Lasers and flashlights?

[Tinks 69]

Would you put a laser or flashlight on your home defense weapon?

Ive been surprised by how many people use 1 or the other @ home.

My thought would be that one of the advantages you would have over a perp is that you have home field advantage and more than likely you would know where he was before he knows where you are. Wouldnt a light or laser give your position away? Even if you dont activate it until the last second you are still giving him your exact location.
I was going to pick up a ruger 357 with laser grip but I talked myself out of it for this reason.

Im just starting to get serious about home defense. Trying to figure out the best ways. What do you think?

 

[M2 Carbine]

Would you put a laser or flashlight on your home defense weapon?

I would and do.
ALL my defense guns, HD and carry, have a laser or laser/light if available for the firearm.
Such as.
FN 5.7 with Streamlight TLR-2 laser/light

Bushmaster with TLR-2 laser/light

Kel Tec PLR .223 with Streamlight TLR-2 laser/lights.

I do a good bit of low light and darkness practice, usually several evenings a week (home range).

It's been discussed a lot so I won't go into all the advantages of a gun mounted laser/light, except to say when used PROPERLY the laser and more so the laser/light owns the night.

Wouldnt a light or laser give your position away? Even if you dont activate it until the last second you are still giving him your exact location.

Typically, if you see my laser you are shot.
If you see my laser/light you are probably blinded as you are shot.

I'm an old fart with a shaky hand and slow reflexes and the laser, laser/light does this for me.
So a young stud, that works at it, can be a very dangerous person with a gun mounted laser/light.

 

[M2 Carbine]

Im just starting to get serious about home defense. Trying to figure out the best ways. What do you think?

Call Crimson Trace and ask them for a (free) catalog and their (free) DVD "Shots in the Dark". It will answer most of your questions about lasers and give you a good start on using the laser properly.
800 442 2406

 

[MachIVshooter]

While I prefer a separate flashlight, I do keep mounted lights on my HD guns for one simple reason: I only have to find ONE item if something goes bump in the night. Ever try to grab a flashlight off of your nightstand in the wee hours while very groggy from being awakened? They tend to roll/fall away from you.

I do keep my Coast LED light handy as well, but I like knowing that if I have to move fast, I need only grab the gun to have illumination.

Lasers I have no use for. Tried 'em, don't like 'em.

For long guns, mounted lights are the only way to go.

 

[Keegan]

I have both on my 870. Don't want to have to worry about target acquisition or getting to a light switch in the heat of the moment. I would use a separate light if my HD weapon didn't require both hands to operate, but either way I'm packin' a light and laser. When I squeeze the pressure switch on either, I figure the perp is already going to know I'm there. No reason to shoot someone that isn't attacking me.

 

[PPGMD]

Not a big fan of lasers, but a flashlight, most definitely.

Remember it's rarely dark enough where two people can't see each other, but all you see is dark shapes, the bad guy knows that you aren't friendly, but how can you know without lighting them up. Now lets say you light it up and it turns out to be a bad gun that wants to fight, would you rather have you had in the air holding a flashlight, or on the gun steadying it?

Anyways since this seems to be a gun/flashlight picture thread my HD gun (the USP):

 

[Titan6]

Would you put a laser or flashlight on your home defense weapon?

Yes, I use both.

My thought would be that one of the advantages you would have over a perp is that you have home field advantage and more than likely you would know where he was before he knows where you are.

Why? If he is conducting a late night break in he may have been to your house before. A professional thief will check out your house and gain as much information about it before going in, if you have enough high dollar property worth stealing.

Wouldnt a light or laser give your position away?

The light will. This is why the first option is turing the lights on. If there are no lights (think no power due to a recent storm) than a flashlight is quite helpful.

Even if you dont activate it until the last second you are still giving him your exact location.

Yes to a flashlight or green light laser, not really with a red light laser (but a red light laser won't help you see like th other two will.

I was going to pick up a ruger 357 with laser grip but I talked myself out of it for this reason.

Before you buy, shoot a box of ammo with one. Laser grips can be good and can be a curse. Keeping one lit and on target can be diffcult for certain types. Make sure you have one that works for you.

Im just starting to get serious about home defense. Trying to figure out the best ways. What do you think?

Well, these are helpful, but before I spent several hundred dollars on a laser grip I would spend several hundred dollars on solar lighting, motion sensor lights and similar upgrades. Keeping the bad guys from coming is much better than fighting them inside your house.

