Laser... I could go either way
Problem: Possible to get overly dependent on something that might have an inopportune battery failure.
Mitigation: Practice with both laser and iron sights, and become proficient with either.
Additional mitigation: Set up a preventive maintenance schedule, and include adding new batteries as part of that schedule.
Problem: Looking for the dot could affect speed on trigger.
Flipside: Focus on front sight makes it harder to scan area; easier to watch BG, and possibly additional BG's, if focus is NOT on front sight.
Problem: Laser doesn't help identify targets.
However,
Problem: Night sights don't help identify targets; neither do iron sights.
Veer problem: EOTech batteries could die.
Mitigation: Iron sights can be seen through EOTech. My AR has flip-up sights, that are zeroed. If the batteries die, I can flip them up in a second or two, and I'm none the worse for wear. In fact, I usually leave the front sight up, so I'd really only have to flip the rear into place.
I could go on, but you get the idea.
I have a laser on my PM9. Works well. I don't have lasers on my other handguns, in part because they don't have rails, and in part because I trained for so many years with iron sights.
Note: the laser on my PM9 is a CTC LaserGuard. I like this much better than lasergrips, because it doesn't have any horizontal parallax issues. I have it sighted about 1/2" low at 10 yards, and get reliable hits with it on 25yd targets, so the argument about distance is kind of silly - except in very bright light conditions, or if my target is wearing bright red.
Note2: lasers are awesome tools for dry-fire practice, and for training away flinches.
So what is my overall point?
Train with whatever you are using. Know your equipment and its limitations. Train for operation in degraded modes. Don't knock what the other guy is using if you haven't tried it (with exceptions - some things would obviously be stupid; using lasers isn't one of them.)
Cheers,
M
Problem: Possible to get overly dependent on something that might have an inopportune battery failure.
Mitigation: Practice with both laser and iron sights, and become proficient with either.
Additional mitigation: Set up a preventive maintenance schedule, and include adding new batteries as part of that schedule.
Problem: Looking for the dot could affect speed on trigger.
Flipside: Focus on front sight makes it harder to scan area; easier to watch BG, and possibly additional BG's, if focus is NOT on front sight.
Problem: Laser doesn't help identify targets.
However,
Problem: Night sights don't help identify targets; neither do iron sights.
Veer problem: EOTech batteries could die.
Mitigation: Iron sights can be seen through EOTech. My AR has flip-up sights, that are zeroed. If the batteries die, I can flip them up in a second or two, and I'm none the worse for wear. In fact, I usually leave the front sight up, so I'd really only have to flip the rear into place.
I could go on, but you get the idea.
I have a laser on my PM9. Works well. I don't have lasers on my other handguns, in part because they don't have rails, and in part because I trained for so many years with iron sights.
Note: the laser on my PM9 is a CTC LaserGuard. I like this much better than lasergrips, because it doesn't have any horizontal parallax issues. I have it sighted about 1/2" low at 10 yards, and get reliable hits with it on 25yd targets, so the argument about distance is kind of silly - except in very bright light conditions, or if my target is wearing bright red.
Note2: lasers are awesome tools for dry-fire practice, and for training away flinches.
So what is my overall point?
Train with whatever you are using. Know your equipment and its limitations. Train for operation in degraded modes. Don't knock what the other guy is using if you haven't tried it (with exceptions - some things would obviously be stupid; using lasers isn't one of them.)
Cheers,
M