Laser or night sights or both?

[cjtpilot]

I woud like some input here, I currently have night sights and have been thinking about adding a laser sight as well. Is it worth the expense? what do you recomend?

 

[sctrini]

I say if you can afford it go for it! I have Night Sites on my home defense pistol and recently added a Viridian C series laser/light combo. It helps is something go bump in the middle of the night and my vision is still blurry from deep sleep!

 

[Over9k]

If you have night sights, having a flashlight attached is necessary. Otherwise, how will you identify your target? You can't assume you'll have access to a light switch (or electricity for that a matter). A laser performs the same function as night sights, just makes target acquisition a bit easier, so having both would be redundant (unless if the night sights are being used as a backup in case of laser failure).

 

[THE REAL CAPTAIN JACK]

Viridian X5L best on the market. But I agree, when you get woke in the middle of the night it really helps to have the weapon mounted light. You will also be suprised how little you use the laser after the novelty wears off. I also swear by Meprolite night sights brightest ones of all that I own.

GUN CARRYING AMERICAN PATRIOT!!!!

 

[GlassWolf]

I woud like some input here, I currently have night sights and have been thinking about adding a laser sight as well. Is it worth the expense? what do you recomend?

If this is a home defense gun, you're better off with a rail mounted tac light with strobe.

 

[s0nspark]

Not a fan of the strobe... it is all too easy to blind yourself with it IMO.

 

[wolf_fire]

I woud like some input here, I currently have night sights and have been thinking about adding a laser sight as well. Is it worth the expense? what do you recomend?

Keep the night sights and get a good hand sized flashlight with a button switch on the bottom of the flashlight so you can operate it with your thumb. A laser won't help if it is truly dark, but a flashlight turned on for a moment can give you a sight picture and you can turn it off immediately.

I don't see the advantage of a laser for low or no light situations. However, a laser can be an effective tool in other respects.

 

[GlassWolf]

Not a fan of the strobe... it is all too easy to blind yourself with it IMO.

Keep the night sights and get a good hand sized flashlight with a button switch on the bottom of the flashlight so you can operate it with your thumb. A laser won't help if it is truly dark, but a flashlight turned on for a moment can give you a sight picture and you can turn it off immediately.

I don't see the advantage of a laser for low or no light situations. However, a laser can be an effective tool in other respects.

I'll simply note here that a rail mounted light with strobe is not only blinding and disorienting to the adversary, but has nearly no chance of blinding you, the operator, unless you muzzle yourself by looking down the barrel of your own gun while holding it. Now with a hand-held tac light, not only is it very easy to blind yourself if you drop the light, or turn the wrong way too quickly, but it also limits you to essentially a single-handed firearm grip, or a hand-and-a-half grip, neither of which will be as stable as a full two-handed grip. This is especially true for your follow-up shots if you have to take more than one shot to stop the threat.

 

[wolf_fire]

Keep the night sights and get a good hand sized flashlight with a button switch on the bottom of the flashlight so you can operate it with your thumb. A laser won't help if it is truly dark, but a flashlight turned on for a moment can give you a sight picture and you can turn it off immediately.

I don't see the advantage of a laser for low or no light situations. However, a laser can be an effective tool in other respects.

I'll simply note here that a rail mounted light with strobe is not only blinding and disorienting to the adversary, but has nearly no chance of blinding you, the operator, unless you muzzle yourself by looking down the barrel of your own gun while holding it. Now with a hand-held tac light, not only is it very easy to blind yourself if you drop the light, or turn the wrong way too quickly, but it also limits you to essentially a single-handed firearm grip, or a hand-and-a-half grip, neither of which will be as stable as a full two-handed grip. This is especially true for your follow-up shots if you have to take more than one shot to stop the threat.

And I will simply note, that if you get a flashlight that has a double switch button (one that you can depress and its on and let go and its off, or depress fully and its always on) is a flashlight that you can control so it will never blind you either.

Also, you may want to learn several different flashlight carry methods. I tried different ones until I found one that I really enjoyed and had full control even with multiple follow up shots. Learning to control a flashlight allows you to orient the flashlight to where you wish it to be pointed. If you are required to point your flashlight AND your muzzle at the same thing (as with a rail-mounted), you may find yourself pointing at a family member with your gun. If you are able to steer the flashlight first and then turn the gun, you will never muzzle something (or worse someone) you do not wish to muzzle.

