Make the investment and the commitment to go to laser grips?

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Dr_2_B

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My situation is as follows: I have probably 15 handguns I rotate as my CCWs. I know that is not everyone's choice, but at this point in my life, that's what I do. I enjoy handguns and I enjoy carrying the different models I've acquired.

My question: should I begin the slow process of equipping the guns I have with laser grips. At their expense, it will be a slow process of equipping all or most - probably a multi-year project during which time I'll still probably rotate through my selection - some of which would not yet have laser. Below is a possible order in which I'd equip them:

1. G23
2. G30
3. S&W 442
4. G27
5. G17
6. Sig P6
7. G36
8. CZ RAMI
then... others as they are available: Ruger SP101; Taurus pt145; Kahr mk40, Kel-tecs P11, PF9, P3AT; and one or two others.

Does this technology warrant that change on my part? Am I creating too much trouble for myself having some handguns with laser sighting and some without?

I'm interested in the benefit of your wisdom
 
At this point in your life if you're thinking about 15 sets of laser grips at $275 a pop for your various CCW's you might want to reconsider.

How 'bout picking the 1 you like best and see how it goes?
 
OK, lasers are good for low light shooting. In the light of day, you will have a hard time seeing the dot. At nighttime, you won't be able to see your target, so you are going to have a hard time shooting anyway.

It seems like a lot of money for something that can inly be used under certain light conditions.

Wouldn't be easier to just learn to point shoot?
 
Multi guns

I myself own many pistols, but here is my criteria for what it is worth.

Your carry gun is not a fashion accessory, you carry it in case you need to protect your life.

If you are ever in a real gun fight, you probably will have less than 2 seconds to act. Second place in a gun fight leaves you wounded or dead.

First place at least gives you a chance.

For carry guns I would want the following.

1. Consistent safeties or no safety because in a hostile situation I don't want to think about my safety, I want to habitually disengage the safety on my draw without thinking about it.

2. I want consistent trigger pull. I don't want a single action gun one day and a double action gun the next day.

3. I want guns to fit my hand and be carried in same body area.

4. I want magazine releases to be in the same area and a reflex action.

I would make sure all my carry guns meet the above specs. Once that is done, you may have a shorter list for the lasers.

I myself find my Colt 45 fits me well. My other choice of guns are my HK USPs.
due to similar safeties. I have to upgrade the guns to ambi safeties so that I don't inadvertently decock the guns when disengaging safety.

I have SIGs, a few berettas and others. I like having different guns to shoot with, but I can't risk my life trying to remember which gun I was carrying.

Nicki
 
Does this technology warrant that change on my part? Am I creating too much trouble for myself having some handguns with laser sighting and some without?
Click to expand...
you don't change your ability with sights.you add the ability to aim from the hip,and you put a 25yard sight radius in a gun that may be difficult to shoot at 25 yards.
I have C/T grips on 4 guns yet like your self have many more I carry. I have not put them on guns which I concider to have good sights .2 are snubs and a Springer GI I use for night stand duty.
 
They are unnecessary. But if you must use 'em stick em on one revolver and one self loader.

tipoc
 
Spend the money on more ammo and more range time. You won't need a stupid laser if your body automatically knows where to point your gun without thinking about it.
 
One of those guns is a natural for Crimson Trace Laser Grips: that S&W 442. It's the one that could pay off handsomely for you because it's an easy-to-carry, extremely lightweight beast with nastiness at both ends.

Which means that it's easy to fire the first shot, much less easy and increasingly unpleasant for each subsequent shot, and my guess is that you probably don't take it for a pleasant outing at the shooting range very often.

But it's the kind of gun that could save your life if you were able to dominate it instead of allowing it to dominate you. There's where the Laser Grips can help a lot. They let you get quality practice through dry firing. That's not the only value of the Laser Grips but it's certainly some of its major value.

I did it with an S&W 642 that I rarely used and had no plans to carry because it was too painful for extended practice. I won't bet my life on a gun I can't shoot well. That's a disservice to me and to anyone who might be nearby if I needed to use the gun. So I turned that 642 into a dry fire practice gun in which the Laser Grips let me work on trigger control and other aspects of good shooting. Much to my surprise I got to the point of being absolutely dead on: that laser dot gave me immediate and accurate feedback on every little thing I was doing that could affect my marksmanship. I did it enough and long enough until I became really, really good. That work translated into the same results with the guns I used.

Then one day I decided to see if I could control the 642 in live fire. And I could. Even more surprising I found it rather pleasant to shoot. Whatever I'd been doing in dry fire must have fixed whatever I had been doing wrong with my grip on the 642 in live fire. It's still no pussycat but it most certainly is a pet tiger. As a fringe benefit, I've awed some of my friends who also own extremely lightweight S&W snubbies. There's satisfaction is hearing them ask "How in the world can you survive shooting fifty rounds through that thing?"

