Detailed review and comparison, with pictures (from owner of both lasers) of Armalaser TR series and Crimson Trace LaserGuards (for any handgun).

Recently I decided I had had enough with CTC and decided to look and see if there was any new tech out there allowing me to switch lasers to a more reliable brand yet still with some sort of new instinctive activation which also offered a full grip on the firearm.

Finally, I found more than I thought was possible for a laser of this type in the Armalaser TR series (here a TR4 for my S&W M&P Shield).

The 7 Armalaser only features listed below, paired with the amazing customer service are totally unique for a small laser of this type. Simply put, the Armalaser TR series completely blows all of its competitors out of the water and stands alone at the top.

Reason to buy a Armalaser TR series over CTC (What the armalaser has which CTC can't match or simply doesn't offer.)

1.) Incredible caring customer service - they go out of their way just for you (from my experience, that was because they seemed to genuinely care). They'll 2 days stuff for ya!
-- you also get a class topping 5 year warranty (CTC only offers 3 year) AND
-- Armalaser offers and exchange program which is totally unique!

2.) Proximity technology instinctive/reactive touch activation of laser WITHOUT that silly unreliable button GRIP!!! Little gold strip on the rear part of the trigger guard. For me it works every time flawlessly and allows me what I had been looking for, A FULL GRIP ON THE FIREARM - spent 400 rounds last night and not one single hiccup! Goodbye CTC broken activation button FOREVER! I was far more accurate with this laser and a full grip on the firearm every shot!

3.) Mater on/off switch (seems quality made and durable) - this is great for range visits. Sometimes you want to work with just your sights and develop that skill without having to have to remove the laser because should you ever need to use your firearm in personal defense the laser will still be on there but it may be in daylight and using your sights might be a skill that saves you life. CTC have nothing like this... that pesky laser is always on when you are shooting (unless you remove it on and off which can lead to a disaster considering the silly screws that CTC offers that strip ALL the TIME) and ranges are dark places so you never really get to develop the sole skill of firing with just your sights... this is a skill everyone who carries should master. The Armalaser is the only reactive touch laser that offers you the option to develop this skill without removing the laser... HUGE!!!

4.) Two laser options which you can choose from easily! Pulsating (increases battery life to 12 hours MASSIVE) and steady (6 hours battery life). BUT YOU CAN CHOOSE!!!!!!!

5.) Brightness, while similar to the level of the CTC, I'd say the Armalaser is certainly brighter and especially brighter if the laser is aimed at human skin... It appears to almost glow on skin.

6.) Battery Door!!!!!!! FINALLY!!!!! Armalaser saw the problem with CTC battery changes and offered a genius solution. (maybe this one should go higher on the list....) no need to pull the whole thing off and mess with tiny allen screws that are prone to stripping and could mess with your sight alignment and overall accuracy - needing to be sighted in again. The batter door allows or extremely quick battery changes with only the SUPPLIED small philips head screwdriver... no more messing around with re-sighting after battery changes.

7.) Reliability and durability - made from some serious materials (Dupont Zytel) and the mount to the firearm is ROCK SOLID but MAINLY the best feature of the Armalasers is the use of proper philips head connecting screws and battery door screw. They are far far less likely to strip, increasing durability and never rendering your laser unsafe while firing it because you've been forced to use/carry it with just one connecting screw affixing the laser to the firearm. In the past with CTC, I have been forced to do this and it made me very uncomfortable. Eventually I just took it off completely while awaiting the replacement screws to arrive in the mail. Armalaser offers FREE REPLACEMENT SCREWS STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BOX, no waiting for replacements!!!!! You have already been given them in the original packaging. GENIUS and caring!
-- On this front, what comes in the box, you also get two allen wrenches, two screws, and a small philips head screwdriver!!!! Everything you need and them some, right out of the box!

A note on why I wanted to get away from CTC and find something better out there!!- I've had several CTC lasers in the past but only because they offered instinctive activation of the laser just by gripping the firearm (but with the loss of a full grip.... sort of, its still a full grip essentially but the button is activated by your middle finger and protrudes from the firearm grip by a good little amount. But, the CTC button breaks so often that you have to grip carefully and with relatively light pressure with you middle finger that is doing the activation or else it will fail and kill the laser completely. This leaves you to mainly hang on with your last two fingers which, I really dislike and hurts my accuracy). I've owned two CTC's for this model of firearm (the lg-489). But all of them, no matter which firearm, continuously get sent back to CTC for repair or replacement mainly of the activation button always going wrong,... ALWAYS (last lg-489 lasted just a single month before complete failure!!!), there is a 4 week minimum turn around time to get a CTC laser sent in, repaired or replaced, and mailed back to you, at best. This is completely UNACCEPTABLE, for people like me who terrible eyesight a laser on a carry firearm is 100% mandatory. Knock my glasses off, I can't even see the front sight, forget about hitting anything as I couldn't hit anything to save my life without them, literally!!!!! But, with a laser, even then I'm a crack shot!!! 4 weeks without a laser on my carry firearm, especially one that cost 200 dollars is unprofessional, uncaring, and inappropriate. Get a better policy CTC (i.e., it breaks get confirmed by a LGS or gunsmith and they send you the replacement overnight in the mail and include a return mail envelope for you to send the defective one in. For a 200 dollar laser, this as a consumer is what should be expected

PS - I have no connection to Armalaser nor are they paying me two write such a glowing review. I did this because people should know the best thats out there in order to protect themselves and their families in the best way that they can, with the best equipment available. The good guys out there need a reliable laser like this in their hands at all times.