Weapon mounted lights... HAVE ONE.

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  • daddyusmaximus

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    I was reading a thread on another forum about weapon mounted lights. I saw this idiot typed an unbelievably stupid response...

    He said. "I do not put lights on my guns. because there wont be a time when I need my gun out and I want others to know where I am. I am not a LEO."

    My response to this fool was, "There may be a time when you want to see what the hell you're aiming a deadly weapon at in the dark... idiot. "

    Obviously some tactical timmy who has watched too many youtube airsoft videos. I felt I had to start a discussion on weapon mounted lights over here.





    I've been to war. I don't mind putting down a bad guy. However, my biggest fear is shooting the wrong person.

    Say I get woke up at 3am one night by a loud noise. The dog barks. I hear someone stumbling around in the house. I grab my gun (Vickers edition Glock 17 with TLR1) and go to meet the threat while the wife dials 911. I know I should probably wait, kids are off at school, I should be safe barricaded, in the bedroom, but I'm a mean old grunt who can't stand evil... I aim at the shadow in the living room that is doing something at the table between the lazy boy chairs. I hit the weapon mounted light... It's one of my two college kids, come home for a surprise weekend visit.

    Without that light aiding me to identify if there was a threat or not, that could end very badly for our family.

    Yes, I have night sights too, but they only help if you are SURE that the dark blur in front of them IS a threat.


    EVERY defensive gun needs a mounted light.


    My AR pistol/SBR (same upper, 2 lowers) also had one.


    You people do have lights on your defensive weapons right?

    Carry guns?
     
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    Dean C.

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    Lights on all of my "house guns" , none on my carry guns just due to not wanting to mess with it and I am really not out in the dark a whole lot since I work 3rd shift
     

    hpclayto

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    You probably don’t NEED a WML. A handheld would serve you just as well in most instances and then you won’t be pointing guns at things that don’t need guns pointed at them.
     
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    tcecil88

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    You probably don’t NEED a WML. A handheld would serve you just as well in most instances and then you won’t be pointing guns at things that don’t need guns pointed at them.

    All my carry guns and HD guns have WML's and I carry a handheld when out and about. I use a flashlight at work everyday so I am in the habit of carrying one.
    I agree that I don't need a WML, but I carry them anyway. They are not very expensive and I like the idea of verifying a target in the dark before sending a round downrange.
     
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    Mongo59

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    I thought WML were designed by the French.

    So they could find them in the dark after they instinctively dropped them...

    (Sorry, but I just had to. I am German so I give you a free jibe to the Germans in exchange)
     

    Cameramonkey

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    You probably don’t NEED a WML. A handheld would serve you just as well in most instances and then you won’t be pointing guns at things that don’t need guns pointed at them.

    This. I want to ID my target BEFORE I point my pistol* at it. I ALWAYS have a light on me if I'm wearing pants, and if not, there is a tac light in the box next to my pistol for those other times. I have trouble reading low contrast text, so I sometimes have to brighten everything up with a light, so I always have an 85lm light in my pocket. Always.



    *My HD AR does have a WML because I dont have an extra hand.
     

    daddyusmaximus

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    I have to agree with tcecil88 in one respect. There are times I may want to illuminate something, without training a weapon on it.

    I also carry a hand held Surefire in my pocket. With modern weapon lights, the spill is normally good enough to illuminate the target with the weapon trained off to the side, but I still carry the extra light, so you can use it at times when there isn't a threat.

    I still like a light on the weapon itself. It's one of the main reasons my old carry gun (stainless S&W 1911) became my "dress gun" that rarely gets carried. .
     

    MCgrease08

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    If we're talking strictly home defense, there are plenty of ways to keep a house lit up enough to ID a potential intruder without using a WML. Nightlights in the hallway, a table lamp kept on at night, etc.

    I get not wanting any potential intruder to see you coming, but almost all dwellings have some level of ambient light, and the bad guy might even have a flashlight too. I doubt most gun fights in homes happen in a pitch black setting. Even if they did your night sights would give away your position.

    The benefit of a light is being able to shine it in someone's eyes to disorient them giving you time to move off the X, close the gap or retreat as needed, or to decide to shoot. This can be done with a handheld light if using a pistol as an HD gun.

    Also, an HD light on a long gun may throw off enough ambient light when pointed at the ground or ceiling to ID the target without having to put the muzzle on an unknown target.

    The bottom line is that a WML is a good idea and offers plenty of advantages, but is not a requirement since there are other ways, techniques to ID a potential threat.
     

    T.Lex

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    Lights on all of my "house guns" , none on my carry guns just due to not wanting to mess with it ...

    For me, this, mostly.

