How do you see the laser far away?

[Evil Monkey]

I keep seeing US soldiers on TV and some have these lasers attached on top of the hand guard right behind the front sight post. They're large looking, shaped like a rectangle.

How exactly do they see the laser as they point it down range at the enemy. Wouldn't it be extremely difficult to spot a small red laser dot far away? In daylight!?!?

I figure that can't possibly be the way they use them, or do they? I'm thinking now that they use them in the dark with night vision goggles or scopes to see where exactly the dot is. I figure that's the way they use them, right?

 

[CleverNickname]

Correct, they're IR lasers for use with night vision goggles.

 

[Evil Monkey]

Are they available to civilians? I've heard supposedly that the companies won't sell them to civilians because they are class 3 lasers and are too powerful or something like that. Any truth to this?

 

[Dionysusigma]

As with anything potentially hazardous, training and licensure.

There are... well, alternatives. http://www.wickedlasers.com/lasers/Spyder_II_BX-28-24.html

 

[Titan6]

I have not seen any company that will sell one legally direct to a citizen. But I must say for night fighting they are second to none. Properly sighted in and you are good to go.