Crimson Trace LG-431 Ruger

by Crimson Trace

Product Features

• Fits Ruger LCP Polymer Pistol
• Laser is activated by an instinctively-placed pressure switch at the front of the grip
• User-adjustable for both windage and elevation
• Ultra-compact 3.3mm diode
• Rugged hard polymer material

Product Description

Description:
Semi-Automatic Pistol Lasergrips

Additional Information:
Ruger LCP
Hard Polymer grip. front activation pressure switch. Ultra compact 3.3mm Diode design. Precise windage and elevation adjustments. Beam Intensity 5mw peak, 633nm, class IIIa laser. Maximum output that federal law and technology allow. Dot Size Approximately 0.5 inch diameter at 50 feet. Power Source Either two #357 silver oxide batteries or a single 1/3N 3 volt lithium battery.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 3.2 x 2 inches ; 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B0025TZDP6
• Item model number: 54588
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #93,227 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice plastic laser sight for a little gun, October 20, 2010

By 

Dave "Tree" "dr_dude" (Southeast, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crimson Trace LG-431 Ruger (Misc.)

This plastic laser sight comes in two parts that snap on to your Ruger LCP trigger guard. The actual laser assembly extends under the barrel. It is firmly affixed to the gun frame with two tiny hex-head screws that basically squeeze the two parts of the assembly together tightly around the trigger guard, after you snap them into place.

You are provided with two tiny hex head wrenches to accomplish the assembly process, and they also fit into the two adjusting screws near the aperture. I found it necessary to use the laser aperture adjusting screws, but it was easy to follow the instructions and get the red "dot" sight centered along the iron sights.

In the field, the fact that this laser sight is a mainly plastic component comes into play. The little Ruger LCP kicks hard when firing the usual .380 cal 95 grain FMJ rounds, so it is not surprising that the laser pointer occasionally shifts slightly after firing a few clips. In my experience, it tends to shift up and to the right. I think the aperture of the laser sight may get nudged over a bit by the padded glove after multiple shots; like I said, this gun kicks back hard, and you have to hang on tight. I think that the plastic housing of the laser sight deforms slightly, along the aiming axis, as the gun gets hot, but you can't tell right off, until it gets bad. It is a good idea too close one eye, every now and then, and sight through the (rather modest) sights on the LCP to make sure that the laser is still lined up properly. When I noticed that the laser aiming device had shifted a bit, I was able to quickly line it back up by gently wiggling the part of the laser sight apparatus that lies under the barrel. This is why I think it was some deformation of the plastic housing associated with rapid fire, while holding the gun firmly, with a padded glove. If you encounter this same issue and want to try this quick, in the field fix, yourself, please be sure to first remove the clip from the gun and pull back the slide to inspect the chamber, and make sure your gun is not loaded. Do NOT try to gently adjust this sight as described above while the gun is loaded, because you could accidentally shoot yourself in the hand.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Perhaps the reason I noticed this shift in the laser aiming was that I did not tighten the little hex nuts tightly enough. Rest assured, I tightened them down as tight as I felt I could without stripping them, considering the fact that the finely threaded metal hex screws seat into a plastic hole. The entire apparatus must be removed before you clean the gun, so these little hex head screws see a lot of use. Stripping the plastic sockets for the tiny mounting screws would render the entire apparatus essentially useless, so I see this as a possible design shortcoming.

Because the LCP is so light, it kicks pretty hard, and can bruise your hand after about 30 rounds or so. It makes sense to get a rubber grip for this gun:

Hogue® Handall Jr. Universal Rubber Sleeve With Finger Grooves

such as the one noted above. BTW, that grip is a little big for the LCP and needs some serious trimming if you want to use it on the little Ruger. I had to turn it upside down to make room for my (middle) finger. But it is definitely much more comfortable that the bare stock. It is worth noting that you cannot use the Hogue Handall Jr. rubber sleeve with the laser sight, because it covers up the actuator button. Sure, you could trim around the button, but the narrow rubber strap remaining would not adequately secure the grip to the stock. An excellent alternative to the grip above, if you choose to use this laser sight, is padded gloves, such as the following:

