Specprecision NGAL laser: beyond airsoft and into the real world
Specprecision, a manufacturer of airsoft accessories and optics, offers a very interesting replica of the NGAL aiming laser module certified to withstand recoil up to .223 caliber
Specprecision NGAL laser: beyond airsoft and into the real world
Manufactured in China by Specprecision, this replica of the NGAL laser aiming device offers surprising quality levels, an indicator of an odd but increasingly widespread phenomenon on the market...
Specprecision Optics Products Co. is a Guangzhou, China-based company that's been active for some time in the manufacture and distribution of high-end optics and accessories for Airsoft and Paintball replicas, dedicated to users who engage in official MIL-SIM competition or use Airsoft replicas for force-on-force professional training – an increasingly popular practice even among military and law enforcement, which paved the way for a new market of increasingly accurate and well-made replicas and accessories.
Among the latest products from Specprecision is a particularly interesting replica of the NGAL Next Generation Aiming Laser – a very compact, lightweight and powerful visible/IR laser target designator originally introduced by L3-Harris at the 2018 edition of SHOT Show and since adopted by numerous special operation forces in the United States and abroad.
The L3 Harris NGAL laser is a military and law enforcement product only, thus the Specprecision replica is the closest thing to a civilian NGAL to be currently available and that we may see for a while. Yes, because the Specprecision NGAL isn't just a faithful replica of the original, like so many other airsoft accessories, down to the vast majority of functionalities; the Specprecision NGAL is also tested and certified to resist and hold zero under recoil energy up to 1000G.
In layman's terms, this apparently "airsoft" replica laser is certified for use on real guns, withstand heavy long-term use and hold zero under the recoil of calibers up to, and including, 5.56x45mm NATO.
Simunition still represents the gold standard in force-on-force training, but its status is today threatened by modern airsoft replicas
Airsoft skirmishing as a discipline was born in the 1980s, after the launch of the first functional airsoft replicas – 1:1 replicas of real firearms that will launch 6mm plastic pellets using compressed air, a propane gas mixture, CO², or an electric motor as means of propulsion.
The phenomenon generated in Japan – a Country where the general fascination for firearms clashes with local laws that basically ban any average citizen from owning any firearm – but in the past fifteen years or so Airsoft, previously known as an exquisitely civilian hobby (and often a berated one at that!) has been slowly transitioning into an appreciated close-quarters force-on-force training option for military and law enforcement.
For decades, such training had been carried on chiefly with marking ammunition such as the General Dynamics Simunition, to be used with real firearms (via conversion kits), or dedicated Simunition-only guns.
The known disadvantages of the Simunition system are leading an increasing number of professionals to rely on high-grade Airsoft replicas for force-on-force training
The Simunition system allows the use of service firearms in order to familiarize with their performance and handling in tense situations, and to maintain a high level of realism: both dedicated Simunition-only guns and conversion kits offer realistic levels of recoil, muzzle climb and report, and the impact of a Simunition round, while not dangerous, is painful enough to train operators to exercise caution.
The inherent drawbacks of the Simunition system, however, have been steadily coming to light as the years went by, and today they're glaring and controversial.
For starters, the pain compliance factor – originally meant to teach operators to adopt the level of caution that they'd be expected to actually exercise in real-life CQB situations – has been found to be counter-productive: trainees have some times grown to become too careful when they'd be instead expected to take and maintain initiative, creating habits which in a real life situation would be just as suicidal as complete recklessness.
The use of Airsoft replicas for professional training paved the way for a large wave of dedicated accessories that increase the realism of such training activities
Additionally, but just as important if not more, the Simunition system is extremely expensive, reaching up to US$ 600 per 500-rounds case; and Simunition rounds require the use of dedicated conversion kits or replicas, which are not available for just every weapon platform under the sun. Some military units and law enforcement units that could qualify to employ the Simunition system for training may thus be taken aback by the high costs and logistical issues involved in long-term adoption.
Additionally, General Dynamics – a major defense contractor that owns the patent and manufactures the Simunition system – has adopted a commercial policy characterized by a strict control of this technology and the end users. As of today, Simunition can be used for training only by selected military and law enforcement entities from a very specific list of Countries.
Private entities that provide training to military and law enforcement may indeed procure the Simunition system, but they too will then need to adopt the same policy, allowing the manufacturing company to screen their customers. Additionally, General Dynamics specifically bans the sale of the Simunition system, and their use for training, to civilians – a definition that may not just cover individual citizens.
Accessories dedicated to professional training with high-end Airsoft replicas are usually very well built and faithful in both form-factor and function to the "real steel" they intend to reproduce
This cuts a wide array of potential customers – military and law enforcement entities outside of the Company's select list, private security personnel, PMC, maritime security, and many more – off the use of this training system, forcing them to opt for high-end airsoft replicas for force-on-force training.
While relatively expensive at first (some higher-end replicas can cost almost as much as a real firearm), airsoft allows users to offset costs in a relatively short amount of time due to their low maintenance needs.
Additionally, unlike Simunition, the "ammunition" for airsoft replicas is unrestricted, easily available mostly everywhere at ridiculously low prices, and the 6mm BBs can often be recovered and used multiple times before repeated impacts against hard surfaces deforms them and makes them useless.
Additionally, many modern replicas are designed to maximize realism in terms of weight and, some times, even featuring mechanisms that reproduce a real-life level of felt recoil. And the market has adapted to offer a large number of replicas of popular accessories, such as optics or lasers, allowing airsoft-based training to become more versatile and cover not just firearms handling and tactics, but also the use of the most popular accouterments.