    In the house, I have plenty of flashlights (my wife thinks too many, which means it is probably just the right amount) ;) and my HD firearms have WMLs (pistol, SBR, and shotgun). I do have an open carry holster for my WML-carrying pistol so that if I need to carry something with a WML, I have that capacity.

    I don't on my EDC guns because if I'm not in my house, my primary goal is going to be getting back to my house. Darkness is my ally; I'm not going to be looking for something to shoot.
     

    bwframe

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    Ditto. Lights on the house guns, not on the carry gun.

    Nightstand gun comes out every night. G34 with X300. Couple lighted long guns for more serious social work also nearby.

    I'm not gonna carry a lighted pistol around when the lion-share of my existence is in some sort of lighting. Even "dark" parking lots often have enough ambient lighting to identify threats well enough for defensive purposes.

    If it's at all darkish, my handheld light will already be in my support hand anyway. It lives there anywhere outside at night for immediate identification, "lighting up" threats and as a hand to hand striking device, if called upon.

    If I was to be in the room clearing business, security or even a regular night time gig there might be a reevaluation.

    I holster up the G34/x300 combo at least once a year for a low light class to make sure I'm staying in tune with it. Every year's class adds something new. Low light classes are highly recommended.

    As an aside, my car bag carries a tucked away RCS VanGard 3 with an extra x300 that lives inside. On top of having a spare holster, this protects the light that can be removed an added to any (long?) gun with a rail or just holster my G19 into it and it affixes to the gun.
     

    T.Lex

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    As an aside, my car bag carries a tucked away RCS VanGard 3 with an extra x300 that lives inside. On top of having a spare holster, this protects the light that can be removed an added to any (long?) gun with a rail or just holster my G19 into it and it affixes to the gun.

    Whoa. I'd not seen that VanGard 3. That's pretty slick.
     

    Dybber

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    I recently had this conversation with a retired Army friend. His thought is a WML only makes you a target in a defense situation. While that makes some sense my opinion is that I want to illuminate a potential target without having to also hold a flashlight.

    Maybe be the biggest benefits is the extreme illumination in an otherwise dark situation. I could see that giving me an advantage.

    Im not sure about the effectiveness of a strobe feature as I really haven’t used that. But thankfully I’ve never been in a situation to need to draw my weapon.
     

    Brad69

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    I believe lights are very important I also think they are often misused.
    1. Keep your light use short
    2. Keep the light off until needed it takes a short burst of light just a quick on and off to check a room or area
    3. After you use the light “move” if you stay on the “X” after using the light you become a projectile magnet
    4. Move in a unpredictable manner change direction after using the light
    5. Be aware that a opponent may fire wildly after you light them up be decisive Light on, ID, Fire, Light Off, Move

    I could go on but you guy’s get the idea!
    A light with no training in how to use the light can make you a dead good guy/sheep puppy!
     

    phylodog

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    I shoot better with two hands on a handgun. I also don't like making a choice between giving up either a light or a firearm to open a door, turn on a light switch or possibly physically defend myself (even if only momentarily). I understand the four rules extremely well but due to my profession I've pointed firearms at a lot of people, never shot one accidentally or unintentionally. For me, a firearm without a light on it it useful for half of the day, at best.
     

    Tactically Fat

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    It's dark half of the "day". We/you have a MORAL OBLIGATION to positively identify our target. How many times do we read news stories about a homeowner shooting and killing their own child or spouse coming into the house after dark? If only they'd had a light...

    Also:

    If you don't have a light on your handgun, you should have a handheld flashlight.
    If you do have a light on your handgun, you should have a handheld flashlight.
    If you don't have a gun, you should have a handheld flashlight.
     

    bwframe

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    Whoa. I'd not seen that VanGard 3. That's pretty slick.

    The Vangard 3 is a one trick pony. It's not my first choice of holsters, but it does enable switching to a not normally carried dedicated WML quick enough in the field.

    The holster is pretty bulky as any that provide for a lighted gun to go in your pants. I am not fond of re-holstering any gun in the appendix carry position, much less a lighted one. I remove the holster from my belt to re-holster the lighted gun.
     

    daddyusmaximus

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    Probably gonna get flamed for this... but I added a light to my .44mag Rossi 92. It's the Streamlight Protac Rail Mount 1 on a Haley Strategic Thorntail mount. In combination with the Romeo 5 already there, this should finish the gun off nicely.


    qc6SZCA.jpg





    I still retain the good balance, and one handed carry leverguns are famous for.


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    Streamlight must have known what I was gonna do. They include a perfect size set of little screws for mounting the switch on plastic or wood stocks.


    4Bd40vL.jpg



    I zip-tied the wire up so as not to have it resting on the barrel.


    yt4XiKe.jpg
     
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