Laser gun sights

[JulesMaximus]

What are your thought on laser gun sights?

I was interested in buying a laser gun sight for my SIG P220 so I went down to my local gun shop this morning and the owner talked me into a Crimson Trace green dot sight with strobe. I was originally just interested in the sight but he showed me a Glock he had outfitted with the strobe and explained that the flashing light is so incapacitating to an intruder at night that he sold me on it.

I mounted it on my gun, sighted it in at about 15 yards. I can’t wait to go to the range and shoot it.

Kind of wish my Springfield Armory TRP had a rail on it so I could mount this sight on it. Might have to add another TRP 1911 to my collection at some point.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Here is the gun with laser sight installed. I have Hogue G10 grips installed on the gun which I really like because they are a little slimmer than the stock grips.

I like these sights because you just tap to activate them when you want to light up a target. Plus, you can set them to dot only, dot and light or dot and strobe.

 

[spacejamz]

Have some CT grips on my beretta 92...nice that the laser is activated from the grip....

the one on the right...

 

[lxskllr]

I like iron sights. Takes more skill, and they're more artful to use.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I like iron sights. Takes more skill, and they're more artful to use.

Ultimately, it’s all about trigger discipline. Ive been shooting with iron sights for almost 30 years, these are my first laser sights. I just like the idea of the strobe to blind your target in the dark and allow me to easily identify the target before engaging.

 

[lxskllr]

Ultimately, it’s all about trigger discipline. Ive been shooting with iron sights for almost 30 years, these are my first laser sights. I just like the idea of the strobe to blind your target in the dark and allow me to easily identify the target before engaging.

There's nothing wrong with them per se. I just tend to be anti gear in general. For the most part, I take a minimalist approach, choose solid core gear, and make it work. I will say I think someone should at least be very familiar with the basic ways of doing things, before gearing up. When I got into whitewater paddling, there was a rash of deaths with kayakers. Modern gear was allowing people to tackle water beyond their skill. The gear helped them stay alive, til it didn't. Gear can also add complexity, and introduce novel ways of failing. A laser sight failing isn't a deal breaker, but you should be able to adjust by using the barrel, and it sounds like you can.

 

[JulesMaximus]

There's nothing wrong with them per se. I just tend to be anti gear in general. For the most part, I take a minimalist approach, choose solid core gear, and make it work. I will say I think someone should at least be very familiar with the basic ways of doing things, before gearing up. When I got into whitewater paddling, there was a rash of deaths with kayakers. Modern gear was allowing people to tackle water beyond their skill. The gear helped them stay alive, til it didn't. Gear can also add complexity, and introduce novel ways of failing. A laser sight failing isn't a deal breaker, but you should be able to adjust by using the barrel, and it sounds like you can.

I’m definitely taking it to the range to see how I feel about relying on this but the strobe effect at night is a pretty compelling reason to replace my home defense gun with the SIG now. I’ve shot it a bunch and feel pretty comfortable shooting it with iron sights so I don’t see that this changes any of that. The dot is illuminating right in the normal sight picture at about the range I would typically shoot it at the range or for home defense.

 

[olds]

I have a red dot/light on my wife's defensive handgun. I've never seen the strobe but I wonder if it would throw off the person holding the weapon too?

It also has "night sights".

 

[spacejamz]

I like iron sights. Takes more skill, and they're more artful to use.

For home defense, needing more skill and being more artful are not desirable qualities to look for.

 

[zinfamous]

For home defense, needing more skill and being more artful are not desirable qualities to look for.

Yeah but you get extra XP at the end of the mission for using more skills.

 

[pcgeek11]

There are many laser sights made that do not require a rail. They clamp onto the trigger guard and work quite well. I have one on my 1911 Springfield.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010R1F0SI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Fir]

Guide Rod Lasers for the minimalist approach!

https://www.lasermax.com/products/internal-lasers.html

 

[rommelrommel]

Glad he sold you a green laser at least.

I have a X400 Ultra but it’s red, not very daylight visible.

 

[gill77]

What are your thought on laser gun sights?

Looks like something you could have fun with.

 

[rchunter]

I have CT grips on my sig p229. I like them for low light situations. Direct sunlight not so much.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Laser sights just tells me that I'm getting old, drinking too much caffeine and have a shaky hand. Honestly, it is a distraction when I've proved to myself I can aim on target just fine without it.

 

[MrBailey]

Nothing against lasers here...

