Well, I finally got the Viridian green light laser that I ordered for my M&P Shield. I thought that I would share my preliminary thoughts on this item for those thinking of buying one.
From a looks standpoint, the Viridian is one of the best looking units out there. It is compact, and matches the Shield perfectly. It could almost pass as a factory installed sight, it blends so well into the lines of the Shield. It is slightly narrower than the Shield frame and has no sharp corners that might snag on the holster or whatever you might be carrying it in. It does not interfere with the magazine release button as some claim the CT laser does with the Shield. All in all it looks great on the Shield.
The construction of the sight is naturally, polymer plastic. It is comprised of two halves that fit around the trigger guard and then the two halves are joined by 3 small screws. Since the screws thread into plastic, care must be taken not to over tighten them which could strip out the holes. I'm not overly impressed with the plastic construction, but then today everything is made of plastic and the Viridian laser seems to be as well constructed as any of the other brands out there. It is easy to install and once installed only rises above the inner surface of the trigger guard by approximately 1/16" in front of the trigger, so it has little if any affect on the size of the trigger guard opening.
One good feature of the Viridian laser is that it has a master power button. You can completely turn it off if you want, or can turn it on to use it or when you holster it in the included Viridian ECR holster. If you leave the power on, when you withdraw the Shield from the holster, the laser is immediately and automatically turned on. In comparing this with my M&P 40c with the Crimson Trace laser grips, I have to admit I like the way the CT laser grips operate. They are completely instinctive and you don't even have to think about turning them on. Big plus for CT. Crimson Trace does make a laser for the Shield, but I don't believe it has a master power button, so you can't turn it off when you do not want it, unless you can somehow change your grip on the gun so as not to automatically activate it.
In addition to the power button, the Viridian also has a light on the side to inform you of the battery condition. Green indicates full power while the amber color indicates that you will soon need to replace the batteries. There are also windage and elevation adjustments.
In comparison to my CT laser grips which have a red laser, I find that the Viridian green laser is quite a bit more noticeable when used outside, but not so noticeable that I would recommend it's use in bright sunlight. I found that my red laser was practically useless past about 12-15 feet in direct sunlight while the green laser was usable about twice that distance. Using either laser in indirect sunlight extends the range to about 50 feet or so with the green laser being much easier to pick up. Using either laser in bright sunlight, in my opinion is not something I would want to do because the dot just sort of disappears into the background and is too hard to pick out. Using a laser to target practice in the bright conditions could be done because you can take your time, but in a defensive action in the daylight, in my opinion lasers are practically useless. Where lasers really excel is in low light or dark conditions. From what I have seen so far, there is quite a bit of difference between red and green lasers in low light conditions. The green laser dot in the Viridian is brighter and is a larger dot, so it is easier to pick up than the CT. Both red and green excel in low light conditions, but the green in my opinion is brighter and easier to see. In near dark conditions the green laser has a noticeably brighter and has a greater range than the red laser. My only criticism of the Viridian laser is that it is not as instinctive to use as the CT. In order for that aspect of the Viridian to work you must use the ECT holster. The supplied pocket holster does work reasonably well and does allow the Shield to be pocket carried. There are several other brands of holsters for the Shield and Viridian combination that also allow for the automatic activation of the laser or if you like you can add a strategically located magnet to your holster of choice to activate the laser.
In my opinion the perfect laser for a handgun would be a green laser version of the CT laser grips used on several of the M&P models. That would allow for instinctive activation of the laser and is almost invisible and does not require a special holster. It seems that when you compare the lasers available on the Shield, they all compromise one area or another. The CT allows for the instinctive activation but does not come in green nor does it come with a separate power switch to allow you to turn it off. Other brands do not offer green lasers or the instinctive activation similar to CT. The Viridian attempts to offer all of the desirable features in one package. It is a compact, good looking addition to the Shield that adds the very desirable green laser. It's automatic activation is not quite as polished as the CT, but still the overall package is great.
