Lasers on revolvers yea or nay

I can't use a handgun with a laser on it. I've carried a gun about 40 yrs. now. More frequently lately since I'm old, and the elderly seem to be targeted by the freaks around here. When lasers became popular on handguns I bought one. Mounts were not very steady then as "rails" were non existent. Every time you set the gun down you had to readjust the laser. I can't use the things because I concentrate too much on placing the dot before pulling the trigger. Are people really sold on these things?

On lasers...

Your post says lasers on revolvers but your survey says lasers on SD handguns. To the survey question I agree with using lasers on SD handguns as long as you train sufficiently with their use. Using a laser can give you some advantages especially if you have to take cover and fire from less than a full Weaver stance.

I use them on my Beretta 92G Vertec and CZP01. The boresight repeatability on either gun is excellent. I can remove the laser when I clean the gun, reinstall it on the rail, and retain my boresight. So for a Mil-Std-1913 rail equipped handgun I'd say they're great.

For a revolver without a Picatinny rail I'd pass on that one. The only practical option is to use the laser grips and in my experience these are too vulnerable to cleaning fluid contamination. To avoid this you can remove the grips when you clean the gun but that's not always convenient. I had a set of these laser grips on my Beretta 92FS. If the lens was even the slightest bit contaminated with oil or dirt the laser spot would scatter into a much larger, ragged pattern. CTC says they can be cleaned with a Q-tip but so far I've not found that to be an exact science. I'm not critiquing CTCs product here. It's just that me and laser grips are probably not a good match. I was never successful enough with them to fully evaluate the boresight repeatability. In this case I defer to the first poster's concerns.

Lobo_79 said:

Your post says lasers on revolvers but your survey says lasers on SD handguns. To the survey question I agree with using lasers on SD handguns as long as you train sufficiently with their use. Using a laser can give you some advantages especially if you have to take cover and fire from less than a full Weaver stance.

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Well you're right. I screwed up again. I can't adjust the verbage on the poll. I should have specified short barreled revolvers meant primarily for self defense. My question is confusing, sorry.

I just put a set of Crimson Trace grips on my 642. Yesterday at the range I was getting all my hits within an inch or so at 7 yards, which was a marked improvment for me. I am not sold 100% yet...I want to see if they will stay sighted in long term. The manuf says to remove the grips before cleaning, so will I need to sight them in repeatedly? I think they help me a lot, but I'm concerned about maintaining the correct alignment, cleaning, etc. Maybe I'll be able to post post back to this thread once I get more experience with them. B

JcMack said:

Well you're right. I screwed up again. I can't adjust the verbage on the poll. I should have specified short barreled revolvers meant primarily for self defense. My question is confusing, sorry.

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I took the liberty and edited your poll, if you want it to say something else just let me know.


As to lasers on SD wheelguns, I don't personally care for them. Actually I'm not to fond of anything on my guns needs batteries.

Smith357, thanks much!!

I do not like lasers or lights or anything else that "shines" in the dark and can be used to track my position. In my house, the only light on at night is a small nightlite which puts a small amount of light on the only avenue of approach to the bedrooms. I want an intruder in the light... not me.

bassoneer said:

The manuf says to remove the grips before cleaning, so will I need to sight them in repeatedly?...

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Probably not at PD ranges but you might try getting one of those boresight lasers made for in chamber use since your barrel is probably too short to use a standard boresight tool. I think Midway has them. This might help you do a quick sanity check to verify the grip laser is still pointed in the same spot after you reinstall your grips.

J.P.60 said:

I do not like lasers or lights or anything else that "shines" in the dark and can be used to track my position. In my house, the only light on at night is a small nightlite which puts a small amount of light on the only avenue of approach to the bedrooms. I want an intruder in the light... not me.

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A good point. At least red lasers are better at keeping your location less obvious unless there is smoke or fog in the path. Green lasers literally draw a visible line that is easier to detect its source. While green is more visible during day light hours I prefer red with an easily reached momentary on switch.

I don't use the sights on my 442 since it takes too much time and I think looking for a dot would slow me up about the same...but they are fun to use at the range and they can't hurt so if you have the money and like the way that particular grip feels, go for it...

I don't like 'em - For a couple of reasons.

I do, however, enjoy watching the light show that most put on at the range. The little dot is ALL OVER THE PLACE and they're still pulling the trigger. Go figure.

I'm not even in favor of the muzzle flash giving my position away - Let alone a light saying "Hey! I'm over here."

