Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Laser vs. Red Dot for Defense

I have never used a laser sight on a firearm. For whatever reason, over the years I sort of got the impression that folks who make a living by carrying a gun never really took to laser sights and almost relegated them to the status of being an unnecessary gimmick. By contrast, lately I have seen where a lot of those same type of folks are strongly embracing the red dot sight on handguns for duty use.

I always figured laser sights were not widely used for duty mostly because they are an electronic add-on that introduces one more potential point of failure. If that's the case, red dot sights would seem to suffer from the same defect.

For those in the know, what is it about red dot sights that makes them more acceptable than laser sights for duty and personal defense on a handgun designed to be used at relatively close range?

Thank you.

I own and use both. Red dots are the way to go for self defense.

In some defense of lasers, I will say that (in my opinion) they got a bad rap from "pro" shooters at the beginning, because they had initial reliability issues. That's been sorted out. Lasers are now as reliable and durable as red dots. Others just don't like the fact that a laser projects onto the target, saying "it gives away your position." That's a fairly meaningless point, but some folks will harp on it ad nauseum. Just keep watching this thread.

So, lasers aren't the worst thing ever. However, even though lasers are not gimmicks/useless/the evil empire, they aren't the best choice for self defense.

If you're going to use a laser on a self-defense gun:
(1) Use a green laser. Red ones require proper light conditions. Outside, in full sunlight they just disappear and you can't see them.
(2) Get a grip-activated model. Anything you have to switch on is a distraction you don't need, much like a manual safety. But, unlike a manual safety, typically the switch on a laser is very inconveniently located and you can't reach it while achieving/maintaining a firing grip on your pistol.
(3) Keep tabs on your battery life and just change them on a set schedule. Red dot batteries last a long time--like 30,000 hours. Laser batteries are just a few hours, especially the green ones. You'll be using your laser at the range and suddenly it doesn't turn on anymore. You can readily see how awkward that could be in a self-defense situation.
(4) Practice your aiming at longer distances. That sounds like standard shooting advice, but what I mean is that the farther you are from your target, the harder it is to get your laser dot on it. Other sights allow for quicker target acquisition. (Naturally, actually hitting your target is a separate issue, but getting the laser on target can be slower at longer distances.)

Red dots and lasers are both electronic devices that can fail. I suggest having iron sights on as a back up. Practice switching from your red dot/laser to your irons in the middle of a string of fire. Even if your vision sucks and you can't see your irons, figure out what you're going to do if you don't have anything else.

I know an older guy who uses a laser on his self defense gun. That's mostly because it's all he can see anymore. As a "sight of last resort," you bet; go for it. But until you reach that point, go with a red dot.

Thank you, Wade, for the insightful response. Recently, I picked up a new carry pistol with a RDS, and a friend of mine bought a new carry pistol with a laser sight. I really never considered using a laser sight, but when my friend and I discussed our recent purchases, he was almost of the opinion that I screwed up by not getting a laser sight instead of a RDS. Neither of us are what I would call handgun experts. More like two guys who've been hunting and shooting long guns all of our lives who just happen to own a few handguns for personal defense.

I've shot my new pistol with the RDS and am really taking a shine to it. I see me buying a new full-size handgun with a RDS in the near future. Having said that, every once in a while I think about my friend's laser-sighted pistol and wonder if I'm missing anything. Maybe someday we can get to the range together and try shooting each other's guns.

I like your recommendation about switching back and forth from the RDS to the iron sights. I've been focused on learning the RDS and hadn't thought about doing that. It's solid advice that I will incorporate into my practice.

I hope I didn't sound too harsh about laser sights--they are a viable option, but IMHO red dots are just better.

Enjoy your new gun--I hope you're able to source ammo so that you can practice with it!

You're going to be light years ahead with your RDS.

Red, green or otherwise I've never used a laser that could be used in all conditions. The only conditions they really shine are when using night vision and the weapon mounted lights lasers that go with them.

I've also never seen a person shoot faster with a laser.

I have an Armalaser brand green laser on my S&W EZ9 and really like it. I like lasers because you still have my sights. I have a Lasermax guide rod laser in my SIG P220 and really like it but red lasers is the only option for the P220. Green lasers are far better.

For defense, probably neither. I clamped a red laser off the trigger guard of my .380 Colt and it walked down at each shot from the recoil. Fun at night or in the fog, but pretty worthless for anything but a cat toy. I was shooting next to a guy with a green laser on his .40 and he was embarrassed that anyone on the range could see every twitch, shake, pulled shot and wiggle lit up with that laser right there on the target. I put an RMR red dot on my .45 and yes, it did shrink my groups significantly. At defense ranges though speed matters and finding that red dot in my RMR has taken longer that it would have with just iron sights. My best defensive handgun is my CZ 75D PCR 9mm and that one wears fiber optic sights and it isn't getting an electronic anything for sighting.

Thanks, all. Yeah, I agree. I do find that I am able to find iron sights more quickly than the RDS, but the difference is becoming less and less with practice. The nice part is that I can practice drawing and finding the RDS in the comfort of my home and without burning up ammo.

One thing I've found that helps me to find the RDS quicker is to raise the gun from the holster up toward my chest before "pushing" the pistol forward to the shooting position. The RDS starts closer to my eyes and is easier to find and stay focused on as I push my arms forward into a shooting position.

With a little more practice, you will have the dot on target faster then irons.

With the dot, you are lining up two point, the dot and your point of aim. With irons, you're lining up three points, front and rear sight with point of aim.

Most guys who think irons are faster don't have a timer. If you want to put the question to the test, get a timer and see what the data tells you.

Good points, AS. One thing I'm starting to notice is that it feels more natural to shoot the RDS with both eyes open as compared to iron sights. I almost look through the dot and at the target as opposed to aligning and focusing on the front sight blade. I know I should be shooting with two eyes open even with irons, but not having the need to align the front and rear sight makes it easier for me to look at the dot and target with both eyes open.

There are a few advantages unique to lasers:

- You can fire accurately from positions where the gun is not aligned with your eyes.
- They make guns with short barrels and/or less than great sights much more accurate. Small .380 autos and J-frame size revolvers are not good candidates for even a small red dot, but lasers are easily added without much increase in weight or bulk.
- They really help for learning trigger control, in general, but especially double action (trigger cocking.) If you want to learn to run a double action trigger, fit a laser and do some dry fire drills. That dot don't lie. You get great feedback to learn grip, what part of the trigger finger to use, and how to manipulate your trigger finger to cycle the trigger without the dot moving much. Theoretically, this can be done with iron sights, but it is hard to see your errors. Perhaps a red dot is better than irons in this regard. I do not have experience to comment on that.