What color is your laser

[mastrheadhunter]

With Crimson Trace now coming out with the green laser; what color is on your concealed carry weapon? Green for seeing it better in the daylight or the traditional red. I'm leaning on going green since my concealed carry is done primarily in the daytime and keeping the red one on my Glock .45 for the night stand.

 

[Justin Lee Boughton]

With Crimson Trace now coming out with the green laser; what color is on your concealed carry weapon? Green for seeing it better in the daylight or the traditional red. I'm leaning on going green since my concealed carry is done primarily in the daytime and keeping the red one on my Glock .45 for the night stand.

Using one color for daytime carry and another for night sounds like you might be relying on a laser too much. I think using a laser on your handgun will only serve to help you develop bad habits and too much reliance on the laser. There's no substitute for practicing regularly with your weapon, and making sure you can hit what you're aiming at, night or day, laser or not. After all, what do you do if the laser fails or batteries die?

That being said, your assumption is correct that green is the best option for daytime carry, but we can't always pick and choose. I own a S&W Bodyguard 380, and I'm pretty sure that's only available in red.

I have found though that I'm able to be much more accurate just using the sights and ignoring the laser.

 

[schadenfreude]

Although the green (532nm) lasers offer greater visibilty in bright daylight, my needs (primarily night-time house-clearing) are met adequately with a red laser. I've gone with a 635nm (red) unit as opposed to the more common 650nm (red) since the higher frequency (due to the shorter wavelength of 635nm) is more brilliant than the 650nm units that I have grown accustomed to.

Like many folks, I have no problem designating targets in daylight and I prefer not to rely on the laser unless lighting conditions mandate it.

 

[cgiven1]

I have red on Glock 23 and S&W .357. The .357 is for my nightstand while the Glock is my carry. I've had laser surgery on my eyes so although day time vision is good, in dusk or dim light situations I can't focus on near objects like the sights. The laser allows me to be able to make sure I'm on target if I have to fire.

 

[JSDinTexas]

It's my understanding that the green is not as bright as the red, although I have not confirmed this.
Two thoughts:
Red is a mentally active color, while green is passive, so my thought is a red dot on a BG might cause them to pause and avoid the problem. (I said might)
I have a CT laser on a J frame BUG, designed for an emergency go to while the S is HTF so taking time to aim is questionable. The laser allows shooting without aiming the sights.

 

[walt629]

"coming out now"? Green lasers have been on the market for years, haven't they?

Green is better for day time or night. But the .45 on your bed stand should have a 150 lumen white light, not a laser.

 

[wolf_fire]

While your assertion that green would be more visible in the day time is correct, I warn against a laser on a handgun. I have a handgun with a laser and several without. I keep the laser turned off mostly since I found I started to rely on it when practicing and it was becoming a crutch rather than a tool. Today, I use the laser for dry-fire drills only. It is better to know your firearm and fire it well in all types of circumstances. With this in mind, I do rely on tritium and fiber optic sites. They allow good vision of the sites in both bright light and low light situations, but they still are sites and not devices to prevent you from aiming properly. Another point against lasers is that a laser can give your attacker a target to shoot at. If you do use one and it is a low light situation, use it only temporarily to make sure you are on target and then turn it off immediately to avoid it being the target of your attacker.

If it does not become the crutch that it did for me... by all means go for it. Just beware that it can become one.

There are also drills that I practice where I don't use the sites at all ... max 7 yards or less.

 

[netraider]

From one who has had a couple of bilateral eye decompression surgies, point and shoot can be fustrating. The eyes focus can be disconcerting, so a laser maybe a crutch, but it is better than missing bad doers in self defense. I don't favor the concept of sticking my head out from defensive cover to line sights against a moving target. I want to get the job done - self preservation. I am not a match champion or golden gun. I don't think a bad guy would give me time to put on my glasses which no help any way. I quess I am a laser sissy, better than shooting an innocent by stander.

 

[NotTwoShure]

I have red on Glock 23 and S&W .357. The .357 is for my nightstand while the Glock is my carry. I've had laser surgery on my eyes so although day time vision is good, in dusk or dim light situations I can't focus on near objects like the sights. The laser allows me to be able to make sure I'm on target if I have to fire.

Not that I am paranoid but, Kimber under pillow, Glock (With Red Laser) under bed. Do not wish to wake up in the dark with the knee jerk action of a scared old man with the Glock. The Kimber (1911 .45 acp) give me wake up time, the Glock gives me better eyes with the laser.

 

[mastrheadhunter]

Thank you all for your opinions and comments. I don't see lasers as a crutch but as another tool just like the weapon itself. In a pressure situation; a defensive situation; firing from a cover situation, the laser would be an additional tool to assist you. I'm a damn good shot with all 3 of my weapons (9mm, .40 .45) without a laser. But I firmly believe that there is no such thing as being over prepared. I think i'm just going to go with the red laser for my .40 Glock 23c.

 

[schadenfreude]

Thank you all for your opinions and comments. I don't see lasers as a crutch but as another tool just like the weapon itself. In a pressure situation; a defensive situation; firing from a cover situation, the laser would be an additional tool to assist you. I'm a damn good shot with all 3 of my weapons (9mm, .40 .45) without a laser. But I firmly believe that there is no such thing as being over prepared. I think i'm just going to go with the red laser for my .40 Glock 23c.

You're probably better off with a red laser for another reason, too. Green lasers require conversion from an infrared diode which can lead to over-heating and cause the unit to shut-down (if your luck is like mine, it will be at the worst possible time) to "protect" itself- red lasers using a 635nm or 650nm diode don't have that issue and if you can get a 635nm one in the higher power range (over 5mw) daylight visibilty increases a little more, too.

You'll have to consult manufacturer specs for that.

 

[wizard]

Green is actually an easier color for your eye to pick up as it is more in the center of our visual acuity. That is why we can see the green better in the daylight. Remember ROYGBIV? The colors of the rainbow? Where is the color green? As for the lasers themselves, red is the easiest (and cheapest) to manufacture. I think they are a good tool when used properly. There should be no substitution for good sight picture.

 

[Sir Diealotz]

Red crimson trace

 

[titaniumman]

Red crimson trace

YEP! thats what I think too!

 

[clarkje]

I wouldn't mind a green laser for my Taurus tcp. I think Crimson Trace only makes a red laser for it though? What I really want is that strobe light from the movie "kick ass". LoL.

 

[fudo]

Green. It is interesting to note that ~60% of men are color blind, to one extent or other. The most common type of color blindness is red/green. A red light has to be 20X as bright as a green light, to be seen as equally bright. And the lasers are all red or green.

 

[aluminator]

I have the red CT on four of my guns and would like to have a green one.
Why is it everytime someone mentions a laser,someone who doesn't have one says"you'll become too dependant on the laser".Is everyone with a laser a moron?I shoot IDPA,USPSA and shoot paper and reactive steel without one.I keep a laser on my EDC because it might keep me from having to kill someone.It'd also be valuable if or when you couldn't use the sights.It's just another tool.

 

[Pir8fan]

Mine's red for a couple of simple reasons. First, I don't rely on it during the day so seeing it would just be a distraction. Second, at night, I don't want to see a bright green beam of light. Red doesn't ruin your night vision like other colors. A side benefit is that a BG might see the red dot on him but not see where it's coming from. A green laser will show him exactly where you're hiding/standing.

 

[aluminator]

Hadn't thought of that.Good point.

 

[eagleeyes]

i don't have a laser light on my gun but i think a good blinding flashlight would be more helpful to me than a laser but if i won that ruger with the laser i'd like it very much red or green