Flashlights For Protection

I carry a flashlight more often than I carry a gun. Because I like to have a light to optically enable MY actions. If I needed a weapon, first thought goes to my gun. After that... pepper spray is always in my pocket. Would I hit someone with my Mini Maglite if needed? Yeah. Would it do much better than...my 64 ounce HydroFlask? But if I'm outside my own house, I have a gun. I carry a flashlight for a light.

I've got a very bright flashlight attached to the bottom of one of my pistols. Probably not 1100 lumens, I think it is 800 or so. It is stunningly lackluster in daylight. At night, I'm probably going to strobe my target before I shoot. But in the daytime....? I don't think so.

Seriously though, I almost always carry my HydroFlask in my hand. I'd probably smack someone (or something, think a dog) with my jug if I needed to buy time before retrieving my firearm or pepper spray.

I carry a flashlight, but I don’t participate in the lumen race nor am I drawn to multi-mode lights. I want a robust, reliable, and predictable light. When I turn on a light I need to know what I’m getting. A single mode 100-200 lumens has proven to provide a good balance of brightness and runtime.

My lights of choice are the Malkoff MD2 or a SureFire P60 host with a Malkoff drop-in. The MD2 is the superior striker between the two, though I prefer the UI and form factor of the Surezfire.





My lights are illumination tools though, first and foremost. While lights can be used for strikes and disorientation, I use mine to help me see. Lighting up the dark and identifying hazards are infinitely more useful for me.

Probably not what you had in mind.

kamagong said:

I carry a flashlight, but I don’t participate in the lumen race nor am I drawn to multi-mode lights. I want a robust, reliable, and predictable light. When I turn on a light I need to know what I’m getting. A single mode 100-200 lumens has proven to provide a good balance of brightness and runtime.

Click to expand...

Ha! Lumen race! My Mini-Maglite with a Nite Ize LED upgrade is a whopping 30 lumens! It is nice to have a tailcap switch though. Batteries last me a couple of months though.

That’s exactly what it is. A lot of people of people are impressed by manufacturers’ claims of increasingly more lumens. “This light puts out 900 lumens on turbo on a single rechargeable cell!” For 90 seconds that is... 90 seconds? What good does it do me?

I was always equipped with a sturdy machined aluminum flashlight during my years as a cop (1973-1995) -ones that I bought myself the first five years -then Streamlights when they were finally issued to us... All were solid, gave good light, and could be used as an impact weapon - until some idiot cops in a wolf-pack situation beat a man to death with theirs.... (this was the infamous MacDuffie case in Miami - long before the Rodney King incident years later...). After that we were all taught that flashlights were not to be used as clubs -particularly for head strikes, since that is using deadly force - and would have to be clearly justified or you'd end up getting prosecuted....

These days along with simple small waterproof flashlights ( I work out of a small skiff since I retired from police work...) the most handy of all the small lights I have is an inexpensive hands free small headlight.... Being able to look at a problem area at night up close with hands free is just invaluable - whether for my tow vehicle (I tow my guide skiff at all hours day and night, clocking 20,000 and more miles each year) or out on the water when something goes wrong... it just gets more use than all the other flashlights combined... When not needed at night it just hangs on my neck out of the way... and only takes moment to re-mount up on my forehead when needed... It's absolutely worthless for defensive action - but handy for everything else... so it sees a lot of use. My next booking is tomorrow night and I'll actually be meeting my angler at 1Am - then we'll fish until dawn between Miami and Miami Beach.. That small headlight will be with me from the moment I'm on the water until it's no longer needed. I try to use it as little as possible since any light at night on the water compromises your vision for about 15 minutes - but it's there when needed...

I must be old school-- I like a 4 to 6 D cell maglite with a 130 lumen LED--bright enough to mess up their eyes at night and a hard strike with the battery end will generally end the fight--IIRC LEOs stopped carrying the Maglites because they hit harder than batons

I always carry a light. If i cant carry my pistol, my light has a strike bezel.
I guess im clueless, but its not illegal.

I have an aging fleet of maglite 3 and 4 c cells, on the night stand, in the truck, etc. They are useful as lights and have the perfect weight/speed ratio for me as a blocking weapon. When I check the yard at night there is a gun or machete in the other hand.
Also have a couple minimag 3aa cells for my overnight bag and car glovebox.

On the flashlight forums there are many threads asking/stating the same question the OP asks.
The answers are the same as here.....
Depends where one lives can be the deciding answer if a flashlight can physically be used for defence.
As for a bright (500~1500 lumens), it depends on way to many factors if it would work. It could also disorient the person holding the light, if the beam reflects back enough.
So, as it has been said, use the flashlight to see problems before you need to defend your self. My two cents.

Lateck,

I have a number of Streamlight Protac series of various sizes. I keep them in strategic places, and they have been dead reliable. Only thing I'm not fond of is the CR123 batteries that one of them takes.
-Jeff

Just don't talk yourself into believing that a very bright little flashlight will have a discernible impact on a rapidly-developing & potentially-deadly situation.

The only time a flashlight helped save me from harm was in the early '80s while leaving work very late after checking on a new overnight auditor team (~3am in downtown Norfolk) some chucklehead decided to (try to) mug me ... but, apparently, did not notice my ubiquitous 7(6?)C-cell, small-head Kel-lite that was always in my hand during such times. He ended up sorry that he slung his arm around my throat ...

... and during the few, exciting seconds spent "resolving the situation" I never did turn on the light.

"Way back when" my first flashlight was a five battery "C" size Kel-lite... Very, very handy on the job. I learned to hold it by the light end and simply rested the remainder on my shoulder when using the light function. If you needed the light's other feature (an ability to hit something really hard without leaving even a dent on the barrel...) it was ready to go... Anyone looking at it would know in a heartbeat that it belonged to a rookie - I had my name and badge number engraved on it... A few years later subsequent gear never had any identifying marks - not ever...

I use a 470 lumen light at work (LE related). It is great for getting someones attention. Thankfully I haven't had to use it in a self-defense situation so far.

It has 3 modes of brightness, which I like. The medium setting is particularly useful for low level illumination without waking someone up. Medium is somewhere around 150-200 lumen. Low setting is about 20 I believe.

I've settled on the C LED Maglites for my needs. I have a couple of ultra bright pocket lights that, while blinding to an attacker, throw TOO much light if I am trying to use them for anything else. I've decided I don't really need an adjustable setting. I like my dinky 2C Maglite. It carries on my belt in a leather loop holster I made for it, throws just enough light to illuminate what I need it to do, is compact enough to carry without banging around, but in a pinch will ladle a man with gusto. On top of that, it only costs $20.

I do wish it had a button instead of twisting on, but for simplicity sake it works well.