So the word on the street is that my wife may be getting me an LCP for my upcoming birthday. The question becomes should it be one equipped with the ct laser or not?

I am a big fan of the ct laser grips and have them on 4 revolvers and one auto, however, the laser installation on the lcp looks a bit ungainly, at least in the pictures. I understand this is necessary as there is just not much room on these tiny pistols.

As with most things, there seems to be several schools of thought on this subject.

- The laser provides some sighting assistance on a gun that has little or no sights to begin with, and this could be a benefit in some situations.

- The laser is not needed on a gun of this type as it is intended for close contact use. The classic belly or 'get off me gun'.

What say you?

How does having the laser on this gun affect how it fits in pocket holsters?

I assume the ct laser can be added to an lcp later if desired?

Thanks

Personally, I demand that I can hit at 40 foot with anything I carry.
This includes my snubbies/pocket/belly guns.


Jim

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Big bullets leave big holes

My wife had a LCP for about 6 months. She added the CT Laser, which mounts in front of the trigger guard. It uses smaller batteries than the larger models, and as a result they don't last as long.

Personally. I did not like the gun for a couple of reasons. It has a very long trigger pull, the slide is sometimes difficult to operate, it doesn't lock open on the last round, and worst of all I kept activating the mag release and dropping the mag while firing. The ammo is expensive and sometimes difficult to find. Overall, it is a good concealed carry gun, but takes getting used to firing. I would suggest trying to rent one or borrow one from a friend before you buy one. My wife traded hers for a M&P 9 Compact and is much happier with it, plus it carries twice the ammo.

Only my opinion but I sure wouldn't bother with a laser for the stunted .380s like the LCP or the P3AT. I have a P3AT that I shoot on occasion and tote infrequently. The little pistols aren't refined enough to benefit from laser sighting with their light weight, cramped grip, and DA trigger pulls. A laser just seems like so much unnecessary baggage.

Full disclosure: I'm no fan of lasers at all.

The LCP is a gut gun (real close up) and IMHO there is no reason for a laser. Of course all carry firearms are a personal thing. I have had and carried a LCP and for me there is not reason for a laser. I am old school and not into toys or high tech gadgets. I do however have a lase on my home defense weapon (Glock 21SF with a Streamlight M6 laser/tact.light.

get the laser.they make pocket holsters for the lcp w/lasers cheap.
Defender Series Ruger LCP Accu Guard Defender Series Black DS 122 | eBay

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My mind is my own church.

The laser MAY be useful when trying to shoot while one is down on the ground or shooting weak hand or at an awkward angle. It isn't expensive and doesn't hurt anything to have it on. My experience has been that one never knows how a confrontation will go and I'd prefer to be able to make good hits a bit further away than at bad breath distance if possible. My experience with the P3AT/LCP has been that the sights are useless and the grip angle makes rapid point shooting tough...I'd add it.

Frizzman is right, you never know how a confrontation will go. Still, I'm no laser fan, either. I can hit my targets without a laser and I don't want to learn to reply on some device that could break. But many folks like them so it's a choice you get to make. I choose no lasers.

I carry one with the laser. It's not the easiest gun to shoot accurately and I found the laser is a nice addition with no real down side. It will never be a target gun but the laser shows you exactly where you are aiming without trying to use the tiny sights. Bob Mika made a holster for it that works perfectly.

IMO, if you have them on other SD/HD weapons then add one. Personally Im not a fan of lasers.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. If you train to a weapon that uses an $8 battery and one day or night that battery is dead it could cause a second of hesitation in a stressful situation.

Just my opinion, worth what you paid for it.

I just bought 2 of them from Palmetto ($199). Neither have lasers.

To me, this is an up close confrontation carry pistol that if I really need to draw it I'm not going to have time to fool with trying to turn the laser on. I would rather train without it. Plus, as others have stated, the batteries don't last that long, and you can always add it later if you feel you can't live without it.

I wanted a small, lightweight carry pistol with no attachments to get in the way. The LCP is just that.

I use the LaserMax. Batteries are not an issue. Change it once a year to be sure. I have never run them dry. If you draw safely, your trigger finger is outside the trigger guard and it lays right on the button so you have the laser on as the gun leaves your pocket. I also train w/o the laser. I find it is an aid with no down side. YMMV.

To my mind lasers are for playing at the range or possiblbly certain advanced tactical situations, but for split second, in-your-face self defense situations most won't ever activate or see their laser. For most it's just a cool marketing gimmick that's fun to to play with while sitting on your couch and screwing with your dog/cat.

Dr Lou, try one. The laser is on when the gun leaves my pocket and the bullet goes where the red dot is. No question.

Buy the gun and save the laser for a gift idea for a later occasion.

Get it with a laser, your eye will work in concert with your hand that way.
Practice using it with the laser and without when you get it.
If the laser works when you need it, you have a sight-picture that is unbeatable.
If it doesn't work, you can still aim and shoot. At close range you will strike them.

As any police firearms instructor will tell you, and supported by the study of thousands of police shooting incidents, officers (and CCWs) will do on the street what they have been trained to do, allowed to do or have gotten away with in training.

I've observed people practicing with lasers on public ranges, when the laser didn't illuminate or they couldn't find the dot, they spent their time looking for the dot instead of immediately reverting to the iron sights and engaging the target. This will get you killed. Lasers add another mechanical element to self-defense which can go wrong.

Lasers have their place but they are not a substitute for shooting fundamentals. If you go to a laser on an SD gun, you must properly train with them.

If you feel your hand is too small for the grip, get the magazine extensions as they will help ever so slightly. I have them on all of my magazines for the LCP.
The CT laser will automatically turn on as soon as you firmly wrap your fingers around the grip as the button sits in front of the grip under the trigger guard.
The LCP is for close - in shooting, not for any distances.
The laser, I would consider more for evening or night time, shooting off hand or with a disabled arm where the laser can still be used for aiming at your target in a hostile situation.
The LCP still seems to be the lightest .380 at less than 10 oz., so it will have a strong recoil. The trigger pull may be long as DAO firearms should be, but it is nowhere noticeable as the original LC9's.
It is your choice and good shooting...in non hostile situations as I hope you never have to be in a hostile one.

I agree w/Federali, lasers have no place on tiny SD pistols. My 442, Model 38 & Smith .380 are all sans laser. My LEO street experience includes more than one use of deadly force and only once was I able to use the sights (long before lasers were anything but a pipe dream). These things happen so fast that you'll likely not have time for an aimed shot.

As a retiree my daily orbits are pretty tame and I'm not looking for trouble. I just want to run my errands, make an occasional range trip and enjoy life w/my wife, kids and grandkids.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)