The best way to survive an armed encounter is to avoid it altogether. The second best way is to deter the threat without firing a shot. However, the world is a dangerous place, and we must prepare responsibly for every eventuality and equip accordingly. If the first rule of being prepared is to have a gun, then the second rule is to ensure that you have every opportunity to prevail.
Range time is an important activity for any defensive shooter. Stance, sight alignment, breath control and trigger control are critical components of accurate shooting. Spend time at the range, and lots of it. But be aware that the time you spend does not fully prepare your for real-world defensive shootings.
In a lethal force scenario, everything changes. You’re not at the range anymore. The controlled environment no longer exists. You are defending your life or the life of another. Your heart is pounding, your target may be cloaked in darkness, you are fixated on your target and your iron sights are an afterthought. All of this happens in a matter of seconds and within only a few feet.
With a laser sight on your handgun, you have access to a targeting and threat de-escalation tool that can help you overcome challenges such as darkness, close range, time, movement, and the threat itself. Survival is all about giving yourself the tools to make quick, yet informed, decisions when your body and brain experiences changes outside of your control. And should you fire your weapon, your shots will reach their intended target.
If you are attacked, or you draw your handgun to prevent violence, powerful changes surge through your mind and body. A powerful “fight or flight” response kicks in which you cannot control. Your heart rate skyrockets, muscles tense, and vision narrows. These natural changes prepare you for physical battle or a swift move to cover, yet they limit your ability to shoot accurately.
The most dramatic change you’ll experience is the loss of fine motor skills. Your physiological reactions prepare your body to use the powerful muscles of the arms, legs and torso to fight or escape. None of these natural reactions are designed to help you operate a handgun effectively. You’ll struggle to hold the gun steady, struggle to pull the trigger smoothly, and struggle to line up sights accurately in the same ways you practiced at the range.
Most people involved in shootings report never seeing their sights. It’s no mystery why. How do you focus on the threat AND your sights at the same time? With reliable state-of-the-art technology like Crimson Trace laser sights, you simply move your sights onto the target by projecting a laser dot. This allows you to assess the threat, overcome the loss of fine motor skills, and place accurate shots during critical situations. Also, by placing a laser on your target, you communicate a crystal clear message: you can both walk away.
U.S. law enforcement officers are some of the best-trained shooters in the world, but hit ratios from shootings in the field are staggeringly low. National Institute of Justice data shows that officers using traditional sighting and training methods hit their mark only about 25% of the time when lethal force engagements ensue.
Why so low? Consider that 80% of shootings occur in low-light situations, most involve movement of officer or subject, and with the stress of a life or death situation, and it’s easy to see why so many rounds miss their targets. The challenges faced by law enforcement officers and the challenges faced by responsible citizens defending themselves aren’t that different – with one glaring exception: the officers are trained professionals.
Crimson Trace laser sights are used by hundreds of law enforcement agencies and military units worldwide. The numbers don’t lie. Agencies using Crimson Trace lasers have achieved hit ratios of over 90% in officer-involved shootings. That’s a phenomenal 300%+ improvement. The bottom line is this: laser sights are an invaluable tool that improves your ability to see, evaluate, aim, and successfully hit.
Technology exists to help shooters of all skill levels improve their confidence, speed and accuracy. However, with so many options now available, it can be very difficult to distinguish between serious equipment and toy-like gadgets. Laser sights were once large and impractical, had terrible mounting options, offered clumsy activation options, or were cheap and flimsy. Crimson Trace changed all that. No personal protection handgun is complete without a laser sight. Thousands of Crimson Trace customers know this to be true.
Nearly 20 years ago, Crimson Trace pioneered Instinctive Activation®, the single largest breakthrough in making laser sights the most effective handgun targeting tool for self-defense handguns in the world. Instinctive Activation simply means that when the handgun is held in a natural firing grip, the laser springs to life instantly. This feature allows the shooter to be on target, as soon as they draw their weapon. No button switching, no fumbling for levers, and no valuable time lost. It’s why we say, When You’re Holding It, You’re Aiming It™.
Instinctive Activation is offered by Crimson Trace product lines including: Lasergrips® and Laserguard®. Lasergrips replace factory grips in moments, or are mounted seamlessly to the frames of modern polymer-framed pistols. Laserguard models are designed for smaller concealed carry guns without factory grips by attaching to the trigger guard. Crimson Trace offers nearly 150 laser sight models, many with Instinctive Activation.
Responsible armed citizens are one of the reasons for America’s decreasing violent crime rate. It is estimated that as many as one million crimes are prevented each year because of armed citizens. Most of these crimes are prevented without a shot being fired. The mere presence of a firearm was enough to encourage the criminal to change their mind. Unfortunately, not all attackers give up without a fight.
Maybe they’re unaware that their prey have guns. Maybe they figure their mark won’t actually shoot. Most likely of all, they presume their victim is incompetent and unlikely to hit anything. Remember one thing about the aftermath of a shooting:Whether justifiable or not, your life will change forever. Your guns will be seized, the police will write you up in their reports, you may be sued in civil court and possibly prosecuted in criminal court. You will probably be arrested.
Should you find yourself in an armed self-defense situation, unquestionably the BEST outcome is for the criminal to flee in fear of their own life – without shots being fired. How can you increase the odds that the attacker will give up before you shoot? Use a laser sight. Uncooperative criminals have been shown to comply better with a red (or green) laser dot painted confidently across their chest. Will it stop an attack every time? No. Is it designed to be a non-lethal tool? No. Will it place the odds in your favor? Yes. It’s precisely the reason why we say that laser sights Help Bad Guys Make Informed Decisions™.
