As someone who began her journey shooting firearms before lasers were available at a price the average person could afford, I can say that I honestly get excited whenever I get to shoot with lasers. And while it seems like it might be overkill, here are a few reasons why you should try it!
Lasers Can Help with Target Focus
Why would I want to focus on a target? In defensive situations, the ability to point at the threat and know where we will hit, to literally focus on the threat—the target—and not have to shift focus to our sights, can be invaluable.
Lasers have an advantage over night sights or red-dot optics in that you activate it and you see where your gun is pointed. Night sights that contain tritium or something that glows, allowing you to obtain sight alignment, are a step up from standard iron sights, but they still require focus on the sights. Red-dot optics require that you are quickly able to find the dot in the window of the red dot. If you are not well-practiced, and you are searching for the dot, your first shot can be much slower. A laser that’s incorporated into the pistol grip of your firearm just needs to be activated and then it’s on, and you will immediately see what you are pointed at.
Arguably, if you must point your gun at a threat, it would also be intimidating for the threat to see the red or green of the laser and know that you are truly aimed at them.
Lasers Can Mitigate Vision Issues
Lasers can be a help for those who have vision issues. If you are extremely near- or far-sighted and your prescription will not allow you to shift from sights to target, a laser can remove a component of the problem. With a laser, you simply adjust the laser to shoot at your preferred distance (for example, 25 yards), and you can focus on the dot that the beam of the laser puts on your target. It is much like zeroing an optic: You will set up a target and adjust the laser until the rounds are impacting where you want them. Generally, the user manual for your model will have instructions and often a small hex wrench for making adjustments.
Lasers are Affordable
As the technology and manufacturing capacities evolve, lasers have become very affordable. There are lasers that install on your pistol’s grips, lasers that install on your pistol’s trigger guard, and lasers that fit on your rifle or shotgun. There are even laser/light combos. So for something like a predator shotgun to protect your backyard flock of chickens, you can see what’s out there with a light and aim with a laser. Common lasers for a pistol start around $165. You can do a little online searching and find some for less.
Drawbacks to a Laser
There are some drawbacks to lasers. Just like a red-dot optic, you will need to check that it works and change batteries. That said, I have a laser on my small, concealed carry that’s had the same battery for 3+ years. It is not time-consuming to check and some laser manufacturers will give you free batteries for the life of their optic. I’m not sure how many people take advantage of such things, but it highlights how infrequently the average person needs to replace them.
You will have to ensure that your holster accommodates the model of laser you chose to run on your firearm. I have a small Ruger LCP that has a Crimson Trace laser that fits into the Sticky Holster and other similar style holsters that are made for LCPs without a laser. Check with your holster manufacturer by looking at its website to see if your current holster will work with the addition of a laser.
Another drawback to a laser, and another reason why the grip or trigger guard mounted styles are good, is that lasers are not intended for daylight. You need low light to see the laser. But having a laser that’s activated by gripping your pistol means it’s there if the light is right and if not, you still have your iron sights.
Lasers in Practice
If you need to use your gun in the dark, in a dimly lit parking garage, protecting your chickens from night critters, or just want the option to have another means of aiming, check into a laser and go practice with it.
A good idea is to zero at the same distance at which your sights are zeroed. Then, practice on a paper target and compare what sort of group you would shoot with each style of aiming. Find out if one is more consistent than the other. This might tell you with what you need to practice. For example, if you can shoot a very good group with a laser, you probably have decent mechanics and trigger control. But if you don’t shoot a similar group with iron sights, you might not have proper sight alignment or placement on target. And practicing with a laser, seeing it stay on the same spot on the target as you shoot, and tracking it as you make the laser return to the same spot, can make you better aware of the control you have of the gun during recoil.
