Build template

Night Vision PID

See and identify in complete darkness

LMT MARS-L SPECWAR MRP 12.5" SBR11 componentsCurrent build cost: $9,795.75Prices as of Aug 7, 2026

This is a passive-aiming night vision SBR built on the LMT MARS-L SPECWAR 12.5-inch, assembled for a shooter who runs under night vision devices and needs positive target identification in no-light conditions. A Wilcox RAID Xe handles infrared aiming and illumination, an EOTech EXPS3 rides at FAST height for heads-up passive work, and a KAC CRS-2 keeps the muzzle from blooming out the tubes.

The host matters more on a night vision gun than any other build, and it is the reason for the LMT. A laser is only as honest as the rail it is bolted to: on a conventional carbine the handguard is a separate part clamped to a barrel nut, and any shift between it and the receiver walks the infrared zero. The SPECWAR's MRP-L upper machines the receiver and the 11.5-inch rail from one aluminum forging, so the RAID Xe and the optic live on a single rigid piece of metal. The 12.5-inch mid-length barrel also keeps the suppressed package shorter than a bare 16-inch rifle, which you feel every minute you carry it in the dark.

Every part below shows its current price, and the entire configuration loads into the builder in one click. Night vision devices themselves are not part of the parts list; this build covers the rifle and the aiming, illumination, and signature-reduction gear that feeds them. The SBR and the suppressor each transfer on an ATF Form 4, currently running days to a couple of weeks with no federal tax.

Base platform

Why this build

Passive aiming drives the layout. The Wilcox RAID Xe puts a co-aligned visible and near-infrared laser bench plus a variable VCSEL infrared illuminator and a fixed 40-degree room illuminator on the top rail, so you aim off the laser under goggles and light rooms without touching the main illuminator setting. The co-aligned bench holds both lasers on one zero, and ERGOCTO remote support keeps switches where your support hand already is.

The sight line is built at Unity's 2.26-inch FAST height for a reason: behind helmet-mounted tubes, an absolute co-witness optic forces your head down onto the stock, while the FAST riser brings the EXPS3 up to a heads-up position you can actually use with a device on your face. The FAST FTC 4X magnifier lives behind it on the same sight line and flips to center, stowing below the sight plane inside the receiver footprint instead of hanging off the side of the gun to snag on gear in the dark.

The KAC CRS-2 is a signature-reduction can, not just a sound suppressor: it exists to kill the flash that strobes image intensifier tubes, in a 6-inch, 15-ounce package that keeps the 12.5-inch gun compact. The SureFire M640DFT-PRO covers white-light identification when you come off the tubes, and the HRF RCM flared magwell fixes the one manipulation that falls apart under night vision: getting a fresh magazine into a well you cannot see.

Parts list

Optics & Sighting

EOTech EXPS3
EOTech EXPS3

$767.99 at Optics Planet · In stock

The EOTech EXPS3 is a true holographic sight with 10 night-vision-compatible brightness settings, so the reticle stays visible and correctly dimmed behind a mounted device. Its 68 MOA ring with a 1 MOA center dot is fast up close and precise past 100 yards, and the shortened body with side buttons leaves rail space for the magnifier behind it. The parallax-free holographic reticle also helps shooters with astigmatism who see LED dots as a smear.

Buy
AlternativeAimpoint Micro T-2$986.00

The Micro T-2 trades the holographic window for a 50,000-hour always-on battery and four NV settings at less weight; pair it with Unity's T-2-footprint FAST mount.

Scope Mounts & Rings

Unity FAST Absolute Riser
Unity FAST Absolute Riser

$95.00 at Optics Planet · In stock

The Unity FAST Absolute Riser lifts the EXPS3 to a 2.26-inch optical centerline, the height that keeps your head upright behind helmet-mounted night vision instead of craning down to an absolute co-witness sight line. Machined from 7075-T6 aluminum, it is the piece that turns a daytime carbine sight picture into one that works with a device on your face, and it matches the FTC 4X magnifier's height exactly.

