Laser sights, Your opinions

[Jack-642]

Just curious about what everyone thinks about laser sights for conceal carry use?

If you have one on your carry gun;
Are they very accurate?
Do the batteries last long?
How well do they work in outdoor and well light rooms?

I personaly have never even used one but have noticed they seem to be becoming popular with guns like Ruger LCP and some snub-nose revolvers.

Thanks for any and all replies!

 

[pineappleshooter]

Lasers are accurate enough for what they are designed to do. I like lasers for an experienced shooter. For someone just learning to shoot, the laser can become a crutch that inhibits good aiming skills.

From a defensive standpoint, I love them - if I can get my pistol out (note I didn't say on target), I can defend myself. If I get knocked to the ground I can still get an accurate shot off at my attacker without using eye/hand sight alignment.

The batteries last a long time if you aren't playing with it all the time.

 

[everReady Rob]

I have one on my daily and really like it. They are very good for home defense at night. Batteries last a really long time, I forget the hours claimed but they are only on when activated. I turn it off when working on or cleaning gun so as not to activate.

Indoors at the range works fine but not much good for daytime outside shooting.

My shooting has improved a great deal because I realized just how much movement/shaking I had and now have cut down on that a lot and became more aware of trigger control. It works for me.

Mine is a Crimson Trace and they have very good customer service.

 

[venomballistics]

they may be fun to play with but they dont have a place on any of my business guns.
if you have it, you'll come to count on it.
if you need it, you will discover the batteries are discharged.
Farmers shovel BS to keep it out of their way. Do the same.

 

[Lost Lake]

I have one on my BG380. I turned it on once just to see if it was accurate and it really is. Then I turned it off.

You can't see them on daylight. Would I ever use it? I don't think so. Maybe if I had a BG on the ground and was holding him there, I could train the laser on him to let him know he's gonna stay.

I didn't want the laser on my BG380, it just came with it.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

I always thought they were a crutch for someone who couldnt use iron sites, but reading what the opinions and thoughts of people with much more experience than I ever had changed my mind about that.

For a semi-experienced shooter such as my self, using a laser showed my just HOW much my hands would shake when taking aim at a target ,and most importantly in a SD situation, if I can not get my pistol out and on target, I can still place a shot from the hip with relative accuracy.

I think some of the lasers (such as the ones on the BG380) are just useless ... the idea of turning one on with a trigger finger makes as much sense to me as taking the time to undo an IL and load a magazine ..... if it needs to be on, it needs to be on NOW .... thus my preference for CT grips or lasers that replace the recoil spring rod ...

I just took the ambi-thumb safety off of my M&P with a big part of the reason being that I wanted to install a CT and the right thumb flap would prevent that.

I think anything that makes you a better shooter is a good thing. Not everyone is a match shooter or that guy who can blast an asprin from 20yds with an old SA (forget his name, but you all know whom I'm referring to) ....

 

[Bill Holly]

I have one on my Kimber 45 and love it. I believe it could negate the need to drop the hammer on someone when they see that red dot on center mass. And, for home defense, at night, unable to see to obtain sight alignment, hhhhhmmmmm, works for me.

 

[offduty]

Another tool. Have a couple on different guns. One of those things in the right instance might come in handy,(ie home defense at night). My model is I would rather have it and not need it,,,,than need it and not have it. I have lots of tools that I don't use much, but nice to have if needed. My .02

 

[Pete99004]

I have one on my nightstand gun. My thought is that if someone breaks in, chances are I'm in bed sleeping at the time. Given that, I think anything that will give me an edge is worth a try and I believe it would make someone think about leaving, or giving up if that laser dot was on their chest. I don't rely on it for target practice.

Pete

 

[Steve in Vermont]

I have a CT LG-305 and use it on my 640-1. Whether or not to use it is an individual decision giving consideration to many factors. For me, over 65 and in need of reading glasses, the CT works just fine. I can shoot 2" groups at 10 yards off-hand, good enough for me (if I'm within 6' I'll probably not use the laser, just point shooting). In bright sun the laser is hard to see but then there's always the conventional sights (half my practice sessions are with the laser, half w/o). They are very easy to adjust. In summary, it's like your choice of anything. If it works and you like it, use it. If it doesn't, then don't. And no-one should be critical of you whatever you decide.

 

[Cpo1944]

I have 5 of them and will get more as needed.
1- 629 3 inch
2- m-19 4 inch
3 m-60 2 inch
4 568- 3 inch
5 kimber CDP .45

They just work well with no BS . No aiming required just point and shoot. Plenty accurate for close in defensive situations and bright enough for daytime use at close range.

What`s not to like?

I have a photo of a target I shot at 30 feet from the hip with my 629 which I`d like to post but I have not been able to post any pix today. Maybe me allotment is full.
Can anyone tell me if there is a limit to the # of pix we post?

 

[Kanewpadle]

they may be fun to play with but they dont have a place on any of my business guns.
if you have it, you'll come to count on it.
if you need it, you will discover the batteries are discharged.
Farmers shovel BS to keep it out of their way. Do the same.

Sorry, but that's baloney. You can do as you choose. But lasers do have their place. You obviously haven't read recent threads concerning them.

Batteries need to be replaced just like your smoke detector.

Those that depend on them do so for a reason and know how to use the gun if the laser fails. It's called iron sights.

Just because you don't like them means that they are BS.

Ask the many disabled persons that count on them daily. Or those that can't focus on the front sight but can see a laser plain as day.

I find that those who discredit the laser have never bothered to try and use them properly. So their opinion is just that. Not fact.

