Glock weaponlight

Coronach · Apr 18, 2006

Well, it is official. My PD is adopting the M&P40 as their new issue sidearm. That's the good news. The better news is that they will be issuing a light for the rail.

The bad news is that they are, apparently, not issuing a Surefire or Insight Technologies light, but instead going with this puppy:

http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/pro...18766&osCsid=03e55687dac481ba7d50eee13831ec37

It's a Glock Weaponlight, and the brief opportunity I had to fiddle with it left me underwhelmed. Anyone have any experience with this light?

And, the worse news is that since They are issuing gun, light and holster, we will be required to use the issue holster. I might be able to use a different light, provided it fits in the issued holster ok. Anyone know of any alternatives? The Surefires and Insights seem too "fat".

Thanks,

Mike

Henry Bowman · Apr 18, 2006

Pax is THR's resident light expert. Ask her.

Or go to candlepowerforums.com and ask those who live and breathe flashlights the way we do guns here.

My guess is that in your case the light selection was based on $$$, rather than any other criteria.

Coronach · Apr 18, 2006

Well, I'm sure that $$$ factored into it (heavily), but there was also some concern about the holster shape required to accomodate a weaponlight with two CR123s side by side, like the Surefire and Insight models. The fear was that the trigger could be actuated while the gun was holstered, due to the trigger being made accessible by the wide 'flare' required for the light to fit.

I won't even begin to think about how (un)likely such a scenario would be, nor will I speculate about which REMF pencilneck up my chain of command raised this objection; that might require me to go on blood pressure medication.

Mike

carpettbaggerr · Apr 19, 2006

Do you really need a light on your gun 24/7? Looks like extra weight without much benefit.

Of course, I'd be more concerned with using a gun released less than 5 months ago. Hope all the bugs are worked out.

Jeff White · Apr 19, 2006

Mike,
What holster are they issuing?

I carry my Kimber w/X200 in a Safariland 6280 every day. There is no way you can get your finger down onto the trigger in that holster.

Try to get your hands on one of those Glock lights and measure how wide it is. I'll measure my X200, they may be closer then you think.

Jeff

Coronach · Apr 19, 2006

Do you really need a light on your gun 24/7? Looks like extra weight without much benefit.

Yes. Try doing building searches at night, with a handheld light. Can it be done? Absolutely. Is it the best way to do it? Absolutely not.

Of course, I'd be more concerned with using a gun released less than 5 months ago. Hope all the bugs are worked out.

Same here. Our Ordies, however, really beat the hell out of the guns for the past 9 months. By way of example, Sig-Sauer did not pass the test. The M&P40 did. Believe me, I'm not a huge fan of S&W semis, but this one is the best "duty" gun I have seen (1911s not allowed, boo!).

Mike,
What holster are they issuing?

Dunno yet.

I carry my Kimber w/X200 in a Safariland 6280 every day. There is no way you can get your finger down onto the trigger in that holster.

Don't get me started. You're preaching to the choir.

Try to get your hands on one of those Glock lights and measure how wide it is. I'll measure my X200, they may be closer then you think.

I have an X200A and a Streamlight M3. They're wider than the Glock light, I'm pretty sure. The Glock has the two batteries sitting upright, in line (IIRC). The X200 and the M3 have the batteries side by side.

Streamlight (or someone, maybe Insight?) makes a really small light that looks smaller than the Glock light. If it is brighter and smaller, I'm going to buy that and put it on my gun and use it until someone tells me not to do so.

Mike

Shipwreck · Apr 19, 2006

I have a Glocklight, and I like it. I like it better than the regular M3 light . Now, if you wanted to have one of the $200+ weapon lights, then yes, they would be better. But I am satisfied w/ the Glock light.

Coronach · Apr 19, 2006

Hmm! It is brighter than the M3? maybe the one I experimented with had dying batteries.

Mike

Lennyjoe · Apr 20, 2006

I picked one up from a guy on Glocktalk for $70 and am very satisfied with it. It's riding on my G20 and is the nightstand gun.

That light is one bright sumbich.

TheEgg · Apr 20, 2006

The Glock light is decent -- not great -- but decent. The X200 is far superior.

