I've got a question. I'm looking at buying a Kimber Custom Crimson Carry II™ .45 ACP. This may sound like a dumb question, but I don't know anything about the Crimson Trace laser grips. Can the laser be turned off so that when you grip the handle, they won't come on? I would really appreciate this little piece of info. Thanks.

I haven't handled the 1911 grip but the owners manual online shows it on the bottom of the left scale. The Smith & Wesson J frame grip has a switch on the butt.

I've got basically that exact pistol with OLDER Crimson Trace grips. On my model you canNOT turn off the tracer which is a real pain in the ass since if you lay the gun down and get any pressure on top of it, it wears the battery out shortly. I THINK, repeat think, they may have changed the positioning of the "button". Go to their web site.

BTW, you didn't ask but tracers are vastly overrated IMO, and I've got several of them, you can't see them worth a damn in daytime and if it's dark how do you see the target? I'd save the money if it was me, but everyone wants their own set of toys.

The only real use for tracers IMO is for anti-personnel use, such as at a prison, where the little red dot can discourage further activity in a hurry.

My wife can see the shape of a person and the bright red dot with out her glasses on.

I've played with Crimson Traces on a number of guns. The dot is slower to pick up in any kind of daylight than the time it takes to form a proper sight picture. In pitch black it'll put a dot on something, but I'd rather have a flashlight and see what I was putting the dot on. Low light, I'd rather have night sights, they're faster. I consider my experimenting with using Crimson Traces on things a failed and expensive experiment. They weren't cheap when they first came out. I'd spend the money on a good flashlight instead.

Yes you can turn of the trace on the new Kimbers. There is an on/off switch near the base of the grip. It is recessed and will not effect your grip at all. At lest on the Covert Carry II modles.

I cant think of when I would need a trace type sight but it would be kind of neet to play with.

Happy shooting!