Laser sight for HD carbine

[Valcas1]

I migrated over here from the other site and had a question for the members here. I am in the process of building my first AR and although I am new to the ar platform I'm not really a stranger to guns. I grew up around them and have hunted pretty much my whole life.

I am building this Carbine and trying to figure out its highest and best use. For me, I am leaning towards Home defense. Which brings me to the question. Do I install a laser or not? I keep thinking that for home defense it is absolutely the perfect solution. coupled with some kind of a red dot optic. It just appears to be designed for close quarter combat situations where your form might be compromised but you would have a visual reference for putting shots on target.

I have never been in any branch of service or in any stressful combat situation so I can very easily be missing something. Please let me know your thoughts on this matter.

Thanks in advance.

[MSA77]

Very valid question, but the answer will depend on personal preference and budget. You can spend crazy money on Eotech or Aimpoint. Is it worth it? If you have the budget, and don't mind spending almost as much as your entire build, these plus Vortex, and some others as what are out there in the real military. On a 5.56, the recoil is light enough that a TRS might make you happy for $99. I have seen them on sale for much less. I usually keep cheap red dots on most of my long guns and defensive shotguns, as they keep me happy at the range, and I don't want to accidentally damage an $800 optic. I am careful, but I do believe in Murphy's law. Hunting guns are all scoped. I am a big fan of Leupold.

Honestly my best suggestion is to go to some of the big distributors online and read the reviews. You can get an inexpensive optic, that will hold zero. If you want to spend, and you have it to spend, there is plenty of optics, both red dot, holo, and scopes, to spend crazy money. Again, preferences and budget. Check Midway, and even Amazon, and read all the reviews.

Handguns are all Crimson traced except my PPK, as they don't make one, and no Crimson trace on my Sig P226 Scorpion Elite, as I don't have the heart to take of the Piranha G-10 custom Houges that match the FDE color of the gun. Plus it has a rail for the laser anyway.

[Bigrob]

My personal opinion is lasers are damn near useless. They give away your position.. And when shit hits the fan are you really going to be looking at your target to line up a laser? No. You will be pointing and shooting while shitting your pants.

[MSA77]

My personal opinion is lasers are damn near useless. They give away your position.. And when shit hits the fan are you really going to be looking at your target to line up a laser? No. You will be pointing and shooting while shitting your pants.

I agree and most of my advice was red dot. I do use lasers on my handguns, but I don't use them at the range, except to zero. I not only agree with giving up your position, but if you are completely dependent on them, your basics go out the window, and they can always fail. I do keep Crimson trace in the event of extreme SHTF, like multiple perp home invasion. Granted sheetrock won't give you cover, especially at home, giving up your position, but I like the option, with adrenalin surging, that I can take out multiple threats with a dedicated laser. Of course just a laser is a deterrent. If it isn't, with multiple perps, you have big enough problems that having the laser option just makes sense to me. I can switch them off in a millisecond.

[Valcas1]

My personal opinion is lasers are damn near useless. They give away your position.. And when shit hits the fan are you really going to be looking at your target to line up a laser? No. You will be pointing and shooting while shitting your pants.

I appreciate your input. I don't think giving away my position is really a consideration. I am thinking of a situation within the walls of my house where the longest shot is 40 feet. I pretty sure the intruder will know where I am. I am thinking it is an advantage to be able to focus on the target and not try to find a target in a scope or set of irons. Do you have first hand experience with lasers?

[Bigrob]

Yes I do, but your are looking for the wrong type of experience.. I suggest looking for someone who has been in firefights (specifically close encounters that Leo's are in) with or without lasers and what they would suggest.

[mossy930spx]

I'd say red dot and be done.

Primary Arms advanced micro red dot.

[Destro]

My personal opinion is lasers are damn near useless. They give away your position.. And when shit hits the fan are you really going to be looking at your target to line up a laser? No. You will be pointing and shooting while shitting your pants.

Yeah, but intimidation factor (but you're still right)

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[Bigrob]

Checkout the aimpoint pro for a red dot.

[mossy930spx]

For half the price the primary arms is pretty solid.

[Surfer21]

Any Aimpoint RDS , Trijicon MRO is GTG. EOTech had/has zero retention issues due to temp fluctuations and they lied to Uncle Sam (Not smart or good!) regarding same testing results. As for lasers, they do work but the real deal PEQ series will probably cost more than two ARs. US Mil has used IR lasers for a long time. Visible ones will be able to be viewed by others but, as you should be aware if your pointing an AR at someone for the real deal ,you have whole lot of other shit that has occurred before that ! Steiner has one or two in the $600-700 range. They are others that are cheap imports that won't last long on any rifle, never mind a shotgun!

[MSA77]

Any Aimpoint RDS , Trijicon MRO is GTG. EOTech had/has zero retention issues due to temp fluctuations and they lied to Uncle Sam (Not smart or good!) regarding same testing results. As for lasers, they do work but the real deal PEQ series will probably cost more than two ARs. US Mil has used IR lasers for a long time. Visible ones will be able to be viewed by others but, as you should be aware if your pointing an AR at someone for the real deal ,you have whole lot of other shit that has occurred before that ! Steiner has one or two in the $600-700 range. They are others that are cheap imports that won't last long on any rifle, never mind a shotgun!

I am pretty sure all the EOTechs effected were recalled, although they never called it a recall. But they did fix them all, not that you should ever have to send in an optic that expensive for shutting down.

[Surfer21]

BTW after looking further I see there a lot of quality rail mounted lasers from CTC, Lasermax and a few others which should suit 95% of the folks here.

[MSA77]

I honestly don't think PEQ is the way to go for home defense. If someone breeches my house, I have only 18 inches to reach for my first line of defense, which is a tactical pump shotgun. If I had to start looking for my night vision googles, myself, or my family could be in serious trouble. Yes, I have Surefire on my rails, as well as various lasers, and red dots, etc., of varying quality, but if I have the time, and can keep my shit together enough to get my family on the floor, I have plenty of more firepower close enough. The real shit, if you can afford it, is great for a Bug Out Bag, for a true SHTF. Just to be clear, I consider a home invasion a SHTF, because I have been in some serious shit (not bragging about military adventures) but I was in a spontaneous active fire, and that fucking adrenaline does some wild shit to your sense of time, sight, hearing, etc. As most of us know, you can train for it, but the real deal is something different. I do feel comfortable, if I ever needed more than my shotgun, that I have grip activated lasers on most of my handguns. Just my preference. Of course there is no right or wrong.

[Valcas1]

Thanks for all the replies, gives me a lot to think about. I truly appreciate input from people who have been there.