whats the point?

[Sabah_Alev]

what is the point of a lazer sight on a shotgun that isn't rifled? if the gun is going to scatter fire would a single dot just

1. give your position away
and
2. tell you where exactly you are pointing the gun

[CSACANNONEER]

For LE, it helps let the BG know he better comply now. Also, It does let the shooter know where the center of his pattern will be.

[Sabah_Alev]

wouldn't the BG find himself in more of a pickle when he hears the cock of the gun in the pitch blackness

[Saigon1965]

Hollywood

[Sabah_Alev]

merely a speculation

[bohoki]

well the little dot will probably get hit by at least one pellet

maybe they should mount 9 of them suckers on it then you will look like a whole squad aiming down on the perp

[SFFRONTMAN]

Because you can....

[tophatjones]

It can also be a really quick sight on an already quick weapon platform at 5 to 10 yards.

[BlackDrop50]

I imagine on a PG only shotgun, a laser would be useful since you would be manuevering the shotgun at low ready most of the time, and you would have no shoulder stock to instinctively guide the weapon. Also, maybe firing from weird positions?

[Ballistic043]

you can also consider the factor of rifled slugs through a smooth bore barrel. accurate enough to use a laser but only close distances. plus, its more of a time saver, being able to acquire target from Low Ready without having to shoulder fully could mean precious seconds between life and death.

[maxicon]

Shotguns aren't area weapons - even with a short barrel and full choke, you don't cover a wide area at home defense ranges. Being off by 6-12 inches is enough to miss completely in some cases, and when shooting in a hurry under stress, it's easy to be off by that much, especially with a shotgun with no shoulder stock.

Just like with a handgun, the laser is a short-range fast aiming aid that can be valuable in some circumstances. Like all aids, you shouldn't count on it 100%, because stuff happens, often at the worst time. If it's there and working, it can speed things up and improve accuracy considerably.

Note that people don't see the laser dot on themselves when they're the target - that's definitely Hollywood fiction. If someone's pointing a weapon at you, you're not going to be looking down at your chest to see if there's a dot, right? Best you can do is see that there's a laser on the weapon, but if that's the case, the barrel's pointing at you, and the difference between a barrel with a laser and one without seems minor in the circumstances.

Some people like mini red dots or Holosights for the same reason - they improve accuracy and aiming speed over iron sights. It's all about figuring out what works for you and practicing with it.

[ajl2121]

If I could have only one thing mounted on my 12 gauge, it would be a light. A light/laser combo would be optimal, but the light is imperative. You can't hold a flashlight and your 12 gauge without sacrificing something.

[Sabah_Alev]

huh, never quite thought about it that way, so in the end its more or less a "your pointing my THIS way" type of thing

i would prefer a flash light, does almost the same thing but brightens things up a little

[CrippledPidgeon]

I always figured that the laser sight was for added accuracy when firing from the him. You'll know exactly where the gun is pointing, even if you're not sighting down the barrel.

[agental1934]

Let's not undersell the shotgun

As other respondents noted, a laser is simply a tool to assist with faster target acquisition, whether it be on a long gun or a pistol. However, I don't want everyone to undersell the effectiveness of a simple shotgun loaded with slugs within 25 yards. You can generally shoot consistent 3" to 4" groups (possibly even better based on the operator's ability) at 25 yards.