Laser Sites

[Big Rig]

Picked up a Springfield XD 45 last week

Would like to add a laser sight...

what are you guys using?

I was thinking green like my 99 IS so now it is Valk related...

[Jess from VA]

I don't know what size XD you got, but I have a Streamlight TLR3-G (green laser/led light combination) on one full size auto (Sig) and one .45 carbine rifle (Criss Vector).  It just made sense to me to use the same units on both firearms for muscle memory.

Surefire is the #1 company for weapons lights (and most expensive).  Streamlight is probably #2, but very good quality, and not cheap (but cheaper than Surefire).

I put these light/lasers on my primary home defense (full size) firearms where I may have to work in the dark (in or out of the house).  So I wanted the ability to have a bright light, or a laser sight (even with tritium night sights), or both on at the same time, with an easy to reach toggle switch. And they can be turned on constant, or only intermittent, going off as soon as you take your finger off the switch.  And the light can strobe and is freeking blinding.  And battery changes are easy.  In shopping, do not forget to look at battery changes; sometimes you have to practically disassemble the entire unit to change the battery (with lots of little tiny parts).  

Both green and red lasers are highly visible at night, but only green can be seen in bright sunlight, much beyond 20 feet anyway.  Interestingly to me, my green lasers (alone with no light) give enough light to get around in the dark in my house, which I'm pretty familiar with, but not the red lasers.  Green lasers cost more to produce than red, and so they cost more to buy, but not that much more.

https://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-69250-Rail-Mounted-Tactical-Integrated/dp/B00BAHV2RC

I also have a couple carry revolvers with lasers, but they are both Crimson Trace, laser only in the grips.  Aiming J frame revolvers is tough even in good light, and nigh on impossible in the dark. They are too small to put light and laser combinations on.  I don't think XDs have grips that come off, so those are probably out.

There are so many good gun forums these days, I wouldn't make a choice until I got on an XD forum or two, and read up on what was working for those guys (maybe specific to the model you bought).

http://www.xdtalk.com/

https://www.xdforum.com/

http://www.xdtalk.com/threads/laser-sight-recommendations.97986/page-2



 

[old2soon]

I have a NcSTAR green laser which uses a 123A lithium battery. At my local Mom and Pop gun shop I believe it was right at $35.00 out the door. We went to a gun show in Killeen Tx in Dec 16 and the identical laser-NcSTAR-at that show they were right at $100.00 there. The battery change is straight forward and simple-a penny or a dime is all you need in the slot on the threaded battery cover. Also comes with the needed for adjusting small allen wrench. A water tower is seen behind my neighbors house across the street and it's bout 2 blocks away and I can light it up at night and Even with these old tired eyes that green dot POPS.  And before you ask-it IS hecho in chine!  When the laser is mounted my S&W .40 SVE will NOT go into my retention holster. And on that same pistol the laser is about an inch and a quarter ahead of the end of the barrel. Sorry I have NO idea what my laser weighs. RIDE SAFE.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

I've had a crimson trace on my carry gun for years. It has a activation button below the trigger guard on the front of the grip. Your natural grip activates it, no need to do anything else, just grip the gun. When you are no longer holding the pistol, the laser shuts off.

Perhaps my favorite thing about a laser is the way it enhances "dry fire practice".  I dry-fire many times for every time I actually fire most of my pistols. The laser gives a real advantage because you can visually see any bad habits you might have causing you to pull off target when the trigger breaks.

[Jess from VA]

Yep Mike, nothing tells you you are getting to be an old man, like lining up to dry fire, as steady as can be, and watching the laser dot dancing all over the target.  WTF?  

And actually, practice with the crimson trace grips can be a little tricky if you don't want to just hold the button down constant, and maybe give away your position, and trickier still if you want to co-ck your (hammered) J frame to have the much better single action trigger pull.  Squeezing the button for laser (just when you want it), but not the single action light trigger can be very tricky indeed.  It turns out it's harder than you think to tell your middle finger to squeeze, but NOT the trigger finger to squeeze at the same time.  Word to the wise, practice this only with an empty gun, and don't use your TV as a target (even though there are so many worthy dry fire targets on the TV).  

[MarkT]

Running Crimson Trace with all my handgun lasers.  Red on the Glocks and 1911, Green on the J-frames. Green is far brighter, costs more than red, around $400.  Very good quality, very easy to use - just tighten your grip no extra switch.  No conflict with any of my holsters.  Run a Streamlight also on the G21 (.45 cal) night defense arm.  I had to send one of them back under warranty as the aim adjustment failed.  CT has a lifetime free battery program but I've only bothered with it once.  The batteries are the standard CR2032 coin batteries available everywhere and not expensive.  I don't bother with a gun light on most of them as most (or all) require a special holster.  I'm not a cop so I don't need my carry to be able to illuminate dark alleys - I don't go there looking for skulking perps like they do.  My home defense arm, with me in bed; it is appropriate to light things up as well as laser aim.  I've not had a problem activating the laser by tightening the grip, w/o pulling the trigger.  But then I lay my trigger finger on the side of the guard not on the trigger - part of my training & practice observing the Four Rules of Firearm Safety. Not saying that's not a concern.  You should practice that as Jess says; you wouldn't want to accidentally blow the perp or TV away. Keep your finger off the trigger!  Also, the Streamlight has a separate sw you activate with your off hand - no issue not confusing it with your shooting hand.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

You guys must be reading my mind. The TV is my favorite dry-fire target. It's the only one I have with moving targets.

