Laser / light on HD gun

Status
Not open for further replies.
I used to think such things were a gimmick. A laser can be an effective tool in that it allows you to aim the pistol accurately even if forced to fire from an unconventional position. But I really like a weapon mounted light for a HD gun. There are no real downsides for that purpose and a lot of upsides.

I've not come up with a great method for carry with a light. Maybe if the technology gets to the point where a suitable light can be made that is much smaller. But for HD, yes. I have a dedicated gun with a light on it within reach of my bedside. When traveling I take a light to mount on my carry gun at night when back in the hotel, camper, or tent.
 
jmr40 said:
I used to think such things were a gimmick. A laser can be an effective tool in that it allows you to aim the pistol accurately even if forced to fire from an unconventional position. But I really like a weapon mounted light for a HD gun. There are no real downsides for that purpose and a lot of upsides.

I've not come up with a great method for carry with a light. Maybe if the technology gets to the point where a suitable light can be made that is much smaller. But for HD, yes. I have a dedicated gun with a light on it within reach of my bedside. When traveling I take a light to mount on my carry gun at night when back in the hotel, camper, or tent.
Click to expand...
The capability and quality of weapons lights in general has risen dramatically in the last 12 years or so. In my opinion, the late unpleasantness in the sand has played a major part in this. Yes, I was issued lights that the army paid more for than the M4, M9, or Glock they were hanging from. Advances in pistol lights as far as reduced size, weight, output, and durability are off the charts now, if one was to compare a current surefire with the "legacy" lights that were the standard fare at the turn of the century. Just about every modern mid-sized or full-sized current production pistol comes with a light rail as standard equipment, or at least as an option on a model of the same/similar pistol. Maybe one day such quality lights will be available for CCW guns of similar size to the shield, LC9, etc. The basic problem of course is adding weight/mass to something that you are already trying to hide- already a challenge here in the sunshine state most of the year- hence the shield, and not the Glock 19 for EDC. For the time being, when I CC my shield, I have to carry a small single 123 cell flashlight along with it. Not ideal, but it will have to do until/if technology catches up. Because I'm not open carrying a G-19 with a M6 in a safariland duty holster. Just... no.
 
FL-NC said:
...do you want to illuminate YOUR position by turning on a light? He/she could be several rooms away, but still in the dark- this would be giving another advantage to the opponent. Even worse, depending upon the location of the switch, the light, you, and the bad guy- you could be back-lighting yourself.

... In the defense, it is always best to not disclose your exact location until/unless absolutely necessary- as well as exploiting your knowledge of the "terrain", obstacles, and cover and concealment (by definition, in home defense, this fight is happening on YOUR ground- and no one is as familiar with this as YOU).
Click to expand...
Isn't the handheld or weapon mounted light more "directional" than the house room lights?
 
JTQ said:
Isn't the handheld or weapon mounted light more "directional" than the house room lights?
Click to expand...
Yes, absolutely. This is a misunderstanding. Referring illuminating oneself, I was mentioning the house/room light. This is what those lights are designed to do- illuminate a room and everything in it. In the second portion you cited, yes, you will disclose your position when illuminating the target with a weapon-mounted (directional) white light, just like with a $2 light from a flea market (hopefully the weapon light is better) but this will be on YOUR terms, so hopefully you will be prepared to quickly identify friend or foe, and act accordingly at that time. Apologies for the confusion.
 
Yea.
Well.
My utility pole is in plain sight, right beside my driveway. Just like every other rural co-op electric consumer. My service disconnect is readily accessable. Any ne'er do-well can pull in my driveway and flip off my power in a moment.
 
SharpDog said:
All of my HD guns have a light, most have a laser and a light. I have about 75% Streamlight (TLR-1, TLR2, TLR4) and 25% surefire (A300X). None of the lasers hold sighting in worth a damn. The only lasers that hold true are the ones on my Sig p290RS's (which were specifically made for that gun). I still tend to get the lasers but, really, if you can save money and just get the lights you should do that.

That said, they're all fairly equal light-wise.

I generally decide based on available holsters.

Note that the TLR-4 is much smaller than the rest. There's also some funky battery changing with the Streamlights but it seems very well engineered to be waterproof. The TLR-1's and TLR-2's are mainstays of police departments. My TLR-1's are on my AR's (see below).

Also, I would just like to say for any of you laser mfgs. reading this if you could add another attachment point (trigger guard) or two (another pic slot) that would probably help a bunch in maintaining alignment (my patent advice only costs 10%) :)

View attachment 792166

View attachment 792154

View attachment 792155
Click to expand...
SharpDog, what pack is that under your AR?
 
