I have been thinking of putting a Crimson Trace laser on my new Shield. I have never mounted one on anything in the past but recently thought about doing it on this gun. Who uses them and why? How do you like it?

Tom

I have a laserlyte laser on my 442. I use it more for dry fire practice than anything else. With the laser on you can really see how much the gun moves around when you pull the trigger. I also use it to practice point shooting. Just point the gun at something and switch the laser on to see how close you are. It is fun to use at the range. Just put the red dot where you want a hole and pull the trigger.

Just purchased a LaserGuard for my 9mm Shield today. Should have it a few days, I will certainly do a range report and post my opinions.
Will be my first laser also, but this looks very promising.

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Recovering Glockaholic!

Schneider: Ok-- DEEZIL--- I will be watching for your review. I just emailed CTC--and suggested that all of their lasers, that mount on the trigger guard, need a master "off" switch for day time / range time.

CT lasers automatically turn on, I'd say that's GTG for defensive reasons, not just training. Just keep your battery fresh and shut that laser off to use irons also when at the range (you don't want to become 100% dependent on something that can fail).

DocSunShine, Tand all,The auto turn on is my neg. issue. All range time(s) when pistol is "gripped" the laser is on. If, range time is an hour, 3x a month, laser is on.

I have CT laser grips on my j-frame snubbles. They have a manual switch in addition to the "grip on" feature. The laser makes a great dry fire and trigger control training feature. I always have my students dry fire a laser until they feel they can control the trigger.

In addition to the obvious features like far more accurate shooting from behind cover, point shooting, weak hand accuracy, I think one of the most valuable aspects of the laser is the fact bad people do NOT like the red dot on their torso. It lets them know you mean business and "the bullet goes where the red dot glows"

In my experience, when using a dot you need to completely forget the gun sights. Pay attention to the trigger control and the dot only, and you can be very accurate at surprisingly long distances. A lot of laser practice will make you a better overall shooter.
The down side is twofold. They can make you somewhat laser dependent, so practice more without them than with them.
Second they are battery powered. My batteries last forever, but I do check them frequently for voltage and age. 2032 batteries are available everywhere and are very low cost.
My 2¢

Being that they have a master switch, I'm not sure why you consider it a negative. For me, having to fidget with a laser in a defensive situation is a dealbreaker, I believe in KISS, but ymmv.

I have a streamlite TLR II on my 9 PRO. It's a lazer,light and lazer/light with the flick of a switch. On/off or on with a thumb flip. It's my what goes "bump in the night" weapon.

I have a Crimson Trace laser on my Ruger LC9. Real good quality, but on a small gun you may not like the on/off button. The button sticks out 1/4 inch. Most people can only get two fingers on a subcompact grip, like the Shield when using the flush magazine. This makes for an uncomfortable grip, with the upper finger sticking 1/4 inch further out than the bottom finger. I fixed this uneven grip by glueing a small rubber block under the laser button and wrapping it with a Talon grip. Another problem I had with the CT laser was when taking my grip, if I did not get my hand in the perfect position, the laser light would not come on. This occurred before and after I added the rubber block. So I had a laser that did not consistently light. I called CT and they sent out another laser. I had the same problem with the new laser. The only way it would always light was with a "death grip". My finger contacted the switch at around 60-70 degrees and the laser would not turn on. Pushing the button in at any angle other than near 90 degrees straight in, it would not light. The death grip (super tight) squeeze would push the button in enough to allow the laser to turn on.

I've just got a LaserMax for my Shield 40. It worked great around the house. The on/off button is perfectly placed for the trigger finger resting on the side of the slide. My first trip to the range and the pinpoint (dime sized) laser dot now looks about 3 inches in diameter and is hardly visable. The recoil did something to the laser focus. LaserMax is sending out a replacement????

No, I am not hard on lasers, just problems that I have experienced. I've had the CT laser on my LC9 for a year. It is still working great except that I still have the button pressure problem.

Bob

Crimson Trace on Ruger LC9


LaserMax on Shield 40


Showing how little the LaserMax overhangs into the Shield trigger guard.

I have CTC lasers on my S&W 649 and Ruger LCP. I love that fact they go on when I grip the gun and don't have to fool with thinking about them. The red dot shows me where the hole is going, plane and simple. Intimidating, I suspect, to most bad guys too.

