laser grips?

thinking about adding a laser grip to my J frame m&p 340.
but what kind?
red, green, soft grip, other?

who here has what and how good/bad is it.
worth the $$, or just sellers hype?
not asking whos is better or worse than another, but good to know.
more interested in how's the advantage or not? aka: function over form.


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Well I have a Crimson Trace Red laser on three of my guns: my Colt Defender 45, Springfield TRP, and my Colt Government 1911, but none of my revolvers.

I can tell you that CTL has outstanding customer service, the front activated grip is a big training aid and it will hit its mark even when you can't see the front sight. It is a great sighting aid for all action that might come along. I tried to laser point and front sight together and I could see that it took to long and was too much shaking to get off a decent hit. But working together it has made me a better shot (at 64).

I think it is worth the $325 or so. The more I use it the better I get. Go with the green laser.

So there you have it.

Mehutch said:

I can tell you that CTL has outstanding customer service

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That may change now that S&W owns them. T/C took a customer service when Smith took them over.

I agree on the green - easier to see in daylight too.

Get the green you can see it in the day light! I love mine.

I think laser grips are well worth the money. Red colored lasers were the original, and they work well in dim or low light. In bright light or day light, best case scenario, you may be able to see the laser at 5 to 7 yards max. I realize armed encounters can occur at any time, but I think for me, most of these opportunities would occur during the hours of darkness, so the red laser works okay for me - at least in theory.

For my Airweight J-frames, such as a Model 642-1, 38-0, or 638-1, I use the CT LG-405 grips. They are a boot grip style, and they will fit in your front pants pocket - I use DeSantis Nemesis holsters to carry them in. To me, the key advantage of the LG-405s is that they have a channel between the grips and the frame of the revolver running along the back of the grip. This channel results in the formation of an air chamber or pocket, which helps soak up the recoil when firing the revolver. With the Airweight revolvers, anything that helps with recoil management is to your advantage.

With the all steel J-frames, such as the Model 60, or 649-0, I use the CT LG-105 grips. The LG-105 are a hard polymer, boot grip style. I think the extra weight of the all steel revolver helps manage the recoil.

In the enclosed photos, the LG-405 grips are on the Model 638-1 (top) and the LG-105 grips are on the Model 649-0 (bottom). The air channel on the LG-405 grips can be seen in the second photo on the Model 638-1 (right) vs. the LG-105 grips on the Model 649-0 (left).

By the way, I've purchased all of my laser grips used from the on-line sales store for used merchandise. I think they average about $120.00 - $150.00 per pair.

Regards,

Dave

interesting on how a third party can sell crimson trace laser grips for far less then they list on there home web site.
factory price gouging?
third party selling damaged seconds?
third party selling used items returned for unknown reasons?

just need to place my order for a green laser. but gads the cost. ($400.usd) yes i am cheap. but my eyes can use the help.

from the third party i can also get a (name brand) holster and free shipping, and still spend less then the listed price from the factory. (and they (crimson trace) charge for shipping).

packnrat said:

interesting on how a third party can sell crimson trace laser grips for far less then they list on there home web site.
factory price gouging?
third party selling damaged seconds?
third party selling used items returned for unknown reasons?

just need to place my order for a green laser. but gads the cost. ($400.usd) yes i am cheap. but my eyes can use the help.

from the third party i can also get a (name brand) holster and free shipping, and still spend less then the listed price from the factory. (and they (crimson trace) charge for shipping).

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I don't know what the mark up is on these, but it could explain why a third party is cheaper. Unfortunately another explanation could also be the product is a counterfeit knock-off. Leupold had some real problems with Chinese counterfeiters a while back.

is opticsplanet prone to selling the cheep communist chinese knockoff's as BRAND named items?

as they have a deal on a crimson trace green with a galico shoulder holster rig for less then the laser from the factory. full warranty and battery's for life.


double thinking about this?????

