Firearms Accessories are like opening a tool box, Crimson Trace Laser Grips……..
One of the best analogies I’ve ever heard when discussing a Mini 14 vs AR15 debate over on the The Firing Line.com was a debate about how crappy the Mini 14 was and how it didn’t hold up. I remember a talking to someone that referenced that the difference between various rifles was the difference between a 9 iron, a wedge and a putter. The Golf analogy has stuck with me and have often used it in Training, even when people talk about different ammunition from M193 to M855 and the M262. Each one of those has a different velocity and terminal ballistics. When the discussion is about Trijicon ACOGS, Eotechs and Aimpoints, the same analogy applies. The AR15 is probable the most versatile firearm in existence and adding different optics and accessories to it can give you a short range advantage or a long range advantage and often, not both.
A good operator is going to know the limits of his firearm and push the envelope if even need be and the usefulness of Crimson Trace Laser grips isn’t going to be different than any of the previously mentioned topics. One thing that I have recently proven to myself is that green lasers have an advantage over red laser grips at longer ranges. One reality about firearm engagements is that “hits” are what count and being under stress is something that many never push themselves to train for. Lasers are good for I.D. Targets and if you’ve ever been in low light situations the ability to point, still defend yourself and know where your muzzle is actually at, Crimson Trace Laser Grips might give you an advantage in your home or in your line of work.
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.
There has been much talk over the last 2 decades about lasers and flashlights being a liability to an operator more so than an asset. In about 45 seconds of teaching closer quarters combat and inside the home self defense, a laser is an obvious outing of a users location. I understand that if you are trying to sneak around your house and take out a threat, a laser that is turned on will tell the threat you are near. Flashlights run the same risks if they are used incorrectly, but try and tell a SWAT Team to enter a dark room and determine where a threat may be hiding and whether or not an innocent bystander is hiding in the dark.