Do you believe that a laser is beneficial on a CCW?

[Inocense]

1. Yes
2. No
3. My mind is not made up



Comments? Suggestions? Opinions?

 

[NM-1911]

Yes, but it's like anything else. You have to practice with it. Practice, practice, practice. Also, one must remember that it is an aiming aid, and not the end-all-be-all. So, I practice with and without my laser.

Sent from my SGH-T889 using USA Carry mobile app

 

[Everclear]

You should learn to aim & fire your weapon accuratly without depending on a crutch. Also they seem to get off calibration very easily. At the range I see these dots dancing all over targets and rarely does the round go where the dot is.
Learn to use your weapon properly. Forget the novelty items.
Also mounting a flashlight on your gun?? Yeah right. the light is an easy primary target.

 

[The_Outlaw]

You should learn to aim & fire your weapon accuratly without depending on a crutch. Also they seem to get off calibration very easily. At the range I see these dots dancing all over targets and rarely does the round go where the dot is.
Learn to use your weapon properly. Forget the novelty items.
Also mounting a flashlight on your gun?? Yeah right. the light is an easy primary target.

^^^What He Said^^^

 

[UDoggie]

I think the question would be better stated, 'Does it hurt to have a laser installed...'

I have one on my CCW as I don't think that it hurts, and can definitely help. I agree that you should practice mostly without it, however I will take any possible edge that I can get if I am in a situation where I have to draw my firearm.

UD

 

[BC1]

Laser's shouldn't be relied on. Shooters must learn the proper fundamentals including sight alignment, sight picture and trigger control. Once they're good to go a laser can be a good training tool when used with snap-caps to work on trigger control. My wife has CT grips on her guns as a backup but she also has TruGlo TFO sights and is a very accurate shooter without a laser.

 

[thoricuncle]

I like a laser on the small pocket pistols. They have a very small sight radius and even smaller sights. Also, when you need to use them, I can focus on the attacker and not the front sight of my pistol.

However, I also agree that you need to practice without them and make sure you are competent without them. Finally, don't go cheap. I have seen the cheaper lasers switch off during recoil. Also, I like the Crimson Trace as they are not constantly on. I have a friend who took his pistol out of the case and then realized he left the laser on when he cased it.

Regarding flashlights, I have to use one anyways since I have others in my house. When I am searching my house; I have a flashlight in my hand. If I see someone and have to draw, I drop the flashlight (on a lanyard) and then turn on the flashlight on my pistol. As far as giving away my position, I suppose I am doing that. But I am also a middle aged fat man so my ninja days are pretty much over. If he sees me coming and decides to jump out the window and run away, I'm fine with that.

 

[jcreek]

Also mounting a flashlight on your gun?? Yeah right. the light is an easy primary target.

Ya, randomly throwing lead at vague silhouettes in complete darkness is so much better.

 

[farsidefan1]

I have a laser on my pocket gun but I don't like it all that much. The problem is I have trained my eyes to lock on the front sight, not some little red dot on the target. Now with a pocket pistol I will never shoot that from more than 10 feet away so I think the major benefit is to scare someone away rather than depend on it. Just my 2 cents.

 

[N R A]

Yes, I like high quality ones. If the laser is not ball park price of your gun, that is telling. I have an internal guide rod unit in one of my Glocks. Quality unit.

 

[bo_leggs]

I have bifocals and iron sights are not good with them. That's why I bought a Crimson Trace laser with my LC9. I really like it. I used to carry a .22 revolver with me on my tractor and would shoot rabbits on the run with it. I doubt I could still do that today. I'm trying to find laser grips for it now because I always likes that handgun.

 

[Austin]

Yes

 

[Jay]

Rarely is a person exposed to "complete" darkness. Most often there is enough ambient light to discern the target. Lights/lasers may be neat, but few folks have the discipline to train properly with them.

As with most things firearms, personal preference rules.

 

[Geosan1030]

I mounted a laser on a XD40 sub-compact and had great success. I trained about twice a month at the range and it did wonders for my point shooting. About a year later, I removed the laser and went back to using the sights.

I have found that I get on target faster and shoot better now that I've removed the laser. I attribute the faster, better shooting to the muscle memory developed from the point shooting.

I have since sold the XD and use a Shield. I've toyed with the idea of getting a laser for it, but will defer.

My opinion is that he laser is a great tool to help develop shooting skills, but should not be used as a crutch. Learn to shoot without the laser. If you mount one, don't forget to turn the thing off once in a while and shoot without it.

 

[the dark]

Don't have any lasers on my carry weapons. Only useful application I see is in shooting from unorthodox positions.

 

[the dark]

Also mounting a flashlight on your gun?? Yeah right. the light is an easy primary target.

Ya, randomly throwing lead at vague silhouettes in complete darkness is so much better.

They sell ones where you can actually hold them in your hand - even without a gun. You can even hold it in ways where the light is away from your body and where you do not have to leave it on all the time - you know, pulse it.

 

[tricolordad]

Nah. If you need a laser to hit your target, you need to put the gun away until you can hit consistently. The only time I've ever had a laser on one of my guns was when I borrowed a boresighter at the range. Problem ended up being my aim, go figure. Stupid Enfield.

 

[Firefighterchen]

Yes.

I believe a laser can be beneficial in different situations. Rather have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. As others have said, practice is key.

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[r1derbike]

Weapon light and and meprolights here. I could see a laser handy in oddball position aiming, though. May have to try it, next few years...

 

[bo_leggs]

Don't have any lasers on my carry weapons. Only useful application I see is in shooting from unorthodox positions.

I rather doubt that a person will be sitting at a shooting bench or in some other standard position when the shooting breaks out and I also doubt that he will have time or will to stand where he is and start shooting, so yes, laser sights would probably be beneficial. My brother-in-law has lasers on all of his CCW's just for that reason, and he's former military and former LEO, so I trust his judgment.