for fun. 2. The person that wants to look tacti cool, however, if looks is all you want, you can go cheaper. 3. The person or group of people that want backups or extra to supply others just in case. This would be similar to buying 2 Caniks for the price of 1 Glock. Sometimes budget items is the best someone can do. As for the airsoft community, there are some great training groups and events out there that use airsoft. Some of these go for days on end, so why not have stuff like this. Most of us don't have tens of thousands of dollars to spend on our setups and not have to sleep on the couch, so stuff like this that gets us in at an entry level is cool. This could be a product that qualifies as "why buy one, when you can get two at a fraction of the price, and now you have a backup?"
I tore one apart to know exactly the build quality, whoever told you it was potted was wrong, at least in my case. The battery contact however is the actual weakest link, it is a bare wire just barely long enough to touch the battery housing and glued on, not even soldered. (I actually tried to solder it and the pot metal would not take it.) The mount is serviceable IMHO, not great but it'll chooch. The turret mechanism was solidly glued to the housing, the spring providing tension was glued with no support and the armature for the lasers appeared to be a 3D printed assembly. I could see the glue for the spring failing if mounted above a hot gas block and a heavy firing schedule. The armature is designed to flex, given that it's 3D printed and their fracture lines I suspect depending on the temperature it could break or shift if dropped/hit just right. Electronically it seems fine to me, a thicker PCB would have been nice, but it is what it is. I suspect the reasoning behind the airsoft branding has more to do with Chinese politics than anything. Your performance result match mine. My curiosity was satisfied, I hate to say it but I'd take lower power over durability, however price wise I would be mildly ok running this on loaner/backup guns and good with it on range-toys (Ideal for a suppressed .22lr). My background is electrical with a lot of engineering passion, I have an idea for a LAM replacement and have been trying to wrap my head around all the manufacturing challenges for it (there's only so much I can afford to do at 26) but if I ever do make it, my cheesy project name for it is the CiviLAM, just so everyone knows who I really made it for. The Civi.
did you select the potting service? They don't come potted by default. There's multiple tear downs of these. If you select the potting service, they are indeed potted. Good info on the rest of it. Thanks
Good to know, did not see that service when I bought mine. Makes me wonder if they have changed the other aspects I've mentioned to help ruggedize them. Hopefully someday we'll all have a good solution.
Somogear makes neat stuff. I once herd them described as wanting to be the Holosun of lasers. Idk if they'll ever be like that, but I know that I'm interested and I'd like to see their success.
To be honest nowadays some airsoft product is actually close to real deal. Not even accessories but airsoft gun. I had turn my realistic gbb ar15 (which is made by same material and manufacturing process like the real ar15) into shooting real 5.56 nato. And guess what, after some machine milling and fitting a real bolt, barrel it fking shoot and have decent accuracy. The Gbb itself already 90% real parts compatible, I don't even need modification to fit in a real Geissele super triggers group in the lower receiver.
Bottom line is this, IR lasers are insanely overpriced due to a law that all military contracts must be sold to the public for the same price. Same reason Knights and LMTs are WAY overhyped due to their price tag but all that is is those companies ripping off tax payers (gov contracts) so some civilians still pay those inflated prices. IR lasers are the same thing, ripping off tax payers and civilians that want it pay ridiculous prices to pretend they are operators. The clones are 1/6th the price bc its a basic circuit board and laser. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT pay for the expensive model just bc....'Merica or whatever. Buy the clone. Accept the fact that your TV is made in China too. As is your iphone (by children no less) so stop this holier than thou act that you supporting America (but only do it when it comes to 2A)
@@darylobey8867 the one I was looking at was NGAL. it was an all metal body with potted internals and a good beam. I have a really demanding job and never got around to it but I suppose I will soon!
My FMA is a better laser overall to my friend’s somogear. Unfortunately the zero now walks on any single jostle. Need to open it and replace the erector return spring/ pot it.
Thanks for the info I have the same one 1311, mines been holding up great, but I also did some hardening to the housing. Do you know what caused yours to fail? What caliber were you using? Thanks
@@SystemWillFail1 just a WWSD 5.56 carbine. not a range toy or safe queen. Gets jostled against limestone cliffs hunting and dumped into barrels at comps. Lasted about half a year. What did you do to harden yours?
1) loctite and tighten 2 mount screws ( mine came with screws so loose they almost fell out) 2) using jb weld I sealed all the seams around the unit 3) where the battery tube meets the housing, thoroughly sealed with all the way around ( this is a weak point)
@joshuajones335 no, you're way off base. Government dictating who can and can't buy a product and where said product can be shipped is in no way capitalism. The market is comprised predominantly by MIL/LEO who get to spend thousands of dollars exorted from taxpayers to buy these cat toys. Once you get a job you'll understand what taxation is.
