The first laser sight was introduced in 1979. Compared to the laser sights of today, those of the first decade or so were very expensive, large, heavy, fragile, and far less reliable. They also consumed substantially more battery power. Since then, laser sights have steadily improved in all of these areas. For more than two decades now a laser sight has been a popular and worthwhile addition to the defensive firearm. I currently have lasers on several rifles, a couple of shotguns, and more than 20 handguns.
Beginning with my first experience using a laser sight, I became a believer in them. At about that same time, I became a firearms instructor. Most of my classes are taken by students to satisfy the training requirements to obtain a Michigan Concealed Pistol License. Without exception, every experience with lasers in my classes has strengthened my opinion that lasers improve a shooter’s ability to deliver effective hits on the target. The less shooting experience the students had, the more marked the improvement the laser sight made in their shooting. If experienced handgunners are shooting mid- to large-sized handguns in a well-lit area at seven yards or less, then a laser sight doesn’t typically increase accuracy levels by a significant amount, if at all. However, the accuracy advantage achieved with a laser sight will increase exponentially as each of these situations deviates from optimal. The smaller the handgun, the less light there is, the greater the distance, the more a laser sight will improve your accuracy.
As concealed carry became more prevalent, sub-compact handguns became very popular. They enable a person to conceal an effective handgun while wearing a minimum of clothing. They also tend to be more comfortable and less obtrusive. But these guns can be quite difficult to shoot accurately, even at seven yards or less. Their sights are usually quite miniscule and offer an extremely short sight radius. Adding a laser sight makes them far easier to shoot accurately. It also becomes possible to shoot them quite effectively at distances substantially greater than they were ever designed to be used.
In order to use iron sights, four things have to be in direct alignment: the shooter’s eye, the rear sight, the front sight, and the target. Secondly, proper sight alignment has to be maintained. This is the relationship of the front sight to the rear sight. Thirdly, proper sight picture must be acquired. This is the picture the shooter needs to see that involves all three, the rear sight, the front sight, and the target. Lastly, this picture must be maintained throughout the process of pressing the trigger until the gun fires.
Older shooters will find it more difficult to succeed in this visual gymnastic. This is because, as eyes age the lens becomes thicker and stiffer, making it increasingly more difficult for the muscles to bend the lens enough to focus on close objects. Young shooters often think the rear sight, front sight, and target are all in focus at the same time. This of course isn’t possible, but young eyes can “jump” between the three focal planes so quickly that the shooter thinks they’re all in focus at the same time. They don’t even realize their eyes are doing this. But there comes a time when this ability slows down to the point that it becomes obvious what the shooter’s eye is attempting to do.
At some point, the aging shooter won’t be able to see the rear sight in focus at all. If corrective lenses are used to remedy this, then the target will be blurry. If corrective lenses are used to bring the target into focus, then the sights will be blurry. Without corrective lenses, all three may become blurry! A laser sight removes these visual difficulties by reducing the four items in play: the eye, rear sight, front sight, and target to just two: the eye and the target. It takes the place of both the front and rear sight. Since the laser dot is on the same focal plane as the target, they will both be in focus at the same time. All the shooter needs to do is hold the dot on the desired point of impact until the gun fires.
For those of us with any experience at all, these things are elementary. However, for the beginner it can be a bit problematic. When a new shooter begins with a laser sight-equipped handgun and told to “just put the dot on the center of the target” (which is nearly universally intuitive) sight alignment and sight picture no longer need to be part of the initial learning process. The shooter can learn the basic fundamentals of hold, trigger control, and follow-through (not flinching or jerking the trigger), while also building confidence. Once this is accomplished, sight alignment and sight picture can be addressed. This two-step learning process can be extremely beneficial within the context of a one-day class. Of course, it must be stressed that this is only the beginning of their training, and a regular practice regimen is necessary.
Another advantage to a laser sight is that lining up the shooter’s eye with the sights and the target isn’t required. Of course, you need a clear line of sight to the target, and another clear path between the gun and target, but all three needn’t be aligned together. The gun can be held in a lower position, or even used to shoot over, around, or under an object, while the shooter is using a more protected position from which to observe.
