Lasers and Lights

N

NikonShooter

Inactive
Okay, my question is simple.

What does everyone think of Lasers and Combat Flashlights mounted on pistols? Are these worthless toys? Or do they really have a place on a defensive handgun.

Just curious as to what everyone thinks.

C.R.
 
NOT WORTHLESS

Just EXTREMELY use-specific.

I'm not L.E.; my 4-D-cell MagLight is NOT mounted to my HD gun(s), it's available for both illumination and impact.
My StreamLight is not mounted, either, but available as an OFF-CENTERED light source for illumination and clearing.

Lasers are for TV.
My guns require NO batteries.
 
Two sets of Crimson Trace grips in the family. They do work. Made a bigger difference in the speed and group size for my Mom. I get to shoot a lot so they didn't help as much, but they did improve my shot placement in very low light. For someone who only gets out to practice a few times a year like my Mom they're a big help. Still don't forget that the basics are more important than the equipment.
 
Flashlights are a MUST for a defensive gun- there are just two schools of thought as to whether that flashlight should be attached or merely readily available. My boomstick has one attached, my handguns rely on the maglight next to the bed.

Lasers...well. I don't own one, except for a very cheesy clamp-on-the-triggerguard one given as a gift, which I use for trigger control exercises (watch the dot jerk). I don't think they HURT as long as you recall that they are NOT a replacement for iron sights, I'm just not convinced that they HELP all that much, either. I dunno.

Mike
 
I don't like the idea of pointin a gun at sumpin I have not yet decided to shoot.

Lighten up your own kid who is comin home late n quiet, with a GUN MOUNTED LIGHT......just doesn't strike me as bein very loving.

To each his own.

Sam
 
Lights and lasers are mostly novelties, but what the heck, if you're logical about everything, about all you would need would be a pump shotgun. This would be a pretty boring hobby then (except for Dave Mac )

There are legitimate uses however.

Tac lights mounted to guns eliminate the need to locate a flashlight in the middle of the night, under stress (if overhead lights are out or non-existant). Grab and go, with one item. I would agree with CR Sam about pointing it at suspect targets- but then if you carry a flashlight and a pistol, both would most likely be pointed at the interloper anyway.

Lasers make good training devices (wanna find out how much you are shaking, or jerking and pulling your shots- try one).
They are much like red dot scopes in that they allow you to to take quick shots without carefully sighting down the bore (that can be good or bad I suppose). For plinking and small varmit hunting they seem to work pretty well, and are a lot of fun. I hear that they work fairly well as a deterrent on people who are intent on doing harm as well...but I wouldn't depend on using one for that purpose, for several reasons.
 
Mounted

I use a streamlight scorpion. My light is not mounted on my gun. Even so, you can use a light that bright to indirect light a whole room (by shining it at the floor or ceiling) if you have no definite target.

I just mounted a trigger laser on one of my home defense guns, a SA MilSpec 1911. The laser was previously mounted on a .22 "varmint" pistol. I'm going to take it to the range and see how many rounds it takes to shoot loose before I use it as a bedside weapon, but I anticipate that it will work out OK. If it lasts 100 rounds, I figure that should get me through until daylight. It also has, IMHO, a definite intimidation factor in addition to making aiming faster.

Regards.
 
Lasers rule, Flashlights don't.......

Do lasers have a place on a defensive handgun? How would you feel if you were doing some breaking and entering and then all of the sudden you saw this bright red dot on your chest? I own a Laser Lyte and for the price it is the best thing since sliced bread (I really want a LaserMax). Once sighted in properly I could hit you without exposing myself. that in its self is priceess. Also, at 0 dark thirty in the morning, are you going to be able to hit what your shooting at? The draw back is that lasers work both ways but I feel the phsycological impact of seeing a bright red dot on your chest where you are about to be ventilated kinda puts a kink into the bad guys day . Instead of just trying to stop him by saying "Freeze! I have a gun!" light him up!:D

P.S: It also hs a low battery light indicator on the side that turns from green to red to show you that it's time to change the batteries.......;)
 
PHOTON POWER

Suggest my best results with my big honkin MagLite, blinding bright, may not need to shoot harder projectile.

