I’m the market for a laser to mount on handguns

Posted by ModestMarksman@reddit | Firearms | View on Reddit | 16 comments

Now before you flood the comments trying to crucify me and tell me lasers don’t work I’m not looking for one for actual defense usage. I’ve been teaching more and more people to shoot lately and I want to get one to use as a visual training tool. I noticed at the range the other day a dude shooting with a laser and how easy it was to see him pulling shots. I know we have all been at the point where we said “I didn’t pull the shot my sights were on target” and I feel like watching the laser move makes it more obvious when you are messing up your fundamentals. Anyway I think it could be a useful tool when teaching new shooters so I was trying to find one that won’t break and can hold zero and preferably not be something pistol specific. Any recommendations?

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16 Comments

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AnthonyGuns@reddit

Crimson Trace has been one of the bigger brands in the gun laser scene for ages. Check out one of their universal rail-mounted lasers. [https://amzn.to/41OHq1J](https://amzn.to/41OHq1J)

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Roland--Tembo@reddit

I have a Mark 23 with a DBAL-PL and I'm inclined to agree with /u/englisi_baladid and /u/MILFPOLICE If you really want to do this, though, and you're an instructor at a range, you should have some inventory with lasers already installed. The lasers should be zeroed to avoid people focusing on the wrong visual aid, and lasers being swapped on/off customer guns are unlikely to be properly zeroed. The most important thing I found with a pistol laser is that it ought to be as close to the bore axis as possible, so things like the Surefire X400s and OLIGHT BALDRs are not ideal. Viridians are a good pick from what I've heard, and have their laser closer to the bore axis than anything else at that price point.

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ModestMarksman@reddit (OP)

I’m not an instructor. I taught my mom to shoot and she keeps asking me to teach others. I don’t plan on doing it professionally but I do help enough newer shooters that I wouldn’t mind spending some cash to make explaining things easier

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Roland--Tembo@reddit

In that case, something from Viridian would be my recommendation, since they're small,and will fit on the majority of railed pistols

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ModestMarksman@reddit (OP)

I’ll look at them thabks

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fridaynightslapfight@reddit

Streamlight TLR8A

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ModestMarksman@reddit (OP)

That’s what I’m leaning towards currently. I’ve never bought one but is it like the X300 where it comes with hardware for different mounting systems?

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fridaynightslapfight@reddit

For glock's 'rail' as well as picatinny.

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SlogTheNog@reddit

Have you considered just using something like a Mantis training system with dry fire? You'll get actual useable data that way (and can practice at home).

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ModestMarksman@reddit (OP)

It’s not for me. I teach a lot of my moms friends because she keeps asking me to whenever they ask her where she learned to shoot. I was just looking for something to help them visualize the errors they are making and what not.

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Ok_Relief_4819@reddit

I think that would be a great tool, but do so with an IR laser or something and record the shooter and their target with an appropriate filter or something. I got to train in the Marines with a laser simulator that recorded the movement of the weapon, it highlighted the moment the hammer dropped and the 2 milliseconds before the hammer drop. It was really cool to see that highlighted line darting “this way and that” proving the push and pull of the impacts. I’m not sure what the system was called, but being able to qualify those movements with something like that would be a huge help. Let us know if you come up with something.

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Bobathaar@reddit

Just put your mawl on the pistol

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englisi_baladid@reddit

What's far cheaper and easier is just loading a mag with live ammo and snap caps.

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ModestMarksman@reddit (OP)

I know snap caps help but it doesn’t show just how far off of your POI will be from POA.

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MILFPOLICE@reddit

I've found red dots on pistols are REALLY good teaching tools because what the gun is doing becomes way more obvious with a finer sight point.

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ModestMarksman@reddit (OP)

I agree however most people I teach are older ladies (I’m not a legit instructor I just find myself teaching a bunch of people my mom knows because she said I teach shooting well and keeps asking me to help her friends learn) so most just buy a gun like a Shield EZ and probably won’t get their guns milled.