Review: Penumbra VCSEL MFAL By AMMJ Solutions

Welcome back! Sorry we were on a slight vacation hiatus but we are back with some esoteric night vision related content. Today we take a look at AMMJ Solutions' Penumbra MFAL (Multi-Function Aiming Laser) with a VCSEL illuminator.

Penumbra Weapon Mounted Laser

I actually got to check out the Penumbra last January. Marvin of AMMJ Solutions brought out a prototype and I was impressed then as I am now. For the most part it is a standard aiming laser in an aluminum box. But what sets it apart is the illuminator. He is using a VCSEL illuminator.

For those of you who have played with and experienced different aiming lasers, the VCSEL illuminator is a game changer. B.E. Meyers set the standard for VCSEL illumination with their MAWL. And even their MAWL-C1+ rivals full power lasers when it comes to illumination. It is clean and bright. The Penumbra has a similar illuminator.

The Penumbra is a little bit different in that the illuminator divergence is user adjustable. The MAWL has a number of fixed VCSEL illumiantors for use in close to far distances.

Somewhat like a Steiner DBAL, the Penumbra laser has most of its controls in the rear of the housing with the laser activation button on top of the housing. Starting left to right; VCSEL illuminator beam divergence adjustment knob, Illuminator output, Aiming laser selector and output, finally remote tape switch port (Crane).

I find the knobs are a little bit crowded and the long paddles that stick out from the knob can hit one another if you are not careful. It is only. a minor inconvenience.

In order to activate the laser, you can use a remote switch with CRANE plug or press the FIRE button on top of the Penumbra laser body. The Penumbra sits a litle bit high but I can still c-clamp my KAC handguard.

AMMJ Solutions desgined the Penumbra with an Aimpoint T2 scew hole pattern. This means you can use any Aimpoint T2 mount for the Penumbra. Look at the image below, there are three positions for the mount to attach. This allows you to adjust the position of your laser forwards or backwards.

3 different positions for Penumbra

AMMJ Solutions send this Penumbra with a Strike Industries low profile mount. If you look at the photo above you can see it has a single recoil lug and the cross bolt. this allows you to rotate the mount 180º if you need to accomdate some odd setup. Some mounts, like my Aimpoint QD mount can only me attached toward the rear of the Penumbra. If it is mounted closer to the front, the bosses for the lens covers interfere with the mount.

Speaking of odd setups, I mounted the Penumbra on my reversed KAC Skyscraper mount. By mounting the S.I. T2 mount at the rear and orienting it so the recoil lug is at the rear as well, I was able to mount the Penumbra on the last two lugs of picatinny. There is enough room for a remote switch and the knobs in the back.

But the odd setups do not stop there. The KAC Skyscraper setup was a DIY setup of a GBRS Hydra concept. But why do you need a separate red dot? Remember, the Penumbra can have an RMR mounted directly onto it. Since the Penumbra can use any Aimpoint T2 compatible mount, you can use taller mounts. Here is a minimalist setup that actually works very well. You need a long tape switch to activate the laser, but it is tall enough to clear your thumbs and the RMR is at a good height for NODs.

Since the Penumbra can mount to any T2 compatible mount, what about the Hydra? I blame HRF Concepts for requesting this setup.

I took the Penumbra a step further and mounted it to my ALG 6 Second mount on my Glock 17L. Other than having activation issues, it works. The height over the bore is a bit much but nothing extreme. Probably similar to an Eotech EXPS3 on top of a PCC.

Below you can see the front of the Penumbra. The circle in the middle is the battery cap for a CR123. I can confirm the Penumbra can handle a 4.2v li-ion rechargable CR123.

To carry the Hydra concept further, I mounted the Penumbra onto a carry handle with RMR mounted on top.

Using The Penumbra

While the Penumbra can be mounted in a whole variety of ways that we have not yet seen in other laser systems, what matters more is its performance. I have an eye safe version and the aiming lasers are just like any other civilian laser. 0.7mw or less for IR and less than 5 mw for green VIS. It is the VCSEL illuminator that impressed me. Here is a sample video comparing it to a MAWL-DA set to training mode so it has similar performance to a MAWL-C1+. The Penumbra is not as bright but respectable.

Final Thoughts On The Penumbra

The Penumbra is not as bright as a MAWL-C1+ but it is useable. The illumiantor is adjustable in size and you can zero it. While the VIS and IR aiming lasers are on the same optical bench and are slaved to each other.

The Penumbra is available on AMMJ Solutions' website for $1875. Not bad for a US VCSEL laser in a metal housing. The RMR compatibility and T2 mounting options opens up the possibilites of how to use it besides sticking it on a handguard and pressing the activation button or a tape switch. For more information go to AMMJ Solutions website.