Besides, with four D-cells in it can be considerable impact weapon (hate shooting indoors; it's SO loud).

Lasers have some validity for L.E. work, but totally NOT convinced for HD/PD (maybe under special circumstances, but I've yet to meet them personally).

I believe often civilians see neato stuff on TV that is apropo for L.E. and/or military use, and think "Ooh, I gotta have that".

(Most of us would be fine with a revolver LOL.)
 
Great!

I love the Crimson Trace Lasergrip on my 1911. Now, with that said, I keep it off 99% of the time. As mentioned in above posts, lasers are great for training, breath control and learning to shoot with two eyes open after spending the last 15 years shooting rifle style with my weak eye closed.

If I shoot with the iron sights, I pattern nice and tight groups. If I shoot with the iron sights but use the laser for reference to see myself flinch or to help me train my weak eye, I am just as accurate. If I shoot using only the laser to sight I lose my groups and shots go all over the place. Now, I still hit the paper plate every time but I no longer have tight groups.

So, to each their own. I never could have justified the purchase of the laser but I received it as a gift two years ago. :)
 
Laser for shooting, not for intimidation. Over n over, classes of LEOs and other types have had their chests dotted and they didn't even know till told. Bad guy not gonna be starin at his own chest to see if he grew a new red button on his shirt.

And if you gonna laser em, better be ready to shoot em cause you have just pointed a gun at em. Never point at that which you are not willing to destroy.

Sam
 
Way to go, C.R. Sam. Folks keep getting this idea that a laser reaches out from their gun like a light saber to touch their opponent with a huge long red beam. Unless you're looking right into it (not a good idea, BTW) it's hard to know it's even on sometimes.

And like you say, planting a red dot on somebody is often considered a hostile act that can actually escalate the situation.
 
I like a light on my gun AND a more powerful light in my support hand. The primary light can fail at the most inconvenient time. The light on the gun gives you the ability to keep the light on and use your other hand to dial the phone, hold the dog back etc.
 
Have to agree with ATTICUS.
I'm sure gun-mouted lasers and lights have their own purposes but I look at it more from a training perspective. I have on one occasion had to use a pistol and a non-weapons mounted flashlight and I hated it.
But at the same time, I really don't like the idea of relying on batteries, cables and pressure switches.
I DO like night sights.
For me I think the key is that since 99% of the time I'm going to be responding to someone/thing on/in my property I'll just turn on the outside and inside lights. If not I do have motion sensors.
One thing though, I am a strong proponent of indoor ranges that use a "dimmer switch", if not a pair of gargoyles with polycarbonate lenses work just fine as well.

Jon
 
I suppose that any tool can be used in a beneficial manner assuming the user trains with it extensively. I have seen Crimson Trace laser grips on guns in three different classes and by and large what I learned was that the shooters tended to be a little more accurate and a whole lot slower. This was for indoor and lower light shooting. The difference in time was slight by the clock, but a whole lot of time when considering a gunfight scenario. With lasers, the students ran 0.2-0.3 seconds slower. In double tap drills, I would be finishing as the person with laser grips were firing their first shot. When I have seen them used in mid day sun light, they were often hard to spot unless you knew where they were supposed to be already. Shooters tend to spend a bunch of time trying to find the hard to see dot. In such cases, shots were often a full second or more slower.

I always carry a flashlight, usually a Scorpion, but I also have a Surefire 9Z as well. None are weapon mounted. With any gadget, there is always the chance of it not working, but with a gun mounted illumination device such as a laser or light, the one malfunction that I am fearful of is the one where the laser or light don't turn off and so the opposition will have an idea where you are at all times. If it happens with a handheld light, you can just toss it away.

The only weapon mounted light I have considered is the replacement pump stock with the Surefire light built in. This would be for my home defense Rem 870 shotgun. Its use is very specific and the light would likely be advantageous in that specific use of clearing my own house. I would like to keep both hands on the weapon and this would be hard without a weapon mounted light.

With whatever accessories you choose, remember that until you are extremely proficient, they may hinder your abilities more than help them.
 
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