@joshuajones335I didn't say or imply that capitalism is supposed to be a lack of government intervention. Several people have correctly stated that the price of these devices is due to government intervention and not free market capitalism. So the idea of blaming capitalism for the price is ignorant at best. I'm a CPA. Spare my the rambling paragraphs.
Nova action footage at the end: 10/10 I've looked at these guys once before out of curiosity (can't recall what piqued my interest in the first place since I don't have NV), but it's neat to see something like this actually not being total hot garbage
The crane plug will still prolapse like a Steiner if you run a modbutton btw, also sample size of 1.
ooof. good to know. Mine didn't and that was what I was using to do the test.
@@BrassFacts We were shooting w/ Nature and his just randomly died while using it, forced to press the regular top fire button now. Mine hasn't had any issues so far and I'm not really that worried about it.
This is a known issue with the mod and unity buttons
Why does that happen?
@@Nathan-jh1ho
I mic’d the male ends of both the surefire pressure switch and the modlite plug. They were identical in dimensions, it is the modlite modbutton that has a much stiffer wire that makes contact inside the laser that causes the Steiner to prolapse.
The crazy thing about this product is they could release a “pro” version or something of the sort for 100-150$ more for increased reliability and it would absolutely smoke the current civilian laser market.
it's quite depressing how badly the current "main" lasers are hamstrung
@@BrassFacts do you think it's the same with others military products (i.e night vision, tactical headsets/radios, optics, and armor?) they all cost sooooo much.
@@gmodiscool14 some things cost a lot because of the process.
NVGs for example has really low yields on quality tubes.
@@BrassFacts ok
@@BrassFacts them damn tubes is just something u cant buy cheap or fake😔😭
On the note of building a laser. I'm working on an open source LAM. The software and hardware bench prototyping is done. Just working on housing design now for rifle testing.
Got a fake perst 4 from Hong cong. The housing is almost indistinguishable from the real one I've got.
Holy cow Chris. I look forward to seeing your LAM!!
@@no-sway3709 I just ordered the Hong Kong one too👀
That’s awesome brother. Keep us updated as to when it’s done. I’d love to check it out!!!
Would be cool to see you work with someone like print shoot repeat so we can get some tough, affordable and easy available housings
Fyi you can widen the flood of the ir illuminator! Theres a mod online, you have to take apart the peq but its worth it, and while your in there you can reinforce the solder points. After that its really nice.
To add their warranty is faster than any other company and are mostly no questions asked. Also the reason they market airsoft is they are based in hong kong and its the only way they could sell them past itar.
cool! good to know, I might do that.
What’s the mod sir?
@@PreacherT5 send me link as well
i need the link as well but i have no insta. Can you give cryptic directions to find it?
Can this be done on potted units?
I have ~3k rounds on my MK18 with the UHP Somogear PEQ-15 running suppressed and unsuppressed and I’ve had zero issues. My lasers are coaligned pretty well. My only complaint is the built in button is loud to press so I only use the tape switch they provided. Sample size of 2 lol.
it holds zero?????
Yeah it holds zero. And I have one of the first models that isn’t potted.
Does yours ever turn off for 2seconds from recoil?
Sounds like a perfect match for something like a Tippmann M4-22. Just think about it: a rimfire AR, made by a paintball gun company, sporting an airsoft laser!
I love using airsoft gear for my .22 plinkers. The gun looks gucci but costs toy money to build out.
which also makes airsoft guns!
I put a $60 Chinese, airsoft grade, PEQ15 rip off on my M&P 15-22 and it has hold zero so far remarkably well after thousands of rounds. .22 LR recoil is really easy on accessories. The same can’t be said about center fire cartridges: I mounted an airsoft grade light on the rail of a .380 acp pistol and it was dead after only one shot…
a lot of cheap "airsoft" equipment have gotten pretty damn good now, 90 dollar optics with decent glass that can withstand the recoil of 7.62×54 are not uncommon now. these things like radios, active earpro, chest rigs, holsters and such are completely acceptable
My favorites are the ACOG clones that actually hold zero on shotguns firing slugs
I've run expensive plate carriers, and "airsoft" plate carriers. The "airsoft" plate carriers last longer.
@@ragingdemon3127 link me plssss
I play Airosft ( just recently started more serious ) since I can’t own real firearms and have read before how people that use real gear are actually pleasantly surprised by airsoft gear and how some can be used with real firearms and hold.
@@stagalgiz1097 tried the jpc2?
It is marketed as airsoft to stay off the radar.
a lot of airsoft things are
I think you underestimate how dedicated some of the airsoft people are
@@shaggnar2014 actually what he meant, these products are somewhat designed to be used on real stuff, they just declare it as airsoft so it's not subjected to all the scrutiny of firearm regulations.