Update to my previous post. I just received the replacement laser for my defective LaserMax. I will get to the range with it soon. One thing I can tell between the LaserMax and the Crimson Trace is the laser is brighter on the Crimson trace. The specs on both are identical:

Class 3R Visible Laser Diode
5mW peak power
Wavelength 650nm (LaserMax) 633nm (Crimson trace)

The only difference is the wavelength. I spoke to CT and they said wavelength is the color of the laser. The difference between 650 to 633 would be a very small difference in the red color.

Where I can see the biggest difference is in daylight. The Crimson Trace laser is brighter and stands out much better than the LaserMax. Both are red lasers and red does not stand out well in daylight, but works great in low light or darkness. The LaserMax lists for $129 and the Crimson Trace lists for $220. I paid $160 for my LC9 Crimson Trace laser, a year ago at a local gun show. Just got the LaserMax off EBay for $86. Both came new in original box with full warranty.


Bob

don't own 'em, don't use 'em, wasn't trained on 'em. the only add on i have on any of my firearms is on my AR. if i have to use the light on it, its gonna' be the only light available...

CT should be here tomorrow. I will let yall know what i think and post a few pics. I have never relied solely on Lasers, never will, but as most know its usually dark when the SHTF!! My Shield has a BigDot front and I love it. This gun is my carry piece and is made for fighting, the CT will just complete the package for me.

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Recovering Glockaholic!

The older my eyes get, the more I like lasers and red-dots.

Honestly I wasn't too impressed with a Crimson Trace I had on a 681 I used to own.
It was fairly accurate but wasn't very bright on most targets unless the sun was right.
I still advocate them, it was pretty decent.
If I were to get a laser for a gun with a rail I would go with a viridian.

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27-2, 66-1, 640 Pro, 10-5

Crimson Trace now has green lasers for a few guns, and a universal rail model. They are a little pricey though.

I have been looking at the Viridian C5L for about a year for my M&PC, but just can't make myself spend that much on a laser/light.

I have CT Railmasters slung under my M&P9FS and a Ruger SR22P. They are easy to turn on when I want them on, and hold zero certainly well enough for social work. While I would never have my personal defense dependent on a battery, the lasers serve several purposes in my house:

1) My wife can't hold her arms at eye level very long, so she can now shoot with her arms braced from the waist. And I don't need to have my face behind these pistols to aim and fire should circumstances suggest otherwise.

2) When my old eyes can't see the iron sights very well in low-light (like indoor ranges at times), the laser is a godsend.

3) When I want to see if/how my POA varies during a trigger pull, the laser is a *great* training aid. When it dances around the target during my "smooth" pull or in anticipation of recoil, it's not lying.

As for red vs. green lasers . . . pffft . . . if there's enough light to render the red laser useless, then there's plenty of light for me to see the iron sights. I didn't put the lasers on to go against Billy the Kid at High Noon.

The rail, if available, is my preference for a laser mount. YMMV. It doesn't screw with the trigger or grip in any way, and its only on if I want it on.

MY LCP of course does not have a rail. For this I chose the Lasermax over the CT version. For some reason the CT required a mounting screw on the grip front right under my middle finger while the Lasermax mounted without one. This laser is aso only on when I turn it on and makes this little pocket pistol easier to shoot with confidence.

I never intended the lasers as primary sights. Personally, I think this would be a serious mistake. And I can't imagine forgetting to turn it on if I needed it lol . . . after all, it would be fairly dark out Unless the laser is needed as described above, the only range use it gets is the next to last magazine of the day. This does an operation and accuracy test, and gives me all the practice I feel I need.

Your wants and needs may vary, of course.

Tried them on several pistols----several brands of lasers---all with the same result---ANNOYING---DISTRACTING-----I can hold a very steady sight picture/point of aim------but when you turn on the laser dot it looks like the pistol is moving all over the place. Also --in a total darkness situation it is useless because it does not help you acquire the target. I stopped using them and now just use pistol flashlights/tactical lights at 150 lumens or higher with a fairly narrow beam--that allows me to use same sight picture/alignment that I use in the daytime.

I put 'em on almost everything, including my compound bow.
This is my constant companion, & has saved me several times.