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Magnifiers

Unity Tactical FAST FTC 4X Magnifier
Unity Tactical FAST FTC 4X Magnifier

$677.00 MSRP

The Unity FAST FTC 4X is Unity's own 4x magnifier permanently married to the flip-to-center mount at the same 2.26-inch FAST height as the riser, so the EXPS3 and magnifier share one sight line. Flipped in, 4x buys positive identification at distances where a bare holographic reticle cannot; flipped away, the force-to-overcome mechanism stows it below the sight plane inside the receiver footprint, with nothing hanging off the side of the gun to snag in the dark. At 12 ounces complete it is lighter than most 3x magnifier and mount stacks.

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Lasers & Aiming Aids

Wilcox RAID Xe Low Power
Wilcox RAID Xe Low Power

$3,352.52 at Optics Planet · In stock

The Wilcox RAID Xe Low Power is the aiming heart of the rifle: a co-aligned visible and near-infrared laser bench, a variable VCSEL infrared illuminator that adjusts from tight pointer to wide flood, and a separate fixed 40-degree near-infrared room illuminator for CQB. Because the optical bench is co-aligned, a daylight zero on the visible laser sets the infrared, and the OLED-backed controls and ERGOCTO remote support configure it around whatever switch layout you run. Verify the exact low-power SKU and connector before ordering.

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Budget swapSteiner DBAL-A3$1,799.99

The DBAL-A3 delivers co-aligned visible and infrared lasers plus an infrared illuminator at a fraction of the price, the proven civilian workhorse.

AlternativeB.E. Meyers MAWL-C1+$3,280.00

The B.E. Meyers MAWL-C1+ leads the commercial Class 1+ category in illumination quality with speckle-free VCSEL output and ergonomics built around the support hand.

Illumination

SureFire M640DFT-PRO Turbo Scout Light Pro
SureFire M640DFT-PRO Turbo Scout Light Pro

$358.49 at Optics Planet · In stock

The SureFire M640DFT-PRO Turbo Scout is built for identification at range, concentrating 700 lumens into 100,000 candela of throw. On a night vision rifle the white light is your transition tool for confirming a target the instant you come off goggles, and the tight Turbo beam reaches far enough to matter outdoors. It runs a rechargeable 18650 or two CR123A cells and integrates with SureFire's Scout switches, so it shares switching real estate with the RAID Xe's remote.

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Premium swapModlite PLHv2$279.00

The PLHv2 pushes about 1,350 lumens with a 5700K emitter that cuts fog and smoke better, if you want more raw output and flood.

AlternativeSureFire M340DFT-PRO Turbo Mini Scout Light Pro$358.49

The mini M340DFT-PRO keeps 95,000 candela in a shorter body that tucks tighter to the SPECWAR's 11.5-inch rail.

Handguard Controls

Unity Tactical AXON
Unity Tactical AXON

$159.00 at Optics Planet · In stock

The Unity AXON is the switch that makes the RAID Xe and the SureFire run as one system: a dual-button remote with tactile differentiation between the flat and angled buttons, so your support-hand thumb knows laser from light without looking, in the dark, under stress. SYNC variants fire the laser alone off one button and light plus laser together off the other. Order the RAID Xe-specific plug variant Unity introduced in 2026 rather than adapting a generic CRANE lead; the dedicated connector is the clean way onto the Wilcox's remote port.

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Muzzle Devices

KAC 5.56 QDC 3-Prong Flash Eliminator
Knight's Armament KAC 5.56 QDC 3-Prong Flash Eliminator

$136.80 MSRP

The KAC 5.56 QDC Flash Eliminator is the required bridge between the SPECWAR's 1/2x28 barrel threads and the CRS-2. Its three-prong flash-hider geometry controls visible flash when the suppressor is off, while the QDC mounting surface gives the CRS-2 and MCQ-2 their native tool-free lockup. Selecting the KAC muzzle device explicitly keeps the suppressor path inside one verified ecosystem.

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Suppressors

Knight's Armament CRS-2 5.56
Knight's Armament CRS-2 5.56

$1,425.00 MSRP

The KAC CRS-2 is a signature-reduction suppressor, which is the correct spec for a night vision gun: its job is killing the muzzle flash that blooms image intensifier tubes, and it does that in a 6-inch, 15-ounce package that brings a 143 dBA at-the-muzzle report on 5.56. It mounts on KAC's QDC system over a 1/2x28 flash hider, so it comes on and off the SPECWAR without tools and returns to zero.

