Laser grips - are they all they're cut out to be?

[HiltonFarmer]

I have been interested in some optics for my XD40 and my local gun shop has been talking about laser grips as an alternative. I know of no one that has these on their handguns at the range I belong to although many do have optics on their accessory rails.

Would anyone have any comments on these and in your opinion, would they be a benefit? They look rather odd being in the grip like that and I have a hard time wrapping my little brain around the concept. How do you zero these babies?

Hiltonfarmer

 

[clem]

I have them on a couple of my M1911A1s. They are the best thing since sliced bread!

 

[Ichiro]

If you have CTCs, you zero them with tiny allen wrenches.

They are a great training tool, and I imagine they give you the possibility of sighted point-shooting in real life.

 

[DenPro]

I have one on my 637. At first, I turned the laser on and thought it couldn't get any more stupid than this. Then I took it to the range and shot with it (after I tinkered with setting the laser at home, which only took a few minutes). I have a target that proves how cool it is. It's not for everyone and I'm usually critical of anything that looks like a gimmick, but I like it enough that I'm seriously considering getting another Crimson Trace from my incoming 686.

 

[Crosshair]

They are the best thing since sliced bread

I don't know, I could do just fine without sliced bread. Knife + Bread = Sliced bread.

Anyway, never owned a set of them, however from talking with people they are a great aid in shooting.

 

[AndrewD]

Knife+Bread is cheating. You have to swear off sliced bread all together.

 

[BigFunWMU]

For the XD?

Laser grips are really awesome. They allow a laser that is close to the bore line, and durable. They fit in all regular holsters, and have an off switch. Best aftermarket addon to my 1911.

But I didn't know they made grips for the XD?

http://www.crimsontrace.com/

 

[20YearVet]

I've tried them once on a friends Beretta 92 and I have a set that I acquired for my own Beretta that I have not installed.

I know better than to make a final judgement on a one time use - about 20 rounds, but I found myself trying to get a normal sight picture through the regular sights and use the laser at the same time. I learned quickly that you (at least I) can't do both. You need to use one or the other.

If I ever do install the set that I have, I will work hard not to learn to rely solely on the laser and retain my proficiency with the iron sights.

I have a saying I like to use that I heard an old Colonel say once during a briefing - this is back in the late 1980's/early 90's when the military was beginning to get "high-tech". He said.."A map with a bullet hole in it is still a map. A computer with a bullet hole in it is a piece of s&*t."

With that said, my personal preference, being sort of an old school guy is staying away from the electronic gizmos and staying proficient with the same old iron sights that have served everyone well for the last 100 years. I've got nothing against the Crimson Trace grips and they are neat, cool and definitely have their place. But too much reliance on something like that could cause trouble when your battery dies.

 

[Tom2]

I would consider them another form of night sights. I suppose that it would distract you a bit trying to use them in daylight when your irons are quite visible. But you have the option of not activating or even turning them on with the little switch on the bottom. I use them on a snub for home security and I figure that beyond contact range, the iron sights on a snub are pretty much worthless in low light or even near darkness. You can do a comparison to where the dot is going versus the iron sights and see for yourself. Trying to line up the sights and the laser is jumping all over. If you just put the dot where you want, it is alot easier. I certainly would not recommend a laser for target shooting in the normal sense, but I believe they make for a better chance of hitting something in a dark house or out doors at night, in a crisis. Then again some guns give you an option for regular night sights, and that is also a valid item to have, noting they still must be at eye level to use.

 

[Ala Dan]

In MY way of think'in, if you are a good shot you don't need no frigg'in
laser or laser grips~!

 

[yomama]

I don't see how you can hit anything with them. Guy at the range has one, it jumps all over the place before he pulls the trigger. That would be a huge distraction for me.

 

[elwaine]

my personal preference, being sort of an old school guy is staying away from the electronic gizmos and staying proficient with the same old iron sights that have served everyone well for the last 100 years.

(I love finding other old curmudgeons like me.)

Laser sights definitely have there place… although I’m not sure I know exactly what that place is. I’ve owned a Laser Max for a SIG P228, and CTC Laser Grips for a S&W J-frame. The former was more of a distraction than an aide (because it blinks on and off continuously). The CTC product was brighter and easy to aim with: and VERY accurate.

Unless your hand is very steady (and that includes a panic situation), the laser “dot” jumps all over the place and is more of a distraction than anything else. (It may even let the BG know you can’t hit the broad side of a barn at 10 feet.) So folks who equate “laser sighting” with the notion that they do not have to train as much with a laser sight on their weapon as they would with ordinary sites, are likely to discover that they were DEAD wrong. But if you train as much as you should, why is there a need for laser sights? I’m not sure – but they certainly do work… at the range, when you are calm and relaxed… and when the batteries are charged… and when you remember to turn the “master switch” on.

