The laser pistol is a piece of sports equipment used to imitate firearms, and is used in some sports including modern pentathlon,

laser-run Laser-run (also known as laser run) is a multisport competition consisting of running and shooting. It is a sport in its own right and the last event of the modern pentathlon where it was formerly known as combined. Distance and format Laser-ru ...

and triathle competitions. Laser pistols do not fire projectiles and can therefore be safer for spectators and participants. They can also be used in more places since the requirements for a backstop are not as strict except for laser eye safety. Regulation varies between jurisdictions, but they are usually not subject to laws concerning air guns or firearms, and are often sold freely.

Technical specifications

Only single shot pistols with

open sights Iron sights are a system of physical alignment markers (usually made of metallic material) used as a sighting device to assist the accurate aiming of ranged weapons (such as a firearm, airgun, crossbow or even compound bow), or less commonly a ...

are allowed. They are loaded by a loading lever, which needs to be operated by the non-shooting hand (typically the weak hand), and fired by a mechanical

trigger Trigger may refer to: Notable animals and people ;Mononym * Trigger (horse), owned by cowboy star Roy Rogers ;Nickname * Trigger Alpert (1916–2013), American jazz bassist * "Trigger Mike" Coppola (1900–1966), American gangster ;Surname * Bru ...

(typically the strong hand). Laser pistols specifically designed for modern penathlon or laser run can be made of

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

, or a mix of both. The grips are made of plastic or

wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin ...

. Entry-level models usually have ambidextrous grips. Laser pistols above the entry-level use anatomically shaped ones. The weight of the pistol must not exceed 1500 grams. The minimum weight is 800 grams for adults, and 500 grams for youths. The maximum overall size is 420 mm × 200 mm × 50 mm. The laser is red with a

wavelength In physics, the wavelength is the spatial period of a periodic wave—the distance over which the wave's shape repeats. It is the distance between consecutive corresponding points of the same phase on the wave, such as two adjacent crests, t ...

of the laser is 635 nm to 650 nm. Laser pistols are categorised as Class 1: safe under all conditions of normal use. The corresponding electronic

target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, f ...

is 170 mm × 170 mm with a black aiming mark consisting of the score zones 7 through 10: The same dimensions as the

ISSF 10 meter air pistol The 10 meter air pistol is an Olympic shooting event governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). It is similar to 10 meter air rifle in that it is shot with 4.5 mm (or .177) caliber air guns at a distance of 10 m ...

targets. The distance from floor level to the centre of the target is 1400 mm +/- 50 mm as well.

Ranges In the Hebrew Bible and in the Old Testament, the word ranges has two very different meanings. Leviticus In Leviticus 11:35, ranges probably means a cooking furnace for two or more pots, as the Hebrew word here is in the dual number; or perhaps ...

can be built indoors and outdoors.

Laser pistols in international competition

Laser shooting in modern pentathlon, 2020 Summer Olympics Laser pistols are regulated by the

Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne The ''Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne'' ( en, International Modern Pentathlon Union), commonly known by the acronym UIPM, has been the international governing body of modern pentathlon since its foundation in London in 1948. Its hea ...

(UIPM), not the

International Shooting Sport Federation The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) is the governing body of the Olympic shooting events in rifle, pistol and shotgun ( clay target) disciplines, and of several non-Olympic shooting sport events. ISSF's activities include regulati ...

(ISSF). They were introduced in the modern pentathlon event at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. The first use of laser pistols instead of air pistols in a non-youth competition was in 2011. The 2012 Olympics saw the first use of laser pistols in modern pentathlon during an Olympic competition. After that, laser pistols are not only employed in modern pentathlon but in triathle and

events as well. Triathle World Championships have been held since 2013. The first Laser Run World Championships were held in 2015. Laser-run was a showcase event at the 2019 World Urban Games in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

History

Modified air pistols with laser emitters, 2016 Summer Olympics The first generation of laser pistols were converted air pistols in which the barrel or air cylinder was replaced with a laser emitter. Initially, the laser signal had a duration of 25.2 ms before changing to a duration of 15.6 ms from 2014 onwards. In the mid-2010s, the next generation of laser pistols appeared, which were specially produced for modern pentathlon and laser run. This resulted in different approaches to construction: On the one hand, there are still models with the structure of a match air pistol: a very thin barrel and a more voluminous container underneath which holds additional weights or the laser emitter. On the other hand, there are models that are visually more similar to sport pistols.

Manufacturers

There is only a handful of manufacturers of dedicated laser pistols and laser equipment: * APEOM * Ecoaims * HiGun * IQ-Sport (only emitters) * Pardini *
Pentashot
ref name="pentashot2022pstls"> * Scoremax * Suooter{{cite web , url=http://www.suooter.com/#/lasershooting , title=专业激光射击系统10米P型 SL10P , publisher=Sodel Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., language=zh, accessdate=2022-04-29 Air pistols of Feinwerkbau,

Morini The Morini (Gaulish: "sea folk, sailors") were a Belgic coastal tribe dwelling in the modern Pas de Calais region, around present-day Boulogne-sur-Mer, during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as ''Morini'' by Caesar ( ...

, Pardini, Steyr or

Walther Walther is a masculine given name and a surname. It is a German form of Walter, which is derived from the Old High German ''Walthari'', containing the elements ''wald'' -"power", "brightness" or "forest" and ''hari'' -"warrior". The name was fir ...

can be equipped with laser emitters (so-called 'containers') of different manufacturers.

References

External links

Laser Run (webpage UIPM)

Triathle (webpage UIPM)

UIPM test report: introduction of laser shooting
Pistols Multisports Individual sports Shooting sports