Crimson Trace Laser sight

Thinking about getting Crimson Trace grips for a 649-2. What do you think of these and are they easy to sight in for the gun? Any tips you would have would be much appreciated.
Thanks for any info.
Dick

ruger 22 said:

Thinking about getting Crimson Trace grips for a 649-2. What do you think of these and are they easy to sight in for the gun? Any tips you would have would be much appreciated.
Thanks for any info.
Dick

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I have CT grips on my model 60-10, 642 and Kahr CM-9. I think that they are THE sight for dim/ dark lighting conditions. Any handgun I have or will have for defensive use will be equipped with them. IMHO, they are easy to sight in. They hold their adjustment well. The battery lasts for a long, long, long time (years). If you have good trigger control, you will be able to shoot extremely good groups with them. Here is a target shot at an indoor range at 7yds. using CT grips exclusively.

The CT grips are very easy to sight in.

The come with a couple tiny allen wrenches and have separate adjustments for vertical and horizontal.

You can adjust them at home. Just point the (unloaded) gun at the wall and adjust the laser spot to match the point the iron sights are aiming at.

That will get you close, and you can touch them up at the range.

Cal44 said:

The CT grips are very easy to sight in.

The come with a couple tiny allen wrenches and have separate adjustments for vertical and horizontal.

You can adjust them at home. Just point the (unloaded) gun at the wall and adjust the laser spot to match the point the iron sights are aiming at.

That will get you close, and you can touch them up at the range.

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Yup, I have 3 CT lasers on a M&P9FS, Shield, and a SR45. Co-witness the laser with the iron sights at the yardage you think best. There will then be very little adjustment at the range. BTW, you'd think the SR45's CT rail laser, shot every weekend in competition would loose zero. Not so, has held zero for just about a year now. Highly recommended!

I'll echo what the others have said. I have the CT 405's on my j 637. I like them a lot. I actually like the grip itself regardless of the laser. I recommend them.

I found the grips for the K and L frames with a round butt to be too small to get a good grip on, especially when shooting magnums.

I have them on my 642. Would not be without them. Love the way they come on when you grip the gun.

They will certainly close up and move groups especially on a fixed sight gun.
I have one on a Bulldog and it works well.
Only slight problem may be that the POI will change if you take off and reinstall the grip set.
I do this when I clean the gun because it gets gripped in the vise part of a stand.
Laser grips don't like being squashed.

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Nemo

Hi Ruger 22:

I'm a big fan of the Crimson Trace laser grips. In the second photo: (top) Model 649-0 with CT LG-105 laser grips; (middle) Model 38-0 with CT LG-405 laser grips, (bottom) Model 638-1 with CT LG-405 laser grips. The LG-105s are hard plastic, but the extra weight of the all stainless steel Model 649 helps with the recoil. The LG-405 are installed on all of my Airweight J-frames. If you look at the back strap of the Model 38-0 and Model 638-1, you'll see what appears to be extra rubber. Actually, there is an air chamber along the back strap that acts as a cushion against the recoil. They work very, very well.

Best of luck,

Dave

Where can I get the little Allen wrenches to adjust a set for a M&P 340? I got the gun in trade and it did not have any Allen wrenches. Can I get them at a hardware store or it a special CT item?

Email CT. I would bet they send you a set free.
Their customer service is pretty good.

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Nemo

I wanted to add that the laser also works great for dry fire practice as well.

I had them on my 642 that I no longer have, but I am thinking of getting another J frame. I just don't fully trust the 380 for pocket carry, and I already have revolvers so no extra caliber to buy for. The laser grips are slightly bigger, so you lose a bit of concealability.

But just for giggles, I used to shoot soda cans at 15 yards with the laser on the 642. From the hip shooting. Hit them every time.

Out to at least 15 yards the CT's work great in the woods also. I have set on a 1911 and a 642.

Laser grips are the easiest way to put an adjustable sight on an otherwised fixed sight gun. The two different CT models I've put on different guns came almost perfectly aligned for my grip strength and the 158g +P rounds I normally carry. One took no, and the other needed very little, adjustment of the microscopic screws with the needle-size allen wrench that comes with the sights.

And if the light levels are low enough they are absolutely more accurate (no front/rear sight misalignment potential) and faster (you can be precisely aimed without taking the time to bring the gun up to eye level) to use. I've not seen a green laser in the field yet, but supposedly they are even useable in broad daylight, which the red ones are not, in my experience.

But IMHO the biggest advantage of laser grips is that they are incomparable training tools. Especially for new DA revolver shooters. I periodically leave the ammo in another room and watch TV while picking out random points across the room (a particular book spine, one corner of a picture, etc.) and snapping off a "shot" with the iron sights away from eye level. Instant feedback of your muzzle control throughout the trigger stroke and release.

When non-shooter friends ask about getting a gun for concealed carry I always recommend a J frame with a CT grip. They're not the easiest to learn or most pleasant guns to shoot, but I believe they have the highest likelihood of actually being carried long term after they get the permit. And the CT grip offers the best, and most likely, way for new gun owners to practice the basic trigger movement skills they will need if they ever have to make effective use of the gun in the gravest extreme.

