Handgun laser sights

[Sparx]

Let's hear your pros and cons on laser sights for handguns. I already have one on my Glock 17 but don't like the fact it can't be turned off. CTC makes one for my S&W 640 in .357 that can be turned on and off but I'm not sure I want to spend the money on it. (I'm only interested in sights that still allow use of a holster.)

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Sparx

Let's hear your pros and cons on laser sights for handguns. I already have one on my Glock 17 but don't like the fact it can't be turned off. CTC makes one for my S&W 640 in .357 that can be turned on and off but I'm not sure I want to spend the money on it. (I'm only interested in sights that still allow use of a holster.)

Depends on what you want them for. As toys, they are kewl. If it's on a handgun I may need for stress shooting, (code for shooting bad guys), no interest. It's one more thing to worry about (will it work? is it on target?) if I am busy peeing my pants and trying to decide 'shoot/no shoot'.

Get a set of Trijicons or Novaks and use the $300 you saved to buy a box of ammo, maybe two if you can find a sale, and practice.

[Sparx]

Originally Posted by Larry Gude

Depends on what you want them for. As toys, they are kewl. If it's on a handgun I may need for stress shooting, (code for shooting bad guys), no interest. It's one more thing to worry about (will it work? is it on target?) if I am busy peeing my pants and trying to decide 'shoot/no shoot'.

Get a set of Trijicons or Novaks and use the $300 you saved to buy a box of ammo, maybe two if you can find a sale, and practice.

I have them for sport/target shooting and personal defense. I've never had a question about it working or being on target on the Glock. (Maybe I will now that you mentioned it...lol.) I also think the decision to shoot/no shoot should be made before ever sighting with anything. (It might be different in a pissing situation though.) BTW, thanks for the serious, no bullcrap reply I seldom get on these boards.

[Bonehead]

IMHO are a cool toy nothing more.
I prefer an iron sight or one of the tritium powered night sights. Much less chance of a malfunction or a bad sight picture.

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Sparx

I have them for sport/target shooting and personal defense. I've never had a question about it working or being on target on the Glock. (Maybe I will now that you mentioned it...lol.) I also think the decision to shoot/no shoot should be made before ever sighting with anything. (It might be different in a pissing situation though.) BTW, thanks for the serious, no bullcrap reply I seldom get on these boards.

Question; I do two types of shooting; deliberate, by the numbers target shooting, stance, grip, aim, front sight clear, rear and target kinda fuzzy, breathing, squeeze...just like the NRA done teached me and I also try and simulate an urgent situation; do some push ups, get my heart rate up, hands little shaky and try and tell myself 'life or death! shoot or no?" where it's all about getting the gun off the table, or unholstered or off the ground ,whatever, and pointed at the target, point shooting, and I don't decide UNTIL I am on target and make myself 'see' threat or not threat. You can work yourself up into a pretty good level of excitement much like hunting where you are avoiding tunnel vision and think in terms of 'do I have a good shot? What's behind the target?' etc.

The question being, to me, if you are using a laser for both THAT is when I would be worried about trusting them. SO, to me, I separate the two; the fun guns, the toys, and the serious business guns. The toys are not in reach in the house because I do not want to trust them when it matters.

So, consider that. Maybe someone will come along and tell you they are rock solid trust worthy. A Novak can get misaligned but, at pistol distances, point shooting, instinct I ain't using them anyway.

Lot to consider and with guns, it is ALWAYS a good thing to think it through, a lot, revisit it, keep it as an ongoing, evolving thing.

[b23hqb]

A very good thing about laser sights on a pistol is the ease at just pointing and shooting. If you are in a tussle with a bad guy, on the floor, upside down, whatever, however, all you have to do is place the dot on the perp, with either hand, and pull the trigger. No aiming necessary.

In close quarters, say 15 feet is probably as far away as anybody would be in a typical house, any laser even close to zeroed in will hit the body mass.

[Vince]

Have one on my home defense type pistol. It's OK for that, but I don't put one on anything else. Glock laser sights are no good. Had one on my pistol and the area that it mounts to the rail cracked. Going to order a univeral type from Cheaperthandirt.

[b23hqb]

Originally Posted by Vince

Have one on my home defense type pistol. It's OK for that, but I don't put one on anything else. Glock laser sights are no good. Had one on my pistol and the area that it mounts to the rail cracked. Going to order a univeral type from Cheaperthandirt.

I have Crimson Trace on my Glock 27 and Judge revolver. Both work fine, activated by finger pressure on the handle, with easy on/off switch. They are pretty much zeroed in at ten yards, so anything closer is just easier to hit.

I do sincerely hope I never have to use them in a defense capacity, though.

[StadEMS3]

I have the Crimson Trace grip and TruGlo-TFO sights on my S&W M&P 9c. The CT is dialed in to 25'. Long as I can get the dot on the perp he's getting hit. I don't want to be trying to line up sights if my life is in danger.

I like the CT because it can be turned off and it is activated by a pressure sensitive switch in the grip. I don't use the CT at the range, that's where I practice my sighting, breathing and trigger pulls.

[Sparx]

Originally Posted by b23hqb

A very good thing about laser sights on a pistol is the ease at just pointing and shooting. If you are in a tussle with a bad guy, on the floor, upside down, whatever, however, all you have to do is place the dot on the perp, with either hand, and pull the trigger. No aiming necessary.

In close quarters, say 15 feet is probably as far away as anybody would be in a typical house, any laser even close to zeroed in will hit the body mass.

This fact that you can quickly target anything from any position was a big selling point in the CT DVD I got with the laser sight on my Glock. Practice makes perfect but there is no way most people can have the time or afford to practice enough to be acurate from any position with standard sights.