First Look: SureFire XVL2 Light/Laser

Years back, the SureFire engineering team was approached by several members of the U.S. Special Operations community, who asked if they could put together a combination weaponlight/infrared illuminator/infrared aiming laser/visible laser package small enough to fit onto a handgun or carbine rail without being bulky or unobtrusive. It took a few years of research and development, but SureFire came through with its XVL2 Light/Laser unit, and a commercial model of this innovative design is now available to consumers.

Initial models of the SureFire XVL2 Light/Laser were restricted to law-enforcement and military customers due to the use of a highly powerful Class IIIb laser, but SureFire stepped the power factor of the laser down to a consumer-legal Class I design, which both allows the device to be sold commercially and use less battery power than the Class IIb. Probably the most-noticeable feature found on the unit is the intensely powerful weaponlight, which produces 400 lumens and runs continuously for 1.5 hours on a single CR123A battery. The design of the light includes the company's innovative MaxVision Beam technology, which keeps the light small in size while providing a wide, far-reaching beam that illuminates a user's environment.

Simultaneously, the SureFire XVL2 Light/Laser also incorporates a 300mW infrared LED, which offers an illumination source detectable only with night-vision equipment. While more useful for law-enforcement and military professionals with night-vision devices, similar equipment is becoming more accessible to today's consumers, as technology improves and prices decrease. Additionally, the XVL2 also incorporates an infrared laser that's also only detectable through the use of night-vision gear. Paired with this infrared laser, though, is a visible, green laser beam that provides an easily visible aiming aid. Both the infrared and visible aiming lasers are housed in a specially designed carriage system, which simultaneously aligns both lasers on an X- and Y-axis adjustment system.

Users of SureFire's X300 weaponlight will be familiar with the switching system on the XVL2, since both uses the same ambidextrous switch for both momentary- and constant-on modes. The XVL2 also includes a mode-selection dial that allows users to choose between using the aiming lasers or illumination devices. The CR123A battery that powers the unit can be accessed from the front, which allows the module to stay on the gun without the need for re-zeroing during battery changes. Each XVL2 Light/Laser measures 3 inches long with a bezel of 1.06 inches in diameter and weighs just 5 ounces with the battery included. The suggested retail price on the device is $1,349.