Everyday Carry
By Robb Manning
Laser Sights
If you do not have a laser on your carry handgun, you’re not going to be able to efficiently defend yourself from an armed attacker. Or so you would think, if you watch more than half an hour of gun television shows, or flipped through the pages of a gun magazine. It seems logical enough; put a laser on your handgun, and you increase the speed at which you can draw, acquire a target, and make an accurate shot. In reality, however, just like anything else, using a laser has pros and cons.
When I first started carrying, I felt it a priority to equip all of my potential carry guns with a laser. Now, it’s not as much of a priority. Experience has shown me that lasers aren’t always the end all, be all.
I don’t mean to sound like there are no benefits to lasers -- quite the contrary -- there are many pros to using them. First, many of the micro-compact handguns have minimalist (a.k.a. terrible) sights. They’re designed to be low profile so they won’t snag on pockets, handbag liners, or wherever else you might be carrying your handgun. Those sights can be very tough to pick up, especially in low-light conditions. Add to it the small nature of the handguns, giving them a short sight radius. A laser negates the minimalist sights, allowing you to acquire your target fast.
The biggest benefit to a laser equipped handgun, is that you can shoot from non-standard shooting positions. As long as the laser dot is on target, you’re going to hit it. This gives you a lot of versatility in different scenarios. For instance, if an assailant is too close for you to extend your arms and get a proper sight picture, the laser allows you to shoot from your waist, or as you’re bringing the handgun up. With the aid of a laser, you can also shoot when your body is out of position, such as if you are on the ground and need to defend yourself.
One drawback to a laser is that they go both ways. So not only is the laser emitting out from your handgun, but bad guys can also trace the laser back to your position. Many lasers come on if you just grip the gun, others have a button that you press on. Either way, the laser is on even if you haven’t acquired a target. Just keep in mind; if you’re home and you hear a bump in the night, then go to investigate with your laser on, the bad guy will be able to see where that laser is coming from, maybe even before you see him.
The biggest drawback to a laser is that many users will tend to use them as a crutch. Instead of getting proper training, and practicing using the sights, he or she will just mount a laser on the handgun and go from there. That’s the wrong answer. A laser can never replace training and practice with iron sights. These users will become inefficient (or never achieve efficiency, if they’re new shooters) at using the sights and their overall marksmanship will suffer.
Another factor to consider before getting a laser is the holster. Attaching a laser to your handgun will most definitely change it’s profile, and will most likely require a different holster. Most holster manufacturers offer holsters in laser and non-laser configurations, if applicable to that model of handgun. But you should know that before you make your purchase. If you just bought a holster, then decide you want to add a laser to your handgun, you most likely just wasted whatever money you just spent on the holster.
When choosing whether or not to purchase a laser, keep in mind a few other things. First, you might not need one. This is going to depend on what situations you’re going to be using it for. When out and about in public, most self defense situations are going to be in relatively close quarters. Therefore you’re not going to need target-like accuracy. The minimalist sights I mentioned before, while not great, will be adequate. A laser might not be necessary.
Second, it might not be the best tool for the job. It’s critical that you identify who you perceive as a threat, and a lot of situations that call for personal defense are going to be in low light or no light conditions. Lasers do absolutely no good if you haven’t identified who is at the other end. In home defense, do you really want to place a laser dot on the chest of a loved one who was sleep walking? In a self-defense situation, you also don’t want to shoot someone who is walking towards you in a dark parking garage, but to the stairwell that is behind you. I find in most situations, a good flashlight is more useful than a laser. And unlike with rifles, there is limited space on a handgun.
I’m not against laser sights, but it’s important to know the drawbacks to using them. I mounted lasers on my first four personal protection handguns, before realizing that I didn’t really need a laser. I think the most important thing to keep in mind is to not use them as a crutch. Use them as a supplement to your fixed sights, and definitely do not forgo training and practice because you have a laser.