The CMR-206 Rail Master mounts easily to the Glock’s Picatinny rail.
Crimson Trace is one of the world leaders in laser aiming devices, and their new [easyazon_link identifier=”B00SBXH84E” locale=”US” tag=”bluesheecom-20″]CMR-206 Rail Master Universal Green Laser Sight[/easyazon_link] has several key features that should make it attractive to professional and self-defense shooters alike. Designed to attach to the Picatinny rail on polymer framed pistols, the CMR-206 fits snuggly to the pistol without getting in the way of the shooter’s proper grip or trigger pull. The [easyazon_link identifier=”B00SBXH84E” locale=”US” tag=”bluesheecom-20″]CMR-206 Rail Master[/easyazon_link] can also be attached to rifles and shotguns equipped with Picatinny style rails.
This design requires the shooter to manipulate an on/off lever. This design is a little slower than pressure pad activation devices, but should prevent accidental activations that can occur with sympathetic reflexes during high stress situations. The ability to quickly sight a target, without aligning hard to see dot sights, is a huge benefit to many.
The CMR-206 Rail Master fits just as easily to Smith & Wesson M&P pistols.
Crimson Trace CMR-206 Universal Green Laser Sight
The CMR-206 Rail Master® is a compact, yet powerful, universal green laser sight designed to fit rail-equipped pistols, rifles and shotguns. The laser sight fits onto virtually any firearm with a modern (M1913 Picatinny or Weaver-style) accessory rail. Ambidextrous control tabs allow the user to instantly activate or deactivate the laser.
The human eye processes the color green more effectively than any other color, and Crimson Trace offers the brightest green laser allowed by law, (5mW peak, 515nm, Class 3R). The CMR-206 Rail Master boasts 2 hours of (constant) run time on a single 1/3N Lithium battery, and features a 5 minute auto shut-off for power conservation.
The CMR-206 offers 3 modes of operation: Momentary, Strobe, and Constant-On. This allows the user to easily set their mode based on personal need or preference. The unit is quickly and easily user-installed, and can be transferred from firearm to firearm. The CMR-206 is securely fastened using Crimson Trace’s Secure Lock Technology (SLT™).
There is also a Rail Master Pro that comes with green laser aiming sight and flashlight combined.
Green vs. Red Lasers
One of the benefits of green lasers over red lasers is the clarity of the laser aiming point during daylight or bright light conditions. [easyazon_link identifier=”B006JVZA7W” locale=”US” tag=”bluesheecom-20″]Red lasers[/easyazon_link] do very well in dark or low light conditions, and are generally less expensive than green lasers. However, green lasers are much brighter, making them very good in bright light and low light conditions. This extra power and the technology necessary to produce green lasers, causes them to be more expensive than red lasers.
Rail Master CMR-206 Specifications
- Platform – Rail Master®
- Material – Polymer
- Attachment – Accessory Rail
- Activation Location – Dual Side Activation (ambidextrous)
- Sighting – Factory Sighted at 50 feet
- Battery Type – (1) [easyazon_link identifier=”B008A0CCN0″ locale=”US” tag=”bluesheecom-20″]1/3N Lithium Battery[/easyazon_link]
- Laser Battery Life – Over 2 Hours
- Laser Output – 5mW Green Laser
- Activation Mode – Switch Activated
- Laser Options – Momentary, strobe, constant-on
- Dot Size – Approximately 0.50 inches at 50 feet
- User Adjustable – Windage and Elevation (for zeroing)
- Finish – Polymer Housing
- Installation – User Installed (standard screw driver)
- Warranty – (3) Year Full Warranty
- Color – Black
- MSRP – $229.00. As low as $159.99 + $5.00 shipping on [easyazon_link identifier=”B00SBXH84E” locale=”US” tag=”bluesheecom-20″]Amazon[/easyazon_link].
Lasers and Law Enforcement
Laser aiming devices have not found as much popularity in law enforcement as they have in the military and civilian markets. Part of the reason is lasers tend to have a distasteful appearance to politicians and many civilians. The media and movies have made them out to be more of the tools of soldiers and assassins, then perfectly viable and quick aiming tools. Police administrators are also very hesitant to include a device on a firearm that is activated by the trigger finger or even a pressure pad. The fear of negligent discharge is real, and most agencies avoid adding liability.
In addition, most law enforcement firearms instructors teach to avoid telegraphing your location until a confrontation is immediate. That way the officer can use cover and concealment to their advantage. Using a laser aiming device can quickly take those advantages away if not used properly. Like any mechanical device, a laser could also be bumped or jostled, potentially causing the laser aiming sight to be off zero – another liability nightmare for law enforcement and the officer.
However, if properly trained, law enforcement officers could benefit greatly from the fast sighting feature of a laser aiming device. There is no doubt that a laser is faster to aim than aligning dot sights. Laser aiming devices do not require the addition of a bulky sight on the slide, such as holographic red dot aiming devices. This means that a light bearing holster may very well suffice to properly carry a pistol with [easyazon_link identifier=”B00SBXH84E” locale=”US” tag=”bluesheecom-20″]CMR-206[/easyazon_link] attached, rather than a completely new design for a red dot optic.
Tasers are widely used in law enforcement today, and every Taser comes with a laser aiming device. However, even Taser recommends officers use the fixed sights on top of the Taser to ensure best aiming. So laser aiming devices have partially entered law enforcement, but their proliferation is far from assured.
What are your thoughts on laser aiming devices?