I’m retiring my everyday carry pistol to be a home defense gun only. Does anyone have opinions on adding a light, a laser, or both to it? I’m not too worried about holsters since I’ll no longer be carrying it around every day.
Lasers are a gimmick, lights are a must.
Adam said:
Lasers are a gimmick, lights are a must.
You can even zero in the light to some degree. It might not be exact, but if I’m shining the light on the target’s chest, it’s going to get shot there.
Always put a light on your HD weapon. Lasers are pretty useless unless you have night vision. Just get a good white light and you’ll be fine.
I have hands-on experience with this and the people online talking about it don’t know what they’re talking about. I’ll never again not have a light on my gun. The worst feeling is being in the dark, facing someone. The last thing you want to do in a split second while trying to protect yourself is look for a light switch. You’ll be thinking about the paperwork, the legal costs, and what happens to your family after.
A lot of people on this forum are against putting a light on a gun, especially for home defense. But the arguments against it just don’t hold up.
“You could just turn on a light.” Well, power can go out, or you might not have access to a light. You might need one in a place where there’s none or the switch is far away.
“You could hold a light in one hand and the gun in the other.” Or, you could just hold the gun with two hands.
“You need to point the gun to see what you’re aiming at.” Sure, but you aren’t going to be using a gun light to look around your house during a power outage. And if you respect gun safety rules, the risk of an accident is low.
“If it’s so dark you need a light, call the cops.” While I agree it’s better to avoid risky situations, we can only control our own actions. Bad things happen, and crime can increase during blackouts.
TL;DR: It’s your gun. Do what you want, but there’s no harm in adding a light.
@Jonas
Thanks for the response. At the end of the day, I’ll make the choice, but I appreciate hearing others’ thoughts.
@Jonas
You can point your gun at the floor or wall to let the light bounce onto what you need to see. Flashlights aren’t like in video games.
Jourdan said:
@Jonas
You can point your gun at the floor or wall to let the light bounce onto what you need to see. Flashlights aren’t like in video games.
Good point, thanks.
A light is necessary, lasers are a gimmick. If your eyesight isn’t great, consider a red dot like the Holosun ACSS Vulcan Reticle, it’s easy to use.
A paddle holster for a home defense pistol lets you store it safely without unloading it.
@GaryWright
I like red dots too, but shooting my wife’s P365 with the Lima laser is really intuitive. I’d say go for either light + laser or light + red dot. Lasers aren’t gimmicks, especially if you have a pressure pad on the grip. You don’t need extra motions to turn it on.
@Barry
What happens when your laser isn’t hitting the target or is off due to a bright background? You won’t see it and there’s no feedback.
There are many situations where a laser doesn’t work. The advantage of a laser, which is supposed to let you shoot without aiming directly, can actually be a problem.
With a red dot, you’re using the same motion as iron sights. That means you’re learning to aim where you’re looking and improving muscle memory, not trying to correct the laser’s position.
@GaryWright
This is a home defense situation. If someone’s breaking in at night with the lights off or dimmed, the laser isn’t perfect but it works. You sight it in around 7 yards, and it’s fine for home defense. I wouldn’t take it to Walmart, but for this situation, it’s good. Also, he asked about light vs. laser. Maybe his gun isn’t optics-ready.
@Barry
The pistol isn’t optics-ready. I don’t have optics on any of my pistols. Tried them a few times with friends, but I never liked them enough to spend the money on one.
@Barry
Lasers might seem useful at a square range, but they don’t work as well under pressure.
Donbosco said:
@Barry
Lasers might seem useful at a square range, but they don’t work as well under pressure.
I agree. When you’re under stress, it’s a different story with any gun or attachment.
You should think about a holster anyway, so you don’t accidentally grab the trigger when reaching for the gun in a dark room after waking up from a panic.
I have a light on mine and also a flashlight nearby.
If your eyesight is good, just a light is fine. If you wear glasses, you might want both light and laser. It’ll help if you need to grab your gun fast in the middle of the night and can’t get your glasses on in time. The light helps you see the target, and the laser lets you know if you’re aiming at it right.
A laser works well if you set it parallel to zero at a specific distance.
I believe a light is absolutely necessary for home defense. And a holster for pistols and a sling for long guns.