I have several sets of Crimson Trace grips, including L frame (boot style) and N frame (RD to SQ). I'm okay with red lasers. They are easily visible in moderate to dim light (or darkness), and red won't spoil your night vision. Green is only slightly more visible outside, but I prefer to rely on my iron sights in bright light anyway.

CT makes grips in two materials, rigid and rubberized. I recommend the rubberized version, even though it is more expensive. It is easier to grip and draw quickly, expecially if your hands are dry like mine. The rubber is not nearly as sticky as Hogue grips, for example, and doesn't stick to your clothing.

I prefer boot or round grips in a short revolver (< 4") for better concealment, and square grips for 4" barrels or longer, for better control. CT no longer makes round grips for N-frames. Perhaps that will change with S&W in charge.

Zero them at 50', and parallax won't be significant at any distance. I feel they give me a positive edge for self-defense, as long as I don't ignore training with iron sights. An accurate shot is more likely to stop an attacker than a poorly placed shot or a miss. Point shooting becomes a useful tool instead of an unrealized goal.

packnrat said:

is opticsplanet prone to selling the cheep communist chinese knockoff's as BRAND named items?

as they have a deal on a crimson trace green with a galico shoulder holster rig for less then the laser from the factory. full warranty and battery's for life.


double thinking about this?????

Click to expand...

I don't think I'd have a problem with Optics Planet, but I sure wouldn't buy any off eBay.

I'm a fan. Have a set on my sp101 and my 2" model 15. Also gives me confidence should my wife or son need to grab it and use it.

agree with the soft rubber over the hard version.

Buying now, I'd go with green.

I could give you a dozen reasons as to why having a lasergrip on your gun puts you at a huge advantage. I would not carry a snubbie without them.
As for green or red, either will do you nicely. The bottom set here are green and I really see no appreciable advantage.

My personal favorites are the 405s. I can't say I have a preference in red or green.

I have both the 405 and 305 grips on J frames. The 405 is a very thin boot grip style which I find rather uncomfortable to shoot despite its padded backstrap. It fits easily into almost any front pants pocket I have, though, so I keep it on a 442 that lives in the pocket of the athletic pants/sweat pants I wear when I'm just wandering around the house.

The 305 is on my daily carry gun, currently a 640, probably a 432 in the near future. It's fatter, and longer (room for all fingers on the grip) and more comfortable to shoot. I almost always carry in a holster, so the fact that this one is too big for any of my pants pockets is irrelevant.

Contra Neumann's experience, the green CT laser I've seen was drastically brighter than red in daylight. The dot was clearly visible at 25 feet-plus on white paper in direct sunlight, a case where my red dot laser virtually disappears after I move back more than 3-4 feet from the target.

Since most of us will never fire our guns in earnest, the principal benefit of a laser grip is as a training/practice aid. When actually shooting, I find I'm more accurate with a laser grip, in part because there is no possibility of sight misalignment as there is with irons. But I think it is also due to the confidence I have in the precision of my aim - wherever that dot is, I'm going to get a hole when the hammer drops. It almost feels like magic.

If you're not in a hurry, check out Dvor, the "outlet" web site run by Optics Planet. My 305 was a refurbed unit I got from them for well under $200 - still came with the CT free batteries for life, so it wasn't a Chinese knockoff. They just offered another bunch of refurbs today - they're sold out of J frame models, but I believe the red 305s were down around $130 and they had green demo units for $160. If I hadn't just bought another gun this morning (that comes with a CT laser grip) I would have grabbed one of these. Their regular prices are $269 for a green LG-305 and $214 for the red one. (I would strongly advise that you NOT get the much cheaper "Defender" model, as that one requires you to hit a separate switch to turn the laser on - the benefit of the "regular" models is the on-switch on the front of the grip, which turns the laser on when you grab the gun.)

Just think about a wife at home alone at night. All she needs to do is grab the grips and the laser comes on. Of course shaking like a leaf the red dot will be flying all over the place, but anyone in the vicinity is going to be either wetting themselves or making a hasty exit. My wife is not much of a shooter but she does know how to grab a j-frame and activate the CT laser.

