Ever since I bobtailed my Colt Commander back
in 2008, I have pestered Crimson Trace for a set of their
Lasergrips to work on a bobtail 1911. I
first fell in love with the bobtail 1911 back in 2006, when I
reviewed the Dan Wesson Bobtail. I liked the gun, loved the
shape of the grip, but did not like the weight of the all-steel
gun for carry. What I badly desired was a lightweight
Commander-sized 1911, but with a bobtail grip, as the bobtail
conceals better and most importantly, feels so much better in my
hand, but no one was making a lightweight bobtail at that time.
So, in 2008, I ordered a brand new Colt Lightweight Commander
45, and proceeded to bobtail the grip myself, with help from the
jigs and parts that I bought from Brownell’s, and the finish
work by Robar. I loved the result, and while I had added good
MMC adjustable tritium night sights, I still wanted a good
quality laser on my ideal carry gun. The laser offers advantages
that I do not want to be without, so I butchered a set of
Crimson Trace 1911 Lasergrips to fit the bobtailed frame. In
addition to having to chop the butt of the grips and fill the
hole with silicone, had to modify the top of the grip which
contains the laser module to work with my ambidextrous safety,
as I am terminally left-handed.
The result worked well, but looked awful.
However, I had my lightweight bobtail
Colt, and I had a CT Lasergrip on it. Now, thankfully, I
just yesterday received my Master Series Bobtail Lasergrip from
Crimson Trace! The Master Series is all new from Crimson Trace.
In that series, CT uses laminated wood or G10 material to create
a Lasergrip that uses these premium upgraded materials, which
look better and feel better than just a synthetic black or
simulated wood material. The result is a great-looking,
great-feeling grip that also incorporates the excellent CT
laser.
The grip shown here is made of G10, which is
manufactured with layers of fiberglass mesh impregnated with a
resin binder, resulting in a very tough, stable, well-textured
grip. G10 is often used to make knife handles for high-dollar
custom knives, as it is one of the toughest materials available
for such applications. The layers of the G10 make a beautiful
grip, looking much like laminated wood, but with a pattern
similar to Micarta. Into the G10 material CT embeds the
necessary electronics of the Lasergrip, and seals it into place.
Atop the grip on the right side is the black housing for the
laser module, and Crimson Trace designed the rear of that
housing to accommodate an extended ambidextrous safety lever,
such as the Ed Brown unit on my Colt. Perfect!
Why a Lasergrip? I have covered this before,
but it is important enough that I will do so again. It took me
several years to warm up to the idea of a laser on a handgun
from the time that they were introduced. The reason was, that
many lasers built for use on a handgun are of poor design, and
made as cheaply as possible in some Asian sweatshop, and it
shows. What we needed was a high-quality laser that would hold
its adjustment, turn on instantly when needed, and last for many
years. Crimson Trace delivered several years ago, and I have
been using them ever since. Quality is not cheap, but the CT
Lasergrips and Laserguards are affordable, and CT makes a laser
sight for most popular and some not-so-popular handguns. You can
buy a cheap imported laser, but most of them are next to
worthless. Crimson Trace lasers cost more because they are worth
it.
Crimson Trace lasers give me an edge, and in
a fight, I want every advantage that I can get. Most who write
to me arguing that a laser sight is not needed tell me that they
need no sight at typical combat distances, just point-shooting.
That is great, under ideal conditions. Standing facing squarely
a human silhouette target at seven yards, I too can place my
shots on the target without seeing the sights, just by indexing
the gun towards the target. However, I can’t do it lying on my
back, nor hunched behind a vehicle for cover while bullets are
flying overhead. I can’t do it with my weak hand if my strong
hand is wounded. Such scenarios also wrongly assume that your
opponent will be just standing there motionless, just like the
silhouette target on the well-lighted range where you practice.
Most likely, your attacker will be trying to seriously ruin your
day. If he has grabbed someone that you love and are charged
with protecting, placing a knife to her neck and dragging her
into a van, can you use your range-proven point-shooting ability
to precisely place a bullet into his forehead, without hitting
your loved one? I can’t, and I doubt that you can, either.
A laser is also better than an electronic dot
sight. With a dot sight, you still have to have your eye behind
the weapon, properly aligned. With the CT laser, I can precisely
aim from the hip, or around an obstacle. A good laser gives you
the ability to place your shot, on target, quickly, under
adverse conditions and in poor lighting. When properly sighted,
the bullet will land where the laser was pointing when you
pressed the trigger. With the CT, it comes on instantly. There
is no separate button to activate as you draw your weapon, and
there is no time to do so. As I grip this Colt, the Crimson
Trace Lasergrip is instantly “ON”, just as it is on my
pocket pistol. I have a Ruger LCP
in my pocket that rides there every day. It is constantly
sweated upon, and is usually covered with dirt and lint, weed
seeds, grass (the legal kind), sawdust, and other grit that
finds its way into the pocket while working or roaming the
woods. I test the Lasergrip on that pistol twice everyday, and
it has never failed to come on instantly. Its adjustment does
not drift. I rely upon that laser sight, as the tiny sights on
my LCP are pretty much useless to me, in anything but perfect
lighting. The Lasergrip works, and works well. I have proven
this fact to myself, and to other skeptical experienced shooters
many times. If given a choice, I will never carry a fighting
handgun that is not equipped with a Crimson Trace Lasergrip or
Laserguard. It is that important, and gives me an advantage that
I do not want to give up. I can now carry my Lightweight
Commander with confidence, and it looks so much better than it
did with the Lasergrip that I hacked into a Bobtail
configuration.
The G10 material is very good-looking, and
compliments the lines and the finish of my Colt. The grips feel
good, and are well-textured for a secure hold, without being
abrasive. The LG-906 has perfected my perfect carry 1911, and
were worth the wait.
Crimson Trace Lasergrips are made in the USA,
and are available at any good gun store, or online from www.crimsontrace.com.
I carry nothing but genuine CT Lasergrips on
my fighting handguns, and highly recommend them.
Jeff Quinn
