Hey chris...

[packinair]

just got a new M&P .45 smith.. what is your opinion on crimson trace grips:lurk5:

[Tony]

If you have never used lasers before, dont start now.

Once you become used to a natural draw and sight picture, a little red dot bouncing around on your target is nothing more than a distraction. Ive had a few different styles of lasers on handguns in the past and sold them all becase I just couldnt get used to them. A good set of night sights is far more beneficial.

[packinair]

there seems to be some good benefits of them.. some cool vids here
http://www.crimsontrace.com/Home/Videos/tabid/396/Default.aspx

[Chris]

I know there are people that like the laser stuff. But at the risk of sugar coating it, they're not that useful.

At best, they're a crutch. For what they cost, you could take a few lessons and buy a bunch of ammo and get much more proficient at actually hitting things with your weapon. For night shooting, they're pretty much useless. They don't give you any target illumination so you're shooting blind. A good tactical light is much more effective.

If you want to shoot better and want to buy something that will assist that, get a good set of tritium-insert sights for your pistol. Preferrably adjustable, unless it's a concealed-carry weapon. Adjustables tend to be too large and have too many sharp corners that catch things when you're drawing from under a shirt or out of a pocket. You can still do tritium in a fixed though. They'll make acquiring the sights so much quicker for you- you can actually see them. Even in the daytime.

[Chris]

there seems to be some good benefits of them.. some cool vids here
http://www.crimsontrace.com/Home/Videos/tabid/396/Default.aspx

It's their job to make them look good. You won't ever find them on a proficient pistol shooter's weapon. I see them at public ranges all the time. Never at a police or agency range.

[MattBMiller]

If you have never used lasers before, dont start now.

Once you become used to a natural draw and sight picture, a little red dot bouncing around on your target is nothing more than a distraction. Ive had a few different styles of lasers on handguns in the past and sold them all becase I just couldnt get used to them. A good set of night sights is far more beneficial.

Exactly!

Lasers and night sights are both useless after your first shot in the dark though after the flash.

[packinair]

it is a carry gun.. I really need to get to the range.. I have not even put one round through it yet. I was thinking that a laser might now be bad for that just in case...

[packinair]

compared to my 9mm this thing is damn near a bazooka

[MattBMiller]

Have you shot an M&P at all? I shot a friends .40 M&P a few weeks ago at the range.

[packinair]

Have you shot an M&P at all? I shot a friends .40 M&P a few weeks ago at the range.

AND??? did u like it? I had an older 9mm.. I just picked up a new m&P .45 2 days ago but have not fired it as of yet..

[Tony]

Tac lights are nice, they serve two functions lighting your target and blinding your attacker. The downside is they are bulky and un practical for conceal carry. If you ever find yourself involved in a personal defense shooting be ready to have your ass handed to you in court if you have any sort of "tactical accessory" on your weapon.

[BradB]

compared to my 9mm this thing is damn near a bazooka

well if you were not 100lbs soakin wet you wouldnt have that problem!!:biggrinjester:

[clayinaustin]

Tac lights are nice, they serve two functions lighting your target and blinding your attacker. The downside is they are bulky and un practical for conceal carry. If you ever find yourself involved in a personal defense shooting be ready to have your ass handed to you in court if you have any sort of "tactical accessory" on your weapon.

Excellent point.

[RedDog382]

it is a carry gun.. I really need to get to the range.. I have not even put one round through it yet. I was thinking that a laser might now be bad for that just in case...

So is it going to be packinheat now ...?

[packinair]

So is it going to be packinheat now ...?

has been for about 8 years:sifone:

[gerritm]

I tried the laser sights and they are distracting. Remember if you can see the laser the bad guy (or girl) can see it also and where it is coming from. I bought a good tritium Ameriglo night sight for my HK and it works the best. My buddy has a couple of the M&P Smith's in .40 and he loves them. Accurate and shoots well.

[Chris]

Carry guns need to have as little on them as possible. They also need to be compact enough that you don't leave it at home or under your seat. They also need to be very slippery- you have to draw the thing from under a shirt and possibly a jacket. It shouldn't have any protrusions or square edges.

My EDC is an HK P7. 9mm, seven shots. I have one extra mag. It's very slippery and it's the most natural-pointing pistol ever made. I don't need magnum calibers or triple-digit magazine capacity. I can draw it effortlessly every time, without a hitch. I can put it on target and within the 50-foot max range I'd be presented with in a personal-defense scenario and it's small enough that I don't even feel it anymore, but because it's steel, it has the heft that allows it to be balanced and fired confidently.