Now, for an OT drift:

Try doing building searches at night, with a handheld light.

Do you really use your weapon mounted light as the source of illumination for a building search? You draw your weapon and use it as a flashlight?

Shipwreck · Apr 20, 2006

Flashlight, hammer, tirechock... U name it, I use my gun for it :neener:

Coronach · Apr 21, 2006

Do you really use your weapon mounted light as the source of illumination for a building search? You draw your weapon and use it as a flashlight?

I don't have a weapon-mounted light at present, on duty- no, actually, that's not true. I have a Surefire forend on my shotgun, but that's not what we're discussing. To address your question, though; if we're searching a building, we are searching for a felon. My weapon is out. For more mundane situations, naturally, we use the handheld flashlight without the sidearm. But for a typical law enforcement search of a building? Yes, our sidearms are in hand.

Mike

Coronach · Apr 21, 2006

Aha! The latest twist:

In classic government style, they are "saving money" by engaging in this course of action:

They will issue the gun and holster now.

They will then issue lights and new holsters at a later date.

:scrutiny:

Anyone else see the problem with this? I guess if you can push it off of this year's budget, you're saving money...no matter how much it costs next year. And no, this was not an Ordie's idea. In the interim, we're stuck using our handhelds.

Mike

Beren · Apr 21, 2006

Here's the new light from Streamlight:

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=711505

Jeff White · Apr 21, 2006

Coronach said;

In classic government style, they are "saving money" by engaging in this course of action:

They will issue the gun and holster now.

They will then issue lights and new holsters at a later date.

You will never see the lights and holsters. It's been my experience both in the Army and with police departments that if you don't do the entire upgrade at once it won't get done.

While lights and holsters are a significant expense for a large agency, it will pale against the cost of overtime to train everyone to use his weapon mounted light and new holster. It's always best budget wise to try to combine the aquisition of all needed items so you don't have to provide transition training more then once.

Combine it with the transition training for the new weapon and it's not that significant a cost. You have to do that transition training anyway.

Make it a seperate line in a future budget and there will always be something that will have a higher priority with the brass then weapon mounted lights for the patrol officers.

I hope I'm wrong....

Jeff

Coronach · Apr 21, 2006

That, actually, is the current theory. I hope you're wrong, too.

Mike

SilverState · Apr 21, 2006

It's not a bad light for under $100 and is pretty light weight.

orangeninja · Apr 21, 2006

To address your question, though; if we're searching a building, we are searching for a felon. My weapon is out.

Right on.....though I don't have a weapon mounted light, I really haven't been convinced of the need to have it 24/7 (certainly useful for bldg searches). I have seen some guys with a belt rail where the light is on the belt, the gun is drawn the the light is added. The down side? More crap on the belt. I dunno.......I'm torn.

As for the Glock lights, they seem to be fairly good.

BTW, which Sig failed? Was it the Sig Pro?

Jeff White · Apr 22, 2006

alduro,
The downside to carrying a weapon mounted light on your belt and mounting it when you need it is that now you have no way to holster your weapon if you need to. Say you have to go hands on with a suspect, to cuff and frisk, you have to clear the weapon and remove the light before you can holster it.

If you're going to use a weapon mounted light, put it on and get a holster that accomodates it.

It's probably not a good idea to be fumbling around, loading and unloading your weapon and putting the light on and taking it off.

If you skip the loading and unloading, you're adding a significant risk of an ND with bad consequences for you, the suspect, a fellow officer or a member of the public.

When I started carrying my Warrior on duty, I didn't even take the X200 to work with me until I got a duty holster that would accomdate the weapon with the light mounted.

Jeff

orangeninja · Apr 22, 2006

Well.....that makes sense. I don't have a rail on my issued Sig so I'm still using the hand held light and pistol.

Funny how quickly technology changes, now all the Sigs have rails it seems and just 5 years ago when they were marketing the Sigs to us it was the "state of the art". I'll probably be retired before we ever up grade......heck, we just went to the Asp batons in the last year.

Anyhow, which Sig failed the test?

Coronach · Apr 22, 2006

Not sure which model. One of the .40s with the new DAK trigger. It was not the SigPro.

Mike

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