It has killed a LOT of stuff. If I had been watchin' Batman in CO at midnite, I would've headshot the joker from 40 yards. I have dropped it, kicked it, gone to the ground with it in wrestling matches, used it as a hammer, pistol whipped people & dogs with it, & it still has yet to lose zero
Glock 21w/ CT module


suppressed Mark I w/CT grip

Sig 220, 22lr w/ CT grip & can

Crimson Trace are the best, bar none.
I use these UTG Green's on rifles & shotguns




My Remington 700 Muzzle loader has one on it, but I don't have a handy picture.
Get my drift? Things get dark, I'm confident of coming out on top!

Ned

Got my replacement LaserMax last week. I took it to the range today for the first time. Once I got it sighted in I took some accuracy shots. I used a bean bag rest and took my time. 10 shots inside a 2 inch circle at 15 yards. The gun/laser is accurate and consistent. It took almost 2 minutes to take the 10 shots. Not a real world test, but it shows the Shield 40 is accurate and consistent and the laser sight functions as it should.

Anyone that has used a laser knows how hard it is to hold the laser dot still on the target. The slighest hand movement moves the laser dot a lot. This shooting group could be duplicated by almost anyone, doing it the way I did. I 'm sure some could get the grouping even smaller.

Bob

Ok.
Had the CT laser guard for a few weeks now and after several range sessions here is my opinion.
The CT required no adjustment for sighting in after installation. Shot to POA at 30'.
I was impressed with its accuracy right out of the box. One large ragged hole after several mags of controlled fire. Very fast acquisition as would be expected. I am not a young man any longer and my eyes used to be much better, the CT Laserguard is a great product.
My only complaint... No on/off master switch. Mind you this isn't a huge problem, as I am aware when the SHTF I don't want to have to think about turning the thing on, it's just ready to go. So for a CCW it is a good thing, just kind of a personal thing I guess.
Fit and finish is awesome, holster availability sucks, but that will change over time.
All in all it was a good purchase.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

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Recovering Glockaholic!

I have crimson trace on my Pro 9mm, and love it. Looking for Shield, but the vender dealing with doesn't have them in stock yet.

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USAF/RET. 1966-1990

I have a LaserMax on my 9mm Shield, it is great for accuracy but NOT
reliable, I have had two of them - the laser goes dim after about 30 rounds, you can see the red dot if you hold your hand in front of the laser but it does not show up on the target. I took it apart and the battery measures fine??

I have the Crimson Trace LaserGrip on my M&P 9mm FS. What I like about is is that it is completely instinctive to use. Just grab the gun and there's your laser. Nothing to fumble with. Highly reliable. Extremely accurate. You can switch it off to use the iron sights. I added a Crimson Trace LightGuard that integrates very well with the gun and the Laser. Also very ergonomic and intuitive to use: again, just grip the gun. As with the laser, this can be manually turned off. Perfect home defense setup with laser and light if you don't have time to grab your tactical flashlight.

I have the same, and it's accurate, just grip and point and pull the trigger. Nice choice.

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USAF/RET. 1966-1990

A laser is okay provided you don't use it as a shortcut to avoid mastering handgun fundamentals. A laser in the hands of someone who is already competent, would be deadly. Funny thing is, those who are competent the traditional and old fashioned way, often don't bother with new-fangled lasers.

Another danger I've observed in training is that if the laser should suddenly fail, the shooter invariably searches for the missing dot instead of instantly resorting to his sights to engage the target. This is a training issue that you must consider. Do that in a real firefight and you'll most likely be leaving under a sheet

A ran a firearms training program for a major federal law enforcement agency. We used lasers as a remedial training aid for problem shooters. They were never issued for carry.

Hope this helps.

I have CT laser grips on a 1911 and my 40c. I don't use them for actual training classes. They are an addition to proper training and technique. If you shoot 7 o'clock you are still gonna shoot 7 o'clock.
If you want to use them for dry fire practice they are great for showing grip and trigger movement.
Something better for dry fire practice and more fun is the Laserlyte Trainer. It is a cartridge size laser inserted into the chamber and flashes (second and half) on your intended target when the trigger is pulled. Great for point shooting, grip and trigger control dry fire practice. Available in a variety of cartridge sizes, 9, 40, 45.
I like it.

Attached Images

Laserlyte trainer.jpg (2.7 KB, 10 views)

We have CT lasers on all our PD guns.

We train with the sights.

I wear trifocals, MrsDoc wears contacts (so finding sights without them is a challenge).

Amazingly, when we train with the sights, the laser follows our eyes rather than our eyes following the laser.

And, as stated above, it's a great tattle-tail for trigger jerks and other inaccurate habits.

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Professional Trainer