YESTERDAY’S MENTION OF LASER SIGHTS produced this email from reader Scot Echols: “I used to work a couple of blocks from Crimson Trace. A coworker and I walked down one day to play with their laser grips, and one of the designers told us that they were learning from law enforcement agencies that they were shooting fewer people since switching to laser grips. It seems that being able to see the red dot on your chest causes criminals to make better choices in their own best interest. Fascinating concept.” That would make sense.

UPDATE: Reader Matt Murphy writes:

Hi Glenn. I’m a former infantry Marine who spent several years as a security contractor in Iraq after getting out. I’m currently an executive protection specialist and new competitive shooter. I’ve spent a lot of time around firearms. I think of this every time you mention Crimson Trace, but few if any experienced shooters use them. What I’ve witnessed on the rare occasions I’ve seen them in “the wild” is poor shooters using them as a crutch rather than applying the fundamentals of marksmanship. Specifically, they will watch the “dot” on the target instead of using the sights with proper grip, stance, sight alignment etc. This makes it very difficult to stay on target, and you will see people “chasing the dot” around and jerking the trigger when the dot is where they want it to be. While Crimson Trace may have a place somewhere, there are no shortcuts to competence with firearms and gadgets are no substitute for training and proper technique.

That’s certainly true. As a late adopter, I have many years of establishing habits about sight pictures, etc. I certainly think that people should acquire their skills first. On the other hand, in a home-defense situation, I think the laser sight is likely to be quite helpful, in addition to its intimidation benefits.

ANOTHER UPDATE: A female reader emails:

I wanted to comment on the discussion regarding marksmanship and laser sights. I am a middle aged female that has been carrying concealed in Washington state for over 20 years. My first gun was a Taurus .38 revolver purchased 20 years ago. Last year, my partner gave me a Ruger LCR .38 revolver with Crimson Trace laser (what a guy!). I have to say that is has not changed my shooting style, however, getting that red dot in the right place in relation to the sights for an accurate shot is so much easier on the eyes – especially if you are at the range shooting for any length of time. I don’t know whether its aging eyes, the low light of most shooting ranges, or the shortcomings of progressive lenses or contacts…but I always found myself squinting and peering at the sights on my Taurus – not so with the Ruger. While the Ruger is a more comfortable gun all around, my accuracy, at least at the range, is much improved with the laser.

Good point.