We wrote an article not too long ago about what makes green lasers different from red—besides the obvious. We even listed a few laser options available from Crimson Trace, a company well known for lasers. But you know who started making green lasers first? Viridian Weapon Technologies, and they’ve been around for a while now, since 2006.  But, they don’t just create green laser sighting systems; they have red and a select number of holsters to fit those systems into. They also manufacture laser lights with camera integration (for both consumers and LE), laser light combinations, and tactical lights for rifles and pistols.

So, if you’re looking for more choices, here’s a company to consider. 

Viridian Weapon Technologies

Everyone likes to say they’re the "leader in xxx." Usually, it’s because a company thinks they have more buyers than any other company. And maybe that’s true, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the best. What’s the difference between Viridian Weapon Technologies saying they’re the weapon mounted industry leader and someone else saying it? Well, they actually are the leaders in the industry. They were the first company to introduce green lasers, and they’ve been doing it for 15 years. Notice, I didn’t say "one of the first…" No, they’re THE first. 

And they’re not just the first in green laser sights. They’re also the first to create the hand stop with an integrated laser sighting device. As of this article’s writing, they’re still the only ones with this type of product.

Laser Lights with Camera

One product Viridian manufactures is a laser and light with camera integration. In today’s age, the media can’t be trusted. What footage they do show is typically only a small piece of the story, and it’s the part that makes you look bad. If you’re carrying a weapon for self-defense or defense of others, wouldn’t it be nice to have proof of the shot and what’s happening? Instead of having to rely on the "victim’s" lawyer pulling proof from some convenience store’s camera that’s out of focus and 100 ft away, you can have up close and personal proof of the situation. You can see your shots, defend your shots, and maybe not have to spend your life in jail because their lawyer was better than yours.

And a side note, you’re getting sued by the victim’s family, to make it even better.

Self-defense is your right. But we all know those stories where some guy broke into the wrong home, got shot and killed, and then the family sues the guy defending his family’s life. Well, maybe he shouldn’t have been breaking and entering in the middle of the night! 

And what if you’re in your home when you fire that shot. Wouldn’t it be nice to have footage of the situation inside, where you don’t have cameras, so that you can prove your innocence? I mean, if we’re honest, the stranger is now lying on your living room floor at 3 o’clock in the morning; that in and of itself should be proof enough. But again, the victim’s family.

Anyway, I give those examples because they’re based on real stories. Sure, you can pay a lawyer a bunch of money to defend your case, and chances are you’ll win, especially if you live in a state that has a castle law. But, what if you don’t live in a castle law state? What if you don’t want to spend the next couple of years proving your case because there’s really no evidence of some random guy threatening you? Well then, provide your own with a laser that’s not only meant to help you get on target but integrates a light to help you identify your target and a camera to help you prove your probable cause.

Castle Law

Since we’re on the topic and we’ve been getting plenty of new gun owners reading our blogs, let me cover castle law real quick. Some states have something called castle law, sometimes referred to as the castle doctrine. It basically says if someone comes into or on your property, and they’re uninvited, you have the right to shoot them.

However, not all states have this particular law. In fact, when I lived in Maryland (not from choice), I was NOT covered by the castle doctrine. So, if someone were to enter my house, with a gun, uninvited, in the middle of the night, I would have to do everything in my power to exit the home, call the police, and pretty much "runaway" before I could shoot the intruder. And then I would have to prove I had no other option or way to escape the situation if I did shoot them.

For those of you new to home defense as it pertains to state laws, there have been several cases tried in states because they had to prove the intruder’s intent and probable cause for the homeowner. 

A man was being tried in Maryland while I lived there. He was having a small gathering with his family and a few friends. It was a weekend, so they were up late. Sometime after midnight, an individual literally breaks the door down and comes into the home. That man was shot. 

Now, I don’t know about you, but if someone breaks my door off the hinges in the middle of the night, I have no reason to believe you’re there for anything other than ill intent. I believe in being able to perform my own home security. And this man, like me, had the same thought process. And because of the sudden intrusion, there was no time to call the cops. I mean, I suppose he could have, but then he and his household would probably be dead by the time the cops got there.

Of course, this was not in a state where the castle law existed. And the homeowner was being accused of 1st-degree murder. Luckily, with enough money and a good lawyer, the true victim, the homeowner, did not get charged with murder. But the case wouldn’t have gone that far if the same scenario would have happened in a castle law state.

You might think this is rare, but if you live in a non-castle doctrine state, it’s more frequent than you could imagine.

Laser Lights Combination

If you have no interest in camera integration, there’s also a laser light combination. Unfortunately, the movies have made some people think that lasers can help identify a target. This is not accurate information. 

Your laser is intended to get you on target more quickly. If you’re in a dark environment, you shouldn’t be using your laser to sweep and identify targets. Use your laser AFTER you’ve identified your target. And if you have a laser light combination, you can use the proper tool for identifying the target, the flashlight. Viridian Weapon Technologies has several tactical lights to pick from and place on your firearm.

Tactical Lights

Of course, we know that not everyone is a fan of putting a laser on their weapon. That’s okay; there’s an option for simply putting a tactical light on. 

Now, I know some of you are anti-tac light on a weapon. For those of you new to this world, let me offer up why.

When I was in school learning building clearing for the first time, I had an instructor tell me not to use the flashlight attached to my weapon. The reason behind that statement was that it lets the suspect know where their target is. Instead, I was told to shine the light above my head and off to the side. This gives the bad guy the perception that I am taller than I actually am and that I’m further off to one side than I am. For me personally, the height deception is easy, and it wouldn’t be hard to convince someone I’m taller if they couldn’t actually see me. And having my flashlight off to the right (because I’m a left-handed shooter) can have the bad guy shooting too far right. Hopefully, causing him to shoot over my head and further right than I’m standing.

However, there’s a counter-argument to that, which is support. There’s no question about it, the more contact you have on your weapon, the more accurate your shot placements are. If you’re shooting with one hand, you don’t have the same stabilizing capability as you do when shooting with two hands. It’s like shooting prone vs. shooting kneeling unsupported. The less contact, support, stabilizing capability you have, the less capable your body is at absorbing recoil and sending your muzzle up after the trigger is pulled, and in turn, shooting high on your target. 

The advice I was given was for pistol lights, not rifles.

Like all training, you put it in your toolbox and decide what works for you in your specific case. Having a flashlight on the end of your pistol is a great option because it frees up your hands. There’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to use your hands freely. If you’re always reaching for gear and then having to put it back quickly, it can be difficult and frustrating. 

Also, if you’re at home and someone breaks in at night, they don’t know where you’re at under cover of darkness. You shine a light and quickly get a shot off. You’re already at an advantage because you know they’re in the home, but maybe they don’t expect you to be there. And you know you always have a light available to you if it’s mounted on your pistol.

Anyway, it’s up to you what type of gear you place on your weapon. The above are common arguments given for both sides.

Lasers, Lights, Cameras, ACTION

So, there you have it. Viridian Weapon Technologies offers a great variety of equipment for your firearm. They have green lasers or red laser sights, tactical lights, camera systems, and a combination of all those. And since they’re quite literally the leader in the industry of green laser systems, meaning the first, they’ve been doing it a long time, which also means they know what they’re doing when it comes to laser sights.