All posts tagged Laser Grips

The differences between hand held flashlights, weapon mounted and lasers and applications

crimson trace laser grips I got a good course in flashlight uses yesterday when a very well known Police instructor showed me how washouts and white outs occur when entering a room, there is such a thing now as too much power candle power.  Everyone is getting shocked when they see the output from some of these new Surefire and Streamlight flashlights and probable 350 Lumens is about what the average Surefire or Streamlight flashlight can put out.   I got a good review of some of the Pelican flashlights and it’s pretty obvious that the technology has greatly advanced.   Having high output is useful outdoors but indoors it can be liability.   Having a light that has adjustable output with a high and low is a good idea.   Also, there are big differences between having a search light vs a point light on your firearm.   Now go back to thinking about how much light you really need.

I have an LWRC M6A2 that I’ve had around for several years and recently had to make some changes due to my angled foregrip cracking.  I have been looking over the Crimson Trace Laser grips and thinking about putting a laser  on  it.   Using night vision in outdoor environments is a real possibility for me and I’ve learned to use lasers as pointing devices when working in team situations.   Its much easier to put a laser on a door in a building to identify the threat rather than to yell out which color and how many doors down the threat is sitting in.  Clearing rooms in a house after a domestic call or an alarm goes off is probable one of the most dangerous things police deal with and knowing how to use lights and lasers in those environment is very important.

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Going green with your gun cleaning and your lasers and sights?

Funny how often we make jokes at work about how our business is going green, but in a different way.   Many of the Trijicon optics that we sell use to be with Amber reticles and red crosshairs but not so much anymore.   The whole reason many are swithing over to the green reticles is  not that it’s a fad or anything, it’s that it is a scientific fast that the human eye picks up the green lasers and the green illumination better than red colors.   Now that this Country has over 10yrs of testing out various military style optics and weapons, there are some pretty big changes taking place.   Right now our biggest seller is the Trijicon TA31F-G combat optics.  Many of the flashlights and combo flashlights and lasers are going green.

I’m not the biggest fan of putting lasers on everything, but when you have Navy Seals walking in your store with them, and  you know they just came back from deployments there must be a reason they are using them.  Our primary staple for lasers has always been Crimson Trace laser grips although there has been a lot of traction made with the Viridian flashlights and their laser/light combos.   Streamlight makes a nice product with the TLR flashlights with various laser, lights, and strobe features but there are better things out there.   For home defense especially with less trained shooters, lasers can add more confidence to their shooting abilities.  Do your product review research and stop into a stock dealer and ask to check them out.

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Are lasers useful or just cool?

That’s an easy answer for anyone that has been on a range as long as I have.  My first experience with a firearm with a laser was with one of my friends and he mentioned that he had bad eyes and need it.   That was about all I needed to know about why somebody would put a laser on a firearm.  Look at the changes that have taken place on firearms and the way people put hi visibility sights on Glocks and rifles.   I’ve seen AKs glowing sights and watched how well someone could shoot with them.   Even though you may turn your gun into something that has pink and yellow sights, you will find the contrast will improve target acquisition.

Lasers are showing up on everthing and now that most handguns being issued to police and military have rails on them for flashlights, lasers are also put in the mix.  We are seeing lights like the Veridian flashlights and we’ve been moving plenty of Crimson Trace Laser grips for concealed carry pistols.   The LCP is hands down the most popular concealed carry gun, but I still have issues with the .380 caliber and what it does for the average crackhead.  Do some research on what type of holster you want and make sure it works with your laser properly, lasers are are good when you need them.

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Those pocket guns everyone is carrying

Everyone and their dog seems to be carrying a .380 pistol and the new surge seems to be for the Diamond back .380.   We’ve sold several of the Elite Survival holsters fore this gun and many have been using laser grips from Crimson Trace.   I personally don’t like carrying anything smaller than a 9mm due to the ballistics, but I have seem some improvements with them.  There definitely should be concerns about how much of this ammo you can shoot through smaller guns before you find out is too much wear.  Some defensive ammunition can push the limits on firearms and this should be noted when purchasing one.   The Rohrbaugh R9 gun is something that comes to mind.

When you are looking for a gun to carry every day, sometimes its really more about comfort and not caliber.  Most of the guns I’ve put Crimson Trace Laser Grips on were large frame guns that I  used in my home.   It was for added  confidence for less trained shooters.   I find lasers to be a better tool than flashlights in homes because flashlights don’t need to be used if you are in your own home and all you have to do is turn the lights on.    A small .380 pistol is a good CCW gun and for low light situations and for added intimidation for your mouse gun, the Crimson trace laser grip selection might work for you.

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Your lasers shoot straight but your bullets never will

Lasers have been around for a long time and there are plenty of stories out there with credibility that involved Law Enforcement using them on firearms and then removing them because they were a liability.  With each accessory you put on a firearm, there is always a chance that it will fail or snag on something or change your perception of  the way you are engaging a target.  Although laser grips can have their advantages, you have to train to use  them properly. If you are looking for that dot to exactly where you want it to be you are wasting time and giving your opponent an opportunity to get his sights on you.  I have done enough testing and evaluations with new students to know that the majority of individuals act a certain way when given laser grips, they slow down when engaging targets.