Laser sights are also a great training aid. They “tattle” on the shooter who is jerking the trigger or flinching. Such things become obvious just by watching the laser dot on the target and observing its position at the instant the gun fires compared with immediately prior to it. A shooter who is flinching won’t usually be aware of the laser movement, but it will be obvious to any observer. Laser sights also make dryfiring practice far more effective. They let the shooter readily observe even the minutest gun movement, from the beginning of the trigger pull through let-off.
I have used many laser sights on a variety of rifles, shotguns and handguns. Brands that I’ve had extensive experience with are LaserLyte, ArmaLaser, LaserMax, and Crimson Trace. I currently have at least one sight from each of these companies mounted on a gun, with Crimson Trace being by far the most numerous. Without actually counting them, I’m sure I currently have at least 20 firearms equipped with a laser sight made by Crimson Trace. In my experience, they’ve been the most reliable, durable, and best-designed of any laser sight I’ve personally used to date. I’ve also had to deal with the company several times over various issues, as both a dealer and as a customer. They’ve always gone the “extra mile” with me in standing by their products. However, they don’t offer a model for every handgun configuration out there. This is usually the reason why I have other makes on some of my firearms. There are other popular models of laser sights made by other manufacturers. I’m only speaking from my personal experience over the past 15 or so years. Viridian came out with a line of green laser sights many years ago. I believe they were to first to do so and, though I’ve never owned one, they’ve always enjoyed a loyal following of customers.
Laser sights were originally red, but now most manufacturers offer models in both colors. I have several firearms with green lasers, but currently one of them is a handgun. There are both advantages and disadvantages to a green laser. The disadvantages are higher cost, higher battery drain, and more sensitivity to cold temperatures. It takes two extra processes to make a laser green, and this is the reason for these disadvantages. But, like red lasers, they’ve been continually improved upon, however, they still cost more and consume more power than a red laser. The one big advantage is that they appear about four times brighter to the human eye, at the same power output as a red laser. This is because in ambient light conditions, our ability to see visible light peaks at approximately 555 nanometers (nm) and drops significantly within +/- 50nm. Green laser levels emit green light at a frequency of approximately 530nm, near the 550nm peak. Red lasers emit red light at approximately 635nm, where our eye’s light sensitivity is significantly less. I don’t think green lasers offer a significant advantage over red in typical civilian self-defense situations. Typically, these encounters are at close range and in subdued light, or indoors. It’s when attempting to use a laser sight at longer ranges and/or in brighter light that the green laser’s advantage begins to show itself. This is why, except for one exception, all of my green lasers are on long guns.
The current rage in handgun sights is the red dot, and that’s being blamed for the laser sights’ waning popularity over the past several years. Some have even gone so far as to claim that the laser sight is outdated. This is unfortunate, especially as it relates to defensive, concealed-carry handguns. Red dots and laser sights, like any other sighting system, serve the same ultimate purpose; and that’s to guide the shooter in pointing the gun in such a way as to make the bullet strike at a certain point. Red dots and lasers offer the same optical advantage of putting the dot on the same focal plane as the target. But the red dot is superimposed on the target, not actually on it. The shooter’s eye must be closely aligned with the red dot in order to see and use it. Not so with the laser.
At defensive shooting distances of seven yards or less, I’m not convinced that the red dot is as fast or accurate as a laser. I love red dots. I’ve used them for many years and presently have them on several guns, but they’re all long guns. I think they also have a place on handguns for such uses as hunting, competition, or any other use that may necessitate shooting targets at longer distances. I just don’t think that red dots offer any advantage at typical civilian defensive shooting distances, and may actually be a detriment, even over iron sights. They have a definite learning curve, especially when mounted on a handgun, and many shooters often experience some delay in picking up the dot with their eye and aligning it on the target. That delay could prove very costly. They can also be more difficult to quickly and effectively use than a laser sight at close range in low light because finding the dot and then putting it on the target can take more time in this situation. This too could prove costly because this often describes the exact situation people find themselves in when having to defend themselves. Neither red dots nor lasers offer a satisfactory replacement for the other, but they both effectively meet a need in the shooting world.
I think it’s a mistake to equip any handgun owned for self-defense in such a way as to make it more adaptable for any other purpose, unless it could never have a detrimental effect in your ability to use it for its intended purpose. You should equip and accessorize your defensive handgun only with that singular purpose in mind, and this is where the laser sight fills a unique and possibly critical niche.