{"id":13013,"date":"2016-02-25T19:11:19","date_gmt":"2016-02-25T19:11:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/?p=13013"},"modified":"2016-02-25T19:16:49","modified_gmt":"2016-02-25T19:16:49","slug":"lights-lasers-and-myths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/lights-lasers-and-myths\/","title":{"rendered":"Lights, Lasers, and Myths"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"CT-1\"<\/a>
The combination of a Crimson Trace Light Guard and Laser Grips is arguably unbeatable in low light.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are a number of myths associated with laser sights and lights on defensive handguns. There are also some given facts. For example, you cannot shoot the bad guy if you cannot see your sights. And, you have no business shooting at a bad guy unless you know he is a bad guy. Sometimes the myths get in the way of the facts.<\/p>\n

Some argue a laser sight will become a crutch, detrimental to shooting. Well I got news for you; sometimes we need a crutch. Every defensive handgun shooter should train to use their fixed sights but what they will find problematic is seeing those sights when faced with a real threat. Target focus can make all but the easiest to see sights \u2013 like XS Big Dot Sights<\/a> – near impossible to pick up. That\u2019s where the laser comes in. If zeroed correctly, when you draw to see your sights, you\u2019ll see the laser on the bad guy because that\u2019s where your focus will be.<\/p>\n

If I\u2019m having trouble walking, I\u2019ll take a crutch. If I\u2019m having trouble shooting I\u2019ll take one too.<\/p>\n

\"CT-3\"<\/a>
Weapon lights are great things. But, you need a dedicated flashlight to go with them.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Weapon light application is often misunderstood and some argue they circumvent the need for a flashlight. A weapon mounted light, like the Crimson Trace<\/a> Light Guard, is not a searching tool; you do not search for things by pointing a gun at them. The light from the Light Guard is there to help you confirm a suspected threat and to help you engage appropriately.<\/p>\n

Granted, due to the flood like beam from the Light Guard you can search with the edge of the beam. However, in low light conditions you\u2019re better off if you have a dedicated flashlight, in addition to the weapon light. You don\u2019t want to be searching for that bump in the night with a weapon mounted light and discover it was your teenage son sneaking in from a date with “sweet thing.”<\/p>\n

My dedicated bedside gun is a Para-USA 1911 Commander outfitted with XS Big Dot Sights<\/a>, a Crimson Trace Laser Grip<\/a>, and a Crimson Trace Light Guard<\/a>. With this pistol I\u2019m guaranteed I\u2019ll be able to see the threat and see my sights \u2013 iron or laser. But, in the Hornady<\/a> RAPiD Safe right beside this pistol is a Surefire<\/a> AZ2 flashlight. Why? Because, if I hear that bump in the night I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll need to be looking at things I don\u2019t want to point a gun at.<\/p>\n

\"CT-2\"<\/a>
Quickly accessible and secure handgun storage is a must but so is keeping a dedicated flashlight with that handgun.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When I find the thing that needs shooting, it\u2019ll be splashed with 130 lumens of white light and a nice little red dot will point to where my bullet will go. All I\u2019ll need to do to make this happen is apply a proper shooting grip. Buttons and switches on lights and lasers are like those erectile dysfunction drugs you must take before sex. They sound like a great idea until you don\u2019t have the time to screw with them.\u00a0You\u2019ll never be in a defensive situation where you have time to spare!<\/p>\n

This brings up another good point and that’s to keep your handgun in a safe that allows rapid access. The Hornady RAPiD Safe<\/a> can be opened quickly with an RFID tag. You can even stick one of these RFID tags on your phone.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are a number of myths associated with laser sights and lights on defensive handguns. There are also some given facts. For example, you cannot shoot the bad guy if you cannot see your sights. And, you have no business shooting at a bad guy unless you know he is a bad guy. Sometimes the myths get in the way of the …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2509],"tags":[42,2597,1559,2596],"class_list":["post-13013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-defense","tag-crimson-trace-light-guard","tag-defensive-handgun-myths","tag-laser-grips","tag-xs-big-dot"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5hujZ-3nT","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13102,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/laser-sights-and-donald-trump\/","url_meta":{"origin":13013,"position":0},"title":"Laser Sights and Donald Trump","author":"gunwriter","date":"March 24, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"It occurred to me that laser sights on defensive handguns are looked at in much the same way as Donald Trump. Some folks are laser fans and some are adamantly against them. Donald can claim the same balance of support. Fortunately for gun owners looking to better prepare themselves for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DEFENSE"","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"LAS-3","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/LAS-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/LAS-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/LAS-3.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/LAS-3.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12854,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/installing-a-crimson-trace-laser-guard\/","url_meta":{"origin":13013,"position":1},"title":"Installing a Crimson Trace Laser Guard","author":"gunwriter","date":"January 11, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the myths surrounding Crimson Trace lasers is that you will have to permanently modify your handgun or hire a gunsmith to install them. Not true. In fact, with most handguns a Crimson Trace laser (laser grips or Laser Guard) can be installed in less than five minutes. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DEFENSE"","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Screen Shot 2016-01-08 at 9.40.00 AM copy","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Screen-Shot-2016-01-08-at-9.40.00-AM-copy.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Screen-Shot-2016-01-08-at-9.40.00-AM-copy.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Screen-Shot-2016-01-08-at-9.40.00-AM-copy.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Screen-Shot-2016-01-08-at-9.40.00-AM-copy.png?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13244,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/laser-sights-the-early-days\/","url_meta":{"origin":13013,"position":2},"title":"Laser Sights – The Early Days","author":"gunwriter","date":"April 20, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The first handgun mounted laser sight I saw was in the mid 1990's. I was running combat style pistol matches for my Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge. For most of the matches we hosted I tried to keep the scenarios realistic with a focus on the shooter having to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DEFENSE"","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"L-4","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/L-4.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/L-4.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/L-4.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/L-4.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8037,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/train-accordingly\/","url_meta":{"origin":13013,"position":3},"title":"Train Accordingly","author":"gunwriter","date":"January 16, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Reliable lasers for defensive handguns have been around since 1994 when Crimson Trace introduced a laser modification for the Glock. In case you are mathematically challenged, that was 20 years ago. Over the span of those 20 years the laser has become, next to holsters, the most popular defensive handgun\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"250 Pistol Class\"","block_context":{"text":"250 Pistol Class","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/tag\/250-pistol-class\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"This laser modification to a Glock in 1994 by Crimson Trace marked the beginning of trustworthy handgun lasers.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/CT1-200x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12913,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/zeroing-defensive-handgun-lasers\/","url_meta":{"origin":13013,"position":4},"title":"Zeroing Defensive Handgun Lasers","author":"gunwriter","date":"January 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"When it comes to adjusting a laser on a defensive handgun so that the point of aim (POA) coincides with the point of impact (POI) there are several things to consider. Most important is how to zero the laser so that it best compliments your ability to deal with a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DEFENSE"","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"You can even use a Crimson Trace laser grip as a laser training tool.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/slt_0081-200x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13304,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/target-focus-shooting\/","url_meta":{"origin":13013,"position":5},"title":"Target Focus Shooting","author":"gunwriter","date":"May 2, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"If you are faced with a threat, be it a bad guy wanting to kill you or a brown bear wanting to eat you, you will look at it. Your eyes will focus on that threat and if you want to shoot at it, you will struggle to switch your\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DEFENSE"","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"XSS-11","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/XSS-11.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/XSS-11.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/XSS-11.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/XSS-11.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13013"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13013\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13021,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13013\/revisions\/13021"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}