Gun Trade World - January 2023

great gear
handgun laser sights
sights. These laser grips are not just a
novelty containing a laser, but can be very
comfortable, well-made grips. What’s
interesting about these is that the laser
activates as you grip the weapon, thanks
to a pressure pad, making it impossible to
fail to activate the laser. Flat batteries fit
in the new grip panels, and a miniature
laser sight unit is moulded into the upper
surface of one of the grip plates. With
most laser-sight-grip designs, the two
grip panels are connected by a pressure
pad that crosses the leading surface of
the handgun grip. When the user grips
the firearm normally and applies a
moderate amount of pressure, the laser
sight activates for as long as pressure is
applied. These grips are made for nearly
any weapon you can easily change grips
on, including revolvers, and there even are
laser grips for most popular pistol series
that do not feature interchangeable grips.
These laser grips slip over the existing
grip frame and position a pressureactivation
switch on the back of the grip
strap.
USING LASER SIGHTS
Where a laser sight shines is in lowlight
conditions. Whether red or green,
a laser sight is virtually impossible to
miss in low-light and dark conditions.
Drastically improving your sighting in
these less-than-ideal conditions is what
these compact and easy to use sights are
all about. Laser sights can also be used
when shooting at non-traditional angles,
at these angles, you cannot align your
handgun for whatever reason to use iron
sights. At these extreme angles, a laser
sight can also be used in place of iron
sights. That said, don’t think laser sights
are your all-round aiming device. In bright
daylight conditions you might even be
slower with a laser sight because you’ll
be too focussed on finding the dot on
target whereas open sights or a dot sight
would be much quicker on the mark. So,
see these laser sights as complimenting
your toolbox, and practising with them
as such, rather than fully relying on them
and forgetting about your other sighting
systems all together.
Dedicated training
with a laser sight
is of course the
most important
factor in using a
laser, or really any
firearm. Train to
use the laser sight
in combination
with regular iron
sights. Low light
training is a major
consideration for
using these sights
and should be
carried out regularly.
Also, it’s vital to
remember a laser
sight needs to be
zeroed in, as any
optical weapon
device.
PROS AND CONS
When considering either a framemounted
or a grip laser sight, consider
the following pros and cons. With a
frame-mounted sight, you will need a new
holster as your old one won’t go together
with the added rail-mounted sight. Here
grip laser sights have the advantage as
they don’t require you to purchase a new
holster. On the other hand, should you
wish to add a flashlight next to a laser
sight to upgrade your handgun set up,
frame-mounted laser sights come very
often equipped with a flashlight. Grip
laser sights simply don’t have room to
add an equally powerful flashlight in/on
the handgun grip so here frame-mounted
laser sights have the advantage. Grip
laser sights meanwhile don’t require the
push of a button to activate, as they are
activated by means of a pressure pad in
the grip.
THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT
Laser sights for handguns have come a
long way since featuring in many 80’s
Hollywood movies such as for example
The Terminator. Whether for personal
or professional applications, these sights
offer an extremely useful addition to
your handgun setup, especially for low
light conditions. What’s more, thanks to
the versatility of types and designs, laser
sights are available for almost any kind
of handgun. For the trade, where allowed
by law, these sights will offer a worthy
addition to your product portfolio. GTW
32 www.guntradeworld.com