Does your SD long gun have a light?

[natman]

Really? Four ounces of weight won't make a difference in how a gun handles? And point shooting is an ineffective short-range combat shooting technique?

I can feel the balance shift after firing and chambering another round in my 20 gauge quail gun and it's even more noticeable in my "house" gun (an 870 Marine) with a 6 round mag. .......

I'm not saying lights aren't a good thing, but I much prefer them seperate from my guns.

The purpose of the light is target IDENTIFICATION, not target acquisition.

There's a certain amount of truth to the balance issue. I have to laugh when I see some junk festooned "Tactical" shotgun that must weigh 11 pounds, most of it clustered on the end of the muzzle. The things are so imbalanced that you could hardly hold one on target, much less follow one. However, we're not talking about shooting tournament skeet here either. If you are so sensitive that the imbalance caused by a 4 oz light is going to cause you to miss targets at HD range, then you had better leave it off.

BTW, how do you plan to hold your separate light while swinging your finely balanced shotgun?

 

[natman]

Really? Four ounces of weight won't make a difference in how a gun handles? And point shooting is an ineffective short-range combat shooting technique?

I can feel the balance shift after firing and chambering another round in my 20 gauge quail gun and it's even more noticeable in my "house" gun (an 870 Marine) with a 6 round mag. .......

I'm not saying lights aren't a good thing, but I much prefer them seperate from my guns.

The purpose of the light is target IDENTIFICATION, not aiming.

There's a certain amount of truth to the balance issue. I have to laugh when I see some junk festooned "Tactical" shotgun that must weigh 11 pounds, most of it clustered on the end of the muzzle. The things are so imbalanced that you could hardly hold one on target, much less follow one. However, we're not talking about shooting tournament skeet here either. If you are so sensitive that the imbalance caused by a 4 oz light is going to cause you to miss targets at HD range, then you had better leave it off.

BTW, how do you plan to hold your separate light while swinging your finely balanced shotgun?

 

[BADUNAME13]

It's not the HOLDING... I'm wondering how he's gonna work:

The "Trigger hand"
The hand-held light
AND THE PUMP!

 

[JohnBiltz]

I don't got to bed until 4:30 at the earliest in the winter and about 7:00 AM in the summer. I generally have bumps in the daylight not bumps in the night and by 5:00 there are people moving around outside going to work. The area outside is well lighted. So I don't really feel the need to be putting lights on everything. I do keep a good light next to the bed though.

 

[A.H. Fox]

I now hit the light switch on the wall, my wife gets mad when I toss a mini flare.

 

[M2 Carbine]

Does your SD long gun have a light?

Yes, as do all my HD handguns.
I use the Streamlight TLR-2 laser light.
I practice quite often in low light and darkness (home range), so I understand what works the best (for me). Nothing comes close to a gun mounted laser/light for speed and accuracy.

 

[oneounceload]

I voted no as I have enough ambient light from outside, the voltage vampires inside, (amazing how those LED appliance clocks can light up the dark), and no kids at home any more - that makes target ID easy for me. There is a small LED light on the nightstand, but that is more for power outages

If you can see easily enough, not having a light is not negligible as previously mentioned

 

[benEzra]

Unless you live in a cave you're going to be able to see pretty well with just the ambient light - until you illuminate something and lose your night vision.

You may be able to see well enough to shoot. You will probably not be able to see well enough to identify.

The thing is, if you can see the intruder, the intruder can most certainly see you, too. And given that a disproportionate number of violent criminals are in their twenties, the intruder will see in the dark like a cat compared to the average thirtysomething to fiftysomething homeowner. And unlike the homeowner, the intruder doesn't have to wonder if the other shape in the darkness is a threat vs. a family member.

I regularly walk into a hunting area in complete darkness without ever turning on a light. You can see quite well under those circumstances. Try it.

I know you can see well enough to navigate (unless it's an overcast moonless night). But it would be unusual to be able to see well enough to identify a silhouette or assess whether they're a threat, particularly indoors.

