Manipulation of a Rail Mounted Light Question

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CTGunner

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I have a Springfield LW Operator with a Streamlight TLR-3 mounted to the rail. My question is how do you recommend manipulating the light's switches? For a while now I have manipulated the momentary on/off with my trigger finger. However, this always felt awkward to me as the transition to the trigger was never 'smooth' no matter how much I worked on it. I started playing around with using the thumb of my support hand on the opposite side of the weapon to manipulate the light's controls.

I know some of you will say get a tactical flashlight - I have one and I do understand the advantages associated with not pointing a gun at what you are trying to illuminate.

If I switch to the thumb operating method I won't be able to hold my hand held light in my left hand...

What is the best/recommended way to operate a rail mounted light and do any of you use them in combination with a hand held light?
 
The trigger finger has one job, and only one. That job is to manipulate the trigger, nothing else.

Due to sympathetic reflex action I use the support hand thumb to manipulate the light.

BikerRN
 
I agree with BikerRN. Unless I've had extensive training with a tactical light, I would not confuse my trigger finger by asking too much of it, especially in a defense situation.
 
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The Plano incident is more of a story of why you dont put your finger on the trigger in the first place instead of a finger having more than one job.
 
If I switch to the thumb operating method I won't be able to hold my hand held light in my left hand...
Click to expand...

I know one is none and two is one and all, but the first thing you need to do is decide if you are going to gun fight with a gun light or with a hand held flashlight. Trying to run both at once is not the right solution.

I personally use my non-firing thumb to run my gun light, and if my gun comes out my hand held light goes back on the duty belt.
 
Like most have said here use your support hand to operate the light. You don't want to train yourself to turn on the light rather then shoot the threat thats about to harm you.


A seperate handheld light serves a totally different purpose then a weapon light other then being a possible back up. Don't worry so much about pointing the gun at stuff you are lighting up as long as you are not using your weapon mounted light to get around just because the power went off. If you are in a situation where you have your weapon out and are searching for a threat in the dark while using a weapon mounted light you are totally justified in pointing the weapon where you are searching as long as you keep that finger off the trigger and ID the threat prior to taking action. Remember if you point a light first to ID then bring your gun up you are already losing the reaction time battle. If you locate a non threat you ID then go to a low ready where you are not pointing it at the dog anymore. The light will have plenty of spill over where you can still see without pointing it at Rex.

Do carry a spare light to illuminate your way back through the dark when you put the gun down though. That is what the seperate light is for... To light stuff up when there is no longer a threat.
 
Just a note about the Plano incident:

the SureFire DG switch doesn't require any manipulations be done with the index finger. The switching is activated by pressured applied by the middle finger in a natural grip. The officer in the case sounds like he is blaming a software issue (finger on the trigger) on a hardware issue (the DG switch).
 
If I switch to the thumb operating method I won't be able to hold my hand held light in my left hand...
Click to expand...

Then relegate your weapon mounted light as a backup to your handheld flashlight. In the event your flashlight fails you can stow/jettison it and drive on.

I know some of you will say get a tactical flashlight - I have one and I do understand the advantages associated with not pointing a gun at what you are trying to illuminate.
Click to expand...
No need to directly point the weapon/weapon mounted light at anyone. While you can "splash" the light beam off a wall, ceiling or floor the use of a verbal challenge ("Who's there!") is a far superior method to quickly identify friend from foe.

The primary purpose of a light is for positive target ID.

If you need light to navigate then use it sparingly. (My practice is to quickly flash on then off while I look in the direction I intend to travel to check my intended path.)

Avoid using a light as a search tool.
 
Thanks for all the great responses. The way I'm reading the last comment about not using the light as a search tool just means don't keep the light on all the time while searching - use it sparingly with quick on and off flashes to illuminate potential threats.
 
"The Plano incident is more of a story of why you dont put your finger on the trigger in the first place instead of a finger having more than one job."

Agreed. The incident in question was not a failure of any specific light technique, but of fundamental shooting doctrine; i.e. a Rule 3 violation.

I recommend practicing activation via (1) the support hand thumb and (2) via the trigger finger. Why? Because support hand may be otherwise occupied.

Or...

Practicing activation via a pressure pad while ensuring that your trigger finger is properly indexed prior to the decision to shoot. This are arguably the simplest technique to dovetail into traditional, non-light training.
 
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