I look at sighting a combat handgun differently than many others do. I like to cover what I am shooting at when using a pistol, much like what is done when an Aimpoint is used on a rifle. The way I see it, this simplifies the sighting process, making alignment more likely to occur.

The Laser Option
Speaking of sighting, there is more interest in laser sights than ever before. I have long resisted this trend, but I have decided that I was wrong. When I was first introduced to these devices, I watched factory-sponsored instructors hip-shoot at 25 yards or shoot from between their legs while bent over--stuff I thought was irrelevant if not plain silly.

In addition, I saw many students come through my classes who would spend a great deal of time trying to perfectly align the red dot on the target only to mash the trigger when they had it right where they wanted it. Obviously they thought the laser turned the bullet into a guided missile.

What I have found works best is to adjust the laser dot so that it is right above the front sight in the eye/target line and think of it as the front sight lifted up from the slide and transposed on to the target. I have found that by making this small adjustment in how a shooter thinks, the laser sight becomes very effective. Again, it is the same as using an Aimpoint red dot sight on an AR-15.

When used accordingly, the laser sight becomes a useful tool for combat pistolcraft. Does it solve every problem? No; there are still concerns about it being on at the wrong time or being unable to use it due to dead batteries or a broken switch, but once again, it is up to the body to get the gun on target.

Sights or lasers only reconfirm what the body should be doing anyway. It's up to all law enforcement instructors to make sure that their students/officers understand the laser sight's true capabilities and how to use these tools properly.