I'd actually advocate not to get any laser grips. In low light conditions is it really going to help you identify a target? Depending on the situation, will you be shooting beyond a self defense range? There was a good YouTube video not too long ago that delved into the practicality of lasers. I can't recall who did it but it basically said that without the proper training, reliance on them is a crutch and might cost you seconds when you only have milliseconds. A great example of this is when I'm at an indoor range and I see shooters "chasing the laser", so to speak, trying to get that perfect shot. Most the time their hands are so shaky they are shooting less proficient compared to using just the gun sights and it takes them twice as long to place a follow up shot. I concede that if trained with properly it could be a good tool but 95% of the time it's a novelty and not really needed for self defense ranges. Just my two cents.

I'm stubbornly determined to wait until CT's green version is available. (It was first announced by CT in November 2012.)

jagular said:

I'd actually advocate not to get any laser grips. In low light conditions is it really going to help you identify a target? Depending on the situation, will you be shooting beyond a self defense range? There was a good YouTube video not too long ago that delved into the practicality of lasers. I can't recall who did it but it basically said that without the proper training, reliance on them is a crutch and might cost you seconds when you only have milliseconds. A great example of this is when I'm at an indoor range and I see shooters "chasing the laser", so to speak, trying to get that perfect shot. Most the time their hands are so shaky they are shooting less proficient compared to using just the gun sights and it takes them twice as long to place a follow up shot. I concede that if trained with properly it could be a good tool but 95% of the time it's a novelty and not really needed for self defense ranges. Just my two cents.

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Do you have any personal experience with the CT grips? I can find a YouTube video about anything and give arguments for or against just as strongly. If someone is chasing the laser, then they haven't developed the basics of marksmanship. This is no fault of the equipment. Besides being a valuable tool for low light conditions, I consider it a deterrent if used in a real self defense scenario. It adds an exclamation point to the phrase, "Most often, the mere presence of a firearm is enough to stop criminal activity." It is also an excellent training tool when used in dry fire training for drawing and point shooting.

BE Mike said:

Do you have any personal experience with the CT grips? I can find a YouTube video about anything and give arguments for or against just as strongly. If someone is chasing the laser, then they haven't developed the basics of marksmanship. This is no fault of the equipment. Besides being a valuable tool for low light conditions, I consider it a deterrent if used in a real self defense scenario. It adds an exclamation point to the phrase, "Most often, the mere presence of a firearm is enough to stop criminal activity."

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Not with CT grips but a weapon mounted laser, yes. My reference to the YouTube video wasn't meant as evidence. Instead, as an example of how lasers could be a crutch if not trained with properly. This doesn't imply it's the fault of a particular piece of equipment but that of the user. I know it doesn't help much since I can't find the video itself but it was a rational approach that applied to the majority of recreational and self defense training and/or shooting.

I disagree with your opinion that a laser adds an intimidation factor. Along with the belief that racking a shotgun would do the the same. If I'm a bad guy and my intent is to purposely harm you, you've given me your location and knowledge that you have a firearm and that I (the perp) need to quickly escalate the violence level to achieve my goal(s).

I don't berate people for their choices, instead, I warn of what the implications could be. It's up to the individual to make up their own mind considering the information they have. Good wishes to the OP if they decide to pursue the laser option.

I own and use several different CT laser grips and laserguard sights. There is a lot of misunderstanding about how these are used and useful to their owners. They are NOT intended to replace a gun's normal sights, although they can be used as a sight to do pretty good shooting. They are intended to enhance the gun's sights and allow the gun to be used quickly and effectively from all kinds of shooting positions in personal defense situations. They are NOT target sights. They are not a magic pill that makes one a great shot any more than having a gun is a magic pill to ward off all evil just by holding it in your hand. If you can't shoot your gun very well under ideal conditions and with little stress involved, a laser sight will not change that magically. Basics of gun handling and shooting accurately must be present to begin with. If that is the case, the the laser sight are definitely a very positive enhancement that will allow the weapon to be used much more effectively for personal defense, and especially in low or no light situations.

The laser is not intended to replace a good flashlight. It is not intended to identify your target. It is intended to allow an identified target to be shot more easily under stress when sights cannot be seen well. Laser sight don't keep you from jerking the trigger or moving the gun while operating the trigger. Again, basic and practiced gun handling is a requirement for effective use of laser sights or any other kind of sight.

I have carried guns in harm's way since the 1960s. I can tell you that having a set of CT Laser Grips on my duty revolvers would have been a great comfort to me on many occasions. I have CT laser grips or laser guards on all my EDC weapons and on those used for my home protection. My personal opinion is that the CT products are the best laser sights for this purpose. I have never had a problem with them over several years of use. The company provides good service, including free replacement batteries if you sign up for them and request them annually. Laserguard sights usually require a holster made specifically for them. I've never had a problem with Laser Grips with any holster I use.

If one understands the purpose and value of this product, I believe they are absolutely worth the money they cost. They are sold by internet vendors at a substantial discount from the listed MSRP prices. Again, I say that these laser sights do not replace regular sights. But they significantly enhance them and allow your personal protection weapon to be used confidently and effectively at any time of day. What's not to like?