I agree with the folks who consider night sights mandatory, and laser grips a great thing to have in addition.
Here are my thoughts:
Night Sights
- High quality tritium night sights (e.g. Trijicon et al) allow you to acquire a good sight picture even when lighting conditions are too low to accurately use standard sights.
- They are always on, readily visible and easy to pick up as you bring the gun into firing position.
- They have no buttons or switches to manipulate or batteries to go dead. (Yes, I know the laser grip batteries last a very long time, but I have already had a set go dead, apparently because something in my carry rig kept the activation switch depressed. I'm still trying to figure that one out).
- There is nothing visible from the front to give away your position. A laser sight will reflect off fog, dust, smoke, etc. in the environment and draw a line directly back to you when these conditions are present. I like to keep my opponents guessing where I might be whenever it's not immediately obvious.
Crimson Trace Laser Grips
- The primary reason I like Crimson Trace Laser Grips is that they provide another step in the escalation of force (when there's time) by activating the laser and giving your aggressor the opportunity to deescalate. While I haven't seen any reliable statistics, I have seen enough anecdotal reports where criminals have backed down when "dotted" by a handgun, even after they had continued to advance when confronted with handguns and even long guns. This may be the "cinema effect" where the meaning of the laser sights in the movies they've watched has more influence than their understanding of being at the wrong end of an AR15, but anything that may keep a bad situation from reaching the point of shooting is a good thing in my book.
- They are readily and naturally activated by a natural firing grip on the handgun. You don't have to remember to do anything extra.
- They can be used to accurately point the handgun even when the sights may not be usable due to awkward positions, damage, or during a struggle.
- They're well built, durable, and reliable if you test them frequently to make sure the batteries are fresh.
- They're also expensive, as high quality gear often is, and fit only one gun model. I'd like to have more sets, but cost has limited my acquisitions to a single set for the compact 1911 pistol I carry most.