I know a lot of you guys carry K frames...

[glockopop]

So you may be interested in this:

Crimson Trace lasergrips on sale for $199.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0044729223843a&navCount=0&podId=0044729&parentId=cat601106&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&cmCat=cat21404_ntw2&catalogCode=6IS&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601106&hasJS=true

 

[Mike Irwin]

Actually, not interested in the least.

For any of my K frames.

Or J frames.

Or N frames...

 

[beezaur]

I use them on my 1911. They are extremely effective.

I was at some handgun training this summer with maybe 20 others. One was a new shooter, some guy in the class' wife. She had a .38 snub with a Crimson trace, and was outshooting a good 2/3 of the class.

The laser is a cheat, but it is a really, really good one.

I don't know that I would go for one on my GP100 though. I would not want to give up my Hogues. It isn't as big a deal with a 1911.

Scott

 

[Playboypenguin]

Whenever someone suggests a laser sight to me I alwys politely reply..."Thanks, but I don't need them. I know how to shoot."

Not to mention how butt ugly those things are on your firearm.

 

[DonR101395]

They put a set on my duty weapon and after zeroing them I haven't turned them on. I just don't care for them. To quote PP "I know how to shoot." I look at them as an LCD crutch.

 

[beezaur]

The use where they come into their own is when you have no sight allignment.

You bight be shooting from behind a barricade with your head in one position and the gun in another. Or, you might just be shooting quickly from an awkward position.

They also work for precise shots under lots of stress or in poor lighting conditions.

At the class with the woman who had the .38, we did a fire while retreating drill. The instructor had me turn on the laser (I had shot the day without it) and go for head shots instead of body shots. He said most times, you can fire while retreating using the laser and accomplish a fist-sized group in the head area of the target. The laser was pretty new for me at that point, but I did better than with irons anyway. I can do it now.

Like I said, it's a cheat (or crutch or whatever). But shooting to save my life, I'll take what I can get.

Scott

 

[Rimrod]

I bought a laser when they first came out. I put it on the gun, zeroed it in, dry fired it a couple times and took it off. Now every time I see a Crimson Tace commercial on T.V. I have to wipe the spit off the screen, what a joke!

 

[buzz_knox]

There are a lot of credible people using the Crimson Trace in the real world for various applications. It's absolutely not a replacement for proper training or use of the sights, but they are no longer the gimmick they once were.

 

[beezaur]

Dunno why you guys are bashing this thing. Works well enough for me, and for Larry Vickers too.

Scott

 

[DonR101395]

Dunno why you guys are bashing this thing. Works well enough for me, and for Larry Vickers too.

Not bashing it, I just don't care for it. It has it's applications.

 

[Hank's Dad]

I had a salesman try to sell me some once. His biggest reason for thinking I should have them is that when I draw my weapon and the bad guy sees the dot on his chest, then I could defuse the critical situation.

My response to him was that as I am not a LEO any more and if I have drawn my weapon and am pointing it at someone, we are WAAAAY PAST the point of negotiations. I am pointing it at that person because I believe my life or the life of someone else is in such jeapordy only deadly force will stop the threat.

He got this "well, that does make a lot of sense but I am too proud to admit it" look on his face and tried to sell it to me. But I just said "no thanks" after that. I still visit the shop, he still tries to sell me them but only get a few words in before he remembers the previous conversation. It is pretty funny to watch.

Anyway, I appreciate the information, but don't think they are for me. Besides, it will just show me how much I am shaking.

 

[Tom2]

I put some on a J frame I keep loaded around the house. I figure, shooting a snub in a darkened place, you can use all the help you can get. And it is optional to activate the thing or use it in any situation. Might just put night sights on an auto or something that is easy to install them on, though. Plus you can take them off easily if you want to change grips or sell them. Lot harder to do with night sights. I may not need them in daylight, but I expect more situations around the home to crop up at night. I am not to proud to cheat to come out on top!

 

[Mike Irwin]

Please show me where I'm bashing them?

