Optics on Pistols - pro/con

[Coops]

I am ambivalent on the use of lights, lasers and red dots on handguns. Lets have a discussion.

Here is my own analysis:

Pros

A flashlight attached to the gun frees up a hand you would normally use to hold a light and shooting one handed with accuracy can be challenging in a stressful situation. In a HD situation there is a chance of blinding the intruder.

A laser has the fear factor going for it. A BG with a dot on his chest can be disheartening for the BG and empowering for the shooter. Aiming becomes automatic.

Red dot sights help aim immeasurably.

Cons

Any attachment may ruin the balance of the gun.

A flashlight on the gun pretty much gives up your exact position.

Dot sights take time to line up and I doubt would be good in a hasty aim and shoot situation. Iron sights work better in a quick shoot scenario when the assailant is up close.


I guess my overall opinion is that a laser would be a good addition to a home defense handgun. It pinpoints the exact point of impact of a round and has a psychological intimidation factor going for it.

A flashlight might help the intruder more than the homeowner who knows the terrain like the back of his hand and should be able to navigate in the dark.

Red (or green) dot sights work very well for target shooting but take too long to use in a life/death situation.

Have I missed any crucial points? Do any of you use an attachment?

[hzox221]

I am ambivalent on the use of lights, lasers and red dots on handguns. Lets have a discussion.

Here is my own analysis:

Pros

A flashlight attached to the gun frees up a hand you would normally use to hold a light and shooting one handed with accuracy can be challenging in a stressful situation. In a HD situation there is a chance of blinding the intruder.

A laser has the fear factor going for it. A BG with a dot on his chest can be disheartening for the BG and empowering for the shooter. Aiming becomes automatic.

Red dot sights help aim immeasurably.

Cons

Any attachment may ruin the balance of the gun.

A flashlight on the gun pretty much gives up your exact position.

Dot sights take time to line up and I doubt would be good in a hasty aim and shoot situation. Iron sights work better in a quick shoot scenario when the assailant is up close.


I guess my overall opinion is that a laser would be a good addition to a home defense handgun. It pinpoints the exact point of impact of a round and has a psychological intimidation factor going for it.

A flashlight might help the intruder more than the homeowner who knows the terrain like the back of his hand and should be able to navigate in the dark.

Red (or green) dot sights work very well for target shooting but take too long to use in a life/death situation.

Have I missed any crucial points? Do any of you use an attachment?

I will have to disagree on the speed factor of a red dot sight. It is faster that normal sights. You just have to put the dot on the target, instead of lining up the front and rear sight and the target. Look at USPSA Open Gun, basically a gun built for speed, the target acquisition time is very noticabbly faster than with normal iron sights, especially at distance. Same principle applies to red dot sights on rifles.

[Lycanthrope]

Red dot's rule in hasty acquisition outside of 5 yards. For many, they are much faster than iron sights which is why they usually compete in a separate division in competition. They are a pain to holster and take a different type of head alignment that takes some getting used to.

Lasers are ok additions if you have a backdrop, but very hard to track on moving targets in open areas. Your indexing has to be very good to use one. You need the skill to be able to draw naturally and have the iron sights aligned and on target before you use a laser. Otherwise, you spend way too much time chasing and trying to find the dot without a backdrop. They can also give up your position like a flashlight. Aiming is far from automatic in my opinion.

Lights reduce flip and can be turned off. They are, however, heavy.

Lycanprefersnightsightsthrope