Gun Digest's Revolver & Pistol Sights for Concealed Carry eShort by Grant Cunningham

Author:Grant Cunningham [Cunningham, Grant]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4402-3393-7
Publisher: F+W Media
Published: 2012-04-14T04:00:00+00:00

Downsides to lasers

The most obvious issue with lasers is that they require batteries to run. Most lasers run on small lithium electronics batteries, and while battery life is quite good (four to five operational hours depending on the model) sooner or later they do become depleted. I recommend that my students and clients using lasers on defensive revolvers replace the batteries every year with sporadic use, and every six months with regular use. This is significantly shorter than the maker’s recommendations, but I think it’s rational given the serious nature of the job they’re expected to perform.

The lithium batteries used in most lasers are advertised as having a shelf life of five to ten years. I’ve found that once these batteries are partially depleted their remaining shelf life is dramatically reduced, hence my shortened replacement intervals. I realize that it seems wasteful to toss batteries that are still functioning, but I prefer erring on the side of caution if it is something on which my life may depend. Besides, the batteries are really quite inexpensive and shouldn’t strain even the tightest budget.

Another issue with lasers is that they aren’t always easily visible in daylight. While this obviously doesn’t affect their advantages in subdued light, it may be an issue if you actually have to use them from a disadvantaged position in bright light. I’ve not yet had the opportunity to extensively test one of the new green lasers to see if they’re any different in these regards, though I’m told that their visibility is better under a greater range of conditions.

I was initially hostile to the concept of a laser-equipped revolver, but the advantages of being able to align one’s gun on target without it needing to always be in the line of sight are undeniable. Treated as the auxiliary sighting devices they are, and with some occasional practice so that the skill of using them is maintained, they’re very useful.

This is an excerpt from the Gun Digest Book of the Revolver. To get a hard copy, visit gundigeststore.com. To learn more about revolvers visit gundigest.com.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.