Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Steve on February 28, 2004, 11:12:09 PM
-
I have a Kimber Stainless goldmatch. Thinking about putting a lazer sight on it. The external lazer sights add more bulk to an already large gun. Any opinions on the internal ones that replace your recoil spring guide assembly? I was lookiong at one made by lazermax. I honestly don't know much about them. Information/opinions wanted/welcome.
Thanks!
-
Nice gun Steve, I have 2 of the same model myself, and am also the Canadian Distributor for Kimber. I like you more already :0.
As far as adding a laser sight, they DO have a use in my opinion, particularly as a deterent - sweeping the ground in front of an adversary then placing the dot on a part of his body his eyes will pick up on is a great non-lethal force technique.
As for mounting one on your pistol, I've had the LaserGrips, the internal recoil tube type, as well as the accessory rail mounted versions in the past. Go with an Insight Technology M6 on an aftermarket access rail on your pistol. The M6 is both a lumination device and a laser, having a white light on your pistol is probably as usefull as the laser. I honestly don't like the internal lasers much, but the laser grips are ok, just 1.5x as expensive as a good removable light/laser system.
(http://www3.telus.net/public/gcorn1/tle-rlm3.gif)
You can get aftermarket rails like the LAPD run on their Kimber pistols, then just mount your light/laser to it. I remove mine all the time, as I usually only use it when goofing off, and it'll retain zero pretty well, easily within one inch at 10 meters.
-
Excellent info Gman, thank you! LAPD uses Kimber?
These aftermarket rails, are they cut into the frame? Will your average gunsmith be able to do this? Will any alterations reduce the value of the gun?
Also, I have been thinking about a carry weapon. Having had such great luck w/ my Kimber was thinking about going w/ their Ultra Carry II in .45. I like the round and my current kimber is a .45. Have you had the opportunity to fire one? If so, what did you think?
Thanks again for your help, Gman!
-
steve SWAT uses Kimber in LA. I have a eclipse custom that I lent our police force to try... they were testing a bunch of guns... all the cops liked my Kimber the best and got the best scores with it... they will most likely not get Kimbers tho because of the price.
lazs
-
Steve, just go to Fry's Electronic's and get one of those small lazer pointers and duct tape it to the bottom. I'll help you tape it all together if you want.
I'm thinking I just saved you a couple hundred dollars
:rofl
-
See if you can get someone to let you try a lazer on a pistol. Personally, I don't find it very helpfull at all. You end up with too much adjusting and not enough shooting. A light is better.
MiniD
-
You can actually buy grips that shoot a laser beam forward.
-
I much prefer just to use a light rather than the laser. For one thing, I don't like the thought of getting used to using a laser to target and the one time I need it, the battery goes dead.
-
My buddy got one of the internal laser sights. This gun is is first, and so far only, firearm. He put it on there, IMO, because he had too much money and wanted every little bell and whistle for his gun.
While he saw a quick jump in his accuracy, IMO it's more of a crutch than anything. The rest of us, who got into pistol shooting at approximately the same time (a bunch of friends took a CCW course together), are much better shots than he is. If he doesn't have that sight, he can't hit the broad side of a barn.
The only advantage that I noticed was that it helped us address some shooting technique issues. Observers could watch the laser and easily see if the shooter was pulling to one side, overcompensating for recoil, tensing up, etc.
-
I agree with Tarmac on how the use of a laser aiming device can lead to bad aiming issues if it is used as a primary aimming device. On the same token I borrowed one from somebody to mount on my HK and I found I pulled to the left. I worked on the issue and gave the sight back. I think I shoot better without one now then when I had it on.
On a side note I am kinda devided by the use of flashlights mounted on the fire arm. I believe that even though it helps light the area I am pointing at, it also gives the other person shooting at me an idea where my body mass is. I prefer to use my off hand held away from my body to hold the flashlight. Granted there are situations that would even make that method risky and its always safer in my mind to hold a weapon with 2 hands. I just dont like a light as a main aiming point for a criminal inline with my vitals.
just my 2 cents
-
Wolf, that's my thoughts on the light... but the flip side of the argument has merit as well. The gun I'm discussing isn't one of my carry guns but rather the gun I would use for home defense.
Short of keeping some night vision goggles in the nightstand... still undecided.
-
steve,
You might want to check out lazermax. They make a fine guide rod replacement laser pointer that I use in my Para Ord 14/45. It does not lose zero nor does it stick out or hang off in a bulky manner. The beam itself is as close to bore as you can get. Think of a laser sight as a additional tool that does have a lot of value for aiming in high intensity and low light situations. furthermore, don't underestimate the value of a flashing laser when it comes to intimidation when needed.
-
oops.. did not read your post very well..> ya.. lazermax is pretty good..
-
I use the folowing laser sight grips on my 1911 Colt Gold Cup and 9mm Browning Hi-power service pistol. They work real well and are easily adjustable in about two minutes for "zeroing" while mounted.
I get fast target aquisition and excellent accuracy out to about 25 meters....
Laser Grips (http://www.lasersights.com/crimsontrace.htm)[/url]
Regards.
Badger
-
Crimson Trace grips are probably the best in the game right now Steve. You wont be unhappy with them. They aren't cheap but are all of what you are looking for.
