I am intrigued by the idea of a small visible laser on my carbine. Something like this:
http://www.crimsontrace.com/products...master/01-3460
I have zero experience with visible lasers on rifles, and I'm not sure they are a useful thing. Curious to hear people's experiences, and the pros and cons.
Nobody is impressed by what you can't do. -THJ
The IR ones sure work good with NVGs.Originally Posted by BOM
I've no experience with visible ones. Maybe Sean will chime in.
J.M. Johnston
Host of Ballistic Radio - Sundays at 7:00 PM EST on Cincinnati's 55KRC THE Talk Station, available on iHeartRadio
If you want to borrow a red version let me know.
Think for yourself. Question authority.
Cliff's notes version of my 2 cents:
Visible lasers on carbines can certainly be useful. They're most useful if you can't get a decent cheek weld. Those who can't typically are stuck using equipment like HAZMAT gear in concert with the rifle. Being stuck with a fixed stock and/or a long barrel also tends to contribute to a requirement to get the gun into funny positions to make some shots in tight locations.
If you have a good reflex style optic on the rifle already, the visible laser isn't likely to give you much, in my opinion. If you've got irons and you intend to use the rifle mainly as a close-range home defense weapon, the laser has some utility. A reflex optic would serve you better, but they can be more expensive than lasers.
...plus working out your hand-jive in terms of activiation, presuming you're mounting both a light and laser, particularly since the one cited doesn't appear to have a remote-activation capability. Mounting that one where you can direct-activate it may require that you move your light (if present) AND your means of activiating it, so that you don't have to make radical alterations of your hand position to activate either one. You don't want a Rubick's Cube.
I'm presuming the presence of a light, already. If the laser's to be the only activable thing hung on the forend, that of course simplifies matters in regard to hand-jive.Insert usual admonitions about reduced-vis conditions and the need to identify targets with light, here....
There's a certain if-the-optic-goes-down utility to them, just like BUIS.
Going with green is a good call. More likely to be useful in full-lit conditions than red, though red can get you to about 25m in full sunlight (usually not much more).
Device-specific, I do NOT like the looks of that recoil lug and how it makes the device interface with the rail slot, but have zero time on that thing, so for all I know it's very robust.
The linked laser was just used as an example. I don't even know if I'd buy that particular one, but it seemed prudent to give an example.
The rifle it would go on has an Aimpoint, and a TLR-1 at 12:00.
Thanks for the input guys. i'm beginning to think there really isn't a reason for this thing aside from "cool".
I have one of the CTC Railmasters*. It's a good quality product, as one would expect from Crimson Trace, but it's a lot more viable on a pistol carried in a holster than out on a carbine rail. The activation paddles seem to be just waiting to cause laser NDs as the weapon bangs around into stuff.
(*They were passing them out at that Midnight 3-Gun match. I didn't get the thing on the gun and zeroed in time and wound up running the carbine with just the light and the dot.)
Last edited by Tamara; 01-09-2013 at 12:20 PM.
FWIW, I've never considered a visible laser particularly useful or necessary on a carbine for shooting.
However, they are a wonderful tool for influencing people to stop what they're doing and comply with instructions. IIRC, Larry Vickers called them a "form of communication that transcends all language and cultural barriers" or something to that effect.
That matched my observations from overseas with the PEQ-15. You put the red spot on someone, and they would just stop, STFU, and get really compliant. I guess they'd all seen the movies too.
I'd be interested to hear from our LEO members if it works the same on bad guys here in the states.
ETA: obviously, the circumstances in which one would be justified in pointing a weapon at someone here in the states are much more limited than for guys in a combat zone. For that reason, lasers aren't a high priority for me on my personal weapons, although I could see them being useful in certain instances.
Last edited by Dave J; 01-09-2013 at 11:42 AM.
I want one too, blame the videos on youtube
From my Taser? Hell yes. Don't have one on my pistol or carbine though...
I work for a mid sized dept, around 70 patrol officers. The first year we got Tasers, there were dozens of deployments. Currently we are down to a handful each year. People know what they are now.
But the red dot on the chest sends a signal, no doubt. I recommend them on pocket guns for the deterrent effect.
Reply With Quote