Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruprex
That's interesting, because I don't have bad habits from using lasers. Nor does my wife. Also, isn't the proper shooting position the one that's going to give you the advantage over the VCA? So by your analogy, I should halt all training that doesn't teach me to stand in a stall and shoot isosceles? Should I stop training from behind cover while lying down or from a seated position cross draw - because that teaches me bad habits, too? The truth is, CT Lasers are awesome at allowing you the advantage in certain situations. Why wouldn't one learn to use all his/her advantages?
The man in the video is not in a compromised position. But your statement makes mine even more clear. Notice how the man doesn't have bad habits due to using the laser. In fact, he has pretty damn good habits. I'll agree, if you DEPEND on the laser ALL THE TIME, it can slow you down. However, it's an excellent tool. It sure doesn't slow you down when you can't see your sights and sight picture at the same time.
Bad habits. Train properly.
Bad habits. it's not your remote control. It's your life line, especially if you're LE. Batteries are predictable. Deal with it. I've never found dead batteries in my equipment because I know they need changing on a schedule and I maintain my equipment. I've had a blue gun with CT grips on it for three years. I use it as a demo while at the shop. It gets used several times a day almost every day. I've just recently changed the batteries. They lasted two+ years. May I suggest you also do the pencil test on your weapon to make sure the firing pin is still in working order.
Interesting.
This is self protection, not stalking the bad guy. If you're hunting down the bad guy, you're moving in the wrong direction. Furthermore, If you have your finger in register (high on the frame, out of the trigger guard) like you should have, your finger automatically covers the laser. It should only illuminate when your finger moves to the trigger. How hard is that? It's the first and most important rule you should know.
I don't knock the CT lasers. They're a very good addition to your carry pistol. I completely agree that training is paramount. To all. In every instance.
CT lasers are the only lasers I would use on my carry pistol as they are passive on, passive off. I wouldn't hang anything off the rail of my carry pistol.
Your wife carries this pistol and she doesn't know how to use it? You loaded it for her and handed it to her? she was dumbfounded by the so called safety? You mean to tell me that the safety will actually be safe for the VCA and not your wife when the real shit hits the fan? Interesting.
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Ok, I don't really know where to begin here, but I will try to explain and address your issues. I am probably going to have to rewrite this in the morning as it is 2 am here and I am exhausted:
1: When your average (not a past-master) person begins using a laser sight the tendency is for them to lower the weapon out of alignment with their eyes so they can watch the dot while they shoot. This causes them to search for the dot after firing rather than driving the front-sight back onto the target and can put them out of sorts when they are unable to locate the laser dot or it is washed out. It also often results in the shooter relaxing their stance by breaking their elbows (because you don't need to push the weapon out to see the dot) resulting in reduced ability for follow up shots.
You are correct that the best shooting position is the one that will 'give you the advantage' but in a high-stress situation people react based upon what they have trained ad-nauseum. It is unrealistic to think an average person is going to choose correctly between numerous options in a fight. It is in my opinion best to train one good technique a few simple variations than several disparate ones.
2: That the man in the video was not in a compromised position was exactly my point...He was shooting off a front sight index during the rapid-fire example and was not using the laser at all. Because it is not the ideal tool for that sort of situation.
You are right though, if I am ever in a situation where I can see the target and my gun can see the target and I cannot see my gun and it is indoors where I can see a laser then I would be screwed without a laser sight.
You seem to indicate that you need to practice with both the laser and your sights, which I agree with wholeheartedly. However, most people who start to practice with a laser begin to drop their stance a bit which hurts their ability to engage targets using their sights...they have to search for them first because they failed to draw properly.
3: Telling people to simply train properly is a pretty fantastic expectation. It would really solve all the worlds problems if people would just listen to that simple advice...there would be no car accidents, house fires or overcooked turkeys.
Your statement is accurate....but it isn't a realistic expectation.
4: If you read my post I mentioned that I have several times pulled out dead batteries from my grips for reasons unknown. I am military, have ready access to spare batteries and would change them at regular intervals. Often, without using the sights I would test them prior to a mission only to find them dead. That's not "predictable" other than I can "Predict" they won't work when I need them no matter how often I change the batteries.
5: If you move your finger over the laser of your weapon you will only look like ET. Even in a self defense situation I would prefer to avoid advertising my current position. I recognize it is a relatively minor concern but it is a concern nonetheless.
6: You couldn't possibly have been more patronizing when you decided to pick apart my comment about my wife.
here's the deal: I am military and had been away from home for a considerable period of time. I have walked my wife through proper safety, handling and shooting procedures many times and had always insisted the maintain her pistol in a decocked safety-off position. At the time of my post she had begun to keep the safety on as an extra measure of insurance against ND's but had not practiced using the pistol in that configuration. In order to demonstrate the need to practice how you plan to shoot I took her to the range and set the pistol up safety-on as she had recently been keeping it.
I did this as a learning point and to identify a training deficiency to her so she would be willing to correct the problem. When she tried to shoot the pistol, having shot exclusively with no safety in the past she failed to remove the safety. Being an AVERAGE shooter rather than a commando wannabe she naturally was confused by the weapon not-functioning and looked to assess the problem.
Sure, she should have known everything possible about the pistol, practiced with it to the point where she can assemble and disassemble it upside down and blindfolded, know the manual of arms so well nothing can throw her off and have jumped immediately into immediate action followed by remedial action should she identify a problem. But she also is not a full-time gunslinger and keeps the pistol only for basic protection and rarely if ever takes it out of the house.
The point of my posting the range story was that she made a change to her weapon without practicing it and expected everything to simply work. It didn't and the problem was fixed at the range as a result. The same applies to fancy gadgets...if you don't practice with them extensively they will fail you. Likewise f you practice with them only and not the basics they will screw you when you need to keep it simple.
If you are the average person and you are only going to go to the range every couple months and shoot 50 rounds before going home, you will get the most benefit from keeping it dead-simple. You don't have the time or the rounds to practice anything fancy without sacrificing basics.