So JayG discovers what some already knew: lasers aren’t all that.
They don’t solve your shooting problems. They have to be remembered to be turned on and off. They get in the way. They make the gun more bulky. You spend your time focusing on finding that little dot, and that eats precious time.
I’m not convinced laser sights are worthwhile things.
Sure, I can see a niche for them in practice because they don’t lie about what your muzzle is doing. But that’s rather an expensive training aid. As well, it comes across to me as still ingraining bad habit since you’ll still be looking at the target at the little red dot instead of focusing on your front sight. Learn to read your front sight as that will take you further.
Stuff From Hsoi 
I was not convinced that laser sights were worth anything either, until I tried Crimson Trace Laser Grips. I’m serious now, I was not sold on the product and then I tried a friend who has his zeroed properly for the range. There is a trick out there and you need to figure it out, and the trick is DON’T LOOK FOR THE DOT!
Sight the gun in so that you see, rear sight, front sight, bright glowing dot, now go back to front sight. It does wonders for your ability to see the front sight, much like fiber optic sights draw in light the laser provides light.
All of these systems should be sighted in as such, you need to not focus on the dot, but instead settle the dot so that it helps you focus on the front sight. Once you do this, you will find that they actually are pretty useful.
-Rob
So convince me. If you don’t look for the dot, what’s the point? I guess it just acts like um…. a “backlight” for the front sight?
Does this work at all yardage?
Hrm. I could see that being potentially useful… it still has you focus on the front sight. I guess I’d have to try it out.
It works well for the distance you zero to and all distances shorter than that. For instance, mine is on my 642 and I have it zeroed for 15 yards, it works well at 7 and fine at 3, great at 15, but you lose the dot (it is low) and only get front sight at 25, which is fine, in my opinion.
Some people say the focus on the dot is faster, the advantage, for me, is that it allows you a very dynamic and stable “bullseye” to aim for if you are within your yardage range.
I didn’t zero mine for 25 yards though, because at 25 zero with a 7 yard focus, the dot is HUGE so huge that it almost overpowers the front sight and makes you want to look at the dot not the sight. I estimate that my 642 is much more 15 yards or less gun than 25, but I practice at 25 with the irons and can make the hits.
Overall, I think you’re getting the jist of what I’m saying, picture it like a backlight and glowing bullseye all in one. It lets you see the front sight from the intensity of the laser at night AND it lets you focus on the front sight with a definitive aiming point behind it.
-Rob
Yeah, I see what you’re saying.
You’ve got me curious. I’d like to try it out.
Think about it from the aggressor’s side of the situation.
When he sees that laser light him up He Knows That Things Just Got Serious.
But that assumes he sees it.
He may never see it because he’s otherwise occupied.
Or, the fact the laser is on the gun… you should only be drawing and presenting the gun because it’s time to use it, so maybe if he does see it it may only be a couple seconds prior to the trigger being pulled.
I just don’t see things like this as meaningful. It’s like the “sound of a racking shotgun” should make an aggressor immediately shit his pants and run the other way. Maybe, but I’m not going to bet my life on it.