LuckyDawg - About three years ago, I bought a Keltec PMR-30 in .22 Mag. About 18 months ago, a new Academy store was having a sale on iProtect lasers and lights. Prior to that sale, I had gone to several stores as well as a couple of gun shows checking out different laser/light combos. At the shows, they had lasers in the ever-present red, a smaller number of green, and one even had a blue laser! Oddly enough, the laser most visible to me, even in the modest light of the gun show's large building was the green laser. I also found the combo units to be larger than I liked so I was pleased with the half-priced sale at Academy. The laser I got (for $50) was a green one that clips the picatinny rail under the Keltec's slide and the laser is bright enough to be seen at ~100 feet in full sun. It isn't real bright but can still be seen which is more than I could say for any of the red lasers I tried.
Good luck with your search.
 
I have a tlr1 mounted on my hd pistol. If you turn it on and point it downward at a 45 degree angle it illuminates a whole room pretty well. I carry it sometimes, but a G19 turns into a different pistol with a big light attached. Don’t get me started on light bearing holsters either.
 
Ok if i get the TLR-1 It will extend past the muzzle on my XDm 3.8 barrel will the blast screw up the lens or break it ?
 
Armored farmer said:
Yea.
Well.
My utility pole is in plain sight, right beside my driveway. Just like every other rural co-op electric consumer. My service disconnect is readily accessable. Any ne'er do-well can pull in my driveway and flip off my power in a moment.
Click to expand...
Does anybody get up before dawn (I'll assume an Armored farmer does), and have other family members in the house that don't get up that early, so you don't turn on the lights in the house as you go outside to get the morning paper? I do everyday.

My experience is - I can navigate throughout my house and out the front door without a light and without any problem, 1) I know my way around the house and could probably do it with my eyes closed; 2)my night vision is at an optimum, since I just opened my eyes in the dark; 3) there is ambient light in my house from the TV boxes, clocks, thermostat, etc. However, even with all that ambient light inside the house, when I walk outside it is significantly brighter due to streetlights, the moon/stars, neighbors house lights, etc. When I walk back into the house after the brief trip down the driveway and back, it takes several seconds to get my night vision back to the point where the ambient light sources in the house become as significant as when I woke up.

My point is, you at home in the dark, are at a significant advantage over an intruder in your home in the dark. Your night vision is probably better (unless you switch on your 1000 lumen weapon mounted light), you know your way around the house, and you know where the light switches are and what lights they turn on.
 
Last edited:
I bought a laser for the first time after shooting handguns for several decades without ever trying one. From the first trial, I will NOT have a HD handgun without a laser. This is how I feel about a laser for ME, a person who is very comfortable with a handgun. For someone like my wife or others who haven't shot handguns a lot and aren't thoroughly comfortable with them, I find a laser even more (much more) beneficial for HD use. Can you tell I think lasers are useful tools for a HD handgun? :)

And make my laser green.
 
FL-NC said:
This is where trigger discipline comes in. Also, training. Friendlies having weapons pointed at them is just the nature of the beast in these types of situations. If this is outside of your comfort level, and is at a level you don't see yourself getting to, then you have chosen wisely.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the condescending reply.

Its not a matter of trigger discipline. Even with my finger off the trigger, I refuse to point a gun at someone I don't intend to shoot. That's the #1 gun safety rule and I refuse to break it.
 
FL-NC said:
This is where trigger discipline comes in. Also, training. Friendlies having weapons pointed at them is just the nature of the beast in these types of situations. If this is outside of your comfort level, and is at a level you don't see yourself getting to, then you have chosen wisely.
Click to expand...
Except that a good light lets you avoid this completely. 300 lumens will cast light over a whole room without pointing the muzzle at anything except your carpet. Identify your target, and maybe then your sights cover it.

Any other way is negligent.

Ideally you’re not clearing rooms with a pistol to begin with but that’s another topic for another day.
 
LUCKYDAWG13 said:
Ok if i get the TLR-1 It will extend past the muzzle on my XDm 3.8 barrel will the blast screw up the lens or break it ?
Click to expand...
No, it shouldn’t. In my experience the light just gets dirty with soot. Like all things your light could break but I don’t know that with streamlight/surefires it’s a real concern.

I’d be concerned about that if you bought an el cheapo no name brand, but if you stick to quality things I don’t think there’s a real concern.
 
Al-jim19 said:
Except that a good light lets you avoid this completely. 300 lumens will cast light over a whole room without pointing the muzzle at anything except your carpet. Identify your target, and maybe then your sights cover it.

Any other way is negligent.

Ideally you’re not clearing rooms with a pistol to begin with but that’s another topic for another day.
Click to expand...
I put my sights center mass on the possible threat, keying on the hands. Will this likely result in a friendly being flagged? Yes. Just the way we were trained.
 
mdauben said:
Thanks for the condescending reply.