 

[Sheldon J]

What he said.. I just bought a green laser and although they are way cool you can trace them back to the point of origion, n my red one all you see is where the dot is and not the trace line.

 

[possum]

welocme to thr.

light on shoot, light off move repeat, never turn the light in in the same place twice.

as far as lights and lasers i use a light on my hd gun, as i am comfortable with em and know how o work em effectivly.

as far as lasers, the only time i use lasers is during dry fire practice with new guns etc.

i have the the hd gun set to light and laser combo for my wife when i am not home, so she can shoot form the bed, while holding one of the kids, dialing 911 etc, when a proper grip and technique isn't able to be achieved.

 

[ckay]

I don't use lights/lasers. Personal preference. Just don't see a need for it as previously mentioned before, I'll know where they are before they know where they are.

M2 Carbine, how do you like the Covert II? Any problems? 3" correct?

 

[Bobo]

A gun mounted light or laser shows the exact location of the GUN, but with a laser the gun doesn't have to be in front of you, directly in front of your face as with standard sights.

You can hold the gun away from your body and still very accurately target (and shoot) your opponent.

The light and/or laser are just tools that give you an additional edge when you need all the help you can get. They are not the "magic bullet", but they can be options if you want to use them.

You always have the option NOT to turn it/them on if you wish.

Bobo

 

[Tinks 69]

Thanks for the info, Ill have to do some research on the proper technique before I make a decision. I still dont see a huge advantage with them but maybe if I see them in action on video it will change my mind.
Thanks M2, Ill start with the Crimson Trace DVD.
Good advice Titan, There are some additional things that I should do around the house to dissuade a BG to begin with.

 

[CountGlockula]

I have Surefires attached to my Glocks.

I've heard arguments of not desiring to have a light attached to their weapon, because of muzzle discipline/Rule #1.

But training and awareness takes care of that.

 

[M2 Carbine]

ckay
M2 Carbine, how do you like the Covert II? Any problems? 3" correct?

The Covert is the fifth Kimber I've bought.
From the plain jane Ultra Carry to the Covert they have all been good guns.
The more I shoot the Covert the more I'm impressed with it.
Being a tight Custom Shop gun I expected a little break in period but it's been perfect out of the box.
Yes, it's 3 inch. Four of my five Kimbers are three inch. I like the size.

 

[lesjones]

"My thought would be that one of the advantages you would have over a perp is that you have home field advantage and more than likely you would know where he was before he knows where you are. Wouldnt a light or laser give your position away?"

That's only true assuming all of the following are true:

- There isn't enough light to see each other's general presence, i.e., you know someone's there even if you can't see details.
- He can't make out your position by the noise you're making. Yet you somehow knew he was there in the middle of the night while you were asleep.
- You have time to sneak around and find him before he finds you, even though in the most likely scenario for people advocate no flashlights you were probably asleep to begin with. How big is your house, exactly?
- You can find your way around your house in complete darkness without tripping over toys, clothes, or whatever.
- You're absolutely 100% certain you can shoot your gun in the dark and hit a bad guy and be 100% certain you're not shooting one of your children, your spouse, a relative you've given a key to, etc.
- You can see him well enough to shoot him, yet somehow he can't see you well enough to shoot you. This strikes me as the least likely of the hypotheticals.

Me, I keep a Surefire next to the gun safe.

 

[tydephan]

My thought would be that one of the advantages you would have over a perp is that you have home field advantage and more than likely you would know where he was before he knows where you are. Wouldnt a light or laser give your position away?

You know, I used to have this same opinion.

But then I conducted an interesting little experiment. In a dark enivronment, have someone light you up with one of the commercially available weapon-mounted lights (60 lumen + and not mounted on the weapon for safety, of course) and you attempt to find the position of the person holding the light.

You might be astounded at how bright the light is and how it totally degrades your vision, even for minutes after normal light is returned. Astounding, in my experience.

Not the smartest thing I've done, but I have faith in the tactic, now.

 

[Keegan]

As a former Lights Out Hide 'n Seek champion, I know firsthand how easy it is to conceal yourself in the darkness by doing something as simple as standing in front of a dark bookshelf or crouching beneath a window. Not that I would trust my life to this fact if I had the choice to hole up somewhere better, just saying it's possible to set up shop in a dark room and have a perfect view of someone prowling around your house. Of course, if you're creeping around looking for the perp he's most likely going to see you unless you have tactical black walls and are wearing a stagehand uniform.