 

[beezaur]

Mike,

You weren't bashing per se (please show me where I said *you* were). You just expressed a negative sentiment. It mattered enough for you to state how little interest you have in them.

Don't get me wrong -- aesthetically, on revolvers, they stink. And, they probably promote poor marksmanship practice, which is a little appalling to those of us who make a real effort to get good with our irons. I don't fault anyone for not liking them. Notice I mentioned they will not find a home on my revolver.

However, they are no joke, nor should they suffer the insult of a cheezy salesman's goofy scenarios. They should not be judged by slimy sales pitches, and certianly should not be judged by a few dry fires, etc.

Try them out with some kind of live fire, shooting on the move and in poor lighting. If you come away from that and still think they are a joke, then so be it. That would at least be an informed wrong opinion.

Scott

 

[Rimrod]

"...and certianly should not be judged by a few dry fires, etc."

I'll take that as being directed at me. My dry fires were first with bringing the gun up to eye level, you know like the little grandma and the professionals on the commercials. If your going to bring the gun up that far you might as well go ahead and use the sights instead of looking for the laser because it will be quicker. As a point shooter I also tried using it for that, again it was much slower to look for a little dot when I could point the gun much faster and be just as accurate. As for using the laser for accurate shooting it is very hard to hold the gun steady enough. The dot on the target is further away than the sights on the gun so even a small amount of movement is magnified at the dot. I do like watching people on the range use them though, when the dot starts to bounce they try to compensate and the little dot flys all over the place.

You apparently feel that because I didn't wast any ammunition with them I don't know what I'm talking about. Maybe I've advanced to the point where I don't need to use a product because some guy I've never heard of uses one too.

I am not trying to stop anyone from buying them though, quite the contrary. I like to know who knows how to shoot and who thinks technology will make up for their lack of skills.

 

[beezaur]

Sorry, that was a bit much I guess. Please take me with a large grain of salt; please consider it friendly bantering, nothing more

So these things are on TV ads eh? I haven't watched network TV for years (too cheap for a dish where I live in the sticks). I can only imagine.

The range issue is precisely one of the worst things about lasers. I was lucky and learned to shoot on a high school rifle team, then had the priviledge of working in ammo R&D for a few years later on. All irons. For people doing without, just teaching themselves at the range, the laser is a bit of a trap. It promises so much, but if you don't have the basic marksmanship to begin with, it can only teach bad habits. It is the kind of thing you should not be allowed to use until you qualify with irons.

Scott

 

[Mike Irwin]

"Try them out with some kind of live fire, shooting on the move and in poor lighting. If you come away from that and still think they are a joke, then so be it."

Uhm....

What makes you think that I haven't, and what makes you think that I think they're a joke?

You're assuming one hell of a lot here.

 

[buzz_knox]

My response to him was that as I am not a LEO any more and if I have drawn my weapon and am pointing it at someone, we are WAAAAY PAST the point of negotiations. I am pointing it at that person because I believe my life or the life of someone else is in such jeapordy only deadly force will stop the threat.

While I don't buy into the laser being a deterrent, I will say that a massive number of weapon presentations do not result in rounds being discharged. Be sure your training doesn't neglect the all important step of evaluating what happens when the person sees that you are armed and prepared to defend yourself.

 

[Hammer It]

Dunno why you guys are bashing this thing. Works well enough for me, and for Larry Vickers too.

Hello
I see them as a Maintenance issue. Most that daily carry, Rarely check their weapon on a daily Basis. Can you imagine Needing it, and pushing the button to find the batteries dead ? I would rather have the old Factory sights that have been proven effective and will not let you down. Hammer It

 

[22-rimfire]

The only guns that I might consider laser grips are the J-frame Smiths which I carry. I have not taken the plunge, but it is one that I am considering. Tamara recommended them for a carry gun as your shooting is going to be somewhat instinctive at close range and the laser may be quite useful. When I can afford them, I'm going to try out a set.