Smith & Wesson Suede Anti-Vibration Shooting Glove

I got a pair of these and I really like using them, with the LCP. I recommend them. Unfortunately, the padding can sometimes interfere with the function of the actuator button on the Crimson Trace LG-431 Laser Grip. Although this is a relatively a minor problem, it can get annoying. This issue is most apparent if you are trying to stay on target while firing rapidly, because you have to readjust your hand position to get the laser to come back on. If you take your time between each shot, and squeeze the trigger slowly, it is not a problem.

I would give this laser sight five stars, but I have a few minor (constructive) criticisms:

1.) For what appears to be a piece of relatively low-tech equipment that compares with a laser pointer you can get for 10 bucks, I think it is overpriced. It currently costs over half the price of the Ruger LCP sidearm itself.

2.) The battery it takes can be hard to find. (It is available on Amazon, at a reasonable price):

DURACELL DL1/3N Equivalent CMOS battery

Sanyo CR-1/3N CR-1/3N Photo Lithium Battery

3.) The questionable design involving two metal mounting screws seated in plastic holes makes me think these holes will be stripped soon enough. For the price, I would think that metal seats for the tiny hex head mounting screws could have been ultrasonically welded into the right half of the (plastic) apparatus, or alternatively, some other more durable clamping device could have been employed. As overpriced as it may already be, I would be willing to pay even more for this product if the design improvement suggestion(s) above were implemented.

On the plus side, I really like using this sight. I heartily recommend this product. Using this Crimson Trace LG-431 Laser Grip for the Ruger LCP, I have been able to shoot a gun with both eyes open, for the first time. This makes the shooting experience much more comfortable and pleasant. It's fun to use a laser sight.

This laser sight really shows you how steady your aim is, enabling you to focus on becoming steadier. You get immediate, constant, reliable feedback of where you are aiming, which helps you to learn how to pull the trigger repeatedly while keeping good aim on the target. The Ruger LCP has a rather long trigger throw, with a changing resistance, and is a very small pistol. It is so small that, if you have larger hands, you almost have to change your grip on the gun, after you pull the trigger about 2/3's of the way down, to overcome the increased resistance. It takes practice to learn how to position your hand to keep the gun steady. That is where this laser sight really helps. I can honestly state that this laser sight helped me achieve tighter clustering and more bull's eye shots.

Update 11/17/2010: The laser aperture gets dirty with soot/carbon fairly quickly, making the red dot rather faint after just a few clips. I was using Winchester white box .380 FMJ (and other) cartridges. Use the cotton swabs supplied with the product with a small amount of 70% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol to clean the lens. Give it time to dry after you swab it. You might not need to change the battery, just clean the thing up a little. Please, be sure the pistol is unloaded before cleaning the lens, and keep the muzzle pointed down range during the cleaning process. Safety first, PLEASE. Avoid pointing any gun at somebody (including yourself), even if you know it is unloaded.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!, March 7, 2010

By 

Kyle B Combest "Kyle" (San Angelo, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crimson Trace LG-431 Ruger (Misc.)

Works great. I may buy one for my cz75.
Fits perfectly on the Ruger lcp.
I sighted mine in at 25ft and put 1 hole through another.
Several of my friends now have one.
If you have a Ruger and like it, add one of these and you will really be happy.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Laser grips, March 13, 2010

By 

David P. Cullen "eclectic reader" (NW Oklahoma) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crimson Trace LG-431 Ruger (Misc.)

This item delivers as advertised. Without it, the shooter will be up the creek at night since to call the sights on the Ruger LCP "rudimentary" is an unwarranted compliment. Got a very small group offhand at 30 feet in spite of the long pull on the trigger.

One word of caution, you might want to lay in a supply of batteries. The battery that came with mine gave up the ghost after about ten minutes of activation.