My take: Part I
Flashlight or Stealth?
1.Why do you have a firearm?
2.Why do you have a flashlight?
3.What do hope to accomplish with either, or both?
Preface: Software, not hardware.
My lessons with using light started very very young. The flashlight was a chrome, C cell, with glass lens, hanger ring on the butt, and had the on-off-intermittent switch.
The other light was a 90* light as issued and used in the Military, Boy Scouts also used this style of light.
This light also had a glass lens, and had the intermittent switch.
I really like the Intermittent switch.
No, you don't understand, I WILL have another another flashlight with an intermittent switch.
Stealth:
Back then the intermittent switch was used for Morse Code, and for S&T such as having red cellophane over the lens and being able to "sneak a peek" without affecting night vision, such as reading a map.
Communications are a very useful tool in staying safe. Not only from defending from evil, also for summoning help, coordinating where evil is, and where good guys need to be, or evade to, etc...
It ain't the Flashlight , instead Mindset, Skillset, "then" Toolset.
I admit I do not know Morse Code as I once did. I also understand the Military does not use/teach/ Morse code as they once did.
I bow to those in the Military to clarify and correct me in this regard.
First off,
J.Q.Public does not have a duty to run toward evil. Professionals, such as LEO, Military, Fire, Search & Rescue, Wildlife and some other Professionals.
Second, clearing any structure is extremley dangerous, and is NOT recommended.
What is recommended is training and quality practice if one chooses to clear a structure - or- chooses to use a light on any firearm, for any reason.
i.e. although one may live in a jurisdiction where one does not have to retreat, they choose to do so, and evil comes to where they have retreated.
i.e power is out due to weather events and being armed.
i.e. Fire.
Fireman and fire women have training in clearing structures and use of flashlights.
Even so, they do suffer serious injury and even die.
How many J.Q.Public's a year run back into a structure to save another person, or pet, and die each year?
I do not care what kind of flashlight, how expensive it is, or how bright it is, without proper Training and quality Practice, that flashlight will not keep you safe just because you have one.
I am not going to share <wink> I was really wittle with my 1911 looking dart gun, and my wittle miniature flashlight that wooked like that two C cell the adults were using and I "wanted to do that".
Yeah well I missed my wittle target about 3 feet away. The target I never missed, in /with light, but in the dark, I missed.
Mentors grinned, and said what they always did: "Young'un, what did you learn ?"
I "learnt" my flashlight was not as good as theirs, so I said.
( I wanted that C cell jobbie)
Yeah well it was not the light, it was me as I missed with the C cell jobbie too.
Why a C cell? C cells are smaller in diameter and fit hands better. One gets "stuff" the smaller person in a setting can use effectively.
A bigger person can use smaller "stuff" effectively, whereas a smaller person cannot always effectively use bigger "stuff" or heavier "stuff".
This rule still applies, as I know folks that adhere to this rule today, including some Staff and other Members of THR, and other Fora.
My lessons were with these C cell chrome lights with intermittent switch and revolvers.
I started out with .22 revolvers. Then to a Model 10 with wax bullets, then mild target loads/ 148 gr wad cutters, and then the loading of standard pressure 158 gr, LSWC.
Learning to shoot a revolver instills correct basic fundamentals that transition to other platforms.
When it was time to learn about flashlights, Mentors had me do again how I learned to shoot, adding the flashlight.
For a time reference, I was born in the 50's.
