Results 1 to 10 of 21
Thread: laser or light...or neither
-
January 22nd, 2010, 06:17 PM #1Junior Member
- Join Date
- Jan 2010
- Location
-
Hollidaysburg,
Pennsylvania
(Blair County) - Posts
- 6
- Rep Power
- 0
laser or light...or neither
I've had my xd 9mm sub compact for awhile now and i wanted to maybe buy a laser or light for on the rail. I don't know if it is worth the investment. I just wanted to know what other people feel about it for home defense. I really would like the get the lasermax for the xd, and maybe a cheap light too. but if i spend that much money i should just get another pistol. any suggestions of cheap, but decent lasers and lights would be very helpful.
thanks
-
January 22nd, 2010, 06:22 PM #2Active Member
- Join Date
- Feb 2009
- Location
-
Harleysville,
Pennsylvania
(Montgomery County) - Posts
- 240
- Rep Power
- 80
Re: laser or light...or neither
If you can hang a light from your handgun, I think it's a wise investment. Lasers are very nice too, but I think a light is more important overall. If you find yourself in the dark, you won't be able to figure out what to point a laser at.
Before you make a final decision though, what are you using your handgun for? If you're carrying it, you'd need a holster that can hold the gun / light combo. If you're going to use it for home defense, it's very wise to have a light along with your gun. If you're just target shooting, go with the laser before the light.
-
January 22nd, 2010, 06:36 PM #3
Re: laser or light...or neither
There's not really any such thing as " cheap but good " , its a fact of life. Do you really want to potentially trust your life to something you got from Cheaper Then Dirt ? Personally I run a light/laser combo. The light itself can be a weapon itself, blinding a potential adversary. One of the drawbacks of using a light for illumination is that, lets say your checking your house after a " bump in the night ", well, your weapon is going to be pointed at whatever your light is pointed at , and that makes some people leery. Much like a laser , a light can also reveal your position, for this reason some people prefer a seperate handheld flashlight like a SureFire that they can hold in their off hand and use seperate from the weapon. There are several techniques to doing this such as The Harris Technique , The Rodgers Technique, The FBI Hold , etc.
A laser also has its pro's and con's. Some are concerned that a laser can in certain circumstances like fog ,dust,etc track right back to you as the full length of the beam becomes visible , showing your opponenet where you are. Personally I think that concern is far outweighed by the benefits , but it is a reality.
A laser will also allow you to ensure that your on target if forced to shoot from an awkward angle/position, if your injured, etc. If your behind cover, a laser can let you get on target without exposing your self as much as if you had to use strictly iron sights. Its also a good training tool, almost like a bio feedback device , with a laser , as you hold on target and acquire your sight picture, you'll quickly see if your hand is trembling the slightest bit , how your breathing strokes effect your point of aim/point of impact , etc.
I actually found a handheld light a couple weeks ago at my local shop that is a super bright LED light , that has a laser built into the center of the lense. It has a crennallated trim ring for use as an impact weapon and a push button tailcap. Depending on how many times I click the cap, I can select from light, laser, light with laser or "strobe light effect ". Its in my pocket every time I leave the house. Its so bright, the other night I was using it to look for something in my bedroom after my wife had been asleep for quite some time ( figured I'd be polite and use my light instead of using the room lights) , well she practically hit the ceiling from a sound sleep just from me flicking on the light, and it wasnt even aimed anywhere in her direction.
Save the money and buy a quality product, to borrow a phrase from one of my favorite manufacturer's . " In a World of Compromise , some Don't"
Hope this helpsLast edited by son of the revolution; January 22nd, 2010 at 10:31 PM.
Si vis pacem, para bellum
A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity. -- Sigmund Freud
Proud to be an Enemy of The State
-
January 22nd, 2010, 08:16 PM #4Active Member
- Join Date
- Dec 2009
- Location
-
Doylestown,
Pennsylvania
(Bucks County) - Posts
- 156
- Rep Power
- 6808
Re: laser or light...or neither
I have a laser on my walther and I think it is much better than a light. If it ever came down to having to use it in a defense situation i like the ability to point and shoot and not have to worry about aiming down the sights.
You can always just keep an LED light next to the gun and pick up both. One good thing about the LED lights is that if you shine the light in the eyes of an intruder you will most likely blind them for a few seconds giving you the opportunity to line up the laser and take care of business.
-
January 22nd, 2010, 08:43 PM #5
Re: laser or light...or neither
Neither for home defense.
Lasers are a lot slower for me than night sights and I don't want anything announcing my position. I know the house.....they don't....I want to keep that edge. I'm holing up with the phone and watching the one extrance way to my lair.
If I had to search a house for any reason I would consider a light.....as long as it didn't mess up the balance of the gun.
Lycanlasersareanichesightingmethodthrope
I taught Chuck Norris to bump-fire.
-
January 22nd, 2010, 08:50 PM #6
Re: laser or light...or neither
Nightsights only.....and ALWAYS
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Amen. **PROUD III**
-
January 22nd, 2010, 09:03 PM #7
Re: laser or light...or neither
I agree with this 100% I know the layout in the dark they won't. Besides that they'll be busy trying to get the dog off of them. I do have a mini led light that I have shot with in my left hand by resting right hand with pistol on the back of left wrist. Not quite as accurate as 2 hands on gun but in close quarters will definately be fine.
My collection http://forum.pafoa.org/gun-pictures-...took-pics.html
-
January 22nd, 2010, 10:28 PM #8
Re: laser or light...or neither
another vote for night sites for home defense.
Laser over the flashlight for concealed carry for reasons stated by son.
-
January 22nd, 2010, 10:34 PM #9
Re: laser or light...or neither
Your money would be much better spent on more ammo and training. Hell of a lot more fun as well.
Hand held lights are a lot more useful than weapon mounted lights. Try not to go cheap, good lights pay for themselves in the long run.
-
January 22nd, 2010, 10:37 PM #10Super Member
- Join Date
- Apr 2007
- Location
-
Bayville,
New Jersey
- Posts
- 536
- Rep Power
- 119
Re: laser or light...or neither
Nightsights only.....and ALWAYS
You need a light to id your target and then use nightsights to engage.
Gun mounted lights are nice but not essential.
Lasers have their place and AFAIK those places are very few. Many buy a laser thinking it will make up for bad basic techniques.
Similar Threads
-
Glock Light/Laser or NcStar Green Laser
By dmcdonnell in forum GeneralReplies: 12Last Post: January 14th, 2013, 09:04 PM -
Attaching Laser/Light Switches
By 1927A1 in forum GeneralReplies: 4Last Post: November 24th, 2009, 01:13 PM -
Insight M6 Laser/Light
By 24/7dude in forum GeneralReplies: 1Last Post: June 9th, 2009, 04:06 PM -
Laser/Light for Glock
By jdsmoke in forum GeneralReplies: 8Last Post: May 30th, 2009, 07:45 PM -
Tactical Laser/Light
By Glock22xd9 in forum GeneralReplies: 15Last Post: October 4th, 2007, 10:13 PM
Bookmarks