I always considered myself a pretty well-rounded shooter, but advanced training scenarios that included low-light shooting, shooting on the move and fighting from unconventional positions revealed a few chinks in my armor.

Though I shot fairly well on the move and from odd positions such as flat on my back or across my body, I would throw the occasional shot wide and, sometimes, a bit low. Those errant shots were usually on paper, but they were not as centered as I’d like to see, given the fact that my training sessions incorporate far less stress than an actual gunfight.

Fortunately, I was observant enough to quickly diagnose my problem and improve my shooting thanks to the telltale red dot emanating from my laser-grip-equipped Rock River 1911. Though I wasn’t immediately enamored with weapon-mounted lasers when they first came on the scene, that range session and some subsequent, serious training sessions with various units from Crimson Trace and Viridian opened my eyes to the value of those high-tech training tools. Today, they are a key element in my training and teaching regimens.

Most of my carry guns wear lasers for tactical reasons, but I get more use out of my weapon-mounted units and laser training aids on the range for diagnosing trigger and sight alignment issues. I also use them to help teach advanced shooters to shoot more accurately on the move and improve their instinctive shooting and weapon presentation.

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One of the main benefits of training with lasers is improved trigger control. I noticed that my errant shots when shooting on the move were a result of me trying to time my trigger pull and sight control. Now that’s not a bad thing, but I was coming back too hard and fast on the trigger to make my gun go off right now.

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That’s easy to do when shooting on the move or mowing down plates at speed. It’s also very easy to see because that red dot doesn’t lie. When that red dot dove hard down and left, it was obvious to me what was going on. That fast diagnosis made it easy to fix the problem before it became a habit.

Now I spend 10 to 15 minutes two or three times per week dry-firing at the many mounts around my office and living room with one of Laserlyte’s Laser Trainers. The sound-activated trainer emits a brilliant red dot every time you pull the trigger. It’s made a huge improvement in my shooting from every position.

For live-fire practice, especially when training new shooters, I am fond of Crimson Trace’s laser grips. Flinches and heavy trigger fingers are easily diagnosed and readily apparent to me and the student. That’s important, because many new shooters will insist that their sight picture and trigger squeeze were perfect until you hand them a laser-sighted gun with a dummy round mixed in the magazine. The embarrassment of that giant jerk will get them on track in a hurry.

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January 18, 2010