@@Nontacticalboy I understand perfectly
But the amount of ITAR violations that have happened usually from Japanese airsoft players that go super hard with their kid is kind of amazing lol
Those guys are super into it and probably want high class lasers for their smuggled gen III NODS
@@AwkwardYet can confirm, the 20-40 dollar Hydra mounts are practically the same quality as the "real" GBRS 500 dollar ones if not better, at the end of the day it's still a machined aluminum item as long as the manufacturing tolerances are there and the metal quality you're just paying for marketing at that point and randoms ass regulations or bureaucracy
I purchased the NGAL they have available for 450 and it's absolutely hilarious. I use it on a Zenitco'd 74 and use it alongside friends of mine who are using actual PEQ-15As and it's on par with them in terms of brightness and illumination. So far I'm at 2400 rounds of 5.45 through it and it's still holding zero. The aluminum housing of the NGAL is also quite durable and looks extremely nice, even after surviving several MSWs and rainstorms.
Who has an NGAL for $450?
@@sypher4912 Somogear also has a replica NGAL. Their website lists the MSRP at $386 for the most expensive model.
@@kutter_ttl6786 looks like they're out of stock currently and should be back in stock by the end of March for the NGAL variant.
Interesting and overall good review. I have to say that I am super impressed with your work and I am totally done with all the Tier 1 toolbags who are in it to hawk, over priced stuff I don't need anyway!
Dudes like yourself, Hop, and Admin are quickly becoming the light and the way in this area. As a 20+ Veteran I appreciate the no B.S., no ads, no product pushing way you operate. All I want are the facts, with a little comedy, and opinion thrown in for good measure. The dog video is a +1 in my book! Keep it up... I plan to reroute my allowance away from a few B.S. sites and pump up your revenue.
appreciate it! glad you like it
Agreed
What was your mos? I was 11B
Admin is a civilian who has no combat experience
@@TheInfantry98okay what's your point? Most civilians with weekend paid training are more knowledgeable than your average infantryman lol
More than likely what happened for these things greatness to be recognized is that some milsim player needed a cheap night vision laser or illuminator and it was either placed on a gas blowback or just absolutely beaten on an AEG and still held up. A lot of real shooters ex military and current Leo play at bigger events. Hundreds of people at once.
Or he just got bored as was like, "damn this is really nice under NV, lets see if it works on a real gun" and then it did and everybody lost their minds.
When people are bored, theres innovation haha
Any of these events around NC,SC or GA?
@@username-tv6uw yes, go to precision rifle expo at CCC shooting center in navasota next month. I will be there.. just got a somogear peq15.
@@username-tv6uw Texas, so a bit further but it's not too far.
@@username-tv6uw There was just one in Barnwell, Sc like, last weekend haha
I picked up a FMA LAB PEQ15 which seems to be similar to the Somogear if not from the exact same factory. From my limited testing, seems good to go with similar issues to yours. Glad to see the Chinese no name companies making a solid product that can fill the gap where US companies can't. EDIT: Do not buy the FMA LAB. It's low power and shit quality.
Was your FMA PEQ the $300 one? There are a lot of sub-$100 ones that claim IR capabilities.
Good stuff. You are like a mix of hop and admin. I think you’ll be at 100k+ in no time. Keep up the good work!
have 2k through mine. holding zero, mine is the newer generation past yours, they updated the silcone on the outside, not sure if the inside has changed. these are more then good to go
Can you post a purchase link or send me a message?
when did yours come in mine came in monday cant wait to test it
What’s link
I have a $70 one that I have on a rifle. I removed the visible light led and replaced it with an ir led, cost me $13. That was 2 years ago. It's still going strong. Bought a second one and completed the ir mod and placed on my 458. Damn thing works like a mack truck! Both hold zero out to 100 yards easily. Could push further to 200 yards and still hit thorax sized steel.
Do you have a link to the replacement IR LED? I got one of these to mess around with to see if it holds zero, thx.
I have been thinking about doing this but couldn't find a proper IR led. Could you share the one you used please?
Still waiting
What's the build list?
Ordered one last month. Arrived in a week. Held up for a couple hundred rounds so far. Seems to be decent enough. Mine is a potted unit.
So glad you made this video, as a broke boy I looked deep into somogear and purchased their ngal replica. Quality is pretty good and people have tested it with 5.56/300 blackout with no issue for several hundred rounds. The market for these type of devices is ridiculous to me so I'm looking forward to pushing somogear through its paces on my 14.5
How is the flash light
@@nuclearbeast7905 doesn't have a flashlight, Visible Laser + IR Laser + IR illuminator.
@@chrisr.1039oh okay cool
They don’t hold zero. Sounds like an issue to me, lol!
Seems perfect for .22LR rifles. FYI you have to add the $10 potting service before checkout they don’t automatically come potted
Just a warning, I tried ordering one awhile back for funsies and it got seized by customs. Somogear got me a refund after explaining to them what that meant though but I never tried to re-order.
Mine came in through the Port of Miami without issues, probably just some bad luck. I'm assuming one of the reasons Sumogear doesn't offer the Zenitco clones anymore is to do with that.
