Why should one have a light on the accessory rail?

[marklbucla]

I know the reasons why one shouldn't have their light mounted on the accessory rail.

Are there any reasons why one should, or advantages over other lighting methods?

 

[R&J]

Lets Assume A High Quality Weapon Light...

...Like A SureFire X200B.

The advantages of a weapon mounted light are self-evident.

Presumably, the light is always on the gun, where it's needed, dedicated to one purpose.

With a weapon mounted light you have one hand free to open and close doors, dial 911, or let loose the dog!

With a quality weapon mounted light you can flash-light an entire room by skipping the beam off the ceiling--more than enough to see if the room's occupied by someone other than the wife!

In the direct glare, the light will surely momentarily blind the perp, giving you a chance to appraise whether or not they're armed (I know the old argument that you can hold a flashlight well away from your body, so if the intruder shoots at it... Well, who says he's a good shot, and won't hit you anyway? Besides, you can remove the weapon light from the gun and do the same thing...).

Held at gun point, the perp is disadvantaged by the glare, while you can clearly appraise the situation, while still having a free hand, if needed.

Proper use of a weapon light requires training, and/or well thought out drills--just like a laser does! You don't stroll through the house with a point and shoot beacon blazing!

Cops and soldiers alike, consider their weapon lights iindispensable.

I'll attach a pic, but my jpg pics are usually rejected by this site...

--Ray

 

[BerettaNut92]

1. One handed operation (probably have a burrito, phone, or banjo in the other hand)
2. Nice sight picture.

 

[GuidoTorpedo]

Downfall: To illuminate something, you have to sweep it with your muzzle. Never point your weapon at something you don't intend to destroy/kill.

 

[AK103K]

You dont have to point the gun at the object of your interest if you dont want. The light is bright enough to light a dark room, even when pointed at the floor.

The only way to know and understand why having the light on the gun is a plus is to learn to use one.

Your going to get a bunch of opinions from people who dont or wont, and they really have no idea either.

 

[berkbw]

You are ALL wrong -

It's to show the BG where the GG is Dumb, dumb, dumb.
b-

 

[BerettaNut92]

Light will spill and illuminate even what the beam is not directed at. Works for flash photography too

It's to show the BG where the GG is Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Yeah but I'm still saving up for my AN-PEQ2 (or whatever they're called) and NVGs

 

[marklbucla]

Whattup J

Aren't you supposed to be working right now???

 

[BerettaNut92]

Whattup J

Aren't you supposed to be working right now???

Yeah, waiting for DHL to come and send some US-made goodness to the Orient.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Advantage: Both hands can be on the grip in a full two-handed grasp.

 

[R&J]

"Downfall: To illuminate something, you have to sweep it with your muzzle. Never point your weapon at something you don't intend to destroy/kill."

*****

Q) Are drugs bad?

A) Does that include prescription drugs to ease pain and battle illness?

Q) Is it always wrong to lie?

A) So, if great grandma's cooking stinks, do we tell her?

I think I said, you can skip the light off the ceiling and flash-light an etire room...

Still, if there's a crash in the night and my wife's by my side, I bloody well may sweep the cause with my muzzle! And that's just tough! Any cop would do it; and from what I've seen, many don't shoot as well as me!

Of course, a family of five, with pets, and people coming and going is another story...

Forgive me, but the literal minded often drive me buggy... :banghead:

Like the jerk in the left lane, driving 63 mph...

In Wisconsin, it's illegal to point a loaded gun at anybody--even a B&E intruder! Excuse me but that's freaking idiotic!

Well intended rules were never meant to replace intelligence in an emergency!

--Ray

 

[.45&TKD]

Why should one have a light on the accessory rail?

I wouldn't. I think it raises a lot of legal issues for civies.

You drew your handgun before you knew there was threat?
You came home, thought there was an intruder and cleared your home yourself instead of calling 911?
You needed a flashlight and proceeded to draw and point your loaded weapon at everything and anything?

Not to mention that if someone is hiding in the dark pointing a weapon at you, you just lit your self up and made an easier target of yourself.