Personally, I prefer the Harries hold, but here are several others for people to learn about: Handgun Flashlight Hold

 

[s0nspark]

With a strobe, perhaps "blind" was a poor choice of words on my part (although that is how it feels when it happens...)

What I should have said is that I find strobes to be very disorienting whether they are pointed at me or not. I'm sure this is a personal thing but I felt it was worth mentioning... If you plan on using any tool for self-defense you need to practice with it under realistic circumstances to determine if and how it will work for you.

One other point - the only real advantages I've found with a laser are that, first, on my pocket pistol it is necessary for any precision because the sights are practically nonexistent and second it can be handy for placing shots when you are in a position that precludes sighted fire (around cover, for example). For normal shooting I think the laser can be a distraction.

 

[dogshawred]

I woud like some input here, I currently have night sights and have been thinking about adding a laser sight as well. Is it worth the expense? what do you recomend?

"Is it worth the expense?" this depends on what you feel you need for your defense and whether you feel it will improve you confidence in a defensive situation.
~
Alternatives have been offered to give you another direction to take for night vision aids for home defense and they are quite good in that regard, because having the ability and advantage of lighting up your known dark spots is necessary during defense situations.
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A light will not help you aim in the dark or low light environments and as we age our night vision decreases with time as does other aspects of our ability to function under stressful conditions. Although a targeting laser will allow you to come on targets at night more easily and with greater accuracy without having to sight aim to achieve a direct hit. Using this along with practiced point/aim shooting will garner you a defensive confidence that will help during those critical moments when you need to defend yourself and loved ones.
~
Using your knowledge of your home environment by assessing the light patterns in your home, knowing where the ambient light shines in from outside or from where it is generated within your home can tell you where to best look for intruders. If you find a concealment area that would aid an intruder you can alter its condition to fill it with something to block an assailant from using or change your lighting to aid your defense. You will only find these areas if you take the time to do repeated walks through at different time to find your weak points, it is then you will need to make what changes feel help your defense situation in your home.
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I personally have high intensity hand held lights for night time, but also have a Link Removed mounted on my XD-40 for night time protection. This unit replaces the rear sights and add little weight or obstruction to the firearm (they make them for many models). I have run more that 1000 round through the unit with no effect against the operation of the laser. I have found it quite effective and feel that it adds to my ability feel safe at night.
~
If you know someone who has a laser mounted on their weapon see if you can check it our and fire it under low light/dark conditions. But remember it is just an accessory you are adding to your self defense tool bag and you have to be competent with how to use it properly. Practice, Practice, Practice, you can not ever get enough.

 

[GlassWolf]

And I will simply note, that if you get a flashlight that has a double switch button (one that you can depress and its on and let go and its off, or depress fully and its always on) is a flashlight that you can control so it will never blind you either.

Also, you may want to learn several different flashlight carry methods. I tried different ones until I found one that I really enjoyed and had full control even with multiple follow up shots. Learning to control a flashlight allows you to orient the flashlight to where you wish it to be pointed. If you are required to point your flashlight AND your muzzle at the same thing (as with a rail-mounted), you may find yourself pointing at a family member with your gun. If you are able to steer the flashlight first and then turn the gun, you will never muzzle something (or worse someone) you do not wish to muzzle.

Personally, I prefer the Harries hold, but here are several others for people to learn about: Handgun Flashlight Hold

working that momentary switch on a tac light while holding both that and a handgun are fine motor skills. Those aren't so fine when you're experiencing an adrenaline dump when you're really going to ned to depend on everything to get through the event alive and intact. I'm quite familier with Harris, and the other techniques, but like I mentioned previously, they are "hand and a half" means of holding the firearm. It's not a grip that helps to control recoil.
Do what works for you.

 

[BluesStringer]

Hello. My name is Blues, and I'm a flash-a-holic. I've got so many flashlights that there probably aren't enough batteries in all of Madison County, AL to power 'em all. Well, OK, that's a *slight* exaggeration, but I've got a bunch of 'em sho' 'nuff.

