Laser/light usage for carry?

[ScatPackLife]

First a question. Does anyone know if there is a rail or trigger guard mounted pistol laser/light that comes on automatically when drawn other than Viridian?

Now for the post:
I see a lot of carry rigs, pistols for CCW, where they have a laser, light, or combo. While I like lasers and light and understand their uses - I have pistols with lasers and lights - I wonder how useful they are in a SD situation outside of the home. I will skip to my dilemma and then add more context.

The dilemma - If you're in a situation where, in saving your life every millisecond counts, do you have time to turn on the laser/light? I don't think you would. I think if someone is shooting at you your instinct is going to shoot back, not turn on a laser/light and then shoot back.

I'm referring to the ones that mount to the rail or front of the trigger guard that don't automatically come on like the TLR series or most of the Olights, not the ones like the Viridian InstantOn and any that have triggers on the pistol grip like the Crimson Chase Laser Guard/Grip. (I think that despite not having the rugged reputation other brands have they are the only company I know of who makes anything like the InstantOn.)

Im not condoning the use of WM lasers or lights. They are both useful tools in many situations. In fact, at night, I think having a laser and light could save your life or someone else's: using a laser and aiming from the hip is way faster that getting the gun up to see the sights, and a light to see what you're shooting at so you don't accidentally shoot an innocent standing next to the bad guy. And for a home defense gun a WML is critical IMO, and a laser could be useful because you can move your head around and still see where your firearm is pointed, but not 100% necessarily. But when it comes to fast shooting to save your life things need to happen automatically IMO. Even with training it's going to slow you don't.

The reason I bring this up is that I want to hear different opinions and what your thought are (Not why other people are wrong but why you think you're right. You know debate instead of argument, can we debate on NWF? . Comedy is always welcome). I know some people despise lasers and think if you have a laser it means you don't know how to shoot (I completely disagree with this as I believe they can be very useful in the right situation). Some people don't like lights because of the extra weight or maybe other reasons? Some like one or the other and some like both.

What are your thoughts?

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[MTpockets]

Collection - Masterfire - SureFire

www.surefire.com

 

[ScatPackLife]

Yes. Like that. But smaller. That's not intended for CCW. And Grandthumb doesn't like it.

 

[Member 53328]

Train.

I carry a handheld light as well as a WML.

 

[L84Cabo]

A laser

They are both useful tools in many situations.


What are your thoughts?

You've already answered your own question. Lasers and lights are additional tools in the toolbox. It's good to have tools and options. They obviously won't be useful in every situation. Maybe not even in most situations. But there are situations where they can be incredibly useful. Whether or not you ever encounter one of these situation is anyones guess. The adage, "better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it," comes to mind.

I will also add that a laser is NOT a replacement for iron sights. Again, it's an additional tool. You need to train with both regularly.

 

[ScatPackLife]

I think what I was trying to get at is more wondering if it's advantageous to have an auto on feature or not.

I was reading a little more and instructors in low light classes don't like auto on feature because it give away your position as soon as you draw. My question would be, if you're already being robbed or car jacked doesn't the bad guy already know where you are? But I understand if you see someone getting robbed and decide to intervene, your wife, neighbor, or family member for sure your getting involved, and it's night then you wouldn't want your 1000 lumen light to come on.

Again, it would be situational. I think the only way an auto on feature would be beneficial was if you could manually turn that feature on or off while it's in the holster.

Let's just use a light for an example. During the day you want it off. In low light you would want it on in case a mugger jumps out of the bushes, when you draw the light lights that bastard up so you can light up that bastard (see what I did their). But you would want the ability to turn the feature off in the holster if you needed to pull your firearm and you're not in immediate danger.

What sparked this was last night I was out walking my dog with my wife and kid. There was someone sitting on a bench and I didn't even see him until we were about 10 feet away. (Mostly your typical robber is afraid of dogs, but I wouldn't bet my life in that.) Luckily he was just chillin with no bad intentions that I know of, but what if he had jumped up and pulled a gun on us. There would have been potential for a gun fight with my family in between us. Having my light come in automatically in that situation would be very beneficial as to not shoot my kid or wife on accident. Even if they weren't in between, in that situation having a light auto on would be good presuming there is enough lumens to bling the purp. That's how I imagine things go down most times, the mugger tries to surprise the victim. Anyone know statistics on this?

I know situational awareness is super important but it was just really dark. I had a flashlight, I always bring a flashlight at night, but thought it wasn't necessary. I don't usually have a hard time seeing people at night but it was oddly dark that night and dude was under a tree (the bench was under a tree). Next time we go for a walk I'm going use the flashlight to light up any dark areas in front of where we walk.

Does that make sense, am I missing something, or am I overthinking this.

Not sure how this fits in here but, I've ran drills with just a laser during the day and I was fast because I could shoot accurately without needing to bring the gun up to eye level. So close'ish range, lasers can be very fast. However, further away it starts to become difficult to track where the laser is and sights become necessary.

 

[Mike_M57]

Nvm. My opinion doesn't matter.

 

[Certaindeaf]

A laser on a .45 is useless because rainbow .

 

[Alexx1401]

The reason I bring this up is that I want to hear different opinions and what your thought are (Not why other people are wrong but why you think you're right. You know debate instead of argument, can we debate on NWF? . Comedy is always welcome). I know some people despise lasers and think if you have a laser it means you don't know how to shoot (I completely disagree with this as I believe they can be very useful in the right situation). Some people don't like lights because of the extra weight or maybe other reasons? Some like one or the other and some like both.

What are your thoughts?

There is no such thing as "wrong or right" on this kind of thing. MANY claim you don't need sights on a defensive handgun at all. Problem is in many decades of shooting I have only every known a VERY few who were really this good. A hell of a lot more would tell me how great they were until we got to a range together. Suddenly they could not hit paper. The paper is not shooting back at them. So no one is going to convince you if you do not want the options. I love them but matters not to me that others do not. Far as I know I don't own a piece of the Companies I like so matters not if other buy them or not.