A Light on My Self Defense Weapon?

[Rugerdaddy]

I've often considered the idea of putting a tactical flashlight on my pistol, or just keeping one near my weapon should I ever need it in the dark. My reservations come from 2 thoughts, for which I ask your input.

1) If I have a flashlight, the BG can see exactly where I am, and thus I make an excellent target. Doesn't seem like a good idea.

2) I like the idea of being where I can not be seen, and having the element of surprise and knowing my environment better than the BG, who can't see and doesn't know his environment.

One problem I see with not having a flashlight, is the possibility of accidentally shooting someone that I don't really want to shoot- though not sure why they'd be sneaking around my house in the dark if I know them. Actually, I would seriously hesitate to pull the trigger unless I knew the target was a threat- and that hesitation could be fatal.

What are your thoughts? What's the "official" word from those of you trained for these encounters in the dark?

Thanks for sharing your wisdom.

p.s. maybe I just need to buy some night vision goggles!

 

[ForeverArmed]

I used to worry about that too, Rugerdaddy. Does the light on my rifle or handgun just tell the home invader to "SHOOT HERE"? A legitimate concern. But here's the thing: A good weapon-mounted light should be extremely bright and, thus, blinding to your attackers. Then they can't aim effectively.

The Sure-Fire lights are especially good, BTW.

 

[razorburn]

They would know exactly where you are and be able to tell when you're coming though, while you wouldn't know where they were in the house. The light still has a pretty narrow beam and you wouldn't be able to blind him with it until you've searched the room with it and got it trained on him, while he'd know where you were the second you start coming or step into the room. When you first step into the room, he'd be able to aim at you before you have the light on him, right? If I'm woken up at night, my pupils are dilated I can see well enough even with the lights off and I think I'd go just like that.... Also, I feel strange asking what may be a dumb question, but what's wrong with just hitting the light switch?

 

[JLStorm]

I have a light on my home defense weapon and a separate flashlight next to it so I have either option. And it is correct that most weapon mounted lights are bright enough to blinde an intruder...so I doubt they will be able to see crap once they see the light.

 

[Sunray]

"...night vision goggles..." Long dollars and NVG's can be disorientating. Turn on the lights. Criminals don't like being illuminated. Fumbling about in the dark with any firearm isn't a good idea.

 

[WeedWhacker]

"...night vision goggles..." Long dollars and NVG's can be disorientating. Turn on the lights. Criminals don't like being illuminated. Fumbling about in the dark with any firearm isn't a good idea.

In principle, I agree with you. In practice, my domicile blows in that the light switches are all on the "bad guy's" side of the room/house. That is, I'd have to cross a dark room to turn on the main lights. I wonder how many other folks have this problem? One solution would be to add a master switch panel in the bedroom, but I doubt my landlord would appreciate me chopping up the drywall. I live alone, though, so threat identification is fairly straightforward.

 

[rbernie]

I was taught that you don't use the weapon light as a search aid. You use it to 'flash' the target for ID purposes just before pulling the bang switch.
.

 

[Elmer Fudd]

Get a weapon light. I have kids in the house and will not be running around with an itchy trigger finger in the dark. If you suspect an intruder get all your family members in one room and call 911. The cops get paid to do this.

NVGs take a lot of training to use properly. They give you tunnel vision. If someone shines a light on you you are disoriented for a couple seconds. I would want to only use them as part of a well trained team. I actually have a set that cost a lot and they form no part of my home defense plans against criminal intruders.

 

[tegemu]

Given that a good bright light will blind an intruder, what will he be doing while you are attempting to align the beam with his eyes, waiting until you do? I don't think so.

 

[ShackleMeNot]

A weapon mounted white light and some formal training will give you a huge advantage in low/no light.

 

[MacPelto]

I was taught that you don't use the weapon light as a search aid. You use it to 'flash' the target for ID purposes just before pulling the bang switch.

Intermittent light use is the key. I was taught a similar method, even if using the light to search. The reason that a surefire has an intermittent switch is because you don't leave it on all the time. Furthermore, it will get very hot if you try to.

Take a course, it will explain all of this. Hanging stuff from a weapon when you don't know how to use it is not generally a good idea.

Mac

 

[PolarPanda]

pressure switch

Get a light. Get a pressure switch to go with it. When you think/feel you have isolated the area from which the threat is coming, apply pressure, light comes on, get posative ID, make choice, follow through, go on another day with a clear concious.

 

[Thekatar]

A weapon mounted white light and some formal training will give you a huge advantage in low/no light.

Wise words here.

 

[AndyC]

Also, once you've flashed the target, release the button so that the light goes off then move position while they're dazzled - don't move while the light is still on. Flash on, flash off, move...flash on, flash off, move...etc.

That's the main reason why SureFire, etc have a press-on, release-off switch as opposed to the typical Maglite push-on, push-off system - it's faster and easier to use effectively under stress.

As to having it mounted on your weapon - there are pros and cons to this, ease of use being one. It's a personal choice - I don't.

 

[SamTuckerMTNMAN]

quick release button

I put a HIGH BEAM on my mossberg 500 .12 ga.(fold stock) with a little curly cord pressure switch. That thing is great. You can hit the light for a second and off it just as quick by releasing the button (as mentioned).