As a couple of others have said, I'm not a fan of strobes, though many (if not most) of my torches have that capability. Problem is for me that I grew up in the 60's/70's and spent every minute that I could afford to spend at concerts with psychedelic light shows, and a strobe wouldn't phase me any more than it would phase Jimi, Janis or Jerry (may they all RIP). All of my strobe-capable lights use the strongest power available within the led circuitry, and my belief is that a sustained blast of 300 to 900 lumens is just as "disorienting" as a 300 to 900 lumen strobe. At least if used on me, it would be. The strobe may make me think I was having a flashback, but I was real good at maintaining in front of Mom anyway, so I wouldn't be disoriented. LOL

I only have one handgun-appropriate weapon light, an older Streamlight TLR-2 which is a light/laser combo, but doesn't BTW, have strobe circuitry. The TLR-2 is a quick-disconnect design that I take advantage of anytime I'm going to carry my .45 (which is where the light usually finds itself) away from the house. I keep the weapon with the light mounted within reach of the bed, and consider it my inside-the-house primary weapon. I keep the laser and flashlight switch turned to "both" and train using it with the momentary switch almost exclusively (my feeling being that sustained light gives a BG a good target to shoot at). My .45 came with night-sights, but they are at the bottom of the list of sighting systems that I rely on. I focus neither on the laser or the night-sights when training in low light, but rather, I focus on the light beam and the target(s) it reveals. Only after identifying a target would I pay attention to the laser, and in low light, I prefer it over trying to focus on the 3 dots on the weapon, and really, that's true night or day.

I've got a few different mounts for my rifles that many different lights fit in. I use a reflex site on the top rail, so a laser isn't really needed, though I agree with whoever said that a laser comes in handy when firing around cover and can't use whatever sighting systems you normally use. I may rethink not having a laser on my rifles because of that thought. Link Removed

Guess I should actually address the OP's question though.

I woud like some input here, I currently have night sights and have been thinking about adding a laser sight as well. Is it worth the expense? what do you recomend?

If I were starting over from scratch, as others have alluded to, I would start with a good lighting system, whether you decide on weapon-mounted or hand-held. If you go weapon-mounted, you can get several units like the one I have (Streamlight TLR-2) that are laser/light combos, but IMO, a laser by itself isn't very useful in near-darkness because it doesn't illuminate your target.

Worth the expense? I don't know, that's a question you'd get more honesty from by asking my wife, and that answer would be a loud, unequivocal "Hell NO!" But I've got everything from .15 cent Chinese key-chain lights to $1500 4500 lumen searchlights hangin' around here, and though I've given a few away as gifts to friends before, I've never sold a single light that I've bought that I remember.

Not to get too far off-track, but this has always spoken to me:

John 12:35 ESV - "So Jesus said to them, 'The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.'"

I try to always know where I'm going! Link Removed

Blues

 

[r1derbike]

I use meprolights and a rail mounted flashlight on my XD-S. At least until the recall. Never did put a laser on it. Thought about it a lot, and decided it would be more trouble than it was worth, trying to find it over bright outside lighting. Another negative (YMMV) is wasting time concentrating to keep the laser as still as possible on your target, when milliseconds count in an SD scenario. You don't need, and possibly can't keep the laser still. It doesn't matter. If on the desired target area, squeeze!

I'll take the mepros and weapon mounted light, thank you! Some may argue that sweeping the muzzle of your weapon where the light goes is undesirable...not in my house!

That's exactly where I want my muzzle pointed!

 

[Pir8fan]

Viridian X5L best on the market. But I agree, when you get woke in the middle of the night it really helps to have the weapon mounted light. You will also be suprised how little you use the laser after the novelty wears off. I also swear by Meprolite night sights brightest ones of all that I own.

GUN CARRYING AMERICAN PATRIOT!!!!

I agree with the Meprolite sights. First thing I do for each new handgun is install a set of those. I've left them in drawer for a week and they're still bright.

 

[GlassWolf]

Meprolight uses Tritium. You could leave the gun in a drawer for 10 years and they'd still glow pretty bright.