Viridian c5l Review-One Of The Smallest Laser And Tac light Combos
When it comes to working on the precision, your shooting skills you cannot function independently. You would need the right gear to complement the efficiency of your rifle. Laser sight lights have evolved over the years. Green laser lights have been quite popular these days and there are several reasons why these are preferred over the conventional red laser. This Viridian C5L review is intended to give you a gist of what this sight light really offers and why it is so popular.
Choosing a gun sight is not always an easy task. You might find mixed reviews confusing you. There might be the variation in the price. There comes the confusion of whether you should settle for something affordable or go for nothing but the top models in the segment. When it comes to gun sights choosing the top models would help you work on your precision. And this is precisely why Viridian C5L continues to be a popular choice.
Viridian C5L Features and Specs
- Equipped with safe to use Class 3R laser
- A variety of light modes packed so as to cater to various shooting scenarios
- Impressive battery life of nearly 4 hours in the Constant mode and more than 7 hours in pulse mode. When you choose the laser and light mode you would still get the power output for as long as an hour.
- Compact design that can easily be mounted
Is Viridian C5L the best compact laser/tac light on the market?
If you look at the picture of the Viridian C5L you might conclude that this is going to be a bulky one. After all, it does pack a lot of features and some surprisingly effective performance as well. But then physically spotting one would take you by surprise because this is definitely one of the most powerful compact laser and Tac light combos you would find on the market. If you are looking for a laser sight light that would perform consistently irrespective of the ambient light then a green laser light is what you need. This helps shorten the time required to lock your target. This is mainly due to the better visibility of the green laser. The C5L packs a green laser which is said to be 50 times more powerful than the red laser beams that you would normally find insight lights. Talking about the size of the product this is one of the tiniest laser/light combos in the segment. If you have a railed gun you would be able to easily fit the C5L perfectly without any protrusions affecting your grip.
Enhanced combat readiness (ECR)
This is a technology that makes sure that the user convenience during the times of emergencies is not hampered. So even those tiny delays caused while turning the buttons would be avoided. Once the gun is slid into the holster, the C5L is instantly turned on. And once the gun is drawn the beam is fired. This is a feature that has been included to ensure combat readiness and has been overtaking the draw and activate technology that is usually found in most other sight lights.
Safety of the Class 3R laser
This is one of the safest classes in laser when cautiously used. So even during an accidental exposure, there would not be much of a damage caused. But still, care should be taken to avoid directly looking at the laser. This comes with an output power in the range 1-4.99 mW.
Durable construction
The size is compact and has been made to be mounted efficiently between the muzzle and the trigger guard. The housing on the product is made of aircraft grade aluminum making the C5L one of the most durable options.
Ease of use
It is not just the mounting part that is easy but also the overall use and maintenance of the product itself. Aligning the rail set of the Viridian C5L with that of the handgun is pretty simple. The same also applies to the unmounting of the gear. Choose the right rail set and ensure the perfect tightness of the mounting screws for a snug mount. To make the battery changing process simpler the housing has the battery compartment conveniently located at the bottom. It fits tight when in use and can be easily removed and replaced when required. The holsters are easily adjustable to obtain the desired mount and elevation.
Strobe light capability
The strobe mode is one of the most popular features of the C5L. This is a handy feature that comes in handy when you are looking for disorientation. While boosting the output lumens of the light it also makes sure that the laser stays steadily on. And staying true to the user-friendly design this one can be used single handed thanks to the convenient positioning of the button to change the programming modes. In the constant on mode, the intensity starts at a higher value and then dims slowly. This allows adjusting to the visibility in a normal situation. But to accumulate disorientation the strobe mode starts at a 20Hz frequency and then progresses to 40Hz. There is a steady shift that takes place with momentary pauses causing the essential disorientation effect.
Multiple laser/light modes to choose from
The laser could be set to constant or pulse modes as required. The light can be programmed to constant and strobe modes.
Price
Falling in the $250-$300 categories, the pricing of the product might look a bit on the higher side, at the first glance.But the Radiance optics and the durable build quality combined with the powerful features and easy operation this one is definitely worth every penny spent.
Pros
- In spite of the compact design, the light output is quite bright. So locking the target in the darkest scenes is quite simple.
- The green laser in the Viridian C5L is one of the brightest guiding lasers in the market. This works pretty well even in broad daylight and this is a feat that most of the top laser light combo gears do not offer.
- The push button to switch between programs is conveniently located at a spot accessible from the trigger. So there would be no delays in reaching for the button. This is made even better when you choose the ECR instant on the holster. This makes sure that the C5L is turned on automatically when the gun is pulled.
- One other useful feature is the auto power shutdown after 10 minutes. This helps extend battery life.
Cons
- The durability of the build is one of the most beneficial aspects of this product. But the polymer mounts do not do justice to the tough aluminum Thus it might easily be damaged when it is mounted too tight or in rough handling.
- The battery does last quite long. But if you are a heavy user and if you have used the laser and light mode too often then the battery might die out a bit too soon. Even before the battery dies out the light starts dimming during use. This might make it difficult to use during the daytime. But there is a convenient low battery indicator so you can be warned ahead. This ensures that the brightness doesn’t dim when you need the gear the most.
- Because of the polymer mounts, the unit might appear a bit lose when the right tension is not achieved at the bolts. Making them too tight might be a problem as well. But this would be sorted once you get hang of the appropriate tightness to set.
Conclusion
Day and night operation, consistency in a variety of weather situations are some of the features that most rifle owners look for. In fact, these are the features that make the laser/light gear a reliable one and this is exactly what you would get from the Viridian C5L.
If you are looking for a bright laser which is quite easy to use even for the first timers then there are very few that can compete with the C5L. Given the great battery life and the easy programmability, this is a product that is worth the price paid. The design has been intuitively crafted to suit every type of rifle and still offer the perfect amount. Given the killer combination of the laser and the light, you would be able to have a Tac light handy when you need one while also having an accurate laser to lock in the target.
It comes with a good range of 2 miles so for most of the average situations, you would be able to position the target without any trouble.