It really doesn't matter what caliber or how many rounds your weapon has. If it's stuck on your shirt or when you get it out, you can't hit anything with it, or if it's on the kitchen counter when you need it, all those debates about calibers and stopping capabilites or magazine capacities suddenly become absurdly unimportant.

In the end, the most useful personal defense tool is range time. And it needs to be real-world range time. You need to practice removing the weapon from it's concealment and shooting it. You need to practice weak-hand shooting. You need to practice clearing drills. One-handed too. You need to practice shooting from concealment. It's your life- you should be as proficient in your abilities in saving it as you are comfortable with.

[jmeng]

just got a new M&P .45 smith.. what is your opinion on crimson trace grips:lurk5:

Good choice. I've got an M&P 9mm and love it. Will buy a compact version down the road some time.

[Sea-Dated]

I know there are people that like the laser stuff. But at the risk of sugar coating it, they're not that useful.

At best, they're a crutch. For what they cost, you could take a few lessons and buy a bunch of ammo and get much more proficient at actually hitting things with your weapon. For night shooting, they're pretty much useless. They don't give you any target illumination so you're shooting blind. A good tactical light is much more effective.

If you want to shoot better and want to buy something that will assist that, get a good set of tritium-insert sights for your pistol. Preferrably adjustable, unless it's a concealed-carry weapon. Adjustables tend to be too large and have too many sharp corners that catch things when you're drawing from under a shirt or out of a pocket. You can still do tritium in a fixed though. They'll make acquiring the sights so much quicker for you- you can actually see them. Even in the daytime.

I agree 100%. I tried the laser one day at the range and not only did it annoy me, it annoyed everyone else aiming down range. The stupid little red dot just distracted everyone.

I got a good set of night sights and shot better than I ever had with them. Will not own another gun without a good set of night sights.

[gerritm]

I agree 100%. I tried the laser one day at the range and not only did it annoy me, it annoyed everyone else aiming down range. The stupid little red dot just distracted everyone.

I got a good set of night sights and shot better than I ever had with them. Will not own another gun without a good set of night sights.

One word of advice, if you do get a set of replacement night sights, have a good gunsmith install them. I installed the front one on my HK and it was a pain. It was oversized slightly and pressed into a groove and I used a little bit of heat and a soft brass drift to knock the old one out and then froze the new one and tapped it in with the same brass drift and used a square to line it up. Worked OK but would be easier with the proper sight press that they have. I managed to put a small scratch on the blueing, repaired it but would not do it again.:(

[Chris]

Of all pistols, HK's are the worst. First of all, there are a number of different sites on each model (especially the P7), so buying something aftermarket can be a real challenge. Then, you need a very expensive special tool to remove and replace them. If you don't use the tool, you run the risk of damaging the slide. If you have an HK pistol, send it to an HK smith. Let them site it in a machine rest- especially if they're non-adjustables.

[RLJ676]

Have you shot an M&P at all? I shot a friends .40 M&P a few weeks ago at the range.

How'd you like it?

That's what I have, and love it. Got rid of a Sig 229 stainless elite because I was never shooting it and only the M&P.

[Tony]

Of all pistols, HK's are the worst. First of all, there are a number of different sites on each model (especially the P7), so buying something aftermarket can be a real challenge. Then, you need a very expensive special tool to remove and replace them. If you don't use the tool, you run the risk of damaging the slide. If you have an HK pistol, send it to an HK smith. Let them site it in a machine rest- especially if they're non-adjustables.

AMEN! I still am having a hard time getting used to the flat black on black USP sights. The sights on my P7 look exactly the same as Trijicons w/ out the glow. Gotta love the P7 for all around natural feel and shooting, its like playing duck hunt on the original Nintendo.

[gerritm]

Of all pistols, HK's are the worst. First of all, there are a number of different sites on each model (especially the P7), so buying something aftermarket can be a real challenge. Then, you need a very expensive special tool to remove and replace them. If you don't use the tool, you run the risk of damaging the slide. If you have an HK pistol, send it to an HK smith. Let them site it in a machine rest- especially if they're non-adjustables.


The first front blade sight on my HK fell off the second or third time I shot it. I was shooting at the range and kept moving my shots to the right and it was gone. I found it and shipped the slide back to HK service under warranty and they reinstalled it with a small amount of some kind of glue. Very good service, took about two weeks. There is a sight press tool available for HK sights. It runs about $90. The Trijicon night sight only cost $40.