Never had issues with mine too
Always ship DHL
Which website would I find on to buy ? Thanks
Was it shipped to Wisconsin or Illinois? It says on their site a lot of them shipped to those two states get seized for some reason.
Definitely still a spring chicken here, but in my (admittedly limited) experience, chinese knockoff doesnt ALWAYS mean garbage, it just doesnt have any sort of consistency that we would expect from the real thing. Sometimes you can find a gem that *works* for a fraction of the cost, but most of the time itll either not work as desired or itll break soon after the purchase
I agree with you about using full power lasers for airsoft lol. Seems kinda dangerous to me
FP lasers are overhyped. They're primarily used for signaling airstrike locations from extremely far away in battlefields. Using them in an average shooting range you're more likely to end up blinding yourself
To blind someone with a full powered lazer would require very specific placement for a very long time. Considering that usually means someone is about to shoot you wellllllll…..
Full powered illuminators are not overhyped they are under hyped it’s why idiots didn’t get the perst and bought dbal i2s and other such trash
For airsoft? Yessssss. For real firearms? Well…if you’re pointing a firearm at a person? There’s a very good reason and a laser is the last thing they should worry about
@@SuperXrayDoc We want the FP for the illuminators, not the lasers haha
@@SuperXrayDoc If you knew what FP lasers are meant to be used for then you would know nobody would be using them at some average range under normal conditions.
Thanks
i have said it once and i will say it again
The tactical gear industry is out of control with their completely insane prices, in no world should anyone be paying north of 100 dollars for an aluminum riser mount
I love this channel brother. Probably one of five, including mine, I can trust. I’m super tiny comparatively and only just started last year, but dig your approach. We need more honest feedback from people that aren’t paid shills. Hard to find on social media!!!
I plan on using this for the foreseeable future, in the 1k rounds or so Ive put through it on my rifle, granted not all at night, it has held up pretty solid. My IR laser doesnt sit in the middle of my Illuminator, even after trying to adjust it, but it still works. They have an NGAL clone thats had a Gen 2 coming out soon and I plan on getting that as well.
I have this on my primary rifle, because its my first step into laser devices and tbh I dont see a reason to drop 1k on a laser module as long as this keeps holding up. I would love a real full power IR unit, but the grey area of owning one isnt very appealing
You own one rn lol
@@prella7666 I plan on owning a few as long as they keep improving
It’s perfectly legal to own a fp. The issue is importing because of itar and can’t manufacture in the US because of the fda. It has no application to private ownership though. Just don’t buy a hot unit online or you may be in trouble or try leaving the US with it. That’s an itar violation I believe without state dept approval. Nobody is going to knock on your door. It’s not like a hellfire shit trigger lmao!
@hunner_gunner7423 they advertise 12ish days but I got mine in 7!
@hunner_gunner7423 and that was with the extra potting service. But nope, tracking started in Hong Kong so they likely flew it over with zero issues
This has quickly become my favorite YT channel.
Great review. Glad to hear it performed well. This is super interesting, and I'm hoping it'll burn the market, and create better products. I can only hope!
Ordered one of these with the potting early this summer. It's been on a S&W 15-22 for around approximately 3,000 rounds between the kids and I. No issues yet. Not sure how it will like our winters yet but I have no regrets for 250$. Good trainer with the possibility of being a backup for the PERST. "You'll fry your eye out kid."
Make sure to coalign the lasers and make sure to kinda fix reliability issues, charge $450 and you got the best option
FMA, another Chinese manufacturer, makes an LA5 UHP variant that goes for about $500 and is advertised as being able to endure 556 and 308 recoil. Through 1500 rounds of 556 over 18 months, it has proven to not have any of the downsides of the Somogear.
Got a link?
Link?
What FMA are you looking at. It sounds like you're talking about the Invisible Sight PEQ.
Im actually building my own module myself. Using all class 3 laser diodes and im using a driver that also has the ability to dim or brighten the laser and light. Im designing a housing on CAD and will do a lost PLA cast of it.
Have any place you posting this I am interested myself
This is the kind of stuff you need to make videos of.
Fellow Utah guy who owns one of these and uses it for airsoft on a gas blowback. Far superior to its Amazon counterparts, but for some reason I can’t coalign the Illuminator the laser. Other than that, and buyers remorse for getting the black one and not the tan one, it does the job!
Great timing with this topic. Someone recently posted a pic of their AR on reddit with one of these units, and there were a few comments backing up his claim that his unit made it through a few thousand rounds and is still kicking properly. I wonder what some of the other "airsoft" IR units are like, given the OTAL-Cs and PERSTs are like $100 and made of aluminum.
Also, someone reviewed a digital NV device called the NV10 that was pretty impressive quality for $400. Maybe a viable Sub-$1k night vision set up will be available soon, but shrouded under the deceptive guise of cheap airsoft parts.
