Laser Safety and Visible Lasers

Using Arduino Project Guidance
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Hello,

I am currently designing a project for a laser gun and I have a few questions on how to go about doing it safely.

I would like to mount a laser on the gun where the beam is visible at night and under normal atmospheric conditions (no fog, etc). However, I would also like the laser to be safe to view for short exposure or accidental exposure.

Looking at laser safety info, the laser should be at most class 2M, however, I may be wrong.

My question is - what laser specs (wavelength, mW, color, etc.) will create a visible laser beam, but also stay within safe viewing conditions?

Thanks

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Do a google search on laser pointers like used for presentations, those will likely be safe and have claims similar to what you are looking for.

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I am currently designing a project for a laser gun and I have a few questions on how to go about doing it safely.

So you don’t mind shooting some one but don’t want to damage their eyesight?
I guess you must be American.

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What is the end requirement of the laser gun? is it to be used as a pointer to show where something is?
Lasers are fun but dangerous, depending on what you want to achieve you may be able to get something on ebay for a few dollars.

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Shows usually depend on fog machines or whatever the audience is smoking so that there is something in the air to make the beam visible. Otherwise there is no way a laser beam could travel to the moon and back.

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If you buy a laser from a no-name company on Ebay or Aliexpress there is no guarantee that the output power matches the spec. For example if you buy a 1mw laser, it may actually be a 5mw laser that the supplier got at a cheap bulk price and has rebadged as a 1mw laser.

Unless you have suitable test equipment you'll never know that you bought something that is dangerous.

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I can't answer your question...

I would like to mount a laser on the gun where the beam is visible at night and under normal atmospheric conditions

That does depend on particles in the air, but on a clear night there is still enough "stuff" in the air to see a powerful-enough beam.

At rock shows they use a haze machine or fog machine to enhance light beams & laser beams. (If you're not seeing fog but you're seeing the beams, it's a haze machine.) At outdoor shows, of course they can't put fog/haze high into the sky, so you're seeing whatever is in the air naturally.

...I have a video of a Pink Floyd show and in the beginning there is a shot of someone lighting a cigarette with a laser!

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