For those of us that have taken Carbine Courses, we know that the AR15 his a very  high sighting picture and in a home defense or hostage situation, you better know your point of impact or something catastrophic can occur.  Crimson Trace Laser Grips have really picked up for the concealed carry market and they fly out of the door for those carrying pocket guns.  The reality about most pocket guns is the sights are never used.  Some guns like the Rohrbaugh R9 come with and without sights, why… because at certain ranges and certain calibers you train not to use them.  If you using laser grips for carry purposes, you are better off training to use it as a highlighter for low light threats but you must always be aware that your point of impact changes over distances.

 

 

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Gun holsters and gun sights

One thing that I have heard more and more lately during defensive training courses that I have sat in, is a warning about changing sights  on  your guns and making changes to the holsters you already own.   The infamous spinning handgun is something that is going to occur on your favorite CCW gun if you haven’t paid any attention to the friction you have on your holster.   Even if the gun can clear the holster, a slight angle alteration and the front sight will catch on the holster and flip forward as you try and pull it out.

I’m definitely not against replacing your gun sights, I’m actually all for it, XS gun sights are great defensive gun sights and putting Crimson Trace Laser Grips on your pocket gun or your new Ruger LCP is something that is working quite well for others and sometimes it really good to just be observant to others when it comes to guns and gear.  A small cut or notch on your gun holster might be necessary if you change your gun sights.

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Nothing wrong with cheating

There have been moments in my training experience where I did have to speed up the process and get people in a position where they felt confident enough to have a firearm.   I’m not talking about skipping safety, I’m talking about skipping the 1000rd experience on a firing range.   I had a friend that was taking custody of a cousins baby while the baby’s mother went to drug rehab and the Father of the baby had recently gotten out of jail.   That individual broke into the home of my friend and tried to steal the baby back.   Sound crazy?  It’s actually true and although she had some level of firearm experience,  I didn’t expect to teach her how to disassemble and reassemble a Glock, but I did want her to know how to clear a malfunction.

She asked about putting a laser on a gun and I paused for a moment and asked her if she wanted one, she said yes, so I told her what to get.    She felt comfortable shooting a Sig 230 with a Crimson trace laser grip and that’s all I needed to know.  She put one box of ammo through it and had the right mindset to protect herself and I was done.   This wouldn’t have been ideal for many people, but while she planned on moving out of the area, she was unarmed and we all know what the police will tell you to do, buy a gun.

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Laser grips finally being accepted?

I remember when they first started showing up in law enforcement circles and then there were the debates about how cops were getting show because they were not using instinctive shooting skills and worry about trying to get the dot on target and ended up getting killed.  I can’t name a story to back that up, but with my experience in shooting and training on the firing line, I believe that it is true.  I jumped back into the laser grip world with my Smith & Wesson Model 637.   There is a place for laser sights, but it really seems to have caught on with smaller pocket guns than duty guns.

I think it’s not a debate that getting hits on target is more important than taking your time and trying to get the perfect hit.   In the real world one stop shots are not a reality.   Crimson trace laser grips are pricey, but i can’t complain about battery life.   I’ve put clost to 1000rds through my Smith & Wesson j-frame and I have not had to change a batter yet.  The real advantage I see with having a laser like this on a carry gun is to get a little bit more range out them and be able to use them in low light situations.

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Don’t expect a do it all gadget on your firearms

I saw a recent night fighting test where they basically showed how night sights become useless as soon as a flashlight gets turned on and the glowing dots won’t help you in low light conditions depending on your flashlight gun techniques.   The whole flashlight thing on handguns is a debate in itself because there are so many things to consider.   There are flashlight retention devices like the Section 8 Tactical ultimate retention device that have helped improve grip and freeing up your hand to open doors or do magazine changes, but it is true that it’s not as steady as a flashlight mounted on the firearm.

Night sights are nice, but who would get into a shoot out in their home without turning on a light or using a flashlight?   One thing to consider are Crimson Trace Laser grips for home defense because not only can you tell depth of a target in low light you can also get better cover and still know where your gun is pointed.   There are some really good defensive training DVD’s coming out an Massad Ayoob will be going over using laser grips in home situations.   I highly recommend using lasers on home firearms as well as flashlights, I think those are far more practical and advantageous than using night sights.

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Putting a safety on a firearm

There are many things to concern yourself with when you choose to carry a firearm.    People training to  hit holes on paper and maneuver themselves around a firearm range, but if the shit hits the fan, not everyone is mentally prepared for a fight.   Many that have become victims of crime tend to be the most proficient at my training courses because they know what the receiving end of crime feels like.   Having that feeling is not something the less experienced will easily learn to know.   I have personally witnessed people freeze up in hostile situations that I would normally think would be fighters and sometimes people can just become off balance and loose themselves.

Everyone has a different reason for carry the firearm that have chosen to carry and that is your personal choice.   I have issues with carrying firearms that are high maintenance, but to each his own.  One thing to consider when carry a firearm out in the open though is to have some level of retention device.   I am not big on using these for CCW, but for open carry, it’s wise to have something like the Blackhawk holsters that have a locking device that is easy to release but a BG that tries to grab a hold of your gun in a fight will have extra fiddling to do if they want to get a hold of your Sig Sauer, Glock or Springfield XD.

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