Used to be, I didn’t care for laser aiming
devices on handguns at all. That was back when they were add-on,
cheap junk lasers that were awkward to use, and mostly just got
in the way of things. For the past few years, however, I have
come to be a believer in Crimson Trace Lasergrips on my
fighting handguns. CT Lasergrips are built into the
handgun’s grip, and cause no holstering problems, nor are they
hard to use. CT puts the activation switches on their Lasergrips
where the laser is activated by just grasping the handgun
normally.
Those who have been watching the pistol market
during the last couple of years have noticed that the new Smith
& Wesson M&P pistols have made a big splash in the
plastic-framed pistol market. I have reviewed a few of their
various M&P pistols on Gunblast, and have replaced my
personal Glock Model 19
with a new M&P 9mm. There is
nothing at all wrong with the Glock, but after shooting the
M&P, I couldn’t go back.
A few months ago, I saw and handled the
prototype Lasergrip for the Smith & Wesson M&P auto
pistol, and immediately asked for one for review. They are now
in full production, and the finished product has exceeded my
expectations. The M&P Lasergrip is fully self-contained. The
batteries and the activation switch are both contained in the
Lasergrip unit. There are no wires or pressure pads attached
anywhere on the pistol. You simply replace the S&W grip
insert with the Lasergrip. If you take your time, you can use up
about one minute installing the Lasergrip on the pistol, and no
tools are needed at all, except for the small Allen wrench
provided for adjusting the laser beam to hit the target.
On a fighting handgun, I want every edge that I
can get to help me to take out my opponent as quickly as
possible. To quote the legendary Bill Jordan, in a
gunfight, there is "No
Second Place Winner." He was right about that.
In a gunfight, it is your responsibility, and it
is also to your advantage, to account for the placement of every
shot that you fire. Even professionals like trained police
officers miss a lot more than they hit in a gunfight. Contrary
to anything else that you have been told, when the shooting
starts, you WILL be focused on the fellow that is shooting at
you. On the target range, standing squarely and focusing your
eyes upon the front sight is pretty easy to do, but that paper
target or steel plate isn’t shooting back. If it was, your
eyes would be wide open and focused upon the target. In a low-light
situation, you can sometimes not even see your sights,
but can see the target. With the Crimson Trace Lasergrip, the
red dot will be seen on the target, which will be the object of
your attention at the time. You simply point the weapon towards
the target, holding the red dot where you want the bullet
to land, and squeeze the trigger.
Another advantage of a laser sight is seldom
mentioned in the press; that is for handgun owners who wear
contact lenses or eyeglasses. Awakened suddenly at night
by someone crashing through the door rarely allows the luxury of
putting on one’s glasses, much less installing a set of
contacts. When suddenly jolted from a deep sleep, you will be
lucky if you have enough time to grab your handgun. The attacker
has had plenty of time to plan the invasion; you have maybe a
couple of seconds to react. You grab your weapon and swing it
towards the intruder. With the Lasergrip, you can keep your eyes
on the target. Even a person with bad eyesight can see someone
crashing through their twelve feet away, but most likely can’t
see even a good set of tritium night sights. The red dot is
right there. Nothing to align. No switches to activate. Just
point the weapon and go to work. In situations such as this,
using your handgun as the defensive tool that it is, the
Lasergrip is an advantage. It is an advantage that might give
you an extra second or two, and might make the difference
between winning and losing in a gunfight.
Where legal, the Lasergrip is also a handy tool
for some types of hunting, especially where the action is fast,
up close, and in the dark, like hunting wild hogs, bear, or cats
at night. The red laser is easy to see against an animal’s
hair, and makes shot placement much easier and quicker in low
light.
I really like the Crimson Trace Lasergrip for
the M&P pistol. It is about the same size as the medium
M&P factory grip insert, offering a slight palm swell on
each side of the grip, and it feels very comfortable in my hand.
I like it much better than any laser that is incorporated into
the spring guide rod. It is much easier to use, quicker to
activate, and it doesn’t screw around with the gun’s
internal parts. There is no fumbling around feeling for
the switch; just grasp the weapon, and the laser is
"ON". The Lasergrip adds almost nothing to the gun’s
weight, but adds a lot of speed and versatility in aiming the
weapon in low-light situations.
Check out the new LG-660 Lasergrip for the Smith
& Wesson M&P auto pistol online, along with the
extensive line of Lasergrip products, at www.crimsontrace.com.
Jeff Quinn
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