As others have pointed out, having a light doesn't mean you have to have it on when you don't need it. It just means you have a light when you do need it.

 

[92trunk]

I have a light on both my AR & my 870 but as oneounceload stated my living situations wont really require I use it but its good to know its there if I need it

 

[RevolvingGarbage]

I don't have a light mounted to my main HD long arm (Pardner 12gauge pump), but I do have a flashlight handy in the same spot as my revolver. The plan being, if I need both light and weapon, I pick up the revolver and flashlight, and if I don't need light I pick up the shotgun by its self. I wouldn't hesitate to have a light mounted to the shotgun, I just haven't got hold of a decent flashlight/mount yet.

 

[SSN Vet]

no lights....yet...

The Crimson trace vertical fore-grip with laser and light combined looks very tempting, however.

Price prohibitive for me at this point in time....

 

[therewolf]

I'm not seeing how a light/lazer at the end of a long gun is easily switched on and off in a HD situation, leading to the ultimate mistake of leaving it on at the worst of times.

I have the reputation of having the disposition of a grouchy bear when suddenly awakened.

If you break into my house in the middle of the night, I think the least of your problems is whether or not I have a light on the end of my gun.

You'll probably be LUCKY if I shoot you.

 

[Snap-Shot]

I believe the original poster asked if your gun had a light and why/why not. Mine does not, and I explained why. I shoot sporting clays and practice regularly (at least twice a week excluding hunting seasons, more if I have the time) with it, and I work on point shooting with an airsoft gun almost every evening. It's done wonders for my scores both on the course and in the field. As for target identification, like I said, I know where my wife is, and I have no children, so that only leaves intruders or the dog. I think even in the dark I can tell the difference between my German Shepherd (though I really doubt he'd let anyone in the house without one helluva struggle) and an intruder...

Really, I don't see why people are getting so worked up, it works for me and that's what the guy asked.

Oh, and it's not a sensitivity or control issue, just an annoyance. Good guns feel like good guns and cheap guns, well... There's a reason people exuberant amounts for well tuned competition grade guns.

 

[waterhouse]

I'm not seeing how a light/lazer at the end of a long gun is easily switched on and off in a HD situation, leading to the ultimate mistake of leaving it on at the worst of times.

I don't know about lasers, but many lights have a pressure sensitive tail switch. I set my light up so that it is about 1/10" in front of my natural grip on my support hand (similar to taliv's last picture in post 74). It is very easy to apply pressure to the back of the light when I want it on and remove pressure when I want it off.

 

[OregonJohnny]

Have you ever unexpectedly been 'flashed' in the dark with a 100 Lumen + light?

I have been purposely flashed in the dark with a 120 lumen Surefire E2DL, to see what it would be like for an intruder or opponent if I were to employ this light in a defensive/target acquisition scenario. Believe me, you see nothing but white. No center, no periphery, just white. If you flash an intruder in the face with a powerful focused flashlight in a pitch black house, you are not "giving away your position", so much as you are temporarily blinding them, which is a huge advantage.

I agree with others who say that the decision should not be whether or not to have a light on your home defense weapon, but how and when to use that light. Options are always a good thing.

 

[benEzra]

I'm not seeing how a light/lazer at the end of a long gun is easily switched on and off in a HD situation, leading to the ultimate mistake of leaving it on at the worst of times.

Lights intended for weapon use only stay on as long as you are touching the pressure switch. Release the pressure, the light goes out. There is sometimes a separate switch for "turn on and stay on" if you wish to.

On a Surefire, the button in the center of the tailcap is momentary-on only; rotating the tailcap turns the light on like a regular flashlight. If you want a half-second of light, you hold the tailcap button for half a second.

 

[therewolf]

So, to turn on a "tactical" light, or turn it off, you have to let go of the rifle/shotgun with one hand, reach up, push a button, grab the gun again, then to switch it off you have to do the same, or hold it on?

Am I the only one who sees a problem with this? Pistol, separate flashlight.

If you need a laser to hit somebody within the walls of your home, you can afford bodyguards...

