Laser Sight For Self Protection

[cep]

I picked up the 2005 Smith &Wesson catalogue and saw their 1911 model with integral CrimsonTrace laser grip panel. What are your informed opinions about this product for CCW users? I practice with my Glock and study and try hard to get better. That is to be safe, responsible and accurate. However, I dont seem to have much natural talent. I shoot better than many but not as well as I would like.

What is your informed opinion on this product. Not as a crutch or an excuse not to practice but as an augmentation.

I dont think I will ever be good enough to compete with you guys but I do believe that a person should be safe and accurate if they are to carry or keep a firearm for self defense.

[Loves2Shoot]

IMO - It tells the bad guy where to aim.

I know we're not supposed to go into tactics, but if you have to point and aim in a "real world" situation...

... well I don't think that would be a good thing. I just hope I never get to find out the answer to that one.

[AikiDale]

cep,

I am not a tactical instructor but I did stay at a Holiday Inn when attending a conference with several. The concensus seems to be the laser is great as a training aid.

[norbs007]

IMO - It tells the bad guy where to aim.

I know we're not supposed to go into tactics, but if you have to point and aim in  a "real world" situation...

... well I don't think that would be a good thing. I just hope I never get to find out the answer to that one.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well said, exactly what I think.

[folsoml]

This is something I know about. For self defense purposes, you will find that it is easier to find your sights than it is to find the laser dot--except in almost complete darkness. It seems easy to find if you are shining it on a flat back ground. But if you get any distance at all, and your background is various colors, textures, and angles, it is much easier just to use the sights.

Hope this helps.

[GuildSF4]

Good training aid, maybe useful at night or in dark. Useless in bright conditions, invisible or too hard to find.

[vincent]

From instructors I have talked to that had an interest in LaserGrips, the benefit is for shooting in low light and from odd positions or angles. Places like shooting around cover where you don't want to line up your head with the gun, shooting when you have been pushed to the ground and/or have no natural index, etc. Basically they are handy in some situations and if you were planning for the worst it wouldn't hurt to have them.

[Chuck Anderson]

Lasers work OK inside of buildings or where it is very dark. If this will be kept as a home defense gun, not a bad idea. If it's going out on the street, I would say no. I personally don't like the Crimson Trace unit. They are well built here in my home town, but... I place my finger high on the outside of the trigger guard, up along the division between the slide and frame when I'm not pulling the trigger. This blocks the Crimson Trace unit for me.

[zhunter]

Spend the money on ammo and practice.

Lasers are for movies and gang-banger ganstas

[cep]

I think on balance it is for me. I particularly liked the post reminding me that the laser will alllow shooting from unorthodox positions. I believe I will purchase it this late autumn when I go to shoot indoors. I will have the time to tinker with the sighting system, if needed and I will report back.

I have not purchased a new gun in a very long time and that alone kind of justifies the experiment.

If it turns out not to be helpful, I can always sell it or trade it, right?

But, Everybody repeats the stats that criminal type shoot outs mostly occur in the dark and close up. So, the laser will help there and it will help me with my point shooting. My wife has the S&W laser revolver and the few times she lets me borrow it, I rather like it. Except for the 5 shot ,revolver part.

[LPatterson]

I think they are a great training aid for teaching sight alignment, trigger control, follow through & breath control. I bought 1 just to put on a gun so students can see that it is almost impossible to keep the sights on target without the fundamentals.

I doubt they have much use in daytime and at night you need enough light to identify your target.

To paraphase an ad "If you can see your sights, use them."

[cking]

On a 1911 the grip models laser don't work for a lefty. For some reason I like them on my shotgun but not on my pistol.

[folsoml]

Try this with a laser pointer or sight that is not on a gun: Get in dark or low light in a room with obstacles and have someone move around. Try to put the dot on them and keep it on them. You will find it's a lot harder than it seems. Regular sights are much easier.

[rishii]

I've had very limited expreance with laser sight, so please take the following with a huge grain of salt.

I don't like them, I feel that instead of consentrating on the fundementals of shooting, sight picture, trigger pull, etc. with a laser, the shooter is looking for the dot on the target, and only the dot. the basic fundementals break down, and instead of squeezing the trigger, theres an good chance you'll see the dot where you want it, yank the trigger fast and hard, and pull the shot off target.

while a laser has its place while firing from a speed rock or around a body bunker, I personal have no use for one.

[oddjob]

I'm a rangemaster and have been teaching for 23 years including "high speed" stuff. The answer is nope.......don't use one. Attaching a light & using iron sights is cool, but forget the laser.

[EricBudd]

For what it is worth, I reciently took a competive shooting class from a USPSA Grand Master who is the firearms instructor to an elite group of federal agency based in Virginia. We used the laser grips on his carry gun to demonstrate gun movement while moving and to pratice not moving the gun while moving.

I am not saying that the laser grips are good or bad, I don't know enough to have an opinion. What I am saying is that from first hand observation, someone who knows a hell of a lot more about gunfighting (and shooting) than I do, has them on his personal carry weapon.

Of course, my opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it.

[cep]

Eric, I can t resist. Those FEMA guys are slow on the trigger. I do get your point though. As with all professional sportsmen for example, what they actually use in their own golf bag or fishing or hunting gear is more instructive than what they are sometimes paid to promote. Some of the silly stuff the TV bass fishing hosts huckster verges on the palpably ridiculous. But what those guys use in the money tournaments is what I would buy into. Thanks to all. I would say every post made excellent points and the jury is still out.

[EricBudd]

Eric, I can t resist.  Those FEMA guys are slow on the trigger.   I do get your point though.  As with all professional sportsmen for example, what they actually use in their own golf bag or fishing or hunting gear is more instructive than what they are sometimes paid to promote.  Some of the silly stuff the TV bass fishing hosts huckster verges on the palpably ridiculous.  But what those guys use in the money tournaments is what I would buy into.  Thanks to all.  I would say every post made excellent points and the jury is still out.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not FEMA. Think HRT.

[davidwiz]

Not FEMA.  Think HRT. 

Ah, that elite group that has yet to 'rescue' any hostages (but has managed to plug a few of them).