Buy
AlternativeKnight's Armament MCQ-2 5.56$1,350.00

The MCQ-2 is KAC's mini can at 4.5 inches and 12.7 ounces, giving up some suppression for the shortest possible package.

Accessories

HRF Concepts RCM Rifle Combat Magwell
HRF Concepts RCM Rifle Combat Magwell

$50.00 MSRP

The HRF Concepts RCM flares the magwell opening with roughly 175 percent more funnel surface, and it earns its slot on this rifle specifically because reloading under night vision happens entirely by feel: helmet-mounted tubes have no useful depth perception at arm's length. HRF molds receiver-specific fits rather than a universal wedge; order the LMT MARS-L variant for this host.

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Magazines & Feeding

Magpul PMAG 30 AR/M4 GEN M3
Magpul PMAG 30 AR/M4 GEN M3

$13.95 MSRP

The Magpul PMAG 30 Gen M3 is the default for a reason: a four-way anti-tilt follower, constant-curve geometry, and crush-resistant polymer that survives hard use. It feeds reliably across conditions and is cheap enough to buy in quantity.

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Premium swapOkay Industries SureFeed E2 Magazine$18.00

The SureFeed E2 is an aluminum-body magazine from the original USGI maker, with enhanced feed lips that hold shape under long-term loaded storage.

Slings & Retention

Ferro Concepts Slingster
Ferro Concepts Slingster

$58.00 MSRP

The Ferro Concepts Slingster is the sling you see on night vision guns for a reason: the rubberized pull tab adjusts silently and positively with gloves on, and the movable pad slides to wherever the load actually sits under a plate carrier. At roughly 3.5 ounces it adds almost nothing to a rifle already carrying a laser, a light, and a can.

Buy
AlternativeBlue Force Gear Vickers Sling$59.80

The Blue Force Gear Vickers Padded carries this much hanging weight just as well with a fixed inline pad.

Current build cost $9,795.75

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Capability profile

Capability Scan

Baseline vs Configured

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does a monolithic upper matter for a night vision rifle?
Because the infrared laser's zero is only as stable as the rail it is mounted to. On a conventional AR the handguard is a separate part clamped to a barrel nut, and if that interface shifts, from heat, impact, or hardware backing out, the laser moves with it and your zero silently walks. The LMT SPECWAR's MRP-L upper machines the receiver and rail from a single forging, so the Wilcox RAID Xe and the optic sit on one rigid piece of metal that cannot shift against itself.
Can I actually aim this rifle through night vision goggles?
Yes, and that is the point of the Wilcox RAID Xe. Under helmet-mounted night vision you aim off the infrared laser rather than pressing your eye to the EOTech. The RAID Xe's co-aligned optical bench keeps its visible and infrared lasers on one zero, so a daylight zero on the visible beam sets the infrared for night use, and its variable VCSEL illuminator plus fixed 40-degree room illuminator light targets the tubes can see. The EXPS3 on its FAST riser covers heads-up passive aiming and daytime shooting.
Why is the optic mounted so high on this build?
The Unity FAST riser puts the EXPS3's optical centerline at 2.26 inches because helmet-mounted night vision, gas masks, and plate carriers all push your head up and back from a traditional cheek weld. At standard height you have to crane down onto the stock to find the reticle with a device on your face; at FAST height the sight meets your eye where your head naturally sits. The FTC 4X magnifier is built at the same height, so magnified and unmagnified shots share one sight line.
What paperwork does this build require?
Two ATF Form 4 transfers: one for the LMT SPECWAR, which is a factory short-barreled rifle, and one for the KAC CRS-2 suppressor. Each requires fingerprints, a background check, and NFA registration. The federal transfer tax on both dropped to zero on January 1, 2026 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and eForm 4 approvals are currently running days to a couple of weeks. Suppressors are legal in 42 states; confirm your state's law on both items before buying.
Do I need the laser and the weapon light, or is one enough?
You want both because they solve different problems. The Wilcox RAID Xe's infrared laser and illuminators let you aim and see passively under night vision with minimal visible signature. The SureFire M640DFT-PRO white light, at 100,000 candela, is for positive identification when you transition off goggles or need to confirm a target for anyone not wearing tubes. A night vision build without white light leaves you blind the moment the goggles come off.

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