I have lasers on three of my handguns; an LCP, S&W M69, and one of my 1911s. The one on my LCP is probably the one I feel is the most useful to me, simply because the iron sights on that gun are so small that in anything less than good light I have to 'hunt' for them after the first shot. Now, I did learn to index the back of my hand with my LCP, and I can get off all six rounds in less than two seconds from low-ready into a pie plate area at 7 yards, but I don't have a feeling of high confidence using those tiny sights. And at least half the time I'll have a flier well outside that 8-inch circle.
With the laser I just press the trigger every time the red dot enters the area around whatever aiming point I'm using, and don't even have to bother looking for the sights. My actual time for six shots is just a few tenths quicker than without the laser, but my accuracy is much better; typically about the size of a baseball, and almost never a flier.
Practicing this way has improved my point shooting skills with all three laser-fitted guns. It also makes longer shots beyond 20 yards much easier and faster. For example, a couple years ago I took a rabbit in the head at 40 paces in that low flat light right before true sundown with my 1911; a shot I know I couldn't have pulled off with the irons alone. Tasty sucker too.
However, I did have to train myself not to chase the dot. So for slow, aimed shooting I turn the lasers off. The exception to this is dry-fire practice; I love using lasers for dry fire practice, for all the reasons previously mentioned.
Otherwise, I only practice reaction or from the draw shooting with the lasers.
The caveats to all of this are simple: you have to understand the limitations of the device, you have to do your due diligence (changing batteries and so forth), you still have to use good trigger mechanics, and you can't allow yourself to rely absolutely on the gadget.
Overall, I firmly believe laser sights can be very useful tools, as long as you keep the above constraints in mind.
Oh, and my answer to Koda's question is I would use the laser in a gunfight. Now, inside ten yards I'm not sure I'd spend much brain activity looking for the dot, but if I saw the dot rising up into my sight line I'd be very confident in my bullet placement, especially at longer distances.