Crimson Trace LaserGrips for S&W 686 in .357 Magnum

[Silverfox]

I don't shoot my revolver much and purchased it mainly as protection against cougars while out coyote calling. I took my Concealed Weapon Carry Permit test and passed that and now have my permit in hand. I am wondering if the Crimson Trace device (Model LG307) is something that would be useful/necessary for the purpose I have in mind for my revolver.

I have shot stationary paper targets with both .38 Special ammo and .357 ammo and while I'm sure I wouldn't win any contests, I have been able to keep my 5-shot groups under 3" at 15 yards with the open sights and shooting offhand. I realize a cougar IS NOT a stationary target and wonder if the Laser sight would help me hit my target better than just using the open sights???

Thanks for any solid advice any of you may offer.

[surfclod]

Though I can't say I have any experience with that set up, you post reminds me of Tom Gresham's Gun Talk that I listen to on the satellite radio when ever I get the chance to hear him. He puts on a good show and seems a pretty fair guy.

http://www.guntalk.com/site.php

(its on XM Channel 166 sunday evenings, if any have satallite and haven't heard him)

Of course being a sponsor would not hurt but this is a product that he continually talks about.

I used to have a laser sight on my Ruger 10/22 back when I lived on the farm and we had problems with skunks and raccoons in our chicken yard. (5 raccoons in one night one time) It was great in the dark because the sights are very hard to see in low light. Especially when in a hurry and you don't have the time to get in a good shooting stance.

If you can afford it, it is worth it just for the fun of shooting tin cans in low light.

[futuretrades]

from my experience with the laser sights, and i do speak from experience, like anything else they have their good and bad qualities. in bright light, ie sunny conditions they are all but useless. i would think you would be out during the day when you might encounter a cougar. even during shaded conditions sometimes it is hard to find the laser dot!

another thing, my buddy has crimson trace grips on his concealed carry S&W. while i have the laser max laser grips on my concealed S&W. much to both our surprise, my laser max dot is about twice as bright as his crimson trace dot. his grips are about a year older than my grips, and maybe his battery was getting low, i don't know for sure. my laser max grips were about $100.00 cheaper than the crimson trace grips. also i couldn't find anyone that had the crimson trace grips in stock at the time, so i went with laser max, and had no problem finding them in stock.

another point that my gunsmith brought to my attention, was if someone was in your house with a gun also, your laser sight would be a dead giveaway as to your position in the house. something else to consider for self protection. like he said nothing will put fear into someone like the sound of jacking a shell in a pump shotgun!
just a little friendly info

[Silverfox]

I'd still like to obtain a few more opinions about the Crimson Trace laser grips and even the Laser Max grips that futuretrades mentioned.

Is it real difficult to see that laser dot on your intended target in daylight? Some of the videos I have watched at the Crimson Trace Web site were filmed in fairly dim light. Maybe there was a good reason???

Thanks in advance.

[Rick in Oregon]

SF: Normally I carry one of my .45's for concealed carry, but when I want to travel light, I carry my S&W 642 with Crimson Trace laser grips. With a good battery, it is no problem at all to pick up the laser dot in bright sunlight, even up to 35 yards away. I'm thinking your buddy had a weak battery at the time you compared both brands, as both use the same miliwatt rated laser.

That said, to me at least, the Crimson Trace grips are more compact and asthetically pleasing than the Laser Max, but that's subjective. I would think that in a cougar confrontation, the laser grips, either brand, would be ideal, as the last thing you want to fret about when a hungry kitty is preparing to pounce, would be sight alighment/sight picture. The laser could very well save you from dire consequences when time really mattered.

I have no experience defending myself against a cougar, but just think about how fast an attack happens, and how quick it would be to just put the dot on the cat and squeeze......

Off topic, but mentioned earlier by friend futuretrades, is that in a home defense situation, you don't have to use the laser to target your opponent, but target identification requires a Surefire or like flashlight in the dark, thereby blinding the cretin, even though it "gives away" your position. So it seems like a moot point that the laser would give you away, as if the laser is on him, he's about to have a very bad day very quickly. Sometimes just seeing the red dot on your chest de-escalates the situation rather fast. Just a thought.

[Bunnybuster]

SilverFox: How bright the laser is depends on whether or not you are color blind / deficient.

I'm red green deficient, and only see red and green at about 30% the intensity of someone with "normal" vision. So, if I try to use a laser sight in daylight, it is impossible.

As others have said, the lasers are great for dim light, and night conditions, when the normal sights are useless.

My first recommendation is that if you intend to carry a weapon, you do enough target time with it that it bocomes and extension of you arm, and points where you want it just as quickly as your eyes do.

It takes practice. Lots of practice.

[Silverfox]

I want to thank all you gentlemen who have responded. I think I will invest the money in the Crimson Trace laser grips. I promise to spend some serious range time getting used to the red dot.

I did spend a little time shooting a friend's pistol that had a laser sight, but it was just a 22 rimfire. The dot sure made it a lot easier to hit the bullseye that using the open sights.

Thanks again for the help.

[Captqc]

Silverfox,
I've got CT's on my Kimber Tac Pro II and my Ruger LCP. I have to agree with what's already stated by my friends here. I wouldn't put them on all of my pistols but I sure like having them on the ones I do. As Rick said if you light someone up with a flashlight you've given away your position so you might just as well shine a laser in his face so he knows where the bullet will hit him. I don't think that you will regret your decision.
Happy shooting, Gary