May 18, 2015
By Dusty Gibson
Keeping both eyes open while aiming is a skill most new shooters need to develop in order to maintain situational awareness when engaging targets. While it's human nature to only use our dominant eye when focusing, breaking the Cyclops habit opens our peripheral vision and leads to improved responsiveness.
Serving as both a training aid and an aiming solution, the LaserLyte Center Mass Kryptonite laser helps keep our eyes open and our sights on target. This low-€‹profile green laser attaches directly to a rail and offers two laser patterns for fast and accurate shooting. Equipped with a removable lens cover, the laser projects a ring of eight green lasers with a dot in the center. The spread pattern grows by approximately 1 inch per yard as distances increase, enabling the shooter to place the green laser ring on the center of close-€‹quarters targets for faster engagement.
In concept, the Center Mass laser was originally developed to mimic the spread pattern of a shotgun loaded with buckshot. However, those who started using the laser on their ARs realized that it has applications outside the scattergun. When mounted to a carbine during home defense situations, the Center Mass laser prevents the tunnel vision that we commonly experience when concentrating on a single aiming point. Rather than occlude our vision with the narrow sight window of iron sights, the Center Mass encourages shooters to efficiently assess the environment with both eyes open — a close-€‹quarters tactic that isn't limited to one particular firearm.
LaserLyte's Center Mass produces a very powerful green laser beam that's visible up to 100 yards in daylight or 1 mile in low-light conditions.
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Specs
Firearm-€‹mounted lasers must be durable enough to withstand the intense and repeated shock of recoil force. It's important when shopping for a laser aiming device to make sure it is designed to withstand the forces of whichever firearm it will be mounted to. The Center Mass can manage the recoil force of most long guns due to its durable 6061 aluminum internal core with an integrated shock-€‹absorption system that protects its electronic circuitry and laser diode.
The laser diode itself emits a 5mW, 532-€‹nanometer wavelength beam in the green light spectrum. This results in the Center Mass being categorized as a Class IIIA laser product under the Federal Laser Product Performance Standard (FLPPS). Class IIIA lasers have the highest allowable laser output without being an acute hazard to skin or eyes. As a result, LaserLyte's Center Mass produces a powerful green laser beam that's visible up to 100 yards in daylight or one mile in low-€‹light conditions.
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The spread pattern grows by 1 inch per yard, resulting in a silhouette-€‹size pattern out to defensive distances of 25 yards.
Beam Me Up
A laser with that kind of power needs a reliable fuel source to support its output. The Center Mass unit runs for up to six hours of constant on from a replaceable CR123 lithium battery. The battery compartment is conveniently accessed without removing the unit from the host firearm so as not to disrupt zero. To install a battery (included with the device), unscrew the threaded weatherproof cap tethered to the glass-€‹filled nylon exterior housing, insert the battery, and replace the cap.
A bright Class-€‹IIIA green laser beam is visible in varying lighting conditions.
Once the battery is installed, activating the green laser is done in one of two ways: either with the button located on top of the unit or with an included pressure switch. The switch plugs into the rear of the unit and allows shooters a fumble-€‹free, ergonomic activation method from nearly any desired hand position on the rifle. Simply grip the rifle in your natural fashion, and the laser automatically activates.
Equipped with programmable electronics, the Center Mass laser activates with a momentary-€‹on or constant-€‹on mode. Press the activation button once for momentary-€‹on mode, or double-€‹tap the activation button for a constant-€‹on beam that stays visible until the button is depressed again to power off. The next time the laser is activated, it will operate in the last mode in which it was set.
An included pressure switch enables ergonomic activation.
Users can also configure the output pattern of the laser beam. We've all become familiar with traditional single-€‹€‹dot laser beams, and the bright-€‹green single beam of the Center Mass is an aiming solution in itself. However, the magic happens when a removable lens is pulled over the laser and a brilliant multidot spread pattern appears. This gives users the ability to choose between laser patterns based on the environment. Use the single beam for outdoor targets past 25 yards, or project the laser bouquet in a home defense situation for an intruder's worst nightmare.
Regardless of the laser configuration you prefer, the Center Mass from LaserLyte offers superb compatibility with the AR-€‹15 platform. Practicing with the spread pattern will encourage shooters to neutralize targets with both eyes open, improving situational awareness while saving the Cyclops alias for Greek mythology and retro comic books.
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