The vast majority of the time when something goes bump in our own houses, we need a light to check it out, not a gun. With this setup I just use my gun as a light. My wife and I tested it, you can't see much when you are on the receiving end of the beam (unloaded OC!). Carrying the shotty AND a seperate light is a no go, especially the lock on type lights (cant turn off quick).

It's really worth practicing moving through your house with your weapon and your light. Find the blind spots, places to look through, over, into, danger zones, hiding places, etc. Just blink the light when necessary and keep moving.

And of course everything changes depending on animals, kids, etc....
but I vote for the weapon mounted pressure switch light.

st

ps - and always remember....use AA batteries, and get a solar charger. You'll never be out of power.

 

[Thekatar]

It is important to remember that the weapon mounted light should be able to identify the potential threat while not covering them with the muzzle.

For my own home defense carbine, I use the Surefire X200B because at the low ready or retention the light will still fill the room. If the threat is identified as such, raising the muzzle will put a bright/disorienting beam in the threats face.

Circumstances dictate whether the better solution would be to keep the light in the threats face or to strobe them and step off the line of force.

Of course a separate handheld light is always nice to have, but the grab and go nature of bump-in-the-night necessitates the light on the carbine.

 

[Mannlicher]

These threads always turn into a praise fest for SureFire. I guess if I spent that kind of money on 'flashlight', I would want others to think I did a smart thing too.
A weapon mounted flashlight is not an option that I would want to employ. I see way too many negatives in their use.

 

[SamTuckerMTNMAN]

It is important to remember that the weapon mounted light should be able to identify the potential threat while not covering them with the muzzle.

I like the sound of that ut how do you do it.

And for the last post, I don't have a surefire....theirs didn't take AA's!

(I get cheap LED 1" light eating on 2xAA NiMh)
st

 

[Tim51]

I personally dislike weapon mounted lights. A small handheld flashlight (surefire, streamlight, etc...), I think, has a tactical advantage over a weapon mounted light. As stated earlier, the key to using a light is not to have it on all the time. When you do have it on, you need to be moving it around using the indirect light to see.

Doing this makes it harder to tell where the light is coming from. I wouldn't use this technique with a weapon mounted light becuase I would be pointing the muzzle in all directions.

In a home defense class I took we covered clearing a house in the dark. The instructor had some students pretend to be the bad guys and hide in a room and he cleared the house. Using his flashlight, we could tell he was out there, but we had no idea how far or close he was to us. He spotted us before we spotted him, even though we knew he was out there with a light.

One other thing I'd like to stress is that if you ever find yourself in a situation where you potentially need to clear your house, ask yourself is it worth your life. If my family is accounted for and safe, I'm staying put and defending my position. If their BG is between me and a family member, it is time to go to work.

 

[BullfrogKen]

I'd suggest a simple, un-mounted flashlight for anyone's ONLY light. Long guns are hard to work without a mounted light, though.

I have done room clearing exercises, and its very tough. My house has lights already installed, and if I must go looking through it, I'll use those first.

 

[WYO]

My perspective, based solely upon my own personal experiences:
We shouldn’t be shooting at what we can’t see, so illumination in one form or another is essential if there isn’t enough light to identify a target as a threat.
Weapon lights should never be a substitute for a flashlight or other illumination any more than a rifle scope should substitute for binoculars.
The only justification I have been able to come up with for using a weapon light is for situations where the support hand must be used for something that negates the ability to hold a light. A common example is a building search where I have to open a door. I haven’t figured out how to do that with a flashlight in one hand and a gun in the other.
A weapon with a light either needs a holster that accommodates the gun/light combo, or the light needs to be detachable quickly with a minimum of effort should the need to reholster arise.
I have a detachable weapon light that can be put on my handgun, rifle or shotgun. I don’t keep it attached to the handgun. I also have a lot of SureFire flashlights around the house for primary illumination.

 

[RevolvingCylinder]

That's the main reason why SureFire, etc have a press-on, release-off switch as opposed to the typical Maglite push-on, push-off system - it's faster and easier to use effectively under stress.

Maglites are equipped with 3-position switches so they can be used with the "press-on, release-off switch" method.

 

[WarMachine]

I prefer a hand-held light for the mere fact that I will then be able to illuminate something or someone (especially a friend or family member) without having to have the gun pointed at them.

However, things become complicated when using long-guns as holding a flashlight is rather difficult.

 

[ravencon]

I have a light on my home defense weapon and a separate flashlight next to it so I have either option.

Exactly.

Also, one is a back up for the other. I want some redundancy.

 

[clt46910]

I also have two lights. One on the handgun I use to chase down noises in the night as well as hand held light. I have put my hand held in my pocket and used the gun light when I had to open bin lids, doors and such.

For the light switch being across the room. There are remote controlled switches that plug into your wall receptacle then you plug your light into that. I have a old set from Radio Shack from like 15 years ago. I have a lamp in each room set up with them. Leave the remote at the head of your bed. Each remote will operate a number of lights. I will carry my remote with me when I leave the house. Then I can turn on lights in the house before I start carrying things in from the car. You don't have to rewire nothing, just have a few lamps placed around where you need light.