Welcome back to this week's Night Chenanigans where I write about interesting products in the night vision world. Today we will take closer look at a relatively new offering in the world of MFAL (Multi-Function Aiming Laser), the RovyVon GL4 Pro. It has very similar features to the SureFire XVL2-IRC but at a fraction of the cost. Is it any good? You gotta read to find out.
RovyVon GL4 Pro An XVL2 Copy
First I would like to give a big shout out and thanks to my buddy Dan C. for telling me about the GL4 Pro. He saw RovyVon in person at their booth during SHOT Show last January. I clearly missed them but RovyVon isn't a company that makes weapon lights or lasers. I know them from their clever keychain lights that are feature packed and USB rechargeable. Anyway after Dan told me about these, I looked them up and immediately noticed a lot of similarities to the SureFire XVL2. So I ordered one.
The GL4 Pro is very similar to the SureFire XVL2-IRC in terms of functions. It has a 400 lumen white LED and 5mw green aiming laser. It also has an infrared LED and an infrared aiming laser. Both the green VIS laser and IR laser are slaved to each other so when you adjust one, you are adjusting the other laser.
The GL4 Pro is made in China and they drop ship to customers. When I ordered the GL4 Pro, RovyVon only had 8 units in stock. My friends and I cleaned them out., even before we got one in hand. This was solely based Dan's initial impressions and the performance they listed on their website. It should be similar performance to the XVL2-IRC (eye safe version). What intrigued me the most was their bezel design. According to Dan, the GL4 Pro has a noticeable hot spot. Something the SureFire XVL2 lacks. Also the SureFire XVL2 and XVL2-IRC retail for around $1,500 each. While the GL4 Pro was only $299.99. Below you can see the GL4 Pro next to a SureFire XVL2.
The bezel design for the GL4 Pro is quite different from the XVL2. The SureFire has two distinct reflectors but the RovyVon has siamese reflectors. This results in a figure eight shaped beam pattern. But notice the hot spot in the beam pattern.
Meanwhile the SureFire XVL2 has a circular beam pattern with no hot spot.
While there are minor aesthetic changes to the GL4 Pro over the XVL2 they are mostly the same. Elevation adjustment of the slaved lasers is positioned at the bottom of the housing.
Windage is adjusted on the left side of the laser housing. Next to that is the mode selector switch. Just like the XVL2, the GL4 Pro has 12 o'clock position as off and the mode explanation is layered on the same side as the switch. I found it odd that SureFire layered that same information on the bottom of the XVL2.
One significant change is how the GL4 Pro clamps to picatinny rails. The XVL2 has a screw that adjusts tension on the mount clamp. While the GL4 Pro has a throw lever that presses on the clamp. But due to the design, the lever can only close the clamp so far. So on some picatinny rails that are undersized the clamp cannot close that tight and it is loose fitting.
Look at the photo above. the XVL2 has two pins exposed. This is for use with SureFire's remote tape switch.
You can see the instructions from the SureFire manual above. The GL4 Pro has similar contact points and on RovyVon's website it mentions a Remote Control Port.
So I removed the cover plate on the GL4 Pro and bolted the SureFire tape switch on. It works!
Another feature I looked into is the paddle switches on the GL4 Pro vs the XVL2. The GL4 Pro switches do to lock in place for constant on like the SureFire ones. RovyVon uses software programming to achieve constant on. So you tap the switch on the GL4 Pro and it stays on. If you press the switch and hold it, the GL4 Pro will go into momentary mode. So as soon as you let off pressure from the switch, it will turn the GL4 Pro off. The same functionality works with the remote switch.
I looked at the back of the GL4 Pro and XVL2. The paddle switches are held in place with four small screws. I removed them and was able to swap the paddle switches over.
While this did give me a paddle switch that locks up or down, it does not matter with the programming of the GL4 Pro. Also getting SureFire paddle switches is not an easy thing to get. You can buy the SureFire remote switch separately though if you want a remote switch for your GL4 Pro.
Using The GL4 Pro
As mentioned earlier, the programming of the GL4 Pro turns the light constant on with a press or toggle of the switch in the back. I have found that when the mode selector is set to OFF, if you press the switch once, then rotate the mode selector to the next mode then the light will turn on. Rotate the selector back to OFF and back the light will still turn back on. So accidental activation is more possible with the GL4 Pro. Hopefully RovyVon can change the programming in the future so it does not do this.
The beam pattern is better than the SureFire XVL2. Look at the two photos below. In between the two pillars is a garage door just over 50 yards away.
The SureFire XVL2 above does not have a hot spot so it cannot throw light down range as well. Now compare that to the GL4 Pro below. Yes there is spill from the beam pattern lighting up the porch, but the hot spot has enough candela to light up garage door.
Here are some night time tests under a full moon. The targets are 100 yards away and in the shadow of the hillside. The full moon is up but not directly overhead. Below is the SureFire XVL2. The illuminator does ok in this wide open expanse.
Here is the GL4 Pro, you can see the hot spot illuminating a little bit more of the targets.
GL4 Pro above and XVL2 below.
Here is the video those screen shots came from.
Final Thoughts On the GL4 Pro
The switchology is ok for what it is, but the constant on while the selector is set to off, is concerning. Its too easy to bump the switch and accidentally activate the light. You wont know this though until you rotate the selector away from OFF.
The best part is the RovyVon retails for just $299. Compared to the $1,500 price tag for an XVL2-IRC. It can be powered by rechargeable CR123 or regular CR123. The light came with a short USB cable but not charger and the rechargeable battery does. It have a port for plugging the cable directly into it. There is no charging port in the GL4 Pro body either so it is strange they include a cable you cannot use.
While SureFire does make a full power XVL2 it is 45mW green and a mere 3mW IR laser. The White LED and IR LED illuminators are the same output as the eyesafe model. So you aren't missing much with an eyesafe GL4 Pro.
My friend Kythe tested his on his SIG MCX Rattler. It held zero but he mounted it at 12 o'clock and experienced a lot of splash from the illuminator across his suppressor. It caused his nods to dim down. I reached out to Villainous Weapon Systems and they plan to make a refocus lens for the GL4 Pro. In the mean time I recommend mounting it at 6 o'clock so the gun and suppressor, if you have one, will help block the light splashing under the gun and can.
Great review, Nick. I bought one for my own experimentation. Have you played with pistol mounting it and holsters at all?