I doubt it on the sub 1000 dollar NV at least for a bit longer. The tech isn't quite there for it. Give it another 5 years and we'll probably see a "okay" digital night vision setup
@@BrassFacts I bought a TKKOK NVG 10 and paired it up with a Ebay Sotac Perst 4. and running on a 9mm PCC for almost a year now with no problems from either device. I wont call it the poor man's setup but I will call it the cheap man's NV setup
Own it, bought potted and we were hip shooting 100 yards with this thing no problem. It's held zero. Probably bought it because I saw this video a long time ago btw and bought it way before my NVGs. Now ive been playing with it in the dark too and the IR is good but not very "focused". All in all, it works for me and I use it on my main rig! Love the vids, keep 'em coming
I bought one of these and have one night shoot with it so far, roughly 100 rounds. Zeroed well and performed awesome. The fake unity taps switch it came with kept coming out of the housing. Not too worried, I’ll just put a dap of glue on the outside of the house and it’ll be great
Honestly, in my opinion, I need to revisit this video and make another comment. I predict that this is just the beginning of “airsoft“ laser aiming devices. My predictions are in the next five years, these will be on par if not better than a good majority of the big name brand companies. I personally think that people are getting scammed out of good quality products from these big companies because they have held the market in control for so long and only because of government contracts that there was almost no way to get the same quality of product for an actual affordable price/price gouging/government contract and full control)
The market is evolving with the consumer in mind, rooted by Constitutional values. And honestly it’s a beautiful thing to witness.
Love your channel man. You give such incredible information and valuable ideas to people. A lot of your videos have opened my mind and I’m sure have opened the mind of all of the other viewers as well. In times like we are in now, channels like yours are truly a godsend to the people.
Currently at 1200-1300rnd count on a 22 ar platform. Newer potted version. Did get my ir illuminator to center on the laser. 10.3 geisssle is up next
Just bought one a couple days ago. We'll see how she goes. Their customer service seems to be pretty good though, I forgot to add the potting service to my cart cause I was in a hurry, and I messaged them the next day asking if they could add it and they responded within 10min saying they would.
You made me interrupt 'Detroit Rock City' >:
You and hop are doing the lord's work
Somogear? More like OH NO BEER!
(Brock doesn't like beer he prefers Mike's Harder Lemonade, and my algorithm comments are becoming decreasingly coherent)
mikes harder is my jam, but Ryan is slowly forcing me to drink real beer. Soon I might be a real man
I can watch many minutes of you high fiving your doggo in a sunset desert with poignant music playing.
Welp I'm buying this right now.
All done should get it on Thursday
I subscribed on one notion. Dogs in every video. Also, legit info on the subject. But for real.. Dogs.
What sold me on this unit was a guy had 1,500+ rounds on his SCAR(and still counting) with the Somogear and its still holding Zero. Should have a potted one coming in this tuesday🤟
Just got my potted one in the other day. Visual laser is powerful too! Tried to get our cat to chase beam on low power but you can see the laser in the air so it didn't fool the cat 😕😬
We're did you see that at? The scar mounted one?
So far been holding zero with 10.3in 5.56 suppressed. Only have ~50rds through gun with the somogear peq mounted but so far so good!
Thank you for the info, I'm getting into the gun community and there's a lot to learn. Good to know there's dude's like you out there beta testing different components for all to see.
I actually bought a Airsoft DBAL for $150 just to try the IR laser and stuff and threw it on a AK. At first it had trouble holding zero but I set it and locktighted the screws so they wouldn't walk out and it works like a absolute charm. About 2000 rounds with it and it still drives nails and I am pretty sure it's full power too. Might not be the most durable option. But for less than $200 I am very happy with it
they have a pro version its labled as the NGAL. its full aluminum, smaller then the peq15, and has some updates in tech.
I ordered one a few weeks ago and It arrived in a week. Haven't used it yet but seems to be pretty decent quality and works with my switches
Have a link you can send?
As a project I made a peq15 and to solve the issue of keeping ZERO and not shaking parts loose I used "instamorph" and molded it as one solid piece inside a peq box. It still holds zero and no issues six years later
I remember watching a video of a dude with a wish.china blue laser and he was light paper on fire, then he replaced the diode and ran more power to it and was catching stuff on fire from pretty far distances.
Them Lasers, best quality costs MAX is $44 or so to manufacture, add R&D few dollars, and thats your total BOM(bill of materials) Sheet cost.
For someone, like myself, who views passive aiming as the primary night time aiming mechanism this thing is very doable.
(this)
The landscape is freaking sweat! You are so lucky!
indeed. It's nice out here.
There is a non-zero population of people who subscribe to this channel but don't even like guns, they're just here for the Nova footage.
probably double digit percent
Reviews are all over the place. I've seen several where even the potted units lose zero quickly.
Buy a good condition real FP for a primary and don't worry about it.
