They have their uses. Especially if your eye sight isn’t quite what it needs to be for best shooting.
I have Crimson Trace on my Colt Government Model.
I spent the first half of my firearms training life in the old PPC and in Bulls Eye shooting, and then moved onto the “Modern Technique” and “Practical Pistol Craft” (or what ever you prefer to call it). Traditional sight alignment is my preference, so the thought of not focusing on my front sight basically sounds wrong to me.
Then my eye sight began to weaken and I could no longer get the clear, sharp focus on the front sight I was used to anymore (without reading glasses), but my distance vision was still fine. Later I had cataract surgery on both eyes and now have basically a single focal point under all conditions (because of the synthetic implant lenses that replaced my natural eye lenses).
Progressive focus glasses are what I now wear pretty much all the time, which in normal day-to-day use are great, but I found that for shooting I have to hold my head in an awkward position to find the correct focal spot on the glass lens to clearly see the front sight (at the same time distorting everything down range) – not easy for me to quickly and easily do, especially in defensive shooting situations.
I decided to give laser sighting on a handgun a try. This is what I’ve discovered thus far:
1. For defensive shooting (generally close in, short time frame, often reactionary, with likely multiple shots fired), out to 20 or so yards, I prefer the laser sight. My shots are much more accurate, quicker, and follow-up shots are easier with the laser sight vice trying to get that focal spot on my glasses just right.
2. For precision shooting (generally further out, longer time frame, planned, fewer shots fired), I prefer my glasses and don’t need/use the laser.
Here’s the key element. I’ve been trained to look for/at the front sight and I still do, but – the “dot” of the laser is set so that it appears to sit atop my iron sights when lined up on a 20 yard target (the “cross-over” point I’ve chosen for the laser and irons). I see the dot as I line up my iron sights (though the irons are fuzzy). I haven’t changed how I manipulate/align the firearm – I just have a new sight picture, the dot now being my point of impact reference instead of the top of my front sight. Between 0 and 25 yards the difference between iron sight alignment and dot are minimal – for practical defensive shooting purposes it is more than good enough.
3. In training/practice, the dot allows me to see how I’m managing handgun firing manipulation. I can see, on target, how I’m bumping, twisting, shaking, etc… the alignment as I press the trigger – immediate feedback of what problem I may have with trigger or sight management.
4. In awkward, unnatural, or unusual firing positions where I can’t get or want proper sight alignment, I still have (out to 25 yards) a point of impact reference. I still can get an “aimed shot” off, even though I’m not looking at the sights.
In Pursuit,
