Viridian Essential Red Laser Sight

Viridian's collaboration with Ruger paid off. They did an amazing job with this laser. It fits so well it appears to be part of the LCP II frame. Add the most powerful red laser allowed by law and you end up with a very functional and attractive accessory.One note: I have had a few lasers. On a small gun such as the LCP II, which also has decent sights, I recommend using a "Sight-High" zero method when adjusting the laser and at no less/more than 20 to 25 feet. That is, adjust the laser so the dot is slightly above the front sight beyond a few yards. I like about a 20 foot distance for this pistol. That will keep the laser visible even at close distances but won't show the laser too high at say 50+ feet. That keeps accuracy acceptable on longer shots but also keeps laser sight acquisition immediate when drawing to your sights, with both eyes open, which is commonly taught.

This laser fits the LCP II very well and the firearm looks like it came from the factory that way. The height and windage adjustments have a distinct detent or "ratchet" feel when they are adjusted providing some confidence in their ability to maintain their positions. The laser is bright enough to be useful in any lighting conditions, especially in the range that the LCP II would be effective. This removes all doubt about gaining a proper sight picture in a low light environment. The LCP II still fits in the Ruger provided pocket holster with the laser installed. My only issue is that thy left me guessing which end was up on the battery. I could not find the ± indicating battery orientation on the laser and only read in the instructions to not put it in backwards. I suggest pushing the red switch prior to snapping the cover on to see if you installed it correctly. I haven't shot it yet but if it doesn't act like it should I'll update this review.UPDATE:QUALITY ISSUE... i had it at 5 stars after the install; that all changed when I actually used it. This may be a rare occurrence as far as the quality of the Veridian Red Laser goes but I finally shot the LCP II about 6 months after installing the laser and the laser was only good for one shot... then it went out. It would come back on in a few minutes, last one shot then it was out again. If this is typical of the Veridian red laser you really need to make the first shot count.

The shipment came with a very high quality baseball cap with the Viridian logo and was a nice extra to find in the package. The laser fits very nicely on th LCP II and has no play what so ever to make the site change. It comes with 2 allen wrenches to mount the unit and the other is for adjusting windage and level. The laser also comes with 3 batteries joined to create a single source of power for the laser. The power switch on the laser has on/off buttons on both sides of the unit to use for left and right handed users. The buttons work very well at this time, but could possibly become an issue with over using them IMO. The unit itself is plastic and could also possibly have mounting issues if the screws are removed and replaced many many times. This is just an issue when using plastics and screws on devices that have screws that are used a lot. SO just don't overtighten them and it should last for a long time. This unit also is nice since it lets the user decide when it is on and not some holster that turns it on when removed, which is a terrible design to have in a defense position and trying to remain cloaked. I like the device since it is the most affordable one on the market and has a very strong red laser beam.

Maker took the cheap way out for a design defect instead of correcting the defect the package came with a little note in red, besure to place the red washer under the battery spring. Obviously the battery spring is too weak and need to be shimmed up with the washer however the washer is too small and slips up into the battery spring and it’s totally useless. After three teardowns in about 45 minutes I finally cut out a small piece of rubber that was slightly bigger than the washer and placed it under the spring ,the problem was solved. I think this is very poor for the manufacture to leave something like this go to give you a 10th of a cent washer to correct the problem that was not corrected. I gave them one star because there is no zero star. Do not recommend.

The fit is pretty good and I like how it integrates into the design of the weapon. The housing is very cheap and flimsy feeling though. Matter of fact, it is so flimsy that it will move the laser in the direction you are pressing the on/off button. I used a laser bore sight to dial in this laser. Adjusting the sight was easy and it dialed in well with the bore site. However, once you press the on/off switch, the laser moves and puts it out of adjustment. I have not shot the weapon with this on yet, but I am not hopeful about it staying zeroed. This was very easy to install however. I think the price point for this should be in the $50 range as it is not worth the $99 and especially not worth the msrp of $132. I wish I would have just saved the $99 to go towards the RMSc Shield red dot as I have the OSP version of the Hellcat.

Took this to the range a couple of times to sight in and really enjoyed shooting with it. After carrying it in my waist pouch for a few months I couldn't get the laser to power on. I thought somehow it had inadvertently turned it on and the battery was dead. Removed the cover to replace the battery and it surprisingly powered on. Now that it's on, it won't turn off. I ended up removing the whole assembly and it now sits in a "tinker with it later" drawer. Which is a shame, because I really liked how it worked and looked on my Taurus G2c.

I purchased the e series laser for my ruger security 9.first the laser button is to far for my finger to turn it on when gripping the pistol out of the holster. I have to either adjust my grip or use both hands which either one is not ideal.This part is hard to describe the laser itself when pointed at the wall has a streak coming off of it.If you look at my pictures I have a cheap 30 dollar laser next to the Viridian and the cheaper laser looks better.it doesn’t have any red glare like the Viridian. I would say the only positive is that it looks good on the pistol.