I have a laser on my 642 and I like it. It doesn't replace my sights, it supplements them. So what if the battery goes dead, that doesn't mean you can't use your sights. But I've never had a problem with batteries. I change them (though they never needed changed) when I change my clocks twice a year and at the same time I change the batteries in my smoke detector.

As for giving away your position, DON'T ACTIVATE THEM UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO SHOOT.

On my 642 I can't really tell the difference on the grips between the orginal grips and the CT laser grips.

Now for the biggest advantage of the laser: Dry firing, you can really see whats happening when you dry fire. The dot don't lie, if it jumps off the target when you drop the hammer, it means your shot will jump off the target. Great tool for teaching trigger control.

Another advantage, (dry firing related), and you can try this at home or range. When my shooting starts to go south and it will with these little snubbies, I stop shooting, dry fire for 15 min or so and then back to the targets using iron sights, and my groups get tighter.

I shoot 98% of my practice using iron sights, even pay to shoot a second gun so I can shoot my 642 in ICORE matches. Dry firing with the laser helps a lot.

Another trick, or should I say shooting game, when I was in LE I carried a little mechanic's inspection miror for building searches without exposing my self while peeking around corners. Now I found a new game. Using that same inspection mirror, I can peek around a cornor, see the target, put the red dot on the target and shoot, exposing only the gun and mirror. Now I'm retired and doubt I do any building searches but its still a fun game and in all honesty, thats what most of us do, shooting games, matches, practice, plinking, .........just having fun.

Many who condem Lasers seem to think that once you put a laser on a pistol/revolver, its all you have, with the laser you can't use your sights, you can't point shoot........all you have is the laser.

That's a long way from the truth. Its a tool, just like point shooting, using sights, what ever, another tool. To me the greatest benifit of this tool is in dry firing.

The CT Laser grips does not add bulk to my 642 witch I carry in my pocket. The lasers for some pistols/revolvers do, I don't thing I would like those, but on my snubby its great.

I have quite a few guns equipped with Crimson Trace and recommend them all the time. Not having time to turn them on becomes a non issue, they come on as soon as you get a proper grip.

I think even in bright daylight they work for my eyes. I find it hard to see the front site and the rear is of course worse. I can see everything well from 15 feet to infinity. When I compete I use glasses that focus right on the front sight but then the target is tough. When I go about daily life I use the variable progressive lenses, but when shooting it takes a long time to find the sights.

With the Crimson Trace I can focus on the target look down the barrel, the sights are there but pretty fuzzy but the dot is right where the round is going. I can see the dot on the brightest days to 15 or 20 yards. If I got in trouble beyond that range I guess I have a bit more time to find the sweet spot in my glasses and will use the iron sights.

I recommend them to all my students and friends. My wife and daughter have them on their guns too.

Better to have them and not need them, than to need them and not have them.







I wish they made a more compact grip for the N frame, I had to cut down the Hog Hunter on my 629 for carry. I would buy 3 more if they would.

I think you should practice with them in daylight doing lots of target transitions and weak hand, strong hand shooting. I like to keep fiber optics on my 629 also, if it is too bright out to see the dot, the fibers ought to be jumping right out at ya.
For my in the house gun I keep an M&P with the light & laser combo for my wife and myself. If you keep your finger off the trigger a light laser handgun should give a real advantage to a practiced homeowner.

I have a set of CT grips on my P229 that I really like. I use them pretty much the way roundgunner states that he does and find them helpful with the condition of my eyes. I like the way the grip fits my hand as well and have been looking for a set for my 686+ 3" - but I'm to cheap to purchase them retail...so may be some time before I locate a deal I'm happy with. So if you hear of anyone who has a set for an K/L frame round butt that they don't like...drop me a note!

No thanks. Years ago one of our officers got one. When we did night fire he was the slowest guy there, "behind the curve" of his laser. IF you can ID your target and it needs shooting I want to get FAST hits right now. I had a free Crimson Trace on a J frame some years back and took it off. Some people love them but to me they get in the way of muscle memory and experience.

Humbug.

I never like to rely on attached devises, battery operated gizmos, or stuff that adds extra weight and bulk to a carry gun. For a TARGET GUN, do you what like, but for a carry gun (my opinion of course) I would just keep it simple.

Chief38

I don't like a laser on a snubby (I don't have lasers on my full size guns either.) Heck, I don't even like adjustable sights on a snubby, SD/CCW gun.