DBAL type Lights & Lasers, how to tell real from fake?

[VIGILANT]

I've been looking at DBAL type lights and laser aiming devices. Prices vary greatly, many are for AirSoft only. How do you tell the real thing from the fakes or toys?

[bigmatt17073]

If the price is too good to be true its probably fake. Buy only from reputable authorized sellers.

[VIGILANT]

If the price is too good to be true its probably fake. Buy only from reputable authorized sellers.

I agree that a $100-$200 one would be suspicious, but some are $600, others are a couple thousand! I've been reading many of them are fakes. I wounder if the reputable dealers are getting ripped off sometimes and don't even know it.

[postban]

Even if you buy real it can still be a pain. My son has a real one, 9007, with a busted illuminator they won't warranty. IR Laser works good still.
I would only buy new and from a place like TNVC with proven warranty, and of course full price.
It's really cool though NODs though.

[bigmatt17073]

I agree that a $100-$200 one would be suspicious, but some are $600, others are a couple thousand! I've been reading many of them are fakes. I wounder if the reputable dealers are getting ripped off sometimes and don't even know it.

The only DBAL that is a few $K I can think of is a full power unit. As a civilian the government has said we are not special enough to own that. The civilian powered class 1 Dbal's are $1500-1600 new (A3 and D2). Various models of the I2 can be found in the under $800 range, but they don't have as many features as the A3 or D2 models. A lot of the I2's only have a visible and IR laser (not slaved like the A3 and D2) and no IR illuminator. Or there is the 9007 I2 that has an IR laser and Illuminator, but no visible laser. I have three DBAL's, two A3's and one 9007 I2. My I2 was purchased from Kosher surplus, one A3 from TNVC on sale, and the other direct from Steiner.

I doubt the reputable dealers are getting ripped off because they would be ordering the real deals straight from Steiner.