We are getting questions regarding lasers and their use in concealed carry handguns. The questions normally include a follow up question like; “Are lasers good for home defense?”.

There are several ways to look at lasers. First they are a specialized aiming assistant that will help acquire the target for defensive purposes.  They have several different flavors and they can be found for most popular handguns.

We will break the lasers into several groups. They will be the handle embedded; after market universal style; and barrel mount designed by the gun manufacture.

First is the handle laser such as the Crimson Trace. This is a handle integrates the laser into the handgun handle. Pictured is the Smith&Wesson 637 Airweight with the laser. The Crimson Trace^® Laser Sighting System is built into the handle and has the official Smith and Wesson logo. It is not an after-market add on to this pistol. It has a very clean and professional feel to the gun. The "Red Dot" activation is on the front of the handle easily activated by a left or right handed person. While shooting this does add one more layer into the shooting equation. The shooter needs to think about the surrounding situation, activate the laser, and maintain the proper hold on the handgun. For folks that do not practice, this extra step may be a hindrance rather than having any benefit from the use of the Red Dot. On the 637 pictured you can see the laser on the top of the handle, and the activation button in the front of the handle that is activated by the shooting hand.

Dan Battreall, Carryconealed.net Senior Contributor, states in his series on “The Human Factor” the following;

 "Under stress people react differently than normal and your ability to gather information may shut down, start to filter incoming info or dwell on a certain part of the information. Tunnel vision, denial and not listening are examples of shutting down information gathering ability." This may have a significant impact on the ability of inexperienced (and experienced) shooters to rely or focus on the mechanics of operating the laser rather than the primal instincts to get out of or end a violent confrontation. Dan's point is right on the money regarding lasers, and the laser may distract the person from the critical decision making points.

The second is an after-market laser that “fits” on any semi –automatic. The laser mounts onto the trigger guard and sticks out under the barrel. It can be jostled and loose the alignment just by touching the laser mounts. It is very bulky and makes the mighty 1911 feel like a garbage truck. Please do not ever buy one of these for defensive purposes. This was given to us as the shooter could never get a grouping of more than 10 inches.

The third style is the barrel mount designed by the manufacture. We selected to use the Walther P22 for this test. The Walther is one of the best handguns that we have found for defense when people want to use a semi-automatic, but do not have the hand strength to pull back a larger caliber handgun. Even though it is a .22 Long Rifle it is better to have 4 to 7 well placed .22 shots than have nothing at all.

The Walther P22 design on the laser fits into a nice package and can be activated with the trigger finger. Once the laser is activated it stays on no matter how the gun is handled. It also has two lights indicating that the laser is on. This helps the defender to see that the laser is on and they should be looking for the red dot.  The Walther is around $360 and the laser is about $90.

Pictured on the left is a grouping of shots fired during a rapid fire test with the handgun held out and to my right. I was simulating shooting around a corner and was able to hit all of the shots well within a center mass without looking through the handgun’s iron sight.

In a crisis situation the laser that is mounted professionally and stays on has an advantage over the lasers that require additional manipulation during a confrontation.  The P22 Laser could be turned on using the trigger finger and then the defender can focus on the target and the potential ending of the lethal confrontation. Hopefully without firing a shot.

The bottom line: I do not prefer lasers. I feel that people become dependent on them and would not have the basic skills to defend themselves. That being said, I recommend folks get to the range and talk to your local concealed carry instructor to ask their opinion and practice with and without the laser. There are some great advantages for the barrel mounted lasers that are easily operated and stay on. If you are awakened at night and need to react quickly the active laser could be a good solution. But please practice with and without the laser.

Defense is an ongoing part of an overall plan for your home safety. Make a plan, and implement the plan. The laser is only one small part of your home defense plan.

Happy Trails and keep the lead down range. Clark – Carryconcealed.net

*Editors note – During the testing of the lasers we used CCI Stingers in the Walther P22. We also tested the Remington Yellow Jackets. They jammed on almost every shot. If you are shooting any .22 Long Rifle for a defense pistol, please spend the extra money for the CCI stingers as they have not jammed in our .22 semi-automatic pistols.