A laser in a dark room will help you line up on an intruder, but will may give away your position if you are scanning the room (just like a light). Just food for thought.

Using the laser in normal lighting, the tendency is to search the target for the laser dot. This ends up taking longer than just lining up the iron sights. Training and practice can help alleviate that. Dry fire is your friend. Of course, this only matters if the laser is "on" via a grip switch or other pressure switch. With a finger tip switch, you'd still need to train to make it muscle memory for when you need it most.

As nifty as a strobe light may be, I'd rather just light them up. It might blind the intruder, but it might mess up your night vision as well. I have mixed feelings on that. Also, can you see the laser with the light strobing or even just on?

Lots of good videos and reviews/opinions out there on lasers and lights on handguns. As, always...train, train, train.

 

[clamum]

I think they're pretty good. I wouldn't recommend them to someone who's new to pistol shooting and wants to use it as a replacement for learning about and proper use of sights and target acquisition, but as a supplement I think they're great. I have the Veridian C5L for my CCW. The only drawback about it and other stuff you hang off the front is you need a custom holster, usually (for carry guns anyway). I did get a custom appendix holster made for mine but I actually favor strong side carry over appendix so I'm not currently using the laser. Need to get another holster made I guess, bah lol.

I've tried the Crimson Trace in stores before and just couldn't seem to get it to trigger no matter how I held the pistol. Maybe I'm just dumb (likely). But if it works for you then that's great; I think a lot of people like them.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Nothing against lasers here...

A laser in a dark room will help you line up on an intruder, but will may give away your position if you are scanning the room (just like a light). Just food for thought.

Using the laser in normal lighting, the tendency is to search the target for the laser dot. This ends up taking longer than just lining up the iron sights. Training and practice can help alleviate that. Dry fire is your friend. Of course, this only matters if the laser is "on" via a grip switch or other pressure switch. With a finger tip switch, you'd still need to train to make it muscle memory for when you need it most.

As nifty as a strobe light may be, I'd rather just light them up. It might blind the intruder, but it might mess up your night vision as well. I have mixed feelings on that. Also, can you see the laser with the light strobing or even just on?

Lots of good videos and reviews/opinions out there on lasers and lights on handguns. As, always...train, train, train.

Yes, you can see the laser dot quite easily with the strobe flashing. I like the finger tip switch as you can wait until you decide when to light it up. I can see fairly well at night in our house so I wouldn’t light it up until I had a target in sight. I definitely wouldn’t be wandering around the house with the strobe or light on.

The guy who sold me this sight swears by the strobe and both he and his wife have this setup on their home defense guns.

 

[pcgeek11]

Guide Rod Lasers for the minimalist approach!

https://www.lasermax.com/products/internal-lasers.html

I didn't see any sighting adjustment..

 

[Paladin3]

I personally prefer night sights that glow and flash light or light on the gun. That combo works in both the daylight and the dark just fine so I don't have to think about it. Or turning on the room lights if you can. I'm not eager to go hunting for an intruder in the dark and possibly putting myself in a situation where I have to fire on someone I haven't fully identified. Plus a laser sight is one more thing that can fail, compared to tried and true iron sights that I have been using my entire shooting life.

This is the same argument folks have about a safety on a carry weapon, or carrying without a round in the chamber. It's just one more obstacle to negotiate before you can fire the weapon. I have a safety on my current carry gun, so I train myself to flick off the safety when I'm at the range. I still find myself carrying with the safety off because if, heaven forbid, I ever have to use my weapon I don't have anything to think about except drawing, aiming and pulling the trigger.

Once you've run out of option and made the decision to shoot, your training and muscle memory should take over. Draw, point, fire. I personally don't want any additional steps in that process.

 

[gill77]

In my experience, the really good shooters were light on gadgets and heavy on KISS and training.

Muscle memory will unconsciously have your safety come off when you draw and back on when you holster.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I wouldn’t consider myself a really good shooter. Decent perhaps, but I’ve been shooting for almost 30 years so I know how to handle a firearm. I’m going to take it to the range this weekend and see how i do with it.

 

[KK]

I have the ct green laserguard on my xds. It better than the red laser in sunny conditions but still is kinda tough to see in full sun condition.

 

[gill77]

I've run through a few YouTube's and have found one point that may be of interest.

If you have done any shooting, you have trained yourself to focus on the front sight. Lasers cause you to not do this, eventually unlearning an acquired skill.

Something to think about.