I really enjoy the videos like this, we're all just trying to expand our capability with without having to sell a kidney. Sometimes, spending good money on higher end stuff is necessary, sometimes it's not.
Great review. I have two somogears (NGAL and a non illum PEQ) that held up well on .22s but I was really impressed most with their lifetime warranty. I over adjusted my NGAL and broke the windage adjustment and SOMOGEAR send me a free replacement in about a week no hassles. My only gripe is the IR laser was a bit too bright and bloomy and not as clean and precise as my holosuns on low, but that was only really noticeable and a problem when zeroing and trying to get as tight of a group as possible. After zero its not really an issue for me.
Always wanted a real one, but never planned on having NODs and didn't want to pay for a neutered one. This looks like it would scratch the itch.
Then if I ever got NODs I'd have something to play with still as I financially recover.
Don’t worry about what other people think we want to hear what you think and if anybody’s hating on you, then you know you’re doing it right
Regulations are what make this all expensive. I want a light weight ir/vis only and good luck finding any. I use a Steiner pistol ir only for my SBR and it seems pretty good out to 200 which at night is really hard to see. Cons are the batteries are impossible to find and I can’t use lights at the same time.
It’s not really regulations but instead it’s a relatively small market item and not very profitable for most companies to be able to enter and offer a cheaper alternative without using stolen tech and copycat products. Also, defense contractors can’t inflate the price of a product for .mil use while selling the same product to civilians at a fraction of the cost. It’s one or the other. DoD is the main purchaser of nv kit. Which market would you go after if you ran L3/teledyne or Steiner? I’d be hawking my shit to the pentagon personally. And as a taxpayer I don’t think it’s wise to pay a defense contractor a price above what a civilian would pay. This tech is stolen by China and cuts out all of the R&D costs that went into the product by others. I guess Persts are probably unobtanium these days but I’m sure happy mine is in the US right now sold off on eBay by corrupt Russia while their shitbags run iron sights in Ukraine lmao.
You have a point but nv and lasers are highly regulated. The actual cost of components is not that expensive I get r&d costs but still. A peq-15 is not a 1500 piece of equipment.
Bought the 80 dollar version one for my airsoft rifle. Can't have real guns in my country so I use airsoft as a substitute. Got it today and it feels great. I love it
Keep up the good work! love seeing the channel grow in method and style. Would like to see a vid on the CFT2 that hop looked at and maybe compare it to this.
perhaps, that's really more his thing. I'll be checking out the designateIR next week though and that's very promising.
@@BrassFacts I've been curious about that laser as well, looking forward to the video.
@@BrassFacts is your illuminator square or round? Heard that released an updated version with a round illuminator
So if they are making these in Chinese sweatshops it's safe to say China would be a much tuffer opponent on the battlefield than Russia has shown to be
First off, I wanted to say this was a surprisingly enjoyable video, it hasn't convinced me to put this on my main firearm however it does have some really good training applications on my M&P-15/22 for night drills.
Probably why this video caught my eye like it did is because I have an affinity for equipping "airsoft gear" on my 22 caliber training rifle.
Though it's probably not a consistently good look for a TH-camr too vouch for airsoft items (based on the premise of 22 caliber trainers) the off-brand trijicon ACOGs are a surprisingly good quality optic for "trainers" that offer comparable weight / ergonomics and retical design, though I've already drug mine through the mud, I know quite a few people that would enjoy a more professional review.
Yeah the fact that they explicitly say to not put it on an actual firearm would keep me from running it seriously. Its just not meant to stand up to recoil over time doesn't mean that its a bad product just that putting it on a real gun is something that isn't intended for it. .22 recoil is basically airsoft level though so it should be absolutely fine on one. Or even temporarily on an ar 15 but id expect issues after enough rounds fired
My first thought was to have a couple of these to throw on different secondary guns easily adapted for night fighting, but to have a separate primary (pricey) set up for 'sErIoUs' use.
That's the route I'm going.
This would be ideal, no need to drop big bucks on “real” lasers anymore
This guy funny af lol. Subbing because of his review of the peq
The fact that full power laser components are relatively easy to source makes me wonder why it’s not common for people to buy civilian lasers and just swap out the internals. That way you get the benefits of a “duty” housing with full power capabilities.
I’m sure I’m not the first person to think of this so I guess there has to be a reason it’s not viable, but fuck if I know what it is.
doesn't surprise me at all, you should see what China can do with replica watches
Took me about a week to get mine from ordering, no problems with customs or anything. I think the "airsoft only" marketing is mainly to circumvent import and export regulations, especially with export for a possible warranty repair. What really cemented it for me is that they specifically state that the potting service is not what you should have for firearms use, which is asinine. Good call-out on the illuminator focus zero shift, hadn't noticed that yet but that explains some things. Thanks for the video and looking forward to the next one!
Did you end up doing the potting service anyways?
What’s potting service?