Obviously, you want an empty gun for such activities. Since none of my mine have mag safeties I can leave the mag out when dry-firing which is nice. Otherwise the slide would lock back on the empty mag if the striker had to be staged by activating the slide.

I've never tried to grip the gun without activating the laser. Guess I know what I'll be doing later today. 

[Jess from VA]

You guys must be reading my mind. The TV is my favorite dry-fire target. It's the only one I have with moving targets.

Obviously, you want an empty gun for such activities. Since none of my mine have mag safeties I can leave the mag out when dry-firing which is nice. Otherwise the slide would lock back on the empty mag if the striker had to be staged by activating the slide.

I've never tried to grip the gun without activating the laser. Guess I know what I'll be doing later today.  

There are so many scenarios possible, it's hard to prepare for all of them.  With the J fame, you hope it's one bad guy right in front of you, with no innocents in the line of fire.  Then you hold the laser button down, and hammer the double action.  And how can you miss?

But what if there are innocents in the line of fire, and/or a bit of distance added to the equation?   And shooting is not usually a first option, but a last option.  So you take a wait and see attitude, maybe the guy gets the 7/11 money and leaves and no one gets hurt (just scared).  The revolver is at hand, but hidden, and you don't want the laser lit up to make things worse, or have someone turn on you and start firing.  So maybe you hold the pistola in a pocket or down to your side/back but keep pressure off the middle finger.  

My default position on all lights and lasers is to use them only when needed (and nearly on target) with intermittent function, to not give your position away; either in the house or in the parking lot at Walmart.  I don't want to escalate anything beyond what it is with a light or laser constant on.  Except there's always the possibility of putting the dot on someone (from a bit of distance, and maybe even cover), but not pulling the trigger, and he bolts and runs, and you don't chance an innocent friendly fire.  Always using the least possible force to resolve any situation mentality to avoid the inevitable grand jury or wrongful injury/death lawsuit.

Add co-cking a Jframe (all have rotten double action triggers, and any little pull on the 1 3/4" bbl can mean a complete miss) just makes it more complicated, and tricky with an intermittent laser squeeze.  

I've paid for good triggers on K and N frames and 1911s, but never a Jframe.    

[MarkT]

Add co-cking a Jframe (all have rotten double action triggers, and any little pull on the 1 3/4" bbl can mean a complete miss) just makes it more complicated, and tricky with an intermittent laser squeeze.  

I've paid for good triggers on K and L frames and 1911s, but never a Jframe.    

Both my S&W model 60 & model 649 have excellent single action triggers - 3.0# both (Lyman digital trigger scale), with no creep.  I would use dbl action only if the perp is very close and there is little chance if hitting an innocent. Unless - it's imperative he is put down NOW as he is shooting; it's best if he is stopped immediately even under bad conditions.  Otherwise, would prefer careful aimed fire, from cover, single action and with the laser.  I rarely practice dbl-action.  Maybe I should.  My barrels are 2".  The laser predicts where the bullet strikes very well.  The green laser is on steady and bright with a normal tight grip on these .357's.  Not tricky in my book.  Under the high stress of an armed encounter - it would be really easy to inadvertently fire when сocked, even though single action is much better for accuracy.  I hope I never have to do it.  Maybe the best method would be, сocked and aimed slightly off target, orders yelled at the perp and if he makes a bad move - align sights/laser and fire.  I'm sure there are lots of opinions on this.  Have to check the expert authors, see what they say.  eg., Massad Ayoob, David Kenik, et al.

[Jess from VA]

Well Mark, just for craps and giggles, try co-cking one (empty) with finger covering the trigger, then working the lazer button intermittently with the middle finger (not an easy constant-on hard squeeze).  But don't pull the light single action trigger.  It is the working of those two fingers independently, but next to each other on a small co-cked Jframe, that I am calling tricky.  This scenario is one where you have a little time to think about what is going on (where you may not want the laser bouncing around to give any early warning, until you do, just before you squeeze that light single action trigger).  

And I would practice at least some double action.  Heat of the moment, high stress pounding heart, close quarters in your face; that's where double action is going to happen.  Fast too.

BTW, I hope you use the safety on that utility knife.    

[MarkT]

Well, like I said - my finger is off the trigger until I'm committed to fire.  Also - sometimes you might want to use the laser to convince the perp he is almost toast. Like showing the weapon is the most common encounter defuser rather than actually shooting - the laser makes that even more convincing.  I would think if I was a perp, that laser spot on my chest would be a pretty strong incentive to stand down.

Yeah, I'm going to add dbl-action with my J-frames to my practice at the range.

Yeah OK on the knife. Of course it's there for scale.  Actually I have a dozen of them in the shop since I can't seem to stop misplacing them.  And never close the blades, or even replace them - just re-hone the edge in 10 seconds on the high-speed buffer, puts a new razor edge on them.  

Speaking of knives & safeties - here's a favorite - American made, under $50, AUS-8 steel, spring assist with safety, really solid handle, tight pivot and lock, glass breaker, one-hand operation.  Takes a razor edge from the buffer with rouge, and holds it a long time.  Great general purpose folder.  P/N SCHA6LB

[Jess from VA]

Sorry, I didn't get the scale thing. 

Nice folder.  I have some too.  And non folders. 

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

Today I got an email from Viridian with a special 17% off until March 24th with code STPATS2018 if anyone is interested.