Do You Actually Practice with Your Handgun Like You Plan to Use It?

[zogger]

My question is prompted by various discussions about having lights attached to you handgun via a rail vs. carrying a light in your non-dominant hand. Set aside for the moment which you prefer, instead I am asking about how you practice at the range.

If you have a light attached to your handgun, is that light actually on your gun when you do your various drills? If not, does it make a difference in the guns balance or your handing of the gun? Any difference in racking the slide or changing magazines?

If you are person who prefers to carry a light in your non-dominant hand by holding the light away from your gun hand or using the cross wrist approach, do you actually do this when you are doing drills? How do you change magazines if the light is in your other hand? How do you rack the slide?

Just wondering.

 

[cjwils]

None of the ranges near me allow realistic self defense practice. In this area I think you either need to be a cop or have access to a very exclusive private area in order to get that kind of practice. Where I shoot, maybe you could practice with a light attached, but you would not be allowed to mimic other self defense situations.

 

[zogger]

None of the ranges near me allow realistic self defense practice. In this area I think you either need to be a cop or have access to a very exclusive private area in order to get that kind of practice. Where I shoot, maybe you could practice with a light attached, but you would not be allowed to mimic other self defense situations.

Could you do the light in one hand and gun in other? How about the cross wrist hold?

 

[federali]

Gun Mounted Lights

I was thinking of starting a thread on gun mounted lights. I think the greatest advantage of a gun mounted light is that once activated, you can rob a potential adversary or intruder of his night vision.

The main problem with gun lights, whether on or off the gun is that it may prompt you to make some tactically incorrect decisions that might get you shot. Doing a sweep of your house for an intruder is exceedingly dangerous and few of us have received the necessary training to do it. Rather than try to imitate something you saw on TV, it is best to call the police and let them flush out an intruder. That's what they are paid and trained for. Once we have all the toys, we feel compelled to use them.

 

[Drm50]

People can practice shooting and improve. It dont mean much if they don't have the fuzz to drop the hammer on a perp. What are they going to do if somebody shoots at them? The average Joe should stay where he can protect his family and stay there. A light on a weapon is bad move at the least.

 

[Tony2much]

I was home alone on a windy/rainy night a few years ago and at about 3:00am I could hear my shed door slamming in the wind. I remember feeling certain that I secured it earlier in the day and was a bit nervous checking it out in my dark backyard, so I went prepared. I had my M&P .45 in my right hand and a flashlight in my left. I quickly learned that this was not an ideal set-up. Opening my slider and screen door was very awkward with either hand. After making my way to the shed and seeing that all was well (I must not have fastened the door), I went back to my house with a first hand lesson learned. My M&P .45 now wears a flashlight mounted to it's rail and my left hand is free to open/close doors or defend myself if need be.

For home practice, I use a laser to improve my pointing accuracy. I use an unloaded gun with my finger off the trigger and quickly point towards an object. I then touch the laser to see where it would have hit. It actually works very well at indoor distances and I am now able to point at a light switch size target and have the laser confirm a hit fairly consistently. My point shooting with live ammo at the range has greatly improved.

 

[Rastoff]

I'm not a fan of a weapon mounted light (WML) on a handgun. There are lots of reasons, but it's enough for this thread to say I don't like them.

I always practice like I'm going to use anything. When I go to the range, I always practice with my pistol as I would use it on the street. I use a timer, I move, I reload, present from concealment...whatever I think I need work on that day.

Fortune favors the prepared.

 

[AManWearingAHat]

Yes I try and do low light work when I can. Draw from concealment, use timers etc. I, obviously, cannot train as much as the professionals but I feel its enough to have a fighting chance against your typical joe blow criminal.

As for the flashlight discussion, I actually still use a C-Cell maglite. Its an off hand weapon that happens to be a flash light. Best law enforcement flashlights made.

 

[jim lock]

Not a fan of light mounted gun. Always though it would be a perfect target for the perp.
Jim

 

[triaxle]

Yes , I draw and train with both hand , like I would on the street . also have my own range area 50 and 100 yard . , to me a full size model draws a lot faster than my compact stuff I can get a better grip and go .

 

[ContinentalOp]

I don't use a WML. I have thought about it, but it's just not that big a priority for me right now. I can see both sides of the argument. For now, I use a handheld light.

I have practiced at the range, but not in low light as there was no option for that, and I haven't had a chance to take a low-light training course. I've been at ranges with lots of restrictions that make it difficult, at best, to practice realistically. I used to have access to a range with programmable turning targets and allowed me to draw from the holster, but no more. Before it closed, the range I recently used didn't allow for drawing from holsters/concealment or firing faster than 1 shot/sec, unless you were able to get approval.

So I rely on dry fire practice at home. I do practice with my handheld light. While I do practice one-handed gun manipulations, reloads, and malfunction clearing, if I have a handheld light on me I also have pockets, so the light would go in there. I've also seen lights with straps mounted on them so you can let go of the light, reload or whatever, and then grab the light again.

While I agree that it's better to hunker down in a safe room with a gun and call 911, there may be times when one has to investigate a sound. Are you going to lock yourself away and call 911 every time you hear a noise? If it's obvious someone is breaking into your home, then that would be appropriate. But it's not always obvious. Not to mention if you have children or other family members and need to gather them in your safe room. For those circumstances, I can see the advantage of using a handgun with a WML to keep one hand free. For safe room defense, a WML on either a handgun or long gun can be beneficial for target verification.

Ultimately, I don't think there's a right or wrong answer. It