Now that someone mentioned it, CT grips are a valuable training aid toward proper grip and trigger control. Before I caught the bug, I observed that most laser grips were in the hands of novices, some literally shooting for the first time. Those little red dots danced all over (and beyond) the 10 yard silhouette targets.

It becomes a useful goal to tame that beast and keep the red dot on target and in the black. Not even the best marksman holds in the X ring consistently. For precision shooting, you squeeze a little harder each time the sights cross the mark, and eventually fire without conscious thought of taking the shot. Even a bench rest artist practices breath control and times heart beats.

I find it particularly useful for dry fire DA practice, with a goal of keeping the red dot from jumping more than an inch at 15 feet or so (small basement). It's as much mental discipline as physical prowess.

For what it's worth, red and green lasers emit exactly the same power, 100 mW. However your eye is roughly twice as sensitive to green as red. In the realm of perception, a factor of two is about the smallest increment noticeable difference. Some lasers have a pulse option, which might make more of a difference to some than color in a distracting environment. (It doesn't do much for me.)

I've been using CT Laser Grips since not long after they became available for sale. All mine are red laser, since I haven't had the need to buy any since the green became available. I also use the CT Laserguard sights on a couple of EDC Shields and one bedside M&P 9MM.

For me, I am willing to put them on these guns in order to gain what I perceive to be a huge advantage when using them in low light or darkness. I can see the red dots at times during the daylight, depending on the color of the target, but I am concentrating on my sights during those hours. In the darkness, I believe they make a huge difference in how effectively I can use these guns. I also believe that the green dots would be easier to see in daylight hours and possibly better in the darkness as well. But the red works just fine in less than bright light.

I do not consider the laser sight to be a replacement for my sights, but rather an enhancement for them. Even in darkness, I will be looking out over my sights if possible when I shoot the guns. However, with the laser, even in daylight, at very close targets, I can effectively aim my guns from any position I might be in at the time. Not many personal defense shots are taken from a square range stance!!!!!! They may be taken while holding the gun in one hand and using the other for another purpose, even just holding a flashlight. The laser allows me to know exactly where my gun is pointing.

I prefer the rubber (soft) covered CT Grips since they are much easier to hold on to and keep a proper grip while shooting. I prefer the larger size that extends a bit below the grip frame since my hands are large. I do have a pair for my J Frames that are the boot style or size grips just in case I need to carry that gun in my pocket for some reason. I have no problem concealing the larger size since I almost always carry on my belt. The larger size with the rubber overmold work pretty well at all times for my hands.

For me, I believe having a set of CT Laser grips or a CT Laserguard sight on my EDC guns increases the effectiveness with which I can use them in low light and since I can shoot with them well during daylight hours as well, there is no downside for me. Anything that makes my EDC guns more effective for me is worth the money. I have several set of the CT products and I have had no issues with any of them. CT has been a very reliable company for me to do business with, and I appreciate the fact that I can get new batteries for all my laser sights from them annually at no cost is icing on the cake. And I especially like the fact that all I have to do is grip my guns in the normal fashion to activate the laser sights. I can also relax the finger that activates the sight just a bit and keep it off while still holding the gun in my hands. As you can see, I am a very satisfied user of the CT laser sights, and I recommend them highly for personal protection firearms.

I have 3 CTC lasers-all red. 1 on S&w 36; 1 on KelTec P3AT; 1 on Sig 938. Last 2 are trigger guard mounted while SW is a grip mount. I don't have experience w green lasers but based on research would probably go that way on future lasers for me. I purchased 2 thru Optics Planet and first from CTC. OP units are original CTC-no knockoff. For small frame guns like mine they are an invaluable aid to shooting. They do lessen the need to acquire sights which might help in a stressful situation. You do need to concentrate though as it will make you realize how much you can shake. Battery life has been great and I've never had to change them even on oldest unit which is about 4 yrs old. I'd recommend CTC grips.