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Do You Need a Laser?

SATRP

Master Class
Founding Member
Nope, I don't need a laser. In fact, I want nothing attached to any handgun.

Too many tools in a toolbox often leads to clutter.

The most important tool box is the one between a person's ears.
 
Good article Mike.
I was on the laser kick when I first started carrying, got away from it quickly.
My belief is it’s the “cool factor” for new gun owners. A simple light is much more affective for a home defense gun. “My Opinion”
 

Talyn

Ronin
Founding Member
To me having a laser is for point and shoot CQB where proper aiming is not possible.

I mostly have a light on pistols/ARs, but also have lasers for what I described. I have & use two types of lights on ARs, but have more laser use on them, as well as a couple for pistols.

My .02
 
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Bassbob

SAINT
I have a laser on one pistol. A Shield .45. It's integrated and there's a button you have to extend your trigger finger to activate it. I put a Laserguard on my dad's EZ .380. Those wrap around the trigger guard and come on automatically when you grip the gun normally. I like that much better. As far as use while carrying, the laser is useless. Plus it's red so you can barely see it in the daylight. The pistol does normally sit in my nightstand though so if I needed it in the middle of the night it could be handy I guess. For the most part lasers fill me with ennui.
 

Peglegjoe

Professional
Founding Member
I have an instant-on laser on my XD-s. Draw, it lights automatically, and I have it mainly (as mentioned above) for CQB / point-shoot situations when a normal sight picture is not possible. Green - highly visible in daylight. No thought, no additional action required. Place dot, pull trigger, make hole. TruGlo sights for when I can get a traditional sight picture; Viridian as a backup for when I can't.
 

jmcd

Professional
Founding Member
Good article. Especially liked the part mentioning a laser is not a substitute for skill. Based on some of the folks I see using them at the range, That's what it looks like. Not even watching the gun, just watching the dot that is usually going all over the place.
 
I have lasers on a few defensive pistols.

They are for use in unconventional shooting positions, when point shooting muscle memory hadn’t been built up, and sights are not going to be usable...such as being flat on your back, shooting at a target “above” you, or rolling on your side, on the ground.

But they aren’t a substitute for practice; I tend to concentrate on practicing with them switched off, but also practice with them on.
 

Peglegjoe

Professional
Founding Member
The laser does jump from recoil. I practice both ways - irons, mostly, because I don't want to count on a battery in a life and death situation - but generally my last couple mags of a session are laser-focused. It's actually an excellent way to learn to "time" your recoil and recovery cycles. If you think musically, it's a way to figure out the "beat" of your handgun - fire/recoil/recover/on-target/fire. Or..."bang..up...down...bang". I know when my XDs is back on target and can simply pull the trigger "in time", and the shots go into my grouping.
 

Annihilator

Emissary
Founding Member
I’m old school here, I don’t believe in putting ones life in possible jeopardy with any accessories that require a battery, I was taught to use your sites, and practice using your said weapon, just my opinion.
 

Mr. Untactical

Elite
Founding Member
Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled Do You Need a Laser? and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/do-you-need-a-laser/.

Fair and balanced article on handgun-mounted lasers. Personally, I never liked them. Of course, I was fairly new to serious handgun shooting and likely had not mastered the basics of iron sights as yet. Still, I felt like a cat chasing a laser pointer and found I could shoot more accurately without the aid of the laser. Maybe I was just doing it wrong!
 
I had a laser on one gun, the first hand gun I bought for concealed carry while living in Texas. It was set up with a grip switch that activated the laser as soon as you gripped the gun to shoot. The problem was that gun.....
M&P Shield in 40SW was so small in my big hands that I couldn’t hit the broad side of barn at 5 yards. The recoil was also brutal. The laser got more use having my little dog chase the red dot around the apartment.
 
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