What is your opinion in regards to lasers on a carry gun?

[cold-beer]

Are you a fan of having a laser on a carry gun? I have had a crimson trace on most of my my Cary guns since I started carrying many years ago. While I don't use them on anything bigger than a pocket pistol, I rarely carry anything but pocket pistols or revolvers.

Recently, I purchased a Ruger LCP ll. It came with a push button laser that is honestly quite worthless IMO. I was planing on getting another green Crimson Trace for it, but after shooting it for the first time this morning, I was quite shocked with the accuracy when point shooting. It MUCH more accurate than any other pocket pistol or revolver that I have ever owned (For me). At 7 yards, my groups were about 4" when point shooting in 5 round bursts, and around 1.5" when using the fixed sights. I was even able to keep every round on a 8" gong from 15 yards with the thing.

I'm considering giving up on a laser and simply drilling more point shooting.

Thoughts?

[Jay Cunningham]

Are you a fan of having a laser on a carry gun? I have had a crimson trace on most of my my Cary guns since I started carrying many years ago. While I don't use them on anything bigger than a pocket pistol, I rarely carry anything but pocket pistols or revolvers.

Recently, I purchased a Ruger LCP ll. It came with a push button laser that is honestly quite worthless IMO. I was planing on getting another green Crimson Trace for it, but after shooting it for the first time this morning, I was quite shocked with the accuracy when point shooting. It MUCH more accurate than any other pocket pistol or revolver that I have ever owned (For me). At 7 yards, my groups were about 4" when point shooting in 5 round bursts, and around 1.5" when using the fixed sights. I was even able to keep every round on a 8" gong from 15 yards with the thing.

I'm considering giving up on a laser and simply drilling more point shooting.

Thoughts?

I'm still a fan of them on J Frames.

I don't have them on any of my larger framed guns. I think the better the sights on the gun, the less helpful the laser is. That said, the laser is more of a specialized tool than a straight sights replacement, if that makes sense.

One mistake I've seen over and over again are shooters slapping a laser on their gun but not practicing with the laser. Then when the lights get low during fun class they get freaked out by the laser and it takes them 5 seconds to break a shot that it normally takes 1.8 seconds to break.

I have a J Frame with iron sights that are not that great, so I'm cool with a laser on it.

[HopetonBrown]

Shoot Ken Hackathorn's simple Wizard Drill with irons, laser, then point shooting and see how well you do with each. I'd be interested in the results.

https://youtu.be/9htTMmCYk44

[TR675]

They're great if they are used correctly and in the right context.

[Larry T]

I don't use lasers or WMLs. Boiling it down to its simplest form, I want to have unconscious competence in a stressful situation with sights and a hand-held light for defensive carry.

[SAWBONES]

I have CT laser (red, not green) grips on 5 different J-frames and on 2 Ruger LCRs, but not on any semiautomatic pistols.

The J-frames & LCRs are all naturally-pointing guns, that is, they line up on target pretty well with no specific reference to the sights, and the laser grips are both a good dry-firing tool for demontrating this, and of course could prove helpful too in both low light and with shooting from disadvatageous firing positions. Of course, they can act as an alternative to the iron sights too, at least inside or in darker conditions, though they really do disappear in bright sunlight.

I've found that they hold zero well, and of course they're automatic instant-on with simply gripping the pistol. (I have no use for any laser sight devices which require moving a switch of some sort for activation; downright silly.)

[GJM]

After using a laser in the night portions of classes at the Rogers School and Gunsite, plus in my own practice, I am convinced of their value in low light, as they make the shooting part feel like cheating. Especially when shooting on the move.

Also, three or four years ago, I tore a retina in my dominant eye, and a laser works great in that situation. Glasses or contacts off, at night or otherwise, and the laser allows to me shoot a defensive scenario uncorrected.

The problem is many of the laser options muck up your grip, your holster choices, or are not reliable. For this reason, I have been experimenting with the TLR-8. Seems like the technology is still evolving.

[BN]

Laser grips on a J-Frame? Absolutely.

I also have a set of CT laser grips on a Glock 17. It is my bedside gun and also has night sights and a WML. I don't like the way they change my grip, but they have their purpose, especially if I'm not wearing my glasses.

I used them in one informal pistol match. Warning: Do not try this at home. We had the private use of the whole range. This was a team event where one member drove a Jeep with the doors off while the other member was seated in the passenger seat and would engage dropping steel targets while the driver drove into, then out of each of 4 or 5 bays in succession. It was a cold, dark overcast day and I could easily see the laser on each target as we drove by. It was awkward to try to use the sights on the pistol, and I thought I was better off using the laser. Then you changed places with your team member and ran it again. Fun times. :)

I tried to use the laser sights at an IDPA type match one time and felt I was better off using the iron sights.

If someone would make a laser sight that didn't change the way the pistol fits my hand and it had automatic grip activation, I would probably put them on my carry pistols.

[Gio]

I like them, although I trained myself to not pay attention to it under normal shooting conditions and just use my irons/tritium sights. They really shine for any non-traditional positional shooting in or around cover and strong hand/weak hand only shooting.

[Pistol Pete 10]

Gimmick on a self defense gun.

[BillSWPA]

Very helpful on pocket semiautos and snubnose .38 revolvers. Not as helpful on guns like a Glock 26 or larger.

I do keep a Crimson Trace laser on my bedside pistol in case I need to use it without my glasses.

All of my lasers are red. They are very helpful outdoors in low light and at all times indoors. They are worthless outside during the day.

Although holster options are limiting, good pocket holsters that accommodate the laser are readily available for many common pocket guns.


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[SouthNarc]

Under low light with extremely ballistic movement demands or when one has to break the traditional shooting platform, lasers....green in particular offer a distinct edge.

[CraigS]

I have CTCs on all our HD/SD pistols. I won't buy a pistol if CTC doesn't make a laser for. I got a PX4c based on the many people here who love them. I also really like the gun except that the only thing CTC makes for them is their rail mount laser which I have to turn on manually. All the others come on automatically when we pick up the gun. One range trip I practiced quick single and double shots from a low ready position. Shot 100 rnds w/ the laser at 3 inch dots at 30 ft. Then I turned it off and used the sights. My immediate thought was, this sight crap is so old school it isn't even funny. BTW, w/ glocks, CTC makes two different kinds of lasers. I haven't bothered to see what is available for each model, but my wife/s G19/4 has a laser on the rail w/ the switch just under the trigger guard at the top of the grip so it doesn't mess up the overall grip shape. I can see that the versions that wrap around the back of the grip would certainly change the shape.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I mentioned previously that I have a 642 with CT reds on it. Shot a specific short range match with it in the full TX sun. The dot is barely visible beyond quite close up. I agree with it in the house or at night or if you can it in a nonstandard position. When the money god blesses me - maybe try the greens. They aren't on my Glocks. The cut off is when the dot starts to go below easy visibility and you start to look for it rather than what your target and site alignment is telling you.