Who actually uses their pistol rail?

[Hauptmann]

I've been thinking about getting my next Sig and I have the option of getting a rail or no rail. Then I thought, I've never really used any of my rails. At this time you can mount a weapon light, or a laser. Sure you have the odd lots like a bayonet, pepper spray, or other crap......but I have no use for that on my pistol.

The only time I would use a weapon light is for building searches, but then again you give away your position and a perp's bullets naturally seek out where your light is coming from. In a building search in the dark, I actually tie three glow sticks together and throw them into a room that is to be searched before I enter the fatal funnel of the doorway. When I do use a light, I put it in my off hand and shine it FBI style extended to the side. Anyway, I'm rambling.....

I'm sure a lot of you guys use one for home defense, but what about you other professionals out there. Do you use your rail on the job?

 

[JAB]

Just picked up a glock 22 with light/laser attachment. I have never previously had one. I love it for a bedside gun. Practiced clearing house first night I got it and I really like it, dont think Ill have another home defense pistol without one. Still have my flashlight though, cant replace that in all situations. Like you said the biggest prob with light is giveaway of location, so holding it out to side helps, although with most crooks aim, prob better of to have them shooting at you than a foot away, less chance of being hit!! jk. Not much experience with it yet so cant give much info.

 

[SevenMichael]

Seems like you maybe want only professionals to respond; but I will anyway, though I'm not a professional.

I'm with you in that I don't want any unnecessary things on the rail. Since I have Crimson Trace grips, I don't need a laser, only a light.

I have a SIG 229 with rail, and purchased an M3X light for HD.

The great thing about this light is you can flick the switch up for an "instant on", and when released it shuts off. That way you get a quick look and hopefully the light's out before you're targeted. If you want "constant on" for some reason, just flick it down.

Every night before bed, I put the light on the rail.

My opinion is if you get the rail, you always have the choice to put items on.

If you don't get it, you can't change your mind later.

Hope this helps !

 

[Jeff White]

Yes, I used my rail and light on my duty weapon. I also carried a SureFire6Z on my duty belt and a Streamlight in the squad.

I've got a couple of questions for you Hauptmann; how did you open a door, keep your weapon at the ready and throw your chemlight bundle into the room and hold your hand held light?

Did you pie the room first or just charge in behind your chemlight bundle?

Where did you find chemlights bright enough to flood a room with light?

Weapon mounted lights aren't the answer to every low light situation. But they are a good solution to the old; "I don't have enough hands" problem. Just like every tool, you must be trained in how to employ it. There is no one solution to all low light problems, weapon mounted lights are a solution to some of them.

Jeff

 

[CWL]

I also wanted to chime-in regarding the chemlights. Do you break all three, shake & then toss into a room? Do you already have chemlights prepped? Wouldn't walking around with bundles of prepped chemlights make you glow and announce where you are?
Why? Who trained you to do this?

I also use a white light attached to my primary pistol via rail. Since I am not LE and don't have any Dept. policies to follow, I do not have to leave it on, I merely tab it for a brief flash as necesary.

 

[Hauptmann]

With regard to the chem lights, I learned to use them from a retired SWAT sergeant from Denver. He didn't use this in a raid, but during single or double unit building searches. He broke three white glow sticks, tied them with rubber bands, and kept them in the side pant pocket of his BDUs lined with foil. Sometimes he would have two ready. This kept it from shining through the pocket. His idea behind it was you were making enough noise for the suspect to know your general direction especially when you open doors, but with the addition of light emission from you you are a sitting duck. Basically, you use no light unless the search is over. As you enter a house, you toss the sticks into the darkened area which reveals the area without spotlighting you. Just as you would toss in a flash bang, and while it is still in midair, quickly get through the fatal funnel, circle the perimeter of the room, clear it, pick up the stick pack, and move to the next area. I've used it a few times with a partner and found a few people, but no armed perps. He would open the door, I would toss and cross over and he would cross in behind me and we would circle on opposite sides. They seemed confused and were suprised when I flanked them from the side. I tried it with some other officers to see if it worked and they could only identify where the sticks were tossed from. If I were to toss it down a hall way, I would slice the pie then.

I don't do much building searches any more. My patrol areas now mostly involve highway patrol. Probably getting rusty.

What do you recommend for a durable weapon light that can handle a moderate amount of shooting abuse. I know a lot of the cheaper models can only handle a small amount of shooting before they go kaput. It will be on a Sig P220R .45acp and a Sig P226R 9mm. I'd still like to keep the price within reason though.

 

[redneckrepairs]

i guess i am just old school , I have a dozen or so pistols in my keep pile and not a one has a rail on it . If a fella wants it ok , but for myself its just extra material on a frame.

 

[Jeff White]

What do you recommend for a durable weapon light that can handle a moderate amount of shooting abuse. I know a lot of the cheaper models can only handle a small amount of shooting before they go kaput. It will be on a Sig P220R .45acp and a Sig P226R 9mm. I'd still like to keep the price within reason though.

SureFire is about to release their new X300 light. It will replace the X200A and B models. That means the X200s will be available on the secondary market at cut rate prices as everyone who has to have the newest and best upgrades.

I heard that the X300 was going to be at the same price point as the X200. SureFire has an LE discount program if you order from them directly.

I used an X200 nightly for 2 years.

HTH

Jeff

 

[CommanderPoopyduX]

For my glock 21, when I was still an officer, I did not have a light on it......until I got into a situation one night with a possibly armed suspect, who was being partially uncooperative......