Specprecision's NGAL replica features an integral Picatinny rail mount
The Specprecision NGAL laser is built around a forged 6061 lightweight aircraft-grade aluminum alloy chassis – not plastic! – with an outer nanoceramic black or flat dark earth finish, and features three twin frontal emitters protected by rubberized polymer covers.
Almost all controls are located on the top portion of the device: a central polymer button provides for both momentary activation with a single push and constant activation with a quick double tap, while a dial switch allows the user to navigate between the different modes of operation of the Specprecision NGAL.
The Specprecision NGAL laser integrates a visible red or green laser, with a variable wavelength of 520 to 650 nm and a power level adjustable between 4.5 to 20 or 40 mW.
It also features an 850-nanometer infrared laser – visible only through night-vision devices – adjustable in power between 0.6 and 40 milliwatts; and an 830-nanometer infrared illuminator (basically an invisible light emitter that dubs as a flashlight, improving visibility when using night vision devices) adjustable in power on a 5 thru 80 milliwatt range.
The emitters: the visible and IR lasers are on the right, while on the left is the infrared illuminator
A dial located at the rear of the device allows the IR illuminator beam to be adjusted for radius
The top selection dial allows users to select the different functions of the Specprecision NGAL, either individually or in combination
All functions can be accessed individually or in a combination, and a separate dial located on the top rear portion of the device allows the light cone of the infrared illumination to be manually adjusted for radius.
The Specprecision NGAL also features a LA23-compatible outlet for a factory-issued remote activation button. Both visible and IR lasers come from the same emitter can be adjusted for both windage and elevation through two recessed turrets located on the top and the right side of the laser body; opposite them, a set of identical turrets provide a wide range of windage and elevation adjustment for the infrared illuminator. Adjustment requires a small flat-head screwdriver.
The Specprecision NGAL laser device is powered by a single, commercial CR123A battery. It's worth noting that the threads of the battery seat and of its cap appear to be coated to reduce friction and prevent galling, which is something that many commercial budget-priced laser devices appear to suffer for, sometimes even in a very short amount of time after first use.
It's a small touch of additional care, but it's an indication of Specprecision's effort and dedication towards making their NGAL replica into a reliable product. This isn't a toy, it's a serious accessory for competition and professional force-on-force training, and it shows.
The Specprecision NGAL is powered by commercial CR123A batteries; the removal of the blue max power limit screws is not recommended, to save power
The battery seat cap is tethered to the NGAL body, the threads are coated to prevent galling and an O-ring at the base stops water or other elements from filtering in
The Specprecision NGAL laser can be equipped with a two-button remote activation switch
This option makes the NGAL more versatile, allowing it to be installed to a rifle or carbine in several positions
In terms of technology, at the heart of the Specprecision NGAL laser is a printed circuit board coated in epoxy resin for protection and reinforcement. Two variants are available: with EEL (Edge-Emitting Laser) or VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) emitters, meaning depending on the variant, they will emit the laser beam through one or two cleaved facets at the ends of the chip, or perpendicularly to the wafer surface through a vertically-built cavity.
The difference is strictly technical, what changes is the type and manufacturing of the semiconductors. VCSEL lasers are generally less powerful, and more complicated to manufacture. We must acknowledge that Specprecision decided to stray away from the beaten path and choose to offer two variants, different in performance and thus more versatile, instead of just selling for the cheaper alternative.
The lasers are bright and extremely visible, both on day and night; so is the IR illuminator, perfect for night use with NVGs
We tested the Specprecision NGAL laser on two high-end airsoft replicas first – specifically a Double Eagle B&T APC-556 and a Silverback Desert-Tech MDRx – to verify that it would indeed work ad advertised.
Once we were satisfied that both the visible and IR lasers are perfectly visible at long range, with the visible green-light laser being powerful to almost blinding levels, and that the size and weight of the device ( 9 x 5 x 3,5 cm, or 3.5 x 1.9 x 1.3 inch, weighing in at barely 150 grams or 5.3 oz) does not add excessive bulk and weight to the gun and remains comfortable to operate – de facto replicating perfectly the size and weight of the original – we proceeded to move the Specprecision NGAL to a semi-automatic AR-15 style 14.5" barrel carbine chambered in 5.56x45mm and fired 150 rounds in rapid fire through it, performing quick mag changes to minimize the pause between each repetition.
We wanted to stress the Specprecision NGAL to the max, keeping it activated as we fired the gun, and tested it afterwards to find that not only did it keep working, but held zero with no visible beam divergence – despite the company itself stating that a 0.5/1 MRAD beam divergence is to be expected in certain conditions.
Specprecision's NGAL laser is sold with a minimalist but sufficient set of accessories
Specprecision sells its NGAL laser in a foam-padded, green cardboard box. Factory accessories include the aforementioned remote activation pad, a velcro band for attaching the remote button to any surface on a rifle or carbine, an adhesive Multicam protective skin, and a user manual.
Gamers who take part in official MIL-SIM competition, professionals who use airsoft for force-on-force CQB training, gun enthusiasts who want a powerful visible/IR laser for their competition or home defense PCC, and collectors who want to build a budget-minded but accurate replica of a modern service rifle from an entry-level semi-automatic .22 Long Rifle or .223 caliber rifle, will find that the Specprecision NGAL is a sensible choice at an affordable price.
The Specprecision NGAL laser is sold at a price that ranges between 412,80€ or US$480 for the EEL versions to 447,20€ or US$520 for the VCSEL versions, but these days ahead of Christmas the company is running a 15% rebate for all versions. Specprecision sells the NGAL and all of its products directly on their official website, and ships worldwide. If you, or that special person in your family or your circle of friends, is an airsoft or shooting enthusiast, the NGAL will be the special present you're looking for. For further information and to purchase, visit the official Specprecision website.