 

[Kanewpadle]

Just curious about what everyone thinks about laser sights for conceal carry use?

If you have one on your carry gun;
Are they very accurate?
Do the batteries last long?
How well do they work in outdoor and well light rooms?

I personaly have never even used one but have noticed they seem to be becoming popular with guns like Ruger LCP and some snub-nose revolvers.

Thanks for any and all replies!

Jack, lasers do have their place. But they are a supplemental tool. Nothing more. If you haven't done so, learn to shoot your gun with the iron sights first.

You must practice with it. Change the batteries when needed. They just don't die suddenly but grow dim.

Many, many of us with older eyes use them because we can't see or can't focus on the front sight.

Some people don't like them because they are too stubborn to change or to proud to admit they need such a thing. Don't let that bother you. Rent a gun with a laser if you can and see for yourself. In the end, only you will know whether they are for you.

 

[Kanewpadle]

I always thought they were a crutch for someone who couldnt use iron sites, but reading what the opinions and thoughts of people with much more experience than I ever had changed my mind about that.

For a semi-experienced shooter such as my self, using a laser showed my just HOW much my hands would shake when taking aim at a target ,and most importantly in a SD situation, if I can not get my pistol out and on target, I can still place a shot from the hip with relative accuracy.

I think some of the lasers (such as the ones on the BG380) are just useless ... the idea of turning one on with a trigger finger makes as much sense to me as taking the time to undo an IL and load a magazine ..... if it needs to be on, it needs to be on NOW .... thus my preference for CT grips or lasers that replace the recoil spring rod ...

I just took the ambi-thumb safety off of my M&P with a big part of the reason being that I wanted to install a CT and the right thumb flap would prevent that.

I think anything that makes you a better shooter is a good thing. Not everyone is a match shooter or that guy who can blast an asprin from 20yds with an old SA (forget his name, but you all know whom I'm referring to) ....

Good for you.

There are many ways you can practice with the laser.

I urge you to practice things like lying on your back and shooting.

Shoot with your non dominant hand.

From the hip, around a corner etc...

I was a non believer until I tried for myself. I asked people I knew. I asked on gun forums. Never did get a decent answer.

So I bought a set and put them on a 1911. Over the course of a month, I shot 1000 rounds with the laser on.

I noticed an immediate advantage. From various positions, I shot without aquiring the sights and was able to hit effectively.

I've been wearing glasses or contacts for 35 years. And I'm getting older. At extreme close range I can reference the gun just fine. But unless I wear magnifier granny glasses, the sights are fuzzy. So the laser works.

 

[papajohn428]

I was convinced the laser was just a crutch for people who wouldn't take the time to learn to use iron sights properly. But a friend lent me his gun with a Crimson Trace laser on it, and my thinking changed. What sold me on the idea is that you can index the gun around a corner, exposing a minimal amount of your body, yet you can put the dot where it goes without ever having to look down the barrel. THAT'S the big advantage.

And if I'm pointing the gun at a bad guy, the dot will NOT be in the center of his chest............he'll never see it there, he's focused on me. I'm putting the dot on the bridge of his nose. NOBODY wants to get shot.......but especially not in the face!

 

[Hill_Country]

Crimson Trace has some excellent videos on their website or they will send you a DVD. Well worth the time to watch them.

I put a CT on my 638 because the iron sights are a joke and I became a believer. I now have them on my 6906 and 908 and am working on modifying a set for my CS9 so I guess you'd say I like them.

BTW, I find they work well out to reasonable ranges even in bright sunlight. If they get dim, clean the lens as they do get crudded up with gun oil and pocket lint as well as powder residue. The batteries in my 638 are at least 3 years old and have gotten a lot of use. CT will supply batteries for life and I have a drawer full, but I want to see how long they will go.

 

[Lost Lake]

I bet your CT are a lot better than the little laser on my BG380 then.

Bright sunlight? Not gonna happen. Or maybe it's my eyes! I have a $6,000 laser level for construction that I can't see in the bright sunlight.

 

[Hill_Country]

Try cleaning the lens with a Q-tip and rubbing alcohol.

I just went outside and paced off the distance from my workbench to the railroad tie along the driveway which I sight in the laser to match the iron sights and it is 29 paces - a good 70 to 80 feet - and I can see the laser well in sunlight. (Although now that I'm aware of how much shake there is, I doubt I'll be taking many shots at that range. <G>)

If you can't see your laser at that range I'd try changing the batteries. I understand they don't die suddenly, but just get dimmer although I can't tell any difference side by side between weapons with the newest and oldest batteries.

 

[CowboyKen]

I put a lasermax in my XD9sc (that I carry about 95% of the time) about four years ago. It could not be more accurate.

If is a very good training tool and I use it for that, mostly, at the range. Holding the gun so that I can focus the sights on the red dot lets me see if I am steady and if I move as I fire the gun. Seeing that red dot jump down and to the left as you fire, and then seeing the hole in the target three inches low/left, makes it very clear what you are doing wrong.

It is also a great practice aid for point/hip shooting (one with it on, one with it off; one with it on two with it off; etc.

I have practiced turning it on in order to be proficient.

When I bought it, four years ago, I was sure I would need spare batteries so I bought a couple of sets. I will need to get new ones when the originals, still in the gun, finally fail as I am sure the ones I bought four years ago are stale.

All in all I highly recommend trying one.

Ken

 

[Nedroe]

Laser's? Love 'em....

Have a CT unit on my constant companion 1911 Colt

and on this Glock 21

on this Ruger

A green one on this AR45 SBR

I have 'em on my crossbow, my compound bow, & muzzle loader too.
Can't beat 'em.

Ned