I wasn't able to move in to cuff him up do to his lack of cooperation, but I didn't have enough to shoot him either.....so I had a gun in one hand, a light in the other, and the NEED to talk on the radio.....so, which do you put away...the light (dark night with no ambient light) or the gun? I then got a weapon mounted light. In building searches, I used my flashlight, but my weapon light was still there, and when I had someone at gunpoint at night, I keep could both hands on the gun, or one on the radio, and still have the suspect lit up.

I am no longer an officer, but my bedside gun still has a light, mainly because I have not sold it yet. But I am thinking of switching the bedside from XD .45 to a revolver so the light may be going....

 

[Slvr Surfr]

As a deep nights officer, I have a light on my gun. It doesn't mean that this is the only light on my body as I always carry a surefire 6P on my belt. The two can be used in unison, and separate. Sure the chances of a bad guy shooting at my light are very probable but I would rather be able to accurately ID the target, and fire with solid two hand grip then attempt it with one handed shot or no light at all. The TLR 1 on my G22 is an easy aim weapon, as long as the inner circle of the light is on center mass , that is where the rounds will land. This is 3-7 yard distances.

 

[Baneblade]

My LE agency does not currently allow weapons lights (in the process of getting them approved). I recently attended a two week school in which only two of us did not have weapons mounted lights (for handguns). It wasn't a problem until we needed to reload or clear a malfunction (dummy round). Then we were clearly at a disadvantage.
However, I do not use a weapons mounted light on my off-duty, condealed carry, or HD weapons.

So, to answer the question, I would like to use my rail at work and intend to once I can. However, I do not currently use one on my other weapons. After being trained with one I might change that for HD.

 

[Setzer77]

I used mine for a little while before my glock light melted itself. Wasn't useful for carry, but for HD it's an all in one thing.

 

[Ghost Tracker]

I have to agree with some of the previous posters, I add a Surefire X200 light on my GLOCK rail when it's bedtime. When things go bump in the night as they're apt to do in the backwoods, I also carry an extra Surefire G2 on a lanyard around my neck for the look-see. I really like the ability to illuminate an area with or without aiming my pistol towards it. Why would you ever want less lighting ability in a HD situation?

 

[zeroskillz]

If you get one without, than you'll never be able to use it.
If you get one with, you never have to use it.

 

[Lonestar49]

tough call

...

The guns that I have with rails, I have a Laser max, rail mounted laser that can go on any of them, and are nice to calibrate accuracy at different ranges with. On the other hand, I have some guns without rails, but that is how they were made.

Me personally, it doesn't matter (looks wise) or real use wise, but I would think that as a resale feature, guns with rails may have more value for those looking to add a rail mounted flashlight, or laser, or combo..

Either way, for me personally, I think they're a good thing, just in case one has a need to hang something.. if for nothing else, a

~ For Sale ~ sign.. lol


LS

 

[copaup]

I've got a X200 on my duty belt that is the absolute bee's knees for searching buildings, clearing sheds, or searching for armed parties in the woods at night. We aren't allowed to keep the light mounted on the gun since our issue holster isn't available to hold the weapon with the light mounted, so you have to practice getting it on and off in a hurry. It isn't intended to be your main source of light, thats what the surefire G2 on my belt is for, but now that we have them, I wouldn't give it up. My nightstand gun is a Glock 21 that wears that X200 from as soon as I get home until I put it back on my belt to leave for work. I wish the department would let me add a bit of Picatiny rail to my 870 so I could mount the light on it while it is dark out. I've yet to find a way to comfortably handle both the shotgun and a hand held light, and I LIKE the shotgun on armed party calls. My personal 870 has the Surefire forend, but that is a no go for the issue guns.

 

[DougW]

I have a 3rd gen Glock 19 with a GlockLight for HD. I found out the hard way that fumbling witth a weapon in one hand and a tac light in the other trying to clear the house is not a good thing. Having a dedicated "night" weapon is good for me.

 

[Storm]

Many of my guns have rails. Some of them are proprietary while others are standard. I own a light for my HK USPs and Glock light for my Glocks and other guns, but do not use them. When I bought a Sig 220 last year I had the choice between a railed or unrailed gun and I found the unrailed older gun to be more desirable. The railed gun was a better deal so I went with it, but the rail means nothing to me. That said, having a rail probably increases the value of a gun, at least so long as lights are the going thing.

 

[Joe Demko]

I have several pistols with rails. The only one on which I actually mount anything is the full-size HK USP 40. I have an HK Quik-Comp for it that mounts on the rails. It does notably reduce muzzle flip, though the USP was a pretty soft-shooting gun to start. I guess they didn't sell enough of them or something, because HK discontinued the Quik-Comp.

 

[Rexster]

I got the P229R because I liked its balance better, and it was first model available locally with the DAK trigger. (I work for a big-city PD that requires we purchase our own duty firearms, within posted guidelines.) At home, I will slide a Surefire X200 onto my SIG, but at work, I have only very rarely used the light on the pistol, because I have to take the time to mount the light, as our mandatory, issued holster does not allow the light to stay mounted, and I actually use TWO handheld lights during building searches, one in my hand, and a spare in a back pocket. I have some news for you armchair building searchers: When the flashlight comes on inside an average room, EVERYTHING is illuminated, because light is reflected from walls and ceilings. The FBI flashlight technique is at its best outdoors, or while searching huge buildings such as warehouses and factories. Match your technique to your environment.