The laser LED Optics
Th Drink your coffe out of your own R2-D2 mugere is no real laser i a laser tag gun. All lasertag guns use a IR LED with some optics to focus the light. The type of LED and optics will divine your range and accuracy.
There a multiple type of led SMD, diode, COB enz. The type of led issn't realy important the most importand specs are the wave lengt, beam angel and power. The most common LED used for laser tag guns are the TSAL6100 see the comparison table below
Table needs to be done
The IR LED doesn’t need that much power as you may think the TSAL6100 are only 1.5A for peak a little bit more power can help increase the range but it will also increase power consumption and heat.
The usable range of an infrared LED without a lens is somewhat limited, even if your using a very high power led. To achieve ranges that are usable(50 meters to over 600 meters), you will likely need to use a lens. The simplest setup is a double-convex lens (like a standard magnifying glass).
If you have ever used a magnifier to burn a hole in a piece of paper, then you already know how. Of course, if you use a bright light instead of the sun you will be able to test the lens' FL without starting a fire. The light should be at least 15-20 feet from the lens. This will get you in the ballpark.
It is also important to select an LED with an appropriate "angle-of-half-intensity" or "beam angle" for the lens you are using. You want as much of the IR light from the LED as possible to hit the lens. If the LED's beam angle is too large or too small, you will lose efficiency and the range of the system will be reduced. And don't forget that some LED specifications are for "half-angle". A 10-degree half-angle is +/-10 degrees, so it's actually a 20-degree beam angle.
For example: The TSAL6100 LED has a 20-degree beam width (10-degree half angle). So it would be well suited to a lens with a 30mm diameter x 85mm FL. It could also use a lens with a 50mm diameter x 150mm FL. But these numbers don't necessarily have to be exact; this is another area for experimentation. A 50mm diameter x 100mm FL lens might still give great results.
In general, a longer FL and/or larger diameter lens allows longer ranges. But excellent results can be achieved with 1" diameter or smaller lenses that are high-quality, well-focused, and well matched to the LED.
Note: Any given lens may actually have a different FL for infrared light than it does for visible light.
EXAMPLE LENS TUBE SPECIFICATIONS Infrared LED Beam Angle Lens Diameter Lens Focal Length TSAL6100 20 deg 3/4" (19mm) 2.2" (55mm) TSAL6100 20 deg 1" (25.4mm) 3" (75mm) TSAL6100 20 deg 1.5" (38.1mm) 4.3" (110mm) TSAL6100 20 deg 1.9" (48mm) 4.25" (108mm) TSAL6200 34 deg 3/4" (19mm) 1.3" (32mm) TSAL6200 34 deg 1" (25.4mm) 1.7" (42mm) TSAL6200 34 deg 1.5" (38.1mm) 2.5" (63mm) TSAL6200 34 deg 2" (50.8mm) 3.2" (82mm) Source http://www.lasertagparts.com/mtoptics.htm