 

[Zach S]

So, to turn on a "tactical" light, or turn it off, you have to let go of the rifle/shotgun with one hand, reach up, push a button, grab the gun again, then to switch it off you have to do the same, or hold it on?

No, all I have to do is move the thumb of my support hand. Its less complicated than turning the high-beams on or off in my cars.

 

[waterhouse]

So, to turn on a "tactical" light, or turn it off, you have to let go of the rifle/shotgun with one hand, reach up, push a button, grab the gun again, then to switch it off you have to do the same, or hold it on?

Absolutely not. Go look at the last picture in post 74. There is a flashlight mounted on the rail. That flashlight is turned on by putting pressure on the end, right where your hand grips. Your hand never comes off of the gun, and stays in the shooting position.

Go to about 3:30 in the video and watch them turning on the light with their shooting grip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aPjNaTlyu0

 

[taliv]

a note about the pics in #74.

first, i'm left-handed

on the top rifle, i hold it with a 3gun style grip and my thumb is positioned on the rear of the light (above the barrel). the light even acts as a reference point so my hand always goes to the same spot

on the bottom rifle, with the VFG, i use a choking-the-chicken grip, which puts my thumb again right behind the light, which this time is below the barrel

 

[M2 Carbine]

I'm not seeing how a light/laser at the end of a long gun is easily switched on and off in a HD situation, leading to the ultimate mistake of leaving it on at the worst of times.

When holding my AR or Remington 870 (above) normally my left forefinger is, or can be resting on the laser/light switch. Pushed one way the laser/light stays on. Pushed and held the other way the laser/light only stays on as long as the switch is held. I seldom, if ever, leave the light or laser on.

The Streamlight TLR-2 has a toggle switch that can be set to light only, laser only or light and laser. Mine stay on laser/light. When the light is turned on the laser dot in the middle of the light shows exactly where the bullet will hit.
So, if necessary, a split second after identifying the threat, bullets or Buckshot can be accurately hitting the red dot.

For instance,


About 25 yards, from the hip.


The target area in daylight.

 

[OregonJohnny]

On a Surefire, the button in the center of the tailcap is momentary-on only; rotating the tailcap turns the light on like a regular flashlight. If you want a half-second of light, you hold the tailcap button for half a second.

On some Surefire models, such as the original 6P and G2, yes.

Others, like the E2DL, and the new "budget" Surefires - the 6PX Pro and G2X Pro, have tailcaps that you press for momentary on, then push further to click on permanently. This is my preferred user interface. A light tap of the rear switch blinks the light, or a full press on the switch turns it on permanently. The E2DL comes on high first (now 200 lumens), then low when you turn it off then on again. The new 6PX Pro and G2X Pro come on low first (15 lumens), then high second (200). Not ideal, IMO, for a "tactical" flashlight. If I really, really need high mode, I want it with the very first press of the switch. Or, better yet, a single-mode light such as the dedicated Surefire weapon lights.

 

[Cosmoline]

I don't want a light on my gun. Mainly, I don't want to point my gun at something that I might not want to destroy.

And I don't want to shoot something I can't see and identify with 100% clarity. Just because you have a weapon mounted light doesn't mean you can't have other illumination sources.

What's the alternative with a long gun? Use a mag light, then set the mag light down and shoot in the dark? It makes no sense.

As for target identification, like I said, I know where my wife is, and I have no children, so that only leaves intruders or the dog. I think even in the dark I can tell the difference between my German Shepherd (though I really doubt he'd let anyone in the house without one helluva struggle) and an intruder...

You don't know that. The shape could be a violent intruder, or a harmless drunk neighbor, or your wife due to a mixup. Stuff like that happens all the time, and to shoot at a living person you aren't 100% certain about is taking a massive risk.

 

[bigfatdave]

What's the alternative with a long gun? Use a mag light, then set the mag light down and shoot in the dark? It makes no sense.

That's why I attached some lights to throwing knives, you can just flip it into the ceiling or the target, depending on the desired outcome.

 

[spraay]

Both of my home defense arms (carbine and pistol) have lights. I like having the option.

SP