Surefire light is good for lighting up the immediate AO. Your yard. 50-100m maybe. It's a flashlight and it works in IR a lot like it does in white but I'd say it's a bit more efficient.
For most aiming use the .7mW will work (but IMO that needs to be stepped up to 5mW to be more effective). Anyway, it works to 300m, seen it plenty of times. The illuminator is different. I guess guys are having luck with Luna or whatever, but I'm sure that thing has got to put out a big red glare, I could be wrong. I use an old PEQ2 and it gets the job done quite well. And the illuminator on high works great for the PVS30.
As far as mounting it so you can use it with a sight, I'd shy from that were I you. You CAN do it, they make mounts that allow you to put it behind an EoTech or Aimpoint or whatever on an M4 (there are recoil limitations depending on the 14 you have) and while it works, it limits you to only being able to look behind the sight. Hence the laser and head mounted option. It's the only situation where you'll find seasoned shooters tell you it's okay to use a laser on your rifle.
Hard to tell you what to do. PEQ2 has done me fine but finding a legitimate one requires some know how and persistence. Calling in the SN to CID, NCIS, FBI, local sherrif and police, the mfg., etc. If none of them are looking for it, then it's one of the gray area items. While it ain't stolen, it's been written off (they don't do this anymore but used to) and you can legally own it, you still can't send it back for repair. However, good ones in like new condition usually don't have any problems. Same with PEQ 15's. If they can't give you a SN, don't bother.
Works fine illuminating targets out past 1000m for this PVS30 and there's no way that thing would work that far without it. Being a PEQ2 it's considered big and bulky but as you can see it doesn't take up that much room.
