Yes, I too fell for all the “myths” about using a laser sight for my personal protection firearms.
I’m sure you’ve probably heard them also (or maybe even thought these yourself?)…
Myth: Lasers give away your position in the dark (They don’t.)
Myth: Lasers aren’t as effective as “red dot” scopes (They are.)
Or my favorite…
Myth: Using a laser is “cheating”. (Well, sort of, but if it saves a loved one’s life, do you really care?)
In any case, I’ve changed my tune and become a HUGE fan of lasers over the years – especially for home defense – so…
Here Are 6 Reasons YOU Should Have A Laser On EVERY Home Defense Gun…
Ok, first of all, it’s important to realize that lasers are NOT a “magic talisman” that takes away your need to train with your firearm.
You’re ALWAYS going to need to develop proper fundamentals because no matter how pinpoint that laser is on the center mass of your target, it’s not going to steady the weapon for you as you pull the trigger.
But if you’ve been holding off on arming your weapon with a laser for ANY of the myths I just shared, then it’s time to reconsider your defense plan, for these 6 reasons…
1. Nighttime Targeting
This is the most obvious reason – but it’s a great one…
If you’re shooting under low-light conditions (like a nighttime home invasion), you’re most likely NOT going to see your weapon’s regular sights.
Lasers won’t illuminate your attacker for you, but they WILL give you back the ability to make sure your bullet is headed at the enemy, and not way off to the left or right where it could hit a loved one in another room.
2. Poor Vision
It could be because you’ve gotten “older” and your eyesight has gotten worse…
Or maybe it’s a nighttime home invasion and you have “sleep eyes” as you’re startled out of bed by a breaking window…
Either way, lasers offer a way to confirm your target sighting when your vision is less than perfect.
3. Off-Hand Shooting
Shooting with your left hand when you’re a right handed shooter is one of those things most gun-owners don’t think about – and especially don’t train for (even though you KNOW it’s a critical skill, right?)
It can’t be stressed enough…
When your shooting hand gets wounded (or if you have to switch hands for other reasons), you and your loved ones are counting on the accuracy of your OTHER hand to stop the bad guy.
Lasers provide an off-hand “instant accuracy boost“ that could keep you alive.
4. Cross-Eye Dominance
This is more of an issue with rifles and shotguns than it is with handguns, but a lot of times, people who are right-handed shooters, naturally use their left eye for sighting instead of their right one.
This confuses a lot of shooters – ESPECIALLY in the chaos of a real gunfight.
Lasers will shorten the time it takes you to acquire your target and pull the trigger while your eyes and brain are arguing back and forth about where you should be shooting.
5. Shooting Around Corners
If you’re right handed (for example) and have to move around your home to get to a loved one, you may come to a “right turn” corner of your home you need to get past.
When “slicing the pie” around that corner, you’re going to expose the entire left side of your head before your right (shooting) eye can see what’s around the corner.
This makes you an easier target for an armed attacker.
A laser allows you to easily switch eyes… keep you better covered/concealed… and still quickly engage your target once the “red spot” is on your target.
6. Your “Back-Up Defense Team”
In a home invasion, you need all the help you can get.
That could mean your spouse and/or a child who can back you up with their own firearm in a saferoom.
Or it could even be a scenario where someone is trying to break into your home and you’re NOT there to come to a family members’ rescue.
If you have loved ones in your home who aren’t as skilled as you are with a firearm, a laser offers them better accuracy than just pointing and praying they’re on target when they pull the trigger.
Whether It’s For Your Handgun, Rifle, Or Shotgun…
Here’s How To Choose The Right Laser System For Your Home Defense Weapons…
Selecting the perfect laser sight for your weapon system should take you through several key elements to make sure you find one that naturally fits your needs.
To start, you want to make sure it’s compatibility with ALL of your weapons.
Laser sights are not all universally fitting, and I prefer a system that I know I can switch over to another firearm if I need to – whether that’s my pistol, rifle, or my shotgun.
Look for a laser that will fit both a Weaver and the military’s standard 1913 “Picatinny” rail system, as these are the most common setups.
Next, you’re going to want to choose between colors for the laser itself – namely, red or green.
Green is picked up by more receptors in the eye so it can appear brighter and in more lighting conditions – but it’s also more expensive.
I recommend starting off with a red laser – especially if you’re outfitting more than one weapon – in order to keep the price down, but here’s another (strange) reason you might want to opt for a red laser…
I always assume that any fight I get into (armed or unarmed) is a multiple attacker scenario – so if I’m pointing my laser at a home invader, I want to be able to see the red dot on his torso… but if I’m looking to get the drop on my attackers, I don’t want an accomplice to notice it from another angle.
That might sound a little strange and it’s not a common tip you’ll hear… but I always plan for worst-case scenarios and this is my current thinking.
Another factor that’s really eliminated a lot of lasers I’ve shopped for is in the laser’s profile…
You want the lowest profile laser you can find – meaning as small and shallow as possible – so that it doesn’t get in the way of any movement of your hands, or of you and your weapon as you navigate obstacles in your home.
The reason why this has always been one of my biggest concerns is because of how I grip my pistol – the “Harkins Grip”, with a finger around the front of the trigger guard.
Not many lasers allow a shallow enough profile to allow this grip.
Finally, you need to understand that lasers – just like regular firearms sights – will need to be zeroed in to make sure the bullet hits where the laser is showing up.
Therefore, look for a laser sighting system that allows you to adjust the windage and elevation of the laser so you can be sure you’re right on target every time.
One of the lasers I’ve steered people toward to outfit all of your weapons is the Predator laser system from MCG because it offers the best balance of all of these options for the best price I could find.
I’ve purchased cheaper ones, but they ended up performing cheaper as well – and “reliability” is a huge factor in making sure you have the right system to support your home defense needs.
Whatever one you buy, I know you’ll be a lifelong convert after seeing the life-saving “tactical advantage” that lasers give you for some of the worst conditions you could face in a real gunfight.
On almost all of my weapons, I have a Laser. More importantly, all have first been bore sighted, then lined up with the attached laser, at the appropriate ranges, to be more accurate.
Great point Henry!