*NEW* Rohrbaugh "Guide Rod Laser"......Musings

[billib]

Lasers aren't Rocket Science, at least not any more.
I paid $15.00 with free shipping for the Generic
Trigger Guard Laser you see below. Marvel at how
small the Laser Inner Brass Housing is. Most of its size
appears to be the Focus Lens (which I surmise could be
made much smaller). BTW, its also much brighter than
the $250.00 Glock Laser which is what I had paid about
10 years ago.

Notice how small the three stacked batteries in the green
sleeve are. How many of you believe, like I do that the
Laser could be made to (easily) replace the Rohrbaugh's
Guide Rod? I think a home could also be made for the
batteries. What about smaller Hearing Aid Batteries
like the ones currently used in Guide Rod Lasers?

Also, in the photo I state that the Brass Housing "is the
Actual Laser". Its not, its the Brass Housing for the Laser.
The Brass Housing holds the Laser and the Lens. The Lens
could be made smaller and the whole thing housed within
a new Laser Guid Rod. The biggest problems have now been
solved. Size and price. Theirs only one real remaining problem.
How does one turn it on and off?

The next step is to look at all of the currently available Guide
Rod Lasers and see which ones would be a good candidate for
a Machinist-Gun Smith to alter into a Rohrbaugh Guide Rod.

How would "YOU" solve the On-Off Conundrum? Thoughts,
opinions......musings?


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[billib]

More Photos:

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[Richard S]

Now that is getting more interesting all the time.

[billib]

I'm not educated enough to design it or
talented enough to build it but you can
see it doesn't look like that big of a deal
to do so.

Richard, How would you suggest it be
turned off and on? Remember, it needs
to be a drop-in Laser. No gunsmithing.

Since that Spring Plug Thingy sticks
out of the front of the PUP slightly,
from under the barrel, possibly a
push button switch or a switch that
works like an elevator switch could
be used in that location surrounding
the Lasers Lens.

This appears to be a solvable problem.
Someone with the talent simply needs
to do so, for example, the Brothers Rohr.
A company that builds lasers won't do it
because the market isn't big enough.
Someone else will need to step up.

Its sad how little love our PUP gets!!!

[BlueC2]

Billib,

Just wanted to welcome you to the forum, I can tell you will fit in well around here and have enjoyed reading your posts over the past week or so. As for the guide rod laser idea, I like it a lot and have one in my Glock. The R9 would be a challenge but I agree not impossible, Ill try to help brainstorm an on/off mechanism.

-Ryan

[Richard S]

* * *
Richard, How would you suggest it be
turned off and on? Remember, it needs
to be a drop-in Laser. No gunsmithing.

Since that Spring Plug Thingy sticks
out of the front of the PUP slightly,
from under the barrel, possibly a
push button switch or a switch that
works like an elevator switch could
be used in that location surrounding
the Lasers Lens.

* * *

Bill:

I think you are correct that a switch mounted somehow on the outer face of the laser's housing would be the answer. Since a push-button switch would appear susceptible to being activated by holstering the pistol, a sliding switch on the bottom of the face might work.

It would also appear that smaller batteries, such as those used in hearing aids, would be required, as well as some adaptation of the recoil spring.

All in all, however, this concept would appear to be feasible.

As Mr. Spock might say, "Very interesting!"

[billib]

BlueC2, thank you for the welcome, I think
your right, this is a nice welcoming forum.
As far as the laser.........I'm going to speak
with a machinist in a week or two about
whats involved in making a hollow guide rod
for the PUP.

Richard, your right, everything appears to
be easily (for the right person) doable EXCEPT
for the damn on-off switch.

[DDGator]

Very interesting.  The obvious problem with the switch on the front outer housing is the proximity to the barrel and the undesireability of putting any digit near the barrel under stress.

Some far fetched solutions...but just spitballing...  The laser turns on for a short period of time when the gun is placed in a horizonal orientation?  The laser stays on all the time (but is not visible when holstered), if batter life made that possible?

I'm not coming up with a good drop-in solution.

[billib]

When I read the Reviews on the small Lasers
that use tiny Hearing Aid batteries, the Run
Time is typically 15 minutes to an hour. That
would suggest an On/Off switch is needed.

Also, if you look at how the PUP's Guide Rod
functions it wouldn't work by simply tacking
a Laser on the front. At least thats the way it
appears to me.

That would suggest a complete Guide Rod
redesign. Again, shouldn't be a big deal for
the Brothers Rohr.

[BlueC2]

Before you spend too much money on the guide rod laser you may want to see if Lasermax has that intellectual property all locked up. I'm assuming they do since their products are expensive and there is no cheaper alternative guide rod laser competitor. If that is the case we may have to try to get Lasermax to make a device for the R9.

[DDGator]

LaserMax's marketing materials seem to indicate that the switching mechanism is patented -- which seems to be the hardest part.  It would be worth a review of their patents to see if the guiderod laser itself is patented.

[billib]

The Patent on the Guide Rod has run out.
The Patent on the Laser has also run out.
A Laser Guide Rod isn't (in my lay opinion)
something that is patentable. The Weed
Eater (or Weed Wacker I don't remember
which) was ruled NOT Patentable. If the effin'
Weed Eater COULDN'T be patented a Laser
Guide Rod won't be either.

I think thats exactly why they don't exist.
Once a company does all of the R&D on
perfecting a workable Guide Rod Laser
anyone can simply steal it because it isn't
theft. Its in the Public Domain.

BTW, the Weed Eater was ruled by a Patent
Judge to be "OBVIOUS". An OBVIOUS Invention
can't be patented.

[BlueC2]

bill,

Glad to hear there is room to operate with respect to the guild rod laser IP. I only brought potential IP up because I would not want to see you or anyone else on this forum invest significant time and money only to find out you cant sell them or get hit with a lawsuit. If the guide rod laser patents have expired that is good news and will make this sort of project much easier.

[billib]

Most people don't understand how patents work.
My father was an inventor and held several patents.
He held the patent on a Xerox style copy machine
over 16 or 17 years before Xerox introduced the first
copy machine to the market. He held several patents
that ended up in the first space capsule. Its funny, the
government just takes whatever inventions they want
and don't usually compensate the creator.

Anyway, most modern patents aren't worth the paper
they're printed on because they're obvious. The catch
is, larger corporations have deep pockets and will sue
even though they aren't likely to prevail. Most little
guys can't afford to defend themselves even when
they're right. Thats one of the problems with this country.
Anyone can sue anybody over anything. If you loose
you don't usually have to pay the other guys court costs.
So the incentive is for the BIG GUY to bully the little guy.

A corporation can sue you over a patent infringement
real or imagined and you are obligated to defend yourself.
Most little guys can't afford to defend themselves.........
.......they lose.

Another thing, if I successfully create a workable Guide
Rod Laser, I'm not going to reproduce it or manufacture
them. I'll have one. You won't. And lastly, I'm a little old
cripple man in a wheel chair. A corporation suing me would
be a public nightmare and likely would't play well in the press.

No matter how I look at it, theirs no down side for me. Well,
money and time I can't get back if I (likely) fail. As long as its
interesting an fun then I'm ok with it.

[BlueC2]

You are right in that if you are just making it for yourself even if it directly infringes on someones patent they can't sue you. You would have to be selling them trying to profit from their IP.