 

[Technosavant]

1) If you have your gun, you have your light. Nice and simple.
2) Functions as a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) sight assist- not as precise as a laser or good sight picture, but if the target has the beam centered, close enough.
3) Can blind assailants.
But...
4) You're pointing a gun at whatever you're illuminating. So hold aim off target until identified, but honestly, if I'm in my own home in the dark of night, the only other person I need to account for is my wife, which I can do before my hand grabs the gun. Anything else in my house at night darned well deserves having a gun pointed at it. Keep your booger hook off the bang switch until you determine the perceived threat is an actual threat, and you're better.
5) Shows the BG where you are. So does any other light. For those folks, I might suggest a good set of NVGs, since that's the only other option short of shooting in the dark or playing Marco Polo with the intruder.

IMO, those two arguments aren't convincing to me in making me offload my Streamlight and railed 1911. I'd rather see what I might well be shooting, and if you're bumping around my house at night, you need to reconcile yourself to the idea of having loaded weapons pointed at you.

 

[AK103K]

It's to show the BG where the GG is Dumb, dumb, dumb.

This is what I meant about not understanding.

The light does not HAVE to be on if you dont want it to be, which is usually the way its used.

If someone is in the room in front of you and you flash it, they wont be seeing anything but an explosion in their brain. Even if they could, which I highly doubt, they wont be seeing the next flash, as it wont be the light, nor will it be from where the light last was.

Its like the little Seecamp saying..... "when you get it, you get it."

 

[R&J]

1) I wouldn't. I think it raises a lot of legal issues for civies.

2) You drew your handgun before you knew there was threat?

3) You came home, thought there was an intruder and cleared your home yourself instead of calling 911?

4) You needed a flashlight and proceeded to draw and point your loaded weapon at everything and anything?

5) Not to mention that if someone is hiding in the dark pointing a weapon at you, you just lit your self up and made an easier target of yourself.

*****

1) You may be right--but it shouldn't! IMO, all states should be Stand Your Ground and have a Castle Doctrine!

2) A loud crash in the night is a threat, to my mind--more than enough reason to draw a gun!

3) Different scenario completely, and it assumes I've got a CCW. Depending, I might very well clear the house myself (see 1).

4) Inside a two occupant home, with the other occupant accounted for, and a possible intruder present--hell, yes! That does not mean I carry my gun to the fuse box when a breaker blows...

5) Again, for those slow on the uptake, you can flash-light an entire room by skipping the light off the ceiling! Note: I've got a laser and night sights too...

Every scenario's different. You have to think on your feet.

Keep in mind that when seconds count, the cops are just minutes away!

--Ray

 

[berkbw]

Not wanting to spar with another from PA - but

If the BG is known to be in front of you - blow him away. If you flash your light at where he is not - you have set yourself up. Even if you have one of those 1K+ lmn strobes, you stand a chance of blinding yourself while you dim his/her sight. I DO understand what this is about. If the BG is on your left front when you flash him, you'll bag him from his muzzle flash. If the bg is on your left front, you will never see his flash. Left handers can reverse all that. Life is not TV, Putting a light on the end of your arm and sticking it out in FRONT of you is not a pro life option.

b-

while I was pondering, you were posting, sorry.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

"Downfall: To illuminate something, you have to sweep it with your muzzle. Never point your weapon at something you don't intend to destroy/kill."

Its a light, not a laser sight. As noted, there is plenty of spillover light from a tac light to illuminate areas where the light isn't pointing directly.

 

[tblt]

so the bad guy can see where to shoot

 

[Wineoceros]

I wouldn't. I think it raises a lot of legal issues for civies.

Then here's how I'd answer the prosecuting attorney:

You drew your handgun before you knew there was threat?

I drew my handgun when I had reason to believe there was likely some sort of threat.

You came home, thought there was an intruder and cleared your home yourself instead of calling 911?

Yes. I surmised that an intruder was unlikely to allow me to call "time out" while I place an emergency phone call.

You needed a flashlight and proceeded to draw and point your loaded weapon at everything and anything?

No, not everything and anything. How did you make it through law school with such simplistic black-and-white thinking?

Not to mention that if someone is hiding in the dark pointing a weapon at you, you just lit your self up and made an easier target of yourself.

If they're already pointing a weapon at me then they already know where I am. Do you suppose my going into the room blind in the dark will be an advantage?

 

[Cosmoline]

I wouldn't. I think it raises a lot of legal issues for civies.

