Aiming for "Disruption"

May 4, 2016
Editor's Note: This piece comes to us from our companion service The Outdoor Wire. It's not secret that I like lasers on guns. From my diminutive North American Arms revolvers that travel with me when nothing else is acceptable (or concealable) to the wide-pattern lasers that ride on both my Scattergun Technologies 870 at home and my 3-gun competition shotgun, I have lasers on any firearm I believe I'm going to find myself needing in a situation. And unlike many others, I'm going to admit- openly- that in an emergency situation, I'm probably going to worry more about putting the red or green dot on a threat than concerning myself about finding my front sight. I'll get on that front sight- but I'm far more in favor of letting what/whomever's threatening see me there's a potential threat in front of them where another victim was standing just seconds before. That's because I believe in using the best tools possible, whether I'm driving nails or writing features. I'm not a craftsman on any of them, but I'm reasonably proficient. Reasonable proficiency doesn't equate to exceptional performance under duress, so I like "assistive devices" whenever they're out there. And I'm a "platform agnostic" about lasers just like I am about computers. The name on the equipment doesn't concern me - if it's reliable and fits my needs. But that reliability issue is one that has separated the wheat from the chaff when it comes to what's on my guns. All that having been said, I won't apologize for saying that in the broadest sense of the word, Crimson Trace has led the light/laser industry throughout its history. Today, the company has more than half the entire laser market -and offers more than 200 SKUs.
A quick trip to Charlotte, NC gave me the opportunity to get some hands-on time with Crimson Trace's first LaserGuard Pro combo. Designed for polymer concealed carry pistols, their first offering is for the country's most popular small pistol, the S&W M&P Shield.
Last week, I had the opportunity to travel to Charlotte, North Carolina and take a look at a pair of their newest offerings. The first is their Laserguard Pro, a new line addition that's designed specifically to expand capabilities for concealable handguns with polymer frames. They combine a 150-lumen white light with either a red/green laser, and are user programmable to go in a variety of combinations when they're activated (light or laser only, light/laser, strobing light/laser). And they use Crimson Trace's proven "instant activation" system- using a button/pad positioned under the trigger guard. Grab the gun and it's on. Simple - and when you need something quickly, simple is good. At this point, the new LaserGuard pros are available for Smith & Wesson's M&P Shield pistol, but units will soon be rolling out for Springfield Armory's XD-S and Glock's Models 42 and 43. They're available in either red (MSRP: $279) or green (MSRP: $379) and, yes, they're going to mean you'll probably need a new holster. Recognizing that fact, Crimson Trace has partnered with Blade-Tech to offer a holster package that only adds about $20 to the purchase price.
The business end of Crimson Trace's new LiNQ system (top) and the new technologically advanced pistol grip (below) Although it's not ready for distribution, it's another interesting technological wrinkle in the assistive sighting/lighting business. Jim Shepherd/OWDN photo.

And, yes, the new LaserGuard Pros qualify for the Crimson Trace Free Batteries for Life Program. The other device we had the opportunity to give a quick trial run was C-T's new LiNQ system- a bluetooth-ish (Crimson Trace Engineering Director Eric Pettersen was adamant to make it understood it "wasn't bluetooth"- although he wouldn't elaborate) system that makes a RailMaster-looking light/laser unit able to be remotely activated. That remote activation means a user simply picks up their AR-style rifle, takes a firing grip and, viola, the device comes on. It's still in the final testing phases, but the technology is one that has me pondering its ability to interface with additional units. While Pettersen was coy about future capabilities, I'm thinking that the ability to remotely activate a light/laser could have very interesting implications should the LiNQ be able to control independent light or light/laser units. As always, we'll keep you posted. --Jim Shepherd