Laser sights on a BUG

I have them on my LCP and 642. They are great for close range. When training you can put rounds on target without a proper sight picture. I practice drawing and firing with one hand at short distances, just point shooting. You have to be very aware of where your off hand is. With longer distances I don't find then as helpful, they just seem to be distracting when you have a good sight picture. I just adjust them so you can't see the dot with a good sight picture.

If you draw and start firing as soon as you get on target, you can end up with your off hand in front of your muzzle. What I am talking about is basically shooting from the hip because you are very close to the BG.

deadeye dick said:

Why do I have to be aware of my off hand? I'm figuring 7 to 10 yds. for practice. Howie

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Because if you're shooting one handed and don't know where your other hand is, there's a chance you might put a bullet through it. Sounds stupid but it does happen occasionally. Mostly at retention range when someone is trying to push an attacker off of them and shoot at the same time.

If you're looking at 7-10 yards, just use the sights. Lasers are best when you can't get a sight picture due to short distance. I'm personally not a fan of the Crimson trace type laser grips. Could have just been poor adjustment by the owner of the gun, but on the one example I tried they were on target at one distance and then off by several feet at another distance. On the other hand, there are people that love them.

My Bodyguard 38 has a laser on it. I practice both with and without the laser.

deadeye dick said:

Are they an aid to quick target aquision in a tight situation or, just point and shoot.

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I'd say yes they do aid in quick target acquisition but as entropy said, also practice without them for a point and shoot scenario as either situation is certainly plausible. Have CT laser grips on the EDC and bug.

I carry a Beretta Pico with a laser. I find it useful in that it allows me accurate fire from unconventional positions, such as from the hip or across my body as if sitting in a car. I also practice without the laser both using sights and point shooting snap shots. I like lasers in general and on carry guns in particular. One more tool. I see no downside. Good practical use of the space and weight.

I carry a Ruger LCP with crimson trace laser. I'm 62 and wear tri-focals. Attempting to get a good sight picture in low light is rather slow. I don't even try. At 21 feet, Just put the dot on the chest and bang away. Pretty much a palm size group most every time, even in daylight. Since I anticipate most self-defense encounters to be 20 feet or less in a low-light parking area this works great. Otherwise get outta Dodge. No reason to fire farther away and risk it not being considered self-defense. Have a Glock 34 with laser sight for home defense for the same reason. The house is darker inside and no problem finding a laser dot aimed at someone. Until your eyes adjust to the darkness even night sights can be hard to get sight picture. Also helps with your situational awareness since you keep both eyes open and don't fixate on just one target. Empty your gun (safe it) and walk around your house at night raising the pistol and getting a sight picture. Then try the same thing with a laser pointer. If you have a significant other who may need to use the weapon have them try it also. Remember that things/people may step out of the shadows and finding those sights is tough when you are already amped up and then startled. Not like the firing range where you are ready to shoot and know when and where to aim/shoot.

I've had CT LG-105 laser grips on my S&W 360J since I got it over 8 years ago, carried it as a BUG the last 5 or 6 years I was in LE. The laser allows me to make accurate hits without using the sights from any position as long as I can grip the gun, see the dot, and pull the trigger. That's the only reason I have them - SHTF use on my BUG.

I have Crimson Trace LG-305 laser grips on my 340Sc - not only does the laser aid aiming, but a little cushioning over the backstrap reduces the experience of shooting .357s from being painful to merely unpleasant.

I've found that they also aid in training for point shooting; I can focus on a target, then close my eyes, draw, open my eyes, and see just how close the red dot is to where I think it should be . . . and adjust accordingly on the next repetition . . . and the next . . . to build muscle memory. This can be done via dry firing at home (IF you have a safe place to do it!!!) or at the range.

Live fire drills at the range show this works very well at typical self-defense ranges . . . not so well if you're shooting bullseyes at 25 yards.

