LaserMax Guide Rods

[BRabbit]

Mr. Ayoob,

With your vast experience dealing with the firearms community, what has been your experience with the LaserMax units that replace the guide rods in a pistol?

Have you seen, or heard of any information from reliable sources of their causing malfunctions due to their breaking or the breakage of an ancillary part used in the installation (such as breakage of the take down lever which is replaced in the Glock)?

Do you recommend their use over the grip mounted lasers on the market, or are the products basically on a par in terms of reliability, durability, and accurate bore alignment?

Thank you,

---John

[Mas Ayoob]

Laser gunsight technology is still on the road to maturity, and no one system is perfect in every way. In my experience, nothing is better for bore alignment than the LaserMax because it is located directly under the bore and quite close to it. However, this same positioning subjects the unit to extreme heat and constant heavy buffeting during rapid fire with powerful ammunition, which is going to take a toll on durability.

I've had fewer failures with Crimson Trace LaserGrips. However, to keep point of aim/point of impact consistent at varying distances, I sight in the CT laser beam to run parallel to the bore, and resign myself to the fact that my shots will strike an inch high and half an inch left of the laser dot.

So, each product has its balance of advantages and disadvantages. I have and use both brands. Both manufacturers support training that relies primarily on the conventional gunsights and uses the laser beam as backup/fallback/special purpose strategy, and I'm certainly down with that.

Wishing you good luck with your choice,
Mas

[BRabbit]

Good information Sir - Thank you very much.

[BRabbit]

Mr. Ayoob,

Pardon my failing to ask this question before, but upon rereading your answer I am curious - Were those "failures" you mentioned in regards to the LaserMax units failures of the unit to poperly function as a recoil/guiderod thus affecting the cycling and functioning of the pistol, or simply a failure of the unit to illuminate due to the factors you mentioned such as heat and heavy buffeting?

VR,
---John