@@minutemenapparel yes, it's exactly what you'd want should you want it to hold up to recoil, so I went ahead and paid the extra 10 bucks. Brass Facts goes over it in the video a bit
@@lucasmartinez1679 it (potting) is encasing the components in a nonconductive material, such as resin or silicone, to ensure that the parts are protected for physical shock and incursions of debris or liquid.
I like your straight up no bullshit approach. It either is worth a look or it isn’t.. and this is what you pay. It was worth it for me and that’s good enough for the moment.
The price difference is in the gate keeping.
The price difference is in China stealing our military technology and not incurring any r&d costs, patent infringement, all while likely using slave labor but you be you. Fund communism at your own demise…
Very true. If you market anything as super operator gucci. People will flock to it and not question the price
If you aren't using it for a year out if a spray foam tent, i.e. it lives in your safe until range day, it works just fine. I have no idea what depth it could go to, but that's usually a non-issue.
Waiting till the end of this video to buy one for a second NV gun
Non aligned lasers is a sad issue :(
What LAM are you using now?
it really is. It basically relegates that feature to a dog toy.
I'll be reviewing a pretty nice laser next week. It's a bit pricy, but the performance is quite impressive
Great video. Thanks! You’re one of the few gun tubers I still watch 😊
Seems like the perfect product for me. Not because I'm just some poor (which I am, please no bully), but also because I'm looking at getting into night vision, and it seems like literally the best, cheapest option. If it breaks to the point I can't fix it, I can get another. Or I can go with the Phantom Hill module that just recently got an update
Yes! Relegate it as a backup or for another gun when you can buy a "real" laser. Get a Crye night cap to get you by until a helmet, then spend as much as you can afford on the tube quality.
@5:24 Noticed to added a "speed hole" to that table! :) Great review!
My somo peq has surprised me that it hasn't broken, yet. But it does give me an IR laser/illuminator stand in until I can get an actually good unit.
Does your unit's lasers shift if you press on the adjustment screws? Not turn, just apply pressure.
nope on the laser. Yes on the illum
dog tax: paid in full
I’m at the $5 tier now. Keep up the great content bud. Thought exercises between you and Hop are great.
A training laser for a training weapon (air soft, simunition, laser/dry fire, budget range rifle, etc.) which excels at that job. Frugal, Functional, Expendable.
I have the Somogear NGAL and mine has maintained zero over around 120rnds so far. I'm of the opinion they call them "airsoft" to get around ITAR.
could be. didn't consider that
ITAR isn't concerned about imports
But the lack of ITAR means that if you don't like yours, you can sell it anywhere
@@TeletubbiesRcuteyes it is 😂😂
@@sigxm5thumb Nah, it's about export and temporary imports. Stuff that leaves the country.
Adding my own data point here - I got two Somogear PEQ15s and the first one could not remain on when mounted. The mounting would warp the body and disconnect some electronics. The second one would turn off as soon as I shot it. Mounted it on a 9mm PCC and an AR with the same results.
Try adding an oring to the battery compartment. During recoil, battery will sometimes lose connection
@@scottrutledge9142 thanks, I'll try that. Where is it supposed to sit in the compartment?
@@AnotherClich3 depending how new your unit is, there should already be 1 oring in the bottom of the battery compartment. Add 1 more. Then put the battery in. Should keep connection under recoil.
Thanks for the review. I think a product like this may fall into a few categories. 1. The person that can't afford the best of gear and wants something, just in case or for fun. 2. The person that wants to look tacti cool, however, if looks is all you want, you can go cheaper. 3. The person or group of people that want backups or extra to supply others just in case. This would be similar to buying 2 Caniks for the price of 1 Glock. Sometimes budget items is the best someone can do. As for the airsoft community, there are some great training groups and events out there that use airsoft. Some of these go for days on end, so why not have stuff like this. Most of us don't have tens of thousands of dollars to spend on our setups and not have to sleep on the couch, so stuff like this that gets us in at an entry level is cool. This could be a product that qualifies as "why buy one, when you can get two at a fraction of the price, and now you have a backup?"
I tore one apart to know exactly the build quality, whoever told you it was potted was wrong, at least in my case. The battery contact however is the actual weakest link, it is a bare wire just barely long enough to touch the battery housing and glued on, not even soldered. (I actually tried to solder it and the pot metal would not take it.) The mount is serviceable IMHO, not great but it'll chooch. The turret mechanism was solidly glued to the housing, the spring providing tension was glued with no support and the armature for the lasers appeared to be a 3D printed assembly. I could see the glue for the spring failing if mounted above a hot gas block and a heavy firing schedule. The armature is designed to flex, given that it's 3D printed and their fracture lines I suspect depending on the temperature it could break or shift if dropped/hit just right. Electronically it seems fine to me, a thicker PCB would have been nice, but it is what it is. I suspect the reasoning behind the airsoft branding has more to do with Chinese politics than anything. Your performance result match mine. My curiosity was satisfied, I hate to say it but I'd take lower power over durability, however price wise I would be mildly ok running this on loaner/backup guns and good with it on range-toys (Ideal for a suppressed .22lr).
