Hill_Country
Member
So many people on the internet claim the possibility of dead batteries as an excuse not to use what I consider to be one of the more significant advances in handguns. That I've always been curious whether that is a valid concern or an urban legend kind of thing.
I just happens that my digital bathroom scale uses the same 2032 coin batteries as do my Crimson Trace lasergrips. So last week when the scale flashed a low battery warning instead of the usual get off me you fat slob message, I was able to dig in to my spare parts horde for spare batteries. I hate wasting anything, and while I wasn't able to figure out how to recycle the dead batteries, I figured I could use them for a little experiment to see how much voltage the laser grips needed.
I put a single (used) battery in an LG-359 I've modified to fit my 908 and pointed the laser at the garage wall about 25 feet away. It was noticeably dimmer and I was slower to acquire the laser dot. I then placed the second (used) battery in the battery holder and the dot on the wall was noticeably brighter - comparable to the fully charged batteries I then tried.
Then I dug out my multi-meter and measured a new battery as 3.3v and the used batteries as 2.896 volts. So, while lithium battery life is not linear - they maintain nearly full voltage until nearly dead (actually about 2.8 volts) - then rapidly fall off to nothing. I don't think there's much chance of being caught with a dead battery. They definitely dim before going out completely
As for shelf-life of the batteries, I've had the same batteries in my 638 for at least five, probably pushing ten, years and I can see no difference in the laser dot. I may change them out just to have an excuse to check the battery voltage.
FWIW, a poor-boy way to check the battery is to simply pop out one battery and point the laser at a wall. If there is any noticeable difference in brightness with a single battery, I'd change out both of the batteries. With two, nearly discharged, batteries installed I activated the laser continuously for over three minutes and I couldn't see that the beam was any dimmer at the end of that time.
So, unless you're the type of person who lets the kids use your lasergrips to torment the pets or doesn't inspect your weapons for years at a time, I don't think the potential for dead batteries is really a valid concern. YMMV
John
I just happens that my digital bathroom scale uses the same 2032 coin batteries as do my Crimson Trace lasergrips. So last week when the scale flashed a low battery warning instead of the usual get off me you fat slob message, I was able to dig in to my spare parts horde for spare batteries. I hate wasting anything, and while I wasn't able to figure out how to recycle the dead batteries, I figured I could use them for a little experiment to see how much voltage the laser grips needed.
I put a single (used) battery in an LG-359 I've modified to fit my 908 and pointed the laser at the garage wall about 25 feet away. It was noticeably dimmer and I was slower to acquire the laser dot. I then placed the second (used) battery in the battery holder and the dot on the wall was noticeably brighter - comparable to the fully charged batteries I then tried.
Then I dug out my multi-meter and measured a new battery as 3.3v and the used batteries as 2.896 volts. So, while lithium battery life is not linear - they maintain nearly full voltage until nearly dead (actually about 2.8 volts) - then rapidly fall off to nothing. I don't think there's much chance of being caught with a dead battery. They definitely dim before going out completely
As for shelf-life of the batteries, I've had the same batteries in my 638 for at least five, probably pushing ten, years and I can see no difference in the laser dot. I may change them out just to have an excuse to check the battery voltage.
FWIW, a poor-boy way to check the battery is to simply pop out one battery and point the laser at a wall. If there is any noticeable difference in brightness with a single battery, I'd change out both of the batteries. With two, nearly discharged, batteries installed I activated the laser continuously for over three minutes and I couldn't see that the beam was any dimmer at the end of that time.
So, unless you're the type of person who lets the kids use your lasergrips to torment the pets or doesn't inspect your weapons for years at a time, I don't think the potential for dead batteries is really a valid concern. YMMV
John
I told him not get too disappointed if they don't look the same on his Ruger since my Smith makes everything look great!