The good thing about kimbers are the fact that any 1911 part will fit them. So there is a TON of parts on the market both new and used for Kimbers.
Before you buy anything I recomend looking on http://www.gunbroker.com for these grips. We do a lot of sellilng and some buying on Gunbroker for both of our gun stores here in conneticut. I haven't yet had any problems with gunbroker or the people you are dealing with when it comes to getting what you pay for.
If you cant find any decent prices Steve send me an email and I can help you out if you like.
Morph
-
tritium night sights are about as high tech as I get. I hate batteries... even bought an Omega watch so I wouldn't have to deal with em.
lazs
-
Laser sights are a useless, wow-wee addition to a tactical firearm. I'm against laser sights for anything other than training purposes.
In a stressful situation that forces me to focus on the laser and not the target. Easy to get fixated on following the little dot around. Eyes have to continually refocus when the dot lands on a near, far, then near surface. Leading to a slower net time on proper sight aquisition.
Laser can get out of alignment.
Can run out of batteries.
Can break at the worst time.
Your laser dot shining on everything isn't a good thing.
In a dusty environment, that visible beam will act as a beacon right back to you (one can bet that in a tactical situation, one might be going against armed individuals).
Adds unneccesary weight.
The only place where a laser sight is shown in a tactical situation is in a Hollywood movie where we all know the true "experts" reside :rolleyes:
Want to increase your quick sight aquisition and accuracy?
Practice, practice, and yet more practice.
I'm a big believer in tritium night sights. I won't own a defensive weapon without one.
-
AWW Crap I will just keep an old 1911 with fixed sights.
You can drop it kick it and it will never need the sights re adjusted.
Good old reliable weapon.
-
I have the stock sights(adjustable) that come w/ the goldmatch.
Hogue grips(no idea if they are something special... feel ok).
Does Kimber offer tritium sights?
-
Saburo!
Want to increase your quick sight aquisition and accuracy?
My shooting is one thing I keep up on. I enjoy shooting targets and assorted fruits and veggies( grapefruit,coconuts, melons, etc) out in the desert. My friends and I go to the same spot often enough that when we are done shooting and cleaning up, the local critters all come in and clean up everything but the brass for us. Kind of funny to shoot off several hundred (edit: Well a couple hundred anyway) rounds then have a bunch of animals wander w/in a few feet of you to have a snack.
I can hit what I aim at w/ the Kimber... wow it's a nice gun. I have fired other 1911's that just aren't very accurate. Anyway, enough about me... let's talk about tritiuim sights!!!
Edit: Nuke wanted to shoot a rabbit w/ his SKS once but I just couldn't see the sport in baiting in a critter w/ all that food then bagging it w/ a semi auto-rifle. I scared the rabbit off by "trying" to kill it first. Nuke never said anything but I think he knows what I was doing. No, I'm not a PETA freak but I just can't see killing anything that isn't a pest or that I'm not going to eat.
-
yep steve... they come stock on most fixed sight kimbers and you can retrofit em to other Kimbers right from the dealer. They bought out the main tritium supplier.
lazs
-
HEY! A Kimber stroking thread!
The first handgun I owned was a Kimber Classic, bought when that was ALL they were making. :) Still far and away my favorite among the 8 or so I own. It's still dead stock and outshoots my friends 1911 and Hi-Power, both with $1500+ of custom work done. When I've only got time to go and put 100 rounds or so downrange, the Kimber is always the gun I take. The Glock, Taurus, Hi-Power, etc. all stay in the safe.
As for the question of laser sights .... As has been said, the best thing to do is to practice enough that you don't need laser sights. That being said, if you can't practice enough (looking past the fact that maybe you shouldn't own a gun if you can't practice enough to become proficient with it), laser sights can be a useful addition. We'd all like to think that in a situation where we had to, our training would kick in and we'd be able to line up the sights and put rounds into the target. Who knows? Might be nice to have that crutch there if you really needed it.
-
yep... Kimbers are fine guns. I have an eclipse custom II but...
It's accurate for a locked breech semi auto... but... my revolvers outshoot it at 25 yards and put it to shame at 50.
still... it's pretty darn reliable for a semi auto.. I trust it enough to keep it on the nightstand.
lazs
-
Well, it's no secret that (in general) a good revolver will outshoot a good pistol.
The downside is the ugliness inherent in revolvers. ;) Only good looking revolver I've ever seen is the Colt 1873. Gimme a Semi any day.
-
I think of a laser sight as another tool. Studies have shown that laser sights lead to higher first round hit prob and the use of one can make many think twice when they see that little dot float about their chest. You can also shoot percisely without exposing as much of your body in some circumstances. I chose a lasermax since it holds zero, is less that 1/2 inch off bore and adds no real weight or bulk. It's not the only aiming device, just one of them.
-
Originally posted by Steve
Saburo!
~S~! Back at ya, Sir!
-
yep dobe... the semi auto looks so much cooler when you hold it sideways...
besides... people know your serious when you have a semi auto... especialy a black one. who could be afraid of a little revolver in 44?
lazs
-
I can't remember what it was, but I watched something the other day that was supposedly showing a realistic depiction of a Counter Terrorist team or some such. They breached a room with their handguns sideways "gangsta" style. Ugh. I think I turned it off then.