Laser Grips are no substitute for sighted fire, and that's not the way I use mine. But in addition to being the best training aid I have found, they're also useful for situations in which sights can't be used. For example if you're on the ground and your assailant is on top of you, you can't use the sights but you might be able to get the red dot on him. Think creatively about situations like that. Crimson Trace has a free DVD to help you think that way and will get you started with specific tutorials.

With that experience I've since outfitted a few more handguns that I might use that way with Laser Grips. Again, I don't use them to replace sighted fire.
 
Redneck (& others),

Is it true that they're hard to pick up in daylight? Could this be a function of low battery or is this a standard complaint?
 
I only have laser grips on my S&W 642. If the gun has night sights then I don't feel the need for laser grips.

Metropole & Tru Glo sights will be a lot less expensive than outfitting all of your carry guns.
 
I only have laser grips on my S&W 642.
Click to expand...


My wife bought her 642 with the factory insalled Crimson Laser Grips on them. She really like them. Once I dialed them in for her, they've been right on.
 
They are not so useful in bright light. They are very useful for letting folks know exactly where you are.

tipoc
 
you put a 25yard sight radius in a gun that may be difficult to shoot at 25 yards.


Yes and no. If you could shoot a good group with iron sights the laser grips will make this easier at night. If you shoot a 3 foot pattern at 25 yards because you wobble so much you'll still shoot a 3 foot pattern.

My money goes to good night sights.
 
Yes and no. If you could shoot a good group with iron sights the laser grips will make this easier at night. If you shoot a 3 foot pattern at 25 yards because you wobble so much you'll still shoot a 3 foot pattern.
Click to expand...
yes and yes, IMHE snubs and GI 1911 sights are very difficult to get to group at 25 yards.yet with CT grips I shoot snubs as well as I can shoot a 6" revolver.IE I have shot many 3" groups with my taurus 905 with the grips with out they open to 6-9".and my father who is nearing 80 cant hold near as steady as he once could and can't see (really never could has worn glasses since a child) has a hard time seeing snub sights well enough to even hit target at 25, but can shoot groups on target with CT grips.
 
I just put a set on my SIG 226 9mm, have not taken it to the range yet to see how/what it can do. I think like someone said above, pick one to be your low-light/night gun and try it on that first.

Like someone at my local shop said, even without the laser they're decent grips, so theres not too much downside.

RFB
 
Frankly, I see no practical benefits in the use of lasers. On a handgun they are slowing me down at short to mid range. Unless your vision is really poor, the money is getter spent on proper practice.
 
"Spend the money on more ammo and more range time. You won't need a stupid laser if your body automatically knows where to point your gun without thinking about it."

The average CCW doesn't spend enough time or money to train to that extent. And with the cost of ammo skyrocketing, I doubt few of us that do will be able to continue to do so. I have no gunfight experience, and I'm willing to bet that you don't either.

However, my wife does.

She was sitting in her car, stopped at a stop sign, IN BROAD DAYLIGHT when some wacko tried to get in. Luckily the door was locked, but that didn't stop him from trying. My wife pulled her snubby (with laser grips) and put the red dot right on his nose. He immediately rethought his former actions, and took off like a scalded dog. She didn't have to fire a shot. The laser made it possible for her - the average CCW who doesn't train like the world is coming to an end - to emerge victorious in what could have been a very nasty situation. Thats real world experience for me.

I put laser grips on my 940, she has them on her 642, and I'm getting some for my M&P 45. Is it expensive? Sure. Is it worth it? I think so.

To the OP - Pick the one gun you carry the most, and put lasers on it. It will become your default gun for CCW. For the rest, (those that have rails) get a quickly removable flashlight/laser combo and switch it around as need be.
AIM Surplus has one pretty cheaply here:
http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/Famous_Maker_Mountable_Tactical_Light___Laser_Combo.html
 
My money goes to good night sights.
Click to expand...

I only have night sights on one of my semi-autos. I definitely find them useful in low light situations to quickly acquire the sight(s).

I personally don't find laser useful to the way I train.

She was sitting in her car, stopped at a stop sign, IN BROAD DAYLIGHT when some wacko tried to get in.
Click to expand...

This has happened to me and just the sight of my gun caused the person's actions to stop. In my situation, I don't think laser would have made a difference either way.
 
I can see that being the case, however, she said he didn't leave until the laser hit him. A lot of BGs don't believe a woman can use a gun or can hit what they aim at. The laser made a believer out of him.
 
For some folks the laser may inspire confidence that they have aimed properly. If so good.

However they do not take the place of even minimal training and range time. Folks who carry should not, in my simple minded opinion, try to substitute a laser for training at the range.

It can be a mistake to believe that an assailant will see the laser dot on their chest, or nose (how do you see that in daylight by the way and not see the bore pointed at you) and stop what they are doing. They may not see it and may not stop. What they are likely to see in the dark though is the source of the light.

tipoc
 
I had a set, I sold them. Couldn't find the dot in daylight that was enough to get me to sell.

I will stick with point shooting and traditional sights.
 
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