Weapon mounted light on a handgun?

[scaatylobo]

LOL, high horse alert.

I prefer to see high opinion of self and NOT trained ALERT !.

Ignorance is bliss ,enjoy.

I did post a few REPORTED shoots that went wrong.

But y'all know better and would never do that - ROFLMFAO.

 

[RX-178]

scaatylobo, I appreciate your input on this subject, and do not doubt your experience. Please do me the favor of not making sweeping assumptions about how I practice, what training I have received, or my own experiences in stressful situations when I tell you that I do NOT agree with your point of view.

Debating tactics and techniques is one of the main themes of THR, but automatically casting people who do not share your own opinions as being overconfident, untrained, unpracticed, inexperienced rubes is not debating, and is not far removed from name-calling.

For my part, my logic for using weapon mounted lights is thus:

I believe that weapon mounted lights simplify, rather than complicate using firearms in low-light conditions. It's easier to flip a switch on a firearm than manipulate two separate devices in two different hands.

In addition, my home defense weapon is a pump action 12 gauge shotgun. I CAN'T use a hand held flashlight and still operate the weapon. As much as I see the debate about handgun-mounted flashlights, I have never seen any debate about flashlights mounted on shotguns, or much debate whether a pump action shotgun is an appropriate home defense tool.

Could I assume by your logic, that you believe a shotgun should not be used for home defense then? If so, I disagree with this opinion as well.

Now to my next point, and this is one that I'm surprised that I don't see mentioned very often.

In my experience, it's the shape of the area around the triggerguard that makes a concealed handgun potentially print 'gun' to onlookers. A handgun with a flashlight mounted in front of the triggerguard changes the distinctive silhouette into a much more generic one.

 

[msparks]

It's interesting that people can drive a car almost without thinking, and yet we're to believe they're incapable of properly operating a handgun with more a couple controls on it.

I've got to call this one.

A majority of people driving in a stressful situation fail. Period. Look at the interstate when it snows. Comparing an intruder at night and driving a car on a sunny Sunday with no traffic is wrong.

A better comparison would be something like Paris Dakar or Baja after 600 miles on unfamiliar dirt in the dark and an animal jumps out.

 

[Effigy]

My point is that training is the important thing. If you train enough, you won't need to think about what you're touching on the gun in a critical situation, just as you don't while driving a car. If you see that you're about to smash into the car in front of you, you don't have to think about putting your foot on the brake or turning the steering wheel with your hand; you just do it because you've trained these behaviors for years.

The controls of a weapon light are not any more complicated than those on the gun itself. If you're not worried about accidentally hitting the mag release instead of pulling the trigger, why would you be worried about pulling the trigger instead of hitting a light switch? The issue of pointing the gun at someone to use the flashlight has already been addressed, so I'm not going to bother rehashing that tired argument.

 

[guzzi]

weapon light

My wife and I have been through a "low / no light course, and we have an opinion based on what we learned. I recommend that you also take this type class and form your own opinion based on more than Internet comments. It could save you life.

 

[catnphx]

guzzi - And your opinion is ...

 

[scaatylobo]

RX178.

I did not ever presume as to anyones training.

I did state and stand on that statement = if you dont do REALITY BASED TRAINING,you will not do well under stress fire.

As to the shotgun,that was NOT mentioned in a thread that was about primarily handguns.

I see a real difference as to long guns and lights - a whole different subject and thread.

BUT long as you brought it up,does your gun continue to operate while the 12 bore [ just guessing ] is throwing lead.

Many lights fail badly and the owner does not find out till too late.

I used a Rem 870 as a duty gun and the light was really needed as I worked the midnight shift,BUT there was a good deal of training and the light was tested under fire as was I.It worked well,and yes the sound of a 12 bore going into action did wonders a few times.

Your statement that it is easier to use a light mounted weapon, HAS to be based on experience and training.

Otherwise I call foul as to that statement.

My bottom line is,if your not doing reality based training WITH the weapon that you will use = AND set up the way you profess in this thread,the only one your fooling is yourself.

 

[guzzi]

OK catnphx I knew there was something I forgot. After the class and a whole bunch of practice house clearing exercises, I decided that the "Modified FBI technique" is best for me. This is when using my ever present pistol.

I don't ever want to clear a house for real .

 

[hirundo82]

I am sure everyone is so well trained that they never violate the finger on trigger.

But when I taught LEO's and saw HUNDREDS of men and women violate that too many times to log

To be fair, many officers seem to have trouble with keeping their finger off the trigger under stress even without a light. Maybe we should add a "walk and chew gum at the same time" component to the physical agility test at the academy.

 

[scaatylobo]

@ guzzi

Having done hundreds of 'house clearings' for real the best part of it all is that you have NO trouble going potty afterwarsds.

Sounds like you learned much !.

I use the harries technique for the flashlight and like the impact weapon that is in the off gun hand.

I also used the "third eye technique" when going through a large building or wharehouse.

Unless you have actually felt that very real 'pucker' factor and know how it effects you - then you might imagine how cool you are under fire.

 

[mossberg835]

for when things go bump in the night