Ric
Member
gentlemen, and any ladies present.
Easy question
For a carry gun, what's your preference.
Red dot sight or laser?
Easy question
For a carry gun, what's your preference.
Red dot sight or laser?
Red dot or laser
- Thread starter Ric
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springer99
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Assuming the reason for carry is strictly defensive, I'd give the nod to a laser for 3 reasons. 1 - it aids in allowing good use in dim light without having to raise the weapon to eye level, 2 - defensive distances will likely be very short where a red-dot doesn't provide any advantage, and 3 - typical grip mounted lasers don't add any bulk to the weapon or make handling or holstering more difficult.
Neither. Nothing is really gained IMO with either for general use on a handgun. A red dot to me on a handgun is kind of bulky. If you rely on that red dot your ability to use iron sights will degrade.
Lasers have very limited use AFAIC. You spend your time looking for the dot instead of watching your opponent.
Either must be bright to use in daylight. Both are susceptible to damage more easily than iron sights.
Spend your money on a set of night sights.
JMO.
Lasers have very limited use AFAIC. You spend your time looking for the dot instead of watching your opponent.
Either must be bright to use in daylight. Both are susceptible to damage more easily than iron sights.
Spend your money on a set of night sights.
JMO.
chicharrones
needs more ammo
Night sights are great if one's eyes can still focus on a gun's sights. I have night sights on a couple guns and now that my eyes can't pick up handgun sights well, night sights are blurry, which makes them appear dimmer than they are.
I also have tried lasers on a couple guns. For older eyes like mine, the laser is easy to find and use. Just don't expect the laser dot stay still as you hold the muzzle on the target. Because it is a wiggling and wobbling little firefly. It's still usable though, one just needs to practice with it like any other shooting method.
I also have tried lasers on a couple guns. For older eyes like mine, the laser is easy to find and use. Just don't expect the laser dot stay still as you hold the muzzle on the target. Because it is a wiggling and wobbling little firefly. It's still usable though, one just needs to practice with it like any other shooting method.
badkarmamib
Member
I completely agree with everything said here, including the fact that it is just an opinion
wally
Member
I used to be in the "neither" camp until I got old and couldn't focus on the front sight. Red Dots made shooting fun again instead of frustrating. Lasers were basically useless in daylight. But in the process of learning to use them I realized what is probably their largest virtue.
For Red Dots you have to look through the dot and focus on the target (threat), this is counter to all your "focus on the front sight" training, but is what tends to happen in reality as I don't care who your are, its damn hard to focus on the front sight instead of the threat when the bullets are flying both ways!
For lasers they are great for shooting around cover and from awkward positions , assuming its dark enough to see the laser dot. They've always seemed slower to me on steel plates than either irons or Red Dots as you get get no aiming feedback until your eye "finds" the laser dot. Some of it is lack of practice as its pretty unusual conditions when I can easily see the laser dot during a normal (outdoor) range outing, so I don't get to do a lot of actual shooting with them. I hate indoor ranges, YMMV.
I have a Trijicon RMR dual illuminated dot sight (no batteries!) on my S&W Shield carry gun and a Crimson Trace laser grip on my S&W SC360 J-frame, and my S&W BG380 came with a built in laser. Obviously its much easier to practice with the dot sight in daylight, but I clearly see how the laser on a BUG makes a tremendous amount of sense. You don't have to turn the laser on and both guns still have irons, which I could still use effectively *if* I had my reading glasses.
For Red Dots you have to look through the dot and focus on the target (threat), this is counter to all your "focus on the front sight" training, but is what tends to happen in reality as I don't care who your are, its damn hard to focus on the front sight instead of the threat when the bullets are flying both ways!
For lasers they are great for shooting around cover and from awkward positions , assuming its dark enough to see the laser dot. They've always seemed slower to me on steel plates than either irons or Red Dots as you get get no aiming feedback until your eye "finds" the laser dot. Some of it is lack of practice as its pretty unusual conditions when I can easily see the laser dot during a normal (outdoor) range outing, so I don't get to do a lot of actual shooting with them. I hate indoor ranges, YMMV.
I have a Trijicon RMR dual illuminated dot sight (no batteries!) on my S&W Shield carry gun and a Crimson Trace laser grip on my S&W SC360 J-frame, and my S&W BG380 came with a built in laser. Obviously its much easier to practice with the dot sight in daylight, but I clearly see how the laser on a BUG makes a tremendous amount of sense. You don't have to turn the laser on and both guns still have irons, which I could still use effectively *if* I had my reading glasses.