Hopefully I will be able to test the function of the Viridian soon. Today the high temperature was about 14 and there is still 6-8 inches of snow on the ground. If the Viridian works as well as I think it will, I will be very happy with my new addition
From a looks standpoint, the Viridian is one of the best looking units out there. It is compact, and matches the Shield perfectly. It could almost pass as a factory installed sight, it blends so well into the lines of the Shield. It is slightly narrower than the Shield frame and has no sharp corners that might snag on the holster or whatever you might be carrying it in. It does not interfere with the magazine release button as some claim the CT laser does with the Shield. All in all it looks great on the Shield.
The construction of the sight is naturally, polymer plastic. It is comprised of two halves that fit around the trigger guard and then the two halves are joined by 3 small screws. Since the screws thread into plastic, care must be taken not to over tighten them which could strip out the holes. I'm not overly impressed with the plastic construction, but then today everything is made of plastic and the Viridian laser seems to be as well constructed as any of the other brands out there. It is easy to install and once installed only rises above the inner surface of the trigger guard by approximately 1/16" in front of the trigger, so it has little if any affect on the size of the trigger guard opening.
One good feature of the Viridian laser is that it has a master power button. You can completely turn it off if you want, or can turn it on to use it or when you holster it in the included Viridian ECR holster. If you leave the power on, when you withdraw the Shield from the holster, the laser is immediately and automatically turned on. In comparing this with my M&P 40c with the Crimson Trace laser grips, I have to admit I like the way the CT laser grips operate. They are completely instinctive and you don't even have to think about turning them on. Big plus for CT. Crimson Trace does make a laser for the Shield, but I don't believe it has a master power button, so you can't turn it off when you do not want it, unless you can somehow change your grip on the gun so as not to automatically activate it.
In addition to the power button, the Viridian also has a light on the side to inform you of the battery condition. Green indicates full power while the amber color indicates that you will soon need to replace the batteries. There are also windage and elevation adjustments.
In comparison to my CT laser grips which have a red laser, I find that the Viridian green laser is quite a bit more noticeable when used outside, but not so noticeable that I would recommend it's use in bright sunlight. I found that my red laser was practically useless past about 12-15 feet in direct sunlight while the green laser was usable about twice that distance. Using either laser in indirect sunlight extends the range to about 50 feet or so with the green laser being much easier to pick up. Using either laser in bright sunlight, in my opinion is not something I would want to do because the dot just sort of disappears into the background and is too hard to pick out. Using a laser to target practice in the bright conditions could be done because you can take your time, but in a defensive action in the daylight, in my opinion lasers are practically useless. Where lasers really excel is in low light or dark conditions. From what I have seen so far, there is quite a bit of difference between red and green lasers in low light conditions. The green laser dot in the Viridian is brighter and is a larger dot, so it is easier to pick up than the CT. Both red and green excel in low light conditions, but the green in my opinion is brighter and easier to see. In near dark conditions the green laser has a noticeably brighter and has a greater range than the red laser. My only criticism of the Viridian laser is that it is not as instinctive to use as the CT. In order for that aspect of the Viridian to work you must use the ECT holster. The supplied pocket holster does work reasonably well and does allow the Shield to be pocket carried. There are several other brands of holsters for the Shield and Viridian combination that also allow for the automatic activation of the laser or if you like you can add a strategically located magnet to your holster of choice to activate the laser.
In my opinion the perfect laser for a handgun would be a green laser version of the CT laser grips used on several of the M&P models. That would allow for instinctive activation of the laser and is almost invisible and does not require a special holster. It seems that when you compare the lasers available on the Shield, they all compromise one area or another. The CT allows for the instinctive activation but does not come in green nor does it come with a separate power switch to allow you to turn it off. Other brands do not offer green lasers or the instinctive activation similar to CT. The Viridian attempts to offer all of the desirable features in one package. It is a compact, good looking addition to the Shield that adds the very desirable green laser. It's automatic activation is not quite as polished as the CT, but still the overall package is great.
Hopefully I will be able to test the function of the Viridian soon. Today the high temperature was about 14 and there is still 6-8 inches of snow on the ground. If the Viridian works as well as I think it will, I will be very happy with my new addition