I’m not knocking them. If CTC was able to make them in thin grips for my 1911s, I'd consider getting them. But would I rely on them in a gun fight? I really don’t know. One thing I do know is that I am not willing to trade off proper fitting grips for a laser sight, nor am I willing to sacrifice ease of carrying concealed (due to fatter grips) for a laser. Stil, they sure have an alluring quality...

 

[pax]

I have CTC-installed grips on my carry gun, a Glock 26. I love them and would not want a carry gun that did not have them.

Most of the posts above are absolutely spot-on: these puppies are cool, there's definitely some good benefits to using them properly, and they really help a lot when shooting in low light. And -- it is not enough to install them. You have to train yourself to use them to best advantage.

Laser grips absolutely will not fix poor shooting techniques. They will not improve your trigger pull, or reduce your flinch, or anything like that. They are simply an alternative sighting technique which works better than anything else in certain, fairly narrow circumstances.

Several people have mentioned the laser dot "jumping around" on the target. Yep, the dot does that. It does that because we're human and it is impossible to hold the dot still with 100% success. Part of training with a laser grip is learning to accept that really small wobble, and pull the trigger smoothly anyway. That wobble is exactly the same size as your wobble zone when you look at your front sight, by the way. Learning to hold your firearm as steady as you can, accepting the wobble while pulling the trigger smoothly, is one of the secrets of good shooting. If you try to "snatch" the brief, magic moment when the sight wanders across the exact center of the bullseye, your shot will often go low. If instead you accept the wobble, you know that it will fall somewhere within that very small wobble zone -- and the wobble zone is much closer to the bullseye than your snatched shot will ever be. A laser can be a useful training aid to teach this type of lesson, because it is very easy to illustrate using the laser and relatively difficult to explain without the laser as a visual aid.

All that said: they don't make laser grips for the XD series. The other type of laser, LaserMax, is not the same as the CTC. I personally don't have a lot of experience with the LM types of lasers, but several serious folks I know who have tried them don't use them anymore for various reasons.

pax

 

[20YearVet]

Quote:
my personal preference, being sort of an old school guy is staying away from the electronic gizmos and staying proficient with the same old iron sights that have served everyone well for the last 100 years.

(I love finding other old curmudgeons like me.)

Right on brother!

 

[HiltonFarmer]

Now that BigFunWMU mentions that Crimson doesn't have any grips for the XD, it would be no wonder I never see anyone with them at the range that fires XDs.

Given the popularity of the Springfield line of polymers, I'm sure they'd be out there soon enough. It was more that at the indoor range, the lighting is somewhat low and thought it may be an advantage (for an old crumudgeon like myself ). I'm starting to hear that the majority think otherwise.

Maybe I'll see if they have a set I could try out on the CZ and see if it's for me.

Hiltonfarmer

 

[Eghad]

I have been considering some Crimson Trace Handgrips. If I was going to do it those would be my choice.

 

[exprt9]

I have two CTC Laser Grips which I bought from ebay. One for my Beretta 92 Centurion and one for my 1911 Colt Govt. MKIV series 70. The Beretta CTC laser Grips were already zero'd in and just a few minor adjustments for the 1911 laser grip, I had to make sure the red dot was floating on top of the front sight at 7 yrds.

 

[cuate]

Laser dot sights

I put a lasermax internal into my Glock 22, am satisfired, Advertised to hit within 2" of dot at 20 yards. Never owned a laser in the grips but I sure like the internal which they also make for the 1911 and some other autos.

 

[Tom2]

OK laser wobble or whatever, I still think it would make it much easier to get a hit somewhere in center of mass with a snubbie in a poor light or dark situation than with the irons on the snubbie. Unless you have lots of time to practice at the range without sights and get to be an excellent "instinct" aimer and make reliable hits. Obviously at arms length or maybe a bit beyond you might do just as well with point shooting but those who sneer at an extra little edge, if it works for me, hope your aim is as good as your egos, I intend to cheat dodge duck or do whatever it takes to come out on top. No second place winners?

 

[Jason_G]

I think you can only get the CT lasers for weapons that have removable grips like 1911's, etc., which excludes some of the polymer framed pistols like the XD, USP, etc. You might look into a LAM that fits on the tac rail, though. (The XD's do have rails don't they?)

Someone correct me if I'm off on this.

Jason