Cluson GL16 Lazer-Lite Package

Pete Moore checks out the latest product from Cluson – the GL16 Lazer-Lite package that seems to have all bases covered
As a company Cluson Engineering are well respected for their range of gun torches and lights, and they also never seem to be standing still in terms of either brand new products or in this case kit deals that can get you up and running in one go. They recently sent me their GL16 Lazer-Lite Package, which is a versatile all-in-one deal.

The heart of the package is their GL2, twin-bulb lamp, which offers a main beam with a 50-watt hi-tech xenon bulb and a secondary and lower powered work light; a design that most of us will be familiar with already. Included is a red, flip-up filter head that can be fitted if you wish. Gun mounting is taken care of by their G-clamp base that is width-adjustable to cope with both 1” and 30mm scope body tubes. It’s multi-positional and uses twin thumb screws to lock in place once adjusted. It also uses the newer, spade-type lamp connector, which is better than Cluson’s earlier design.

Spade a Spade

Power comes from a B8, sealed, lead-acid, 12 volt 7a/hr battery complete with a green, waterproof, nylon case with Velcro flap and shoulder strap. Connection to the lamp is by a jack and socket, which is also used for charging. The lamp cable is around 36” long with a curly section and in-line ON/OFF switch. Cluson also include a mains charger and vehicle cigarette lighter adaptor so you can run direct from your vehicle. Plus there’s an in-line dimmer switch.
The lamp shows a metal inner casing with black, ribbed, synthetic outer body with a glass lens. At the rear are a series of holes (vents) that can be uncovered by a rotary screw to aid cooling by increasing the air flow. At the back at 6 o’clock is the 3-position power switch – right main beam, left secondary work light and middle off. For gun-mounted use this can be set at ON then the in-line control used to illuminate, for this sort of work it’s most practical as self-adhesive Velcro pads are included for mounting the cable/switch.

Lamp to Scope

Lamp to scope attachment is accomplished with a clamp with integral, male, spade-type connector which slides into the female socket (on the lamp) and is secured by a thumb screw. This allows you to use it gun-mounted then easily remove it for hand-held use. The G-clamp can be positioned at any angle or on the forward or rear scope body tubes to suit (ring position depending). Once fitted the lamp is also fully adjustable so can be fine-tuned and then locked in place by twin thumb screws. If you don’t want anything on it takes just a few seconds to remove the whole lot.
To further enhance practicality Cluson include a plastic handle with spade connector to give a hand-held unit, if you’re shooting as a two-man team. The top section is hinged so can be angled as you wish. I still have one of their earlier magnetic-based mounts that offers a socket you can easily slip the handle inside and use it off a vehicle. I have found this very useful for static/solo shooting off the bonnet of my Land Rover!

In Use

The Lazer-Lite is rated at 1,000,000 candle power and is not as powerful s the 2,000,000 candle Blazer-Lite they also offer, which uses an equally larger 100 Watt Xeon bulb. However, it all really depends on what you need it for. In use the Lazer-Lite throws a decent beam of useable light that you can shoot and identify quarry by out to 225/275-yards. At 500-yards, which was the maximum distance I tested it at, you can get a reflection off an eye, but ID ing the target through a scope is not good. The secondary/integral work light is a real boon as it offers good close range illumination for chores like gutting carcasses or anywhere where a standard power light is required.

This smaller and lighter kit will pay dividends if you are foot lamping, as the battery can be worn across the shoulder, add in the gun-mounted light and you have a reasonably practical and portable system. If you have not used Cluson equipment before you will notice that the red filter has a small circular hole in its centre, it also uses a ball & socket connector so the lens can be angled as you wish or simply flipped up and out of the way. The filter comes in its own housing and to fit it the standard lamp rim is removed by taking out the four screws around is edge. When fitting the filter the rubber O-ring is not used.
Overall this is a neat and practical lamping package with the advantage of using either the battery pack or vehicle power source and the ability to go gun-mounted or hand-held as required.

PRICE: £124m plus VAT and postage

FOR - A practical gun light package
AGAISNT - Some might find it a little underpowered at longer ranges
VERDICT - A practical and versatile, mid-range field illumination system