Its not a matter of trigger discipline. Even with my finger off the trigger, I refuse to point a gun at someone I don't intend to shoot. That's the #1 gun safety rule and I refuse to break it.
Click to expand...
I didn't mean to offend you. Yes, that is a rule of gun safety. With a little research, you will find different rules in different places, and for different activities. How often do law enforcement professionals or our military guys and gals end up with a "suspect at gunpoint", but end up NOT shooting them because it wasn't required or appropriate? It happens every day. Your refusal to get a proper sight picture on a possible bad guy would be your ticket out of many organizations. Again, its a matter of your level of training. I'm an experienced but not overly proficient skydiver. One of my best friends is a former Golden Knight. I'd jump with him, but I wouldn't even think of doing some of the things he does in freefall or under canopy- because I would probably die or be injured.
 
I guess my point was firstly, that when things go bad for real, humans almost always revert back to their training- be it good training or bad training- whether they received in in the military, as a police officer, in competition, or in a junior NRA program. The second point is that when you find yourself in a gunfight, skill is as precious a commodity as ammo- often more so. Especially since you can't really obtain more skill during a fight to see you to the end of it.
 
Last edited:
Sistema1927 said:
I try to always have a flashlight on me. I don't like weapon mounted lights for the reasons presented in that Rangemaster article. There is a good flashlight next to my home defense gun at night.

I do, however, like lasers on my self-defense handguns. While some think that they mean that you don't need to aim, I still believe in decent sight alignment. Where the laser comes in handy is in the case where you cannot obtain a sight picture (such as when you have just been knocked on your backside, or it is impossible to get your shooting hand in front of your face). Then you can put the dot on the object that needs shot, and fire away.
Click to expand...

It all depends on your situation. I am the only person in my home outside of several very large dogs. If there's a person in the house I definitely WANT to point the weapon at them. The sooner the better!
 
JTQ said:
Does anybody get up before dawn (I'll assume an Armored farmer does), and have other family members in the house that don't get up that early, so you don't turn on the lights in the house as you go outside to get the morning paper? I do everyday.

My experience is - I can navigate throughout my house and out the front door without a light and without any problem, 1) I know my way around the house and could probably do it with my eyes closed; 2)my night vision is at an optimum, since I just opened my eyes in the dark; 3) there is ambient light in my house from the TV boxes, clocks, thermostat, etc. However, even with all that ambient light inside the house, when I walk outside it is significantly brighter due to streetlights, the moon/stars, neighbors house lights, etc. When I walk back into the house after the brief trip down the driveway and back, it takes several seconds to get my night vision back to the point where the ambient light sources in the house become as significant as when I woke up.

My point is, you at home in the dark, are at a significant advantage over an intruder in your home in the dark. Your night vision is probably better (unless you switch on your 1000 lumen weapon mounted light), you know your way around the house, and you know where the light switches are and what lights they turn on.
Click to expand...

Yes, I can function at near 100% without a light in all but a few ... very dark ... rooms in my house. I practice momentary flipping of the weapon mounted light to get my bearings and then quickly move after that ... ie I don't leave the light on continuously but just a flicker to get my bearings when I need it or a momentary flash to identify the person / object as needed. The way it's mounted (post #2) I can flip up with my trigger finger (which is, by definition, off the trigger) and get a momentary flash for as long as I need to identify the target. I definitely do not see a problem with pointing a weapon with my finger guaranteed off the trigger (or the light is not on) when identifying a threat.
 
Last edited:
SharpDog said:
Yes, I can function at near 100% without a light in all but a few ... very dark ... rooms in my house. I practice momentary flipping of the weapon mounted light to get my bearings and then quickly move after that ... ie I don't leave the light on continuously but just a flicker to get my bearings when I need it or a momentary flash to identify the person / object as needed. The way it's mounted (post #2) I can flip up with my trigger finger (which is, by definition, off the trigger) and get a momentary flash for as long as I need to identify the target. I definitely do not see a problem with pointing a weapon with my finger guaranteed off the trigger (or the light is not on) when identifying a threat.
Click to expand...
You are getting the basic concept. Its best to use the light sparingly, and if possible to move- even if just a little bit- after flashing. Most people use a weapon light in the way one would use a flashlight looking for the family cat in the yard, or as an aid to navigation- because they haven't been properly trained.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

LUCKYDAWG13
  • Locked
Laser / light HD pistol
Replies
10
Views
517
FL-NC
FL-NC
S
  • Locked
Laser/Light rail accessorys that fit multiple firearms
Replies
2
Views
507
Zach S
Z
S
  • Locked
Night Sights and Light vs Light laser, Please Advise!
Replies
14
Views
1K
M2 Carbine
M
O
  • Locked
Laser/light for HD pistol.
2 3
Replies
71
Views
3K
psyopspec
P
B
  • Locked
Looking for a laser light combo for my XD
Replies
18
Views
2K
swinokur
S
Back
Top