Varminterror
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For a carry gun, really, I don't use either, but I do insist on tritium sights. Far-sighted shooters benefit greatly from lasers, but what's most important for me in a carry piece is concealment, so neither really have a place on my carry guns. Integrated laser grips, recoil spring guide lasers, and laser guards don't add much bulk, so I can give those a pass, and the advantage of having an additional aiming option from non-standard positions is real. I used a red dot on top of my G19 off and on for several years, but ultimately, it's just an added dimension which makes it more difficult to conceal. I'm not a big fan of open carry in urban settings, so I don't have the luxury of NOT worrying about bulk and snagging.
When carrying a red dot sight, the only option, in my opinion, is an RMR. Always on, no batteries, self-modulating for ambient lighting, durable, reliable...
Now... Change this to a conversation about nightstand guns instead of carry guns, and the game changes. My ideal carry guns will have tritium sights and single stack magazines, and be small & light. My ideal nightstand gun is a full size pistol, double stack, laserguard, and RMR sight.
When carrying a red dot sight, the only option, in my opinion, is an RMR. Always on, no batteries, self-modulating for ambient lighting, durable, reliable...
Now... Change this to a conversation about nightstand guns instead of carry guns, and the game changes. My ideal carry guns will have tritium sights and single stack magazines, and be small & light. My ideal nightstand gun is a full size pistol, double stack, laserguard, and RMR sight.
bangswitch
Member
If I had to have one or the other, I'd take the laser. Makes the gun a 'point and shoot' as soon as you have the laser where you want it, plus, having a little red dot glowing on one's chest and knowing what it means, is about as intimidating as anything I can think of.
As said above, much less use in daylight though. I'd really rather just have a good basic gun and be intimately familiar with it. Most times you're going to need it for defense, you'll be ten feet or less away, so quick to point and quick to use is better.
As said above, much less use in daylight though. I'd really rather just have a good basic gun and be intimately familiar with it. Most times you're going to need it for defense, you'll be ten feet or less away, so quick to point and quick to use is better.
Averageman
Member
I have a friend that was convinced that a laser on his pistol was going to be the solution.
We went to the Gun Club and fired from under the overhead cover to brightly lit targets in the middle of a summers day. You couldn't see the laser, it simply wasn't visible under those conditions.
Now if you have a nightstand gun and you are more likely to be using that specific gun inside the home rather than the conditions described above, would you rather have the laser or a light? There are combination Laser/Light set up's but that's not so common and adds a bit of dexterity requirements in an already stressful situation.
I would err to the light and no laser or a light and a red dot. I have an RMR on my G-17 and a light, but I have practiced quite a bit with it.
No matter which way you go, there will be a trade off, it's up to you.
We went to the Gun Club and fired from under the overhead cover to brightly lit targets in the middle of a summers day. You couldn't see the laser, it simply wasn't visible under those conditions.
Now if you have a nightstand gun and you are more likely to be using that specific gun inside the home rather than the conditions described above, would you rather have the laser or a light? There are combination Laser/Light set up's but that's not so common and adds a bit of dexterity requirements in an already stressful situation.
I would err to the light and no laser or a light and a red dot. I have an RMR on my G-17 and a light, but I have practiced quite a bit with it.
No matter which way you go, there will be a trade off, it's up to you.
wally
Member
... and suppressor for the ideal nightstand gun!
1. I have a Crimson Trace laser on my primary CCW, a snubbie J-frame in a pocket holster.
2. This may be evidence that I don't practice enough, but I am a bit more accurate using the iron sights than using the laser. I had not expected that situation.
3. I like that in a fast reaction situation, with a laser I do not have to bring the gun all the way up to sight-aligned shoulder level to have it on target.
4. I also like that a miscreant target may see the red laser dot on my target and change plans. Yes, this is a small probability option, but so is getting into a situation that i need my gun for defense.
5. What's to prevent a belt-and-suspenders plan of equipping a SD gun with both red dot and laser?
2. This may be evidence that I don't practice enough, but I am a bit more accurate using the iron sights than using the laser. I had not expected that situation.
3. I like that in a fast reaction situation, with a laser I do not have to bring the gun all the way up to sight-aligned shoulder level to have it on target.
4. I also like that a miscreant target may see the red laser dot on my target and change plans. Yes, this is a small probability option, but so is getting into a situation that i need my gun for defense.
5. What's to prevent a belt-and-suspenders plan of equipping a SD gun with both red dot and laser?
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