Crimson Trace today announced its newest foray into the world of grip-style lasers for Glock pistols. This is the latest in a series of different designs CTC has tried for the Glock brand handgun, and hopefully unlike its predecessors it won’t suck.
My personal experience with pistol-mounted lasers began, ironically, after a long debate about them on the Glock-L mailing list in early 1999. With no serious experience using a laser but a few pistol classes under my belt, I had no problem telling people that “lasers sucked” for any number of reasons.
Dr. David Armstrong challenged my know-it-all assumptions and also challenged me to reach out to Clyde Caceres at Crimson Trace to get a set of Lasergrips for test and evaluation. Thanks to David’s efforts, Clyde sent me some grips for my Beretta 92G and in just a few days, everything I thought I knew about lasers had been proven wrong. (If you want a real taste of archaic internet gun talk, you can even read the article I wrote about my grips back in May of 2000 … be forewarned, most of the links are out of date)
From that day, I had a Crimson Trace Lasergrip on just about every pistol I owned. My Berettas, then my SIGs, and then my M&P9 endurance test gun all wore “CTCs” as we called them. My j-frame, of course, never left the house without a set. I was invited to participate in the Crimson Trace Master Trainer Summit. I joined the cult and never looked back. I even dragged some other well known instructors into the fold.
Until 2009, of course. That’s when the HK P30 endurance test began and there was no Lasergrip for the P30. In 2010, there was no CTC for the HK45 test gun, either. And throughout 2011, there has been no Lasergrip for gen4 Glocks.
That’s changed now, and I am extremely excited to get a set of the gen4 G17-size LG-850 grips. And as luck would have it, the head of Crimson Trace’s marketing department — first year Top Shot champion Iain Harrison — happens to be buddies still with fellow Season One competitor Caleb Giddings of Gun Nuts Media. Caleb happens to (a) be buddies with me and (b) not own a Glock that will fit the LG-850 he was sent for evaluation. So guess who he’s sending it to?
The grips should be in my hands and on my G17 next week. Thanks again, Caleb!
Train hard & stay safe! ToddG
From the image it looks like it might conflict with the GFA? Any preliminary word as to that possible conflict, and if you had to choose what are your initial thoughts without having it hand yet.
not laser related, but interested in how it will compare in feel to the grip force adapter.
I’m sure it will be incompatible with the GFA. As to how it compares, I won’t know that until next week.
Assuming it doesn’t hamper my shooting when the laser is off, and assuming the laser works (holds zero, etc. … problems previous CTC Glock Lasergrips have experienced) then I’d definitely opt for the functionality of the laser.
If CTC is smart, hopefully they’re paying attention to the Grip Force Adapter and what is making those work for folks.
And I see I’m not the only one thinking along those lines based on the other comments.
You had hinted in a previous post that CT was working on something for the P30? Any word on this?
Sparks — I’ve not heard anything and the report about the gen4 Glock grips suggests that’s where their focus has been the past few months. Cannot blame them for that. The P30 poses some technical difficulties for making a grip laser.
CTC did also announce a mini universal rail-mounted laser, however, and if holster makers can accommodate it that might be the new hot ticket.
Is that a photo of the new Gen 4 CT lasergrip?
Never mind, answered my own question. 🙂
How did I never connect you with greent.com?
derp
Tam — I’m a ninja.
I’m totally stoked! I’ve been debating for the past month or so of whether or not to buy one for my G19. I’ll be interested to see what your experience with the new CTC will be like!
I used CTC’s for years on my 226’s despitge the bulk and 1911’s until I tried using them outside in the rain for awhile. It does rain a lot out here in the NW. What we found was that once a little bit of water got in the laser module and you fired a shot, the laser was scattered into a basket ball sized blob that you couldn’t see and took something like 60 seconds to pinpoint back down to a visible point. After that happened it was very very difficult to get the water out and keep it from happening. A buddy of mine came to the same conclusion 6 months later. After that we both got rid of them. Too bad, they worked very well.
The one nice thing about the M&P is how seamless the CTC grips are. It almost seems as if the gun was designed for the CTC grips to be added.
There is a CTC for the Hk45C………I am not overly impressed at first glance, but admittedly, I have not run it through the ringer either. Maybe starting in Jan. It is of the Laser Guard type, which is great for the little guns like the PM9, LCP, etc…not sure how great it will be on a mostly full sized gun.
I, too, am a total kool-aid drinker of CT grips. Ever since my first Hack class back in 2004 I have been a believer in their value. I have no less than 15 pair/sets on mine and my wife’s pistols, as well as the new LightGuard. Having said all of that, I would love it if you could get one of your CT contacts to explain why they haven’t made them for the G21.
I have asked them over the phone and in email and have yet to get a satisfactory answer. I was told that they had no plans……
Since you are “plugged in” maybe you could get an answer for those of us with G21s.
Thanks!
Well crap. I too have a gen 4 G17 with no laser, looks like I miss out of the free stuff again.
I’m a big fan of the CT grips as well, particularly on guns where they go on seamlessly as noted above. I have either 305s or 405s on my J frames, a must have IMHO.
Until CT makes one for lefties – I could care less!!!