My background is electrical with a lot of engineering passion, I have an idea for a LAM replacement and have been trying to wrap my head around all the manufacturing challenges for it (there's only so much I can afford to do at 26) but if I ever do make it, my cheesy project name for it is the CiviLAM, just so everyone knows who I really made it for. The Civi.
did you select the potting service? They don't come potted by default.
There's multiple tear downs of these. If you select the potting service, they are indeed potted.
Good info on the rest of it. Thanks
Good to know, did not see that service when I bought mine. Makes me wonder if they have changed the other aspects I've mentioned to help ruggedize them. Hopefully someday we'll all have a good solution.
Aaaaaaaaand they're gone....
"you literally can not stop me."
*space bar*
I think I can.
Somogear makes neat stuff. I once herd them described as wanting to be the Holosun of lasers. Idk if they'll ever be like that, but I know that I'm interested and I'd like to see their success.
To be honest nowadays some airsoft product is actually close to real deal. Not even accessories but airsoft gun. I had turn my realistic gbb ar15 (which is made by same material and manufacturing process like the real ar15) into shooting real 5.56 nato. And guess what, after some machine milling and fitting a real bolt, barrel it fking shoot and have decent accuracy. The Gbb itself already 90% real parts compatible, I don't even need modification to fit in a real Geissele super triggers group in the lower receiver.
Bottom line is this, IR lasers are insanely overpriced due to a law that all military contracts must be sold to the public for the same price. Same reason Knights and LMTs are WAY overhyped due to their price tag but all that is is those companies ripping off tax payers (gov contracts) so some civilians still pay those inflated prices.
IR lasers are the same thing, ripping off tax payers and civilians that want it pay ridiculous prices to pretend they are operators. The clones are 1/6th the price bc its a basic circuit board and laser.
DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT pay for the expensive model just bc....'Merica or whatever. Buy the clone. Accept the fact that your TV is made in China too. As is your iphone (by children no less) so stop this holier than thou act that you supporting America (but only do it when it comes to 2A)
FINALLY A REVIEW ON THIS THING
I found these about a year ish ago and planned on testing one. Now they’re gonna sell out 😂
Lol like the g&p dbal that some how was pretty decent and people bought one :D
@@darylobey8867 the one I was looking at was NGAL. it was an all metal body with potted internals and a good beam. I have a really demanding job and never got around to it but I suppose I will soon!
Very helpful, comment for the algorithm to keep you moving up.
Keep it up man.
My FMA is a better laser overall to my friend’s somogear. Unfortunately the zero now walks on any single jostle. Need to open it and replace the erector return spring/ pot it.
Thanks for the info I have the same one 1311, mines been holding up great, but I also did some hardening to the housing. Do you know what caused yours to fail? What caliber were you using? Thanks
@@SystemWillFail1 just a WWSD 5.56 carbine. not a range toy or safe queen. Gets jostled against limestone cliffs hunting and dumped into barrels at comps. Lasted about half a year. What did you do to harden yours?
1) loctite and tighten 2 mount screws ( mine came with screws so loose they almost fell out)
2) using jb weld I sealed all the seams around the unit
3) where the battery tube meets the housing, thoroughly sealed with all the way around ( this is a weak point)
What kind of setup are you using to film through your nods?
The atpial c has an external focusing lense for the illuminator now to make it more usable at long range
Since when?
@@alexlevinson8629 look up villain weapon systems.
@@alexlevinson8629 It's an aftermarket addon.
That's the truth! i thought stuff was expensive until i started buying for NV. Now I'm excited when something is only $400...
I really wish IR lasers and illumination didn’t cost a 1000 bucks. There’s really no reason for it to cost so much
@Joshua Jones No, FDA gatekeeping isn't capitalism.
@joshuajones335 no, you're way off base. Government dictating who can and can't buy a product and where said product can be shipped is in no way capitalism. The market is comprised predominantly by MIL/LEO who get to spend thousands of dollars exorted from taxpayers to buy these cat toys. Once you get a job you'll understand what taxation is.
@joshuajones335I didn't say or imply that capitalism is supposed to be a lack of government intervention. Several people have correctly stated that the price of these devices is due to government intervention and not free market capitalism. So the idea of blaming capitalism for the price is ignorant at best.
I'm a CPA. Spare my the rambling paragraphs.
Nova action footage at the end: 10/10
I've looked at these guys once before out of curiosity (can't recall what piqued my interest in the first place since I don't have NV), but it's neat to see something like this actually not being total hot garbage
This gives me hope to someday afford a NV setup without needing to sell my truck
Thank you for making videos for poors like me
I have the atpial c and one of these somogear PEQs and he is on the ball with his review. I’m waiting to get their new NGAL they announced last month.