I'm looking for a decent quality pistol laser for my Walther PPQ but all I can find is cheap NCstar junk. Are there any decent brands that aren't going to cost me an arm and a leg like crimson trace? I may go for a crimson trace anyways if I cant find anything else, but if anyone can point me in the right direction for less, that would be preferred. I just want a laser, I am not looking for a flashlight/laser combo.
Walther PPQ Laser
- Thread starter jhedsy
- Start date
I like the NCStar green lasers,
Marstar used to claim that NCStar had a lifetime warranty but I'm not sure if it applies in Canada.
I mostly use mine for dry fire practice and haven't shot it a lot at the range but it's seems pretty solid for the price.
The screw clamp works universally well while the quick disconnect works better on some rails then others.
What ever you decide, green is the way to go.
Marstar used to claim that NCStar had a lifetime warranty but I'm not sure if it applies in Canada.
I mostly use mine for dry fire practice and haven't shot it a lot at the range but it's seems pretty solid for the price.
The screw clamp works universally well while the quick disconnect works better on some rails then others.
What ever you decide, green is the way to go.
Why green?
Phat Eagle
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Fraser Valley, BC
Your eyes pick green up far better than red. That said, all my experience with shooting games has shown lasers are slower than irons... Don't waste your time.
mebiuspower
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Morontario
In low light green or red works well, in daylight green out shines red and is actually visible in all but extremely bright conditions out to 25 yards.
Green makes sighting in at the range during the day a lot easier!
I suppose the shooting game would have to involve low light conditions in order for the lasers advantage to come out and play....
Or shooting in aqward positions behind some sort of cover.
I find the lasers usefull for highlighting the wiggle that a poor trigger pull can impart to the gun when pulling the trigger during dry fire excercise.
That and predator defense in low light are likely the best uses in Canada.
Still alive
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Rainy mosquito infested part of BC
I tried a laser/ light once in a night match. Never ever noticed the laser once for aiming. Made a nice wobbly light show as you’re running. Also with all the smoke from gunfire, the laser beam gets refracted/ reflected all over the place.
The other thing is the laser has a fixed distance. Can’t really do hold overs with it. You can sight it in for 25yds or whatever and it’s effectively useless at 100yds. This is for rifles, handguns will be different as distances will be closer.
For lowlight, a flashlight and an RDS is the best combo.
The other thing is the laser has a fixed distance. Can’t really do hold overs with it. You can sight it in for 25yds or whatever and it’s effectively useless at 100yds. This is for rifles, handguns will be different as distances will be closer.
For lowlight, a flashlight and an RDS is the best combo.
I've never tried lasers at 100 yards on a carbine, but I can easily imagine a flashlight and red dot would be better in that situation.
To me lasers make more sense in close and for situations where you can't get a proper sight picture or are shooting from behind cover.
Learning to shoot instinctively is another skill that is worth developing for defensive use.
It seems many skilled shooters don't like lasers ( on handguns) because of their belief that people won't learn the fundamentals of shooting with iron sights. Or perhaps that it's somehow cheating.
I'm sure that's true for some people in the US who might by a handgun with a laser and then simply learn to point and shoot with their laser at inside the house type distances and never train to use the iron sights properly. But there are many people in the US who buy handguns and don't do much training..... hardly the fault of lasers.
I see a laser on a defensive gun as simply another option and not a replacement for basic training.
In a defensive situation where normal sight alignment is not possible or desirable, a laser is a great option for accurate aiming.
OP, what do you intend to use the laser for?
To me lasers make more sense in close and for situations where you can't get a proper sight picture or are shooting from behind cover.
Learning to shoot instinctively is another skill that is worth developing for defensive use.
It seems many skilled shooters don't like lasers ( on handguns) because of their belief that people won't learn the fundamentals of shooting with iron sights. Or perhaps that it's somehow cheating.
I'm sure that's true for some people in the US who might by a handgun with a laser and then simply learn to point and shoot with their laser at inside the house type distances and never train to use the iron sights properly. But there are many people in the US who buy handguns and don't do much training..... hardly the fault of lasers.
I see a laser on a defensive gun as simply another option and not a replacement for basic training.
In a defensive situation where normal sight alignment is not possible or desirable, a laser is a great option for accurate aiming.
OP, what do you intend to use the laser for?
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Can-down I am not so sure your conclusions about why some folks, me included think they play little part in defensive shooting. Statistically defensive shooting takes place under 10 yards. At that distance you may or more likely will not be using your sights anyway, let alone looking for a green dot on the target.
I tried them and found initially I was chasing the dot, similar to what can happen using red dot sights. For defensive shooting at targets at useful ranges I found it was faster to just acquire my irons. I am sure other may have different opinions. Red dot optics are faster to acquire than irons and most report improved accuracy. I have read where LEO departments think training time will be reduced with a move to Optic sights. Considering the reported hit ratio in police shootings anything that results in improved accuracy is a bonus. Maybe lasers will do that, I just have not read anything to suggest they do.
Take Care
Bob
I tried them and found initially I was chasing the dot, similar to what can happen using red dot sights. For defensive shooting at targets at useful ranges I found it was faster to just acquire my irons. I am sure other may have different opinions. Red dot optics are faster to acquire than irons and most report improved accuracy. I have read where LEO departments think training time will be reduced with a move to Optic sights. Considering the reported hit ratio in police shootings anything that results in improved accuracy is a bonus. Maybe lasers will do that, I just have not read anything to suggest they do.
Take Care
Bob
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mebiuspower
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Morontario
I hear you on that Bob, I've just noticed that on gun forums many people view them as simply "gimicks" or like yourself they compare them against irons or redots, I don't see them as an improvement or replacement for using iron sights, but more as a supplement to the irons.
I look at them much like illuminated reticles in a modern scope, are they necessary? No.
Are they a benefit in certain situations..... yes. Do you need to use it just because you have it? No, it's just another option.
Lasers are certainly not necessary in the vast majority of defensive handgun situations and even more so if the targets are not armed.
I can imagine some situations however where a laser would be effective and an advantage over not having one.
I've read some accounts where officers claim that the person they were trying to control became compliant when the suspect got light up with lasers but I don't know if that is BS or not? I would think their may well be some psychological effect of aiming a laser at a suspect armed with a knife who is not thinking straight while looking at the barrel of a gun pointed in their direction but that's a bit along the lines of the people that think racking a shotgun in the dark will scare someone away......
I'm certainly not suggesting that lasers are faster then redots or ironsights for typical action shooting sports...... though I suspect for certain courses of fire if a person was well trained with a laser they might be competitive.
It's natural that most people who have trained a lot with iron sights will have a hard time adjusting to finding a laser dot while their instincts are lining up the irons on target.
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Lasers can make for a good deterrent in defensive cases, but as an aiming device I have only used visible lasers to any benefit at distance.
And mostly as a guide of how stable my grip/stance was.
I found that quality iron sights (night sights, or fiber optic) are much easier to pick up and faster to use.
I have used Trijicon, XS, Truglo Tfo, etc.... Good dots help
And mostly as a guide of how stable my grip/stance was.
I found that quality iron sights (night sights, or fiber optic) are much easier to pick up and faster to use.
I have used Trijicon, XS, Truglo Tfo, etc.... Good dots help
