Myth #1:  The laser isn't visible against anything red.
     FALSE.  Just like you can see a flashlight shine on a white wall, you can see the red laser when it shines on a red object.  When I worked at the NRA Range, we wore red polos as part of our "uniform."  The laser was easily visible on the shirts.  Just for grins, I took pictures of the laser shining on three different colored pieces of rough plastic.  As you can see, the beam is easily visible against any color.

Dot on right reflecting off blue plastic	Dot in middle reflecting off yellow plastic
Dot on left reflecting off red plastic

Myth #2:  In a fight, the laser beam will be a bright line showing the bad guys where you are.      FALSE.  In Hollywood (and on the Crimson Trace web site, unfortunately) you might be able to see the laser beam.  In the real world, it doesn't happen that way.  Just take a look at the picture to the right.  As you can see, the pressure pad is pushed down.  If you look closely enough, you can even see a red glow coming from the laser diode.  But no visible beam.

Still not convinced?  Take a look at the second picture.  Even in the dark, there is no visible "beam" from the laser.  All you can see is the diode itself and, in the case of the Beretta, some of the beam splashing off the trigger bar.      The only time the beam itself becomes visible is when there is enough particulate matter in the air (smoke, dust, etc.) to be visible itself.  Even then, the beam is only visible within a 10-15 degree arc.  In other words, the guy you're shooting might be able to see the beam when the gun is pointed at him, but no one else will.  In scores of force-on-force encounters using Simunition training systems and the Crimson Trace LASERGRIPS, I have never once had an opponent see the beam from my laser.

     Myth #3:  The dot moves around too much, no one could shoot accurately with it.
     FALSE.  I use the LASERGRIPS to do accuracy testing, and I regularly get 2" or better improvement in my group size.  I also get a big improvement when doing offhand accuracy practice or when I'm shooting for speed.  The fact is, the dot simply shows you where your bullet is going to go.  If the dot is moving around a lot, you need to practice holding the gun more steady, and you need to understand how to shoot inside your "wobble zone" as the top shooters like to say.  At a COMTAC tactical pistol class in March 1999, for example, I was able to rapid-fire 10 shots into the head A-zone of an IPSC target from seven yards away, with all my shots going into a group about the size of a quarter.

     Myth #4:  If I use the laser, I will forget how to use my front sight.
     FALSE.  Just as many IPSC Open-class shooters see improvement in their iron sight shooting after spending some time working with a red dot scope, those who spend dedicated practice time on the laser find that they learn trigger control, sight tracking, and follow through much more quickly than they did using "just" iron sights.  Even if you don't believe in the tactical benefits of the laser, the benefits it can have on your training regimen are tremendous.
     I find that when I am using the laser, I naturally bring the gun up a little lower so that I can look over the top of the gun and see the laser clearly.   When the laser is off, the gun comes up to normal height.  Either way, my eye looks for the aiming system ... whether that means the laser dot or my front sight.   By having a friend flip the master on/off switch a few times at random, I even get to practice "laser failure" drills; since I expect the laser but sometimes it isn't on, I practice transitioning immediately to the front sight.  In my experience, the time lost even in this unlikely situation is less than a tenth of a second.

     Myth #5:  It only works indoors or at night.
     FALSE.  Even though we know that something like 85% of all gun fights occur in conditions of reduced lighting, that doesn't mean we should ignore the possibility that we might some day fall into that other 15%.  But even in direct sunlight, the high-intensity 633nm beam from the Crimson Trace is visible 10-25 yards away.  It is certainly powerful enough to project across my "yard" ... backyard that is.

See the dot on the fence?  It's just to the left of the dark plank, about two thirds of the way up.  It looks like a small white dot.

A little closer, but here you can see that the dot is still extremely visible in direct sunlight even when projected onto a broken surface like this bush.

     Myth #6:  It's hard to find the dot.
     FALSE.  This one is my favorite.  Anyone who says this might as well hold up a sign that reads, "I have zero experience using a laser."   The fact is, if you have the training to bring your gun up with the sights aligned each time, then the gun is going to be pointing where you want it to.  In that case, if your eyes are looking at the target, the dot is going to be there.  In numerous IDPA stages, house clearing drills, and force on force scenarios I have never once "lost" my little red dot.  And if I did, you know what?  I'd use my iron sights, at least enough to get the dot back where it belonged.

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