I put the Crimson Trace Shotgun Lasersaddle to the test, and found that it's actually worth the money. Read my hands-on review.
FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
Crimson Trace - Shotgun Lasersaddle for Instant Targeting
Highlight: Easily installed, so no gunsmithing required.
Helpful review: A customer requested an installation and bore sight of a Crimson Trace Saddle-style laser sight for his Mossberg Shockwave. This does not need a gunsmith to install it; it just requires patience and simple tools. If reading the instructions (that's what I did) does not work for you, look on YouTube and follow along, and you will have a victory in about half an hour.
The Crimson Trace Lasesaddle comes in green or red laser. The green laser, all green lasers, will show up better in bright light but burn up batteries like they are free. Red lasers are better for dark times but will wash out in daylight or super bright flashlights. The Lasersaddle is designed to be installed and left in place. The batteries are changeable from the side, with the supplied allen key, which is very easy and convenient.
Another feature of the Lasersaddle, as the name implies, is the ammo retention on the side of the receiver. The shotshells are held on the left side of the receiver, and the laser projects from the right-hand side. The laser sits just behind the ejection port. The trigger finger accesses the button to activate the laser, forming its safe placement before shooting. The only issue with this is that it only works for a right-handed shooter, the one the customer brought me anyway. I did not see if Crimson Trace offered this for left-handed shotguns.
I mentioned the customer wanted this bore sighted, which is unnecessary. Put the Lasersaddle on the gun, place it in a soft vise or something similar, and move the adjustment screws to aim at the same place on the wall as the front sight bead, easy and free. The way the sight works, it should take about ten minutes or less to get that laser pointing exactly where the bead aims.
The 'dot' the laser makes is small or fine. A more prominent, maybe 3 MOA, would be easier to use on the Shockwave mount over a shoulder-fired shotgun; the smaller dot may work well. The shotgun is not a precision gun, so a larger dot will make finding the dot faster and easier, especially if you are up at night and do not have your glasses on your face yet.
A great compliment to this style of sight is a weapon-mounted flashlight. Many gun folks will tell you to get a super bright flashlight, and for a good reason, you will want the whole room well-lit when searching for things that go bump in the night. A bright light can reflect off the walls and upset your night vision, especially as you approach the door jam. Ensure your flashlight off button is handy so you can turn the light off when close to the walls and door frames, and keep your vision as clear as possible.
This is a point-and-shoot option for taking care of nasty business between the flashlight and the laser. You can't find a better choice with the availability and different ammo options that a shotgun can use. Personally, I'm not too fond of the Shockwave approach. Still, I am old, like the full buttstock Mossberg 590, and the extended magazine tube is a comfort, like an old blanket that makes me feel warm at night. — Noah O. Thompson
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