Jackam
02-07-2011, 08:56 PM
Each year I visit the Crimson Trace booth at the NSSF SHOT show to see what innovations they have been working on. I like the Crimson Trace grips. They feel good, work well, and install almost effortlessly. Every year it seems that the big news from Crimson Trace is the additional grips for firearms that they previously couldn't t put their product on. This is not generally spectacular news, unless your favorite handgun is one that can now be fitted with a laser sight!
This year, however, I was introduced to The Lightguard.
Lightguard is a new product from Crimson Trace, offering a clean and crisp LED light for limited vision shooting situations. The Lightguard mounts not on the side of the firearm, as other ventures have, but directly under the barrel of a Glock, Springfield XD, or Smith and Wesson M&P handgun. Instead of protruding outward and looking like an add-on, the Lightguard is a good fit for the models on display.
The unit seems light enough not to affect the balance of the handgun but It was tough to do a good comparison for balance as the Crimson Trace fitted weapons were all on steel cable tethers.
Since there was no dark area to test the effectiveness of the light, I inquired about the Lightguard’s ability to light up the night. I was interested in the viable distance that the 100 lumen light emitting diode would illuminate the target. The Crimson Trace representative told me that in a darkened defensive situation, such as a bedroom, a hallway or a kitchen, the Lightguard will instantly reveal the target (or non-target!) and allow you to take control of a situation. In a semi-lit outdoor environment, I would assume that the LED would prove to be more of an “attention getter” than a valuable tool. Certainly, the greater the distance that the target is, the less effective this unit would be. I would love to play with one of these devices with my Glock 19 but they weren’t available just yet.
The Lightguard’s white light is activated by the same activation switch as the laser sight, allowing you to assume a firing grip and have both the Lightguard and the laser sight working for you. The separate, internal battery on the Lightguard will power the LED for at least two hours.
I didn’t think to ask about holsters. This will be a consideration for anyone interested in carrying their handgun with the Lightguard. It’s certainly not an issue that can’t be overcome, but it appears to be an extra consideration if you plan on integrating your handgun with this new light.
The Lightguard from Crimson Trace looks like it belongs on the firearm. It appears to not add any bulkiness and should prove to be a winner for Crimson Trace and end users alike. As with all of the Crimson Trace products, their engineers are working to expand the models in which the Lightguard will be available.
The manufacturer suggested retail price is less than $150 for the Lightguard.
http://www.crimsontrace.com/pdf/2011-eCatalog.pdf
This year, however, I was introduced to The Lightguard.
Lightguard is a new product from Crimson Trace, offering a clean and crisp LED light for limited vision shooting situations. The Lightguard mounts not on the side of the firearm, as other ventures have, but directly under the barrel of a Glock, Springfield XD, or Smith and Wesson M&P handgun. Instead of protruding outward and looking like an add-on, the Lightguard is a good fit for the models on display.
The unit seems light enough not to affect the balance of the handgun but It was tough to do a good comparison for balance as the Crimson Trace fitted weapons were all on steel cable tethers.
Since there was no dark area to test the effectiveness of the light, I inquired about the Lightguard’s ability to light up the night. I was interested in the viable distance that the 100 lumen light emitting diode would illuminate the target. The Crimson Trace representative told me that in a darkened defensive situation, such as a bedroom, a hallway or a kitchen, the Lightguard will instantly reveal the target (or non-target!) and allow you to take control of a situation. In a semi-lit outdoor environment, I would assume that the LED would prove to be more of an “attention getter” than a valuable tool. Certainly, the greater the distance that the target is, the less effective this unit would be. I would love to play with one of these devices with my Glock 19 but they weren’t available just yet.
The Lightguard’s white light is activated by the same activation switch as the laser sight, allowing you to assume a firing grip and have both the Lightguard and the laser sight working for you. The separate, internal battery on the Lightguard will power the LED for at least two hours.
I didn’t think to ask about holsters. This will be a consideration for anyone interested in carrying their handgun with the Lightguard. It’s certainly not an issue that can’t be overcome, but it appears to be an extra consideration if you plan on integrating your handgun with this new light.
The Lightguard from Crimson Trace looks like it belongs on the firearm. It appears to not add any bulkiness and should prove to be a winner for Crimson Trace and end users alike. As with all of the Crimson Trace products, their engineers are working to expand the models in which the Lightguard will be available.
The manufacturer suggested retail price is less than $150 for the Lightguard.
http://www.crimsontrace.com/pdf/2011-eCatalog.pdf