Any actual case citations? Or is this just more fear mongering.

You drew your handgun before you knew there was threat?

If you are investigating a potential home invasion without a drawn weapon, you're crazy.

You came home, thought there was an intruder and cleared your home yourself instead of calling 911?

That may not be the most tactically sound procedure, but it's not illegal to clear your own home nor will it lead to civil liability because you used a light while doing so. Indeed having an weapon WITHOUT a light is more likely to cause problems, since you arguably failed to identify your target. A bright tactical light HELPS ID the target thereby REDUCING the chance of shooting a non-intruder and getting sued.

ou needed a flashlight and proceeded to draw and point your loaded weapon at everything and anything?

Again, you are allowed to draw your weapon and point it at potential threats in your own home. Particularly intruders. You don't have to wait for them to draw on you first, since they've BROKEN IN.

Not to mention that if someone is hiding in the dark pointing a weapon at you, you just lit your self up and made an easier target of yourself.

And if you don't have a light, how are you going to notice them hiding in the dark?

 

[AK103K]

If the BG is known to be in front of you - blow him away.

And you know its the bad guy how?

Even if you have one of those 1K+ lmn strobes, you stand a chance of blinding yourself while you dim his/her sight.

I'm not sure how your figuring this. How am I going to blind myself?

You say you understand this, OK, take your Surefire, or Streamlight, etc, go into a dark room(really doesnt matter if its dark or not) and flash yourself in the mirror and get back to me on how well you can respond to something that isnt now where you last think you saw the light, if you can even think about anything but that white ball thats "still" in front of you.

If the BG is on your left front when you flash him, you'll bag him from his muzzle flash. If the bg is on your left front, you will never see his flash. Left handers can reverse all that.

Please do explain this.

Life is not TV, Putting a light on the end of your arm and sticking it out in FRONT of you is not a pro life option.

So what do you use and how do you use it? inquiring minds want to know.

 

[Wineoceros]

And you know its the bad guy how?

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty good at recognizing the members of my own family or anyone else who's supposed to be in my home. If the guy in front of me in my house in the middle of the night doesn't look like one of them, I'd feel pretty confident that he's the bad guy.

 

[AK103K]

....I'd feel pretty confident that he's the bad guy.

Just "pretty"?

 

[H2O MAN]

I like a small light on the weapon so I can ID what it was I just shot 13 times

 

[Chindo18Z]

uuuhmmm...for everyone worried about their muzzle covering something they don't want to shoot...

1. If you've drawn your weapon, you should probably have already crossed the mental threshold of deciding whether or not there is a threat. If there is, it would be nice to be able to see what you're about to shoot and do it accurately (without your weakhand encumbered by a handheld light).

2. Opponents of weapon lights seem to never consider the fact that you can simply HAVE ANOTHER LIGHT for searches where you do not yet feel threatened enough to present your weapon muzzle. C'mon...you can spend the extra $30-$40 for a 2nd handheld light.

3. If you don't feel like "giving away" your position...simply don't turn on the light. It's a weapon light...for momentary target aquisition/engagement...not a flashlight to find the bathroom in the dark.

4. Throughout about 15 years of rolling with weapon mounted tac-lights, my unit has yet to lose anyone because the enemy shot at their light. On the other hand, we've had great success at slaying illuminated (and usually blinded) opponents. Just as importantly, several instances of fratricide have been avoided through use of lights...as well as a lot more innocent civilians PIDed instead of shot dead.

A HINT: If you choose to go with a handheld, PRACTICE...IN THE DARK... DRYFIRE...then LIVEFIRE (if your range situation allows). Practice RELOADS. You will be flat-out amazed at how difficult some tasks are to complete (in the dark) when you have a pistol or shotgun in one hand, manipulating light with the other, while trying to provide stable wpn support to hit just a stationary range target. Oh, by the way...time for a high-speed tactical mag change or speed feed for the schrottgewehr. It can get complicated unless you have worked out your drills before you ever need them. BTW, you can put the light in your mouth while you reload (naturally, turned off).

If you don't want to use a rail-mounted light 'cause it makes the package too big for CCW or you just want to stay KISS and use ambient light and irons...great...got it. But justifying that choice by deluding yourself that the lights don't work is B.S.; they work just fine.

YMMV