Need guide rod laser reviews

[Rainman48314]

There are lasers built into the guide rod assembly for some guns. The advantage is that they are close to the bore axis without any offset. They stay zeroed in permanently. No holster issues either. Besides replacing the guide rod, the takedown lever is exchanged and houses a switch. See the link

Anyone use one on a M&P 9 or other full size gun? These are $300 and I want to do my homework before forking over that much dough.

http://www.lasermax.com/Products/GuideRodLasers.aspx

[Bawanna]

We put one in my son's full size XD45. It was a little finicky getting the battery and supporting piece in just right so it would work. Seems like once you figure out how it needs to be its not hard. You of course have to deal with it everytime you clean, not a bad thing really.

Other than that it seems to work and hold zero just fine. They are huge money for what they are really but most lasers are.

Personally I don't think I'd put one on mine unless I got a super deal on one. Kind of like the new CT I got from phooey for 75 bucks. I'd do that again.

[jeepster09]

I have on in my 14.45 Para Ordnance, i'd buy one again. Works great.

[Barth]

Paid $500 bucks for one for my Sig Sauer P220/45 over 10 years ago.
They may have changed over the years?

1) The gun was unreliable, I believe due to the guide rod replacement and recoil spring.
Going back to stock resovled the problem.
At the very least recommend using the factory recoil springs.

2) You have to push in a rod on the take down lever to activate the laser.
I found this method poor for SD shooting.

3) My controls are all nickel plated and the Lasermax take down lever wasn't.
So it looked bad.

Fun to show off to friends.
Visible in daylight.
But I took it out and never use it.
Wish I didn’t buy it.

Recommend XS Big Dot 24/7 Express sights instead.

[Bawanna]

XS Big Dots ROCK! With or without a laser. Now thats an investment that's worth going to the bank for. Not everyone likes em but I love em.

I believe Jeepsters a XS fan too.

[Rainman48314]

Paid $500 bucks for one for my Sig Sauer P220/45 over 10 years ago.
They may have changed over the years?

1) The gun was unreliable, I believe due to the guide rod replacement and recoil spring.
Going back to stock resoled the problem.
At the very least recommend using the factory recoil springs.

2)You have to push in a rod on the slide stop lever to activate the laser.
I found this method poor for SD shooting.

3) My controls are all nickel plated and the Lasermax slide stop leaver wasn't.
So it looked bad.

Fun to show off to friends.
Visible in daylight.
But I took it out and never use it.
Wish I didn’t buy it.

Recommend XS Big Dot 24/7 Express sights instead.
My understanding is that they have improved over the years, they are also down in cost to $300. The switch is a lever built into the center of the takedown lever. I wanted this for my nightstand gun but also to use for training. I'm not unhappy with the M&P sights but wanted to try Big Dots at some point.

[Bill K]

I haven't seen any popular laser offered today where the offset would amount to any concern for SD purposes. Some will actually have the beam wind up being closer to the bore axis than your guide rod. Styles like the LaserGrip will not require a holster change. Not against the Laser Guide idea just feel there are other viable choices.

UPDATE: Oops, just re-read and see you're only interested in Guide Rod laser.

[jeepster09]

Here is my Para with laser, it's the ONLY gun WITHOUT XS sights. It has Trijijcon's.


http://i691.photobucket.com/albums/vv276/jeepster09/IMG_1009.jpg

[pappy42]

I have a laser guide rod in my P-220 and everything works fine.

One advantage of the guide rod setup over grip mounted lasers is that they work fine shooting with either hand or any method of gripping the pistol.

When I carried the 220 as a duty pistol; I just turned the laser on when starting my shift and turned if off at the end of shift.

Keep in mind that any light or laser identifies your position in the dark. My technique in the dark was to turn my laser off and hand hold my flashlight, away from my body. Paranoia also made me turn the light on instantaneously, then off, move, then repeat.

I'm also a fan of big dot sights.

[Rainman48314]

I haven't seen any popular laser offered today where the offset would amount to any concern for SD purposes. Some will actually have the beam wind up being closer to the bore axis than your guide rod. Styles like the LaserGrip will not require a holster change. Not against the Laser Guide idea just feel there are other viable choices.

UPDATE: Oops, just re-read and see you're only interested in Guide Rod laser.I like the concept of never going out of zero. I confess that it is not in a holster 99% of the time.

Thanks everyone for their input.