Beamshot Red to IR Laser Modification

Directions I followed for this are by “couvillion” on AR15.com

I have an IR laser/Illuminator that can focus into a tight dot and could buy the big surefire clone laser’s off eBay but they are all too bright for my Gen 3 as they are in the 808nm range, then I saw the directions on ar15.com to make an IR laser using a Beamshot and a 904nm laser module which is on the outskirts of the visible range with a Gen 3 and should appear dimmer, but still have decent range.

Ordered my laser’s and Module’s in Bulk because I plan on putting an IR laser on most of my rifle’s so they can be used with my head mounted NV. Module’s came today.

Supplies –

IR Module in packaging –

IR Module next to Beamshot –

First step is getting the head off the battery tube. I just use a mount to provide leverage –

Then heat the head with a heat gun and after a few seconds put it in soft vice jaw’s –

The bezel will then come apart easily by turning the mount/battery by hand –

Then the old module needs pulling out, there are flats milled into the side’s so unscrew all the set screws and then twist the module, pull straight back. The little spring’s and buffer’s are opposite to the adjustment set screw’s –

Old and new laser modules –

Now to take collimate the laser module because as it comes it produces a line –

Because it’s IR it cannot be seen by visible light, but IR is visible to regular camera’s, it also involves a fiddly process of holding a wire and battery by hand, then turning the lens’s and rechecking the beam –

I used a Sony Night Shot Camcorder (again, doesnt have to be “night shot”, my point and shoot would have worked just wanted extra zoom) to see the dot. This is partway adjusted –

and fully adjusted, tight dot… or as tight as this module will allow.

Now to insert the module into the bezel. The spring’s need putting back into the hole’s –

Then using an allen wrench to press them down from the set screw hole’s-

That allow’s me to press the springs down while simultaneously inserting the module at an angle…. very fiddly process and took me a few tries.

This is the module nearly fully seated –

Just need’s to be centered using the set screw’s so it will slide down all the way to the front of the head –

And here is the finished device with my Gen 3… at around 75 yards –

Its not as big as the picture make’s it look, I would prefer the dot be a bit smaller, but I wont be shooting things with the laser at that distance and the laser is the right brightness for me and totally invisible to the naked eye.