I have the CT laser grips on my 340PD, 360J and Kimber SOLO for the reason of precise target acquisition at speed and from less than desireable positioning. Works great for me.

deadeye dick said:

What are your opinions on dot's on a LCP or similar BUG? Are they an aid to quick target aquision in a tight situation or, just point and shoot. If anyone likes them, why? Cons, why also.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL. Howie

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I have them on my LCP and on a S&W 340 .

And both are normally just BUG.

Some times I put the S&W on while in the yard,but yes to the laser as I REALLY don't want to worry about missing with the BUG.

Last resort and all that,dontchaknow.

I like keeping things simple and light.
After reading this thread, I'm thinking about a laser for my LCP.

...like scaatylobo says, last resort.

I have a Crimson Trace I put on my Taurus 85UL about 8 years ago. I like the unobtrusive revolver grip type laser. Just squeeze the grip to turn it on.

As much as I like using it, it is the only laser I have on a carry gun. I never have warmed up to the type that alters the grip shape of the pocket auto loaders, so I never bought any others. That's just me though.

I find the biggest pain in the butt, is finding a holster for all your guns that you may want to put a laser on. Most companies don't make enough of them for all the different lights and laser combo's. I have a TLR4 and find it works well on all my Glocks. I can't find holsters for pocket carry, that take small guns like my Kahrs, of even my XDS, properly. It kills the entire pocket carry scenario for small guns, and on Larger guns like Glock 19's and larger, it just make the gun too darn big.
So you either need to remove the laser when you carry, or just use it in the house for HD, otherwise you need 2-3 holsters for each gun, depending on which como you use, Veridian, CT, TLR, etc.
Night sights work fine for most situations or a small Tac light, Perhaps a Veridian light/laser, for your nightstand gun. And for bugs, it kind of doesn't work, it's no longer a bug once you stick on a laser or laser/light.
Unless you have a Guide rod type or a j frame, or 1911, with a grip laser, which adds nothing to the original size, but is more gun specific.

George Burns makes a good point, however there are a lot of holsters available that will hold pocket guns with lasers such as the Remora line, for example. They are not sculpted to the particular firearm but they do work. Many Kydex holster makers can reshape a generic holster to fit the odd laser equipped gun. There's a way if there's a will.

Actually I took a Remora, and cut the stitching that outlines the Muzzle, cut it with my EDC knife. It then did take my Glock 26 with a Viridian Tac light, also if you buy a "Holster Clip" on Amazon or EBay, you can glue it permanently to a Remora with Loctite blue, or probably "crazy glue also", giving you the option to use it IWB, with the light or not.
I personally never felt they were secure enough with nothing but the body against the holster alone, and found them capable of sliding around without the clip on them. Plus they still work in the pocket. The clip is on there 2 years, it would have to rip to get it off.
They did put a clip on them this past year, with a snap or rivet. I had sent them a photo of mine a couple years ago, but never heard anything. I am sure I am not the only one who did this.
But it ended up that I took the light off of the gun, only because it made the package too bulky. That new clip I got is the one that snaps on like a vise, I plan to use that in a holster that I have in the planning stages, as I don't wear a belt most of the time.
I Have had disk surgery and spinal problems for most of my adult life. I have a problem with belts cutting into my spine. I am always looking for something that will support a pistol without a belt, "hard to do with anything over 20 ozs".
But I ordered that new "Cherries" holster 3 months ago, they are really backed up, because of the John Wick movie. I am looking forward to getting it as it is supposed to work without a belt, or with. It sits below the belt line, and if you don't mind your gun laying on the jewels, it is supposed to be the best in deep cover for Glock 26-19 sized weapons, and it has a side holster for a small blade, it's designed after the Teddy Medina, famous hit man from the Philippines, by Aron Cohen, the Israeli security expert who trained Reeves for the flick.
here is a link for thr holster, http://www.cherriesapparel.com/products/medina-below-the-waistband-bwb-deep-concealment-holster