Laser Sight for Revolver

[WALKERs210]

I gave my wife a Taurus Ultra Lite 38spl for her birthday, and she loves the weapon so much her other carry gun has been retired. We were discussing laser sights for the revolver and I can tell everything I know about Laser Sights in about 3 or 4 words. I have seen one at CTD that mounts to side of frame and slightly under the grips, and then the Crimson Trace that is molded into the grip itself. First thing first, I understand that at times you get what you pay for, but being on fixed income now I don't have tons of money to experiment with. Also I have recently started carrying the Taurus Judge and would like a Laser on it too, so what I'm asking is options for a dependable system and input about which way to go and why.

 

[rcmodel]

I have had a Crimson Trace grip on a S&W 317 for about 15 years.
It still does what it does seamlessly and perfectly.

The CT grip is bullet-proof, seamless in execution when you grasp the gun, and stays zeroed where you put it.
It also fits in any holster or pocket the gun fit in with the factory grips.

You do in fact, Get what you Pay For in this case!!

rc

 

[230RN]

I put a CT on my S&W .38 J-frame Airweight. Had to do a few mods, like bend back one of the battery contacts and trim some rubber to make it fit on the frame.

I found that under its substantial recoil, the hand shifts away slightly from the on button and you have to re-set your hand slightly to turn the light on again. I RTVed a little extra onto that button and it worked great. But the RTV fell off in a couple of months.

Otherwise, it's pretty satisfactory and one advantage is that you can aim and fire with two hands, gripping the gun at just below the bottom of your rib cage -- a very steady position.

In this position, the muzzle flash in dark shooting conditions does not blind you and you can execute rapid follow up shots. This is not the case when using the iron sights... the flash is right there in front of your eyeballs. This, in actual testing with most of the range lights off.

In full daylight conditions, the (red) dot can be difficult to locate. I have no experience with the green lasers.

Terry, 230RN

PS/HINT They provide two tiny Allen wrenches for sight adjustment. I strongly recommend you wrap their shanks with brightly colored tape because if you drop them, they are nearly impossible to find under normal shooting conditions. Which is why they provide two.

 

[jmr40]

I used to think they were just a gimmick until I bought a used 1911 a couple of years ago that had the CT grips on it. I had planned on replacing the grips and selling the CT grips to make a great buy even better. That was before I tried them. While expensive, they are truly a great asset to have.

Mine did not come with the adjustment wrenches, but an e-mail to CT got 2 sent to me free of charge.

If you cannot afford good stuff, wait until you can. Buying cheap now will only delay when you can afford quality.

 

[WALKERs210]

I have always believed that you get what you pay for, but sometimes you pay too much for something that is not what it is advertised to be. I have one that I picked up at a pawn shop for around $10.00, did not expect much but after I put it on my XD-40 and did a simple adjustment I pleasantly surprised. Don't remember the brand but it is solid built. The CT has always caught my eye but if I don't know I have no problem asking so this is why we're here. Guess I will be placing an order for two in the next week or so. Thanks to all for input.

 

[cpt-t]

WALKERs210: Between my Son, Wife, and I we have several Crimnson Trace Lazer Grips on the guns we own and carry every day. We have neve had one problem with any of them battery life is not a problem on any of ours. When you grip you gun to shoot it the lazer come on and when you relase your grip the lazer goes off. No extra controls to turn off and on. And they make a model to fit your Judge. The Crimnson Trace Lazer Grips are just great in our opion. If I could give you any more info or help. I would be glad to do so. Good luck to You.
ken

 

[WALKERs210]

I had intended to ask about the ON/OFF switch, the one I have now requires the trigger finger extended in front of trigger guard and push the switch on. No big deal but was wondering about how the CT worked, and it sounds like a very easy usable setup. I remember the first one I saw any advertisement on was for a police dept mounted to a 22cal rifle. Apparently the 22 was capable of full auto because it was said that where ever the red dot showed up withing 5 seconds some 25-50 rds would be there. One bad thing about a laser is showing up just how UNSTABLE my hands are now. Hold it on a target and watch the laser draw a big circle around it.

 

[cpt-t]

WALKERs210: Like I said no extra controls to push or levers to move. Just grip the pistol and your index finger turns it off and on. Very fast you do not have to even think about turning it off & on, it just happends. They are very easey to sight in, and we have never had to readjust any of our. Yes my hands shake as bad as any body I guess, but for the destance you will probably use them a 5 to 6 inch circle is no problem. With the ones I have on my 1911`s, Kahr CW-9, and Glock`s, I have alot of fun bounceing a coke can on the ground at 10 to 20 yds, you can really keep them bounceing. If you have the trigger control where ever the red dot is that is the same place your bullet is going to go. Ours are very comforting and we use them almost every day.
ken

 

[Cosmoline]

I've tried them several times on various revolvers and I don't see a lot of use for them. I guess low light conditions? They seem cool when dry firing, but in actual shooting they are far slower than my own aiming. I have to squint to see the dot, and it's invariably wobbling all over the place. I'm a fan of tactical lights for low light conditions.

As far as dependable, the one on the LCR was fine, but the one I had on my SP 101 busted after a few sessions and CT never returned it or my money. Oh well. If you don't actually break the thing it should be fine.

but being on fixed income now I don't have tons of money to experiment with.

Better to spend the money on ammo and range time.

 

[230RN]

One bad thing about a laser is showing up just how UNSTABLE my hands are now. Hold it on a target and watch the laser draw a big circle around it.

True, but keep in mind that there's the same jiggling around with your iron sights, you just don't notice it as much.

I found that holding my J-frame close to body down by my rib cage with two hands makes it pretty steady, and reduces the effects of the muzzle flash.

I thought holding my 1911 that way, close to my body, might interfere with slide movement, but so far there's been no problem on that account. However, on the 1911, the laser beam hits the little "button" sticking out on the right side of the slide stop and it gets scattered slightly, but not enough to interfere with the accuracy. I am told that some folks have ground down the slide stop a little, but I feel no need to do so on mine.

The buttons on both my J-frame and my 1911 fall right under my middle finger, and there's no "turning on" action required. As someone said, you pick up (or draw) the gun and the laser's "on." No fiddly-farting around.

In order for you to save ammunition, I submit this data for the CT brand:

Turning the VERTICAL screw CLOCKWISE moves the dot UP
Turning the HORIZONTAL screw CLOCKWISE moves the dot RIGHT
Move the dot TOWARD the group.

That ought to save you at least 20 or 30 rounds and reduce the cussin' a little.

An intial sight setting can be made indoors at home by bringing the dot to where your iron sights are pointing, except offset about an inch to the right (since the laser is offset from the vertical axis of the gun by about that amount). *

One hint is that when you store or holster the gun, make sure nothing's pressing on the button or you will run the batteries down.

Terry, 230RN

* With the CTs on my J-frame and 1911. This may differ on other brands and guns.

ETA: Note the yellow tape on the almost-invisible teeney tiny sight wrench so you can find it when you drop it in the grass or carpeting or range floor. The "on" button is just below the mag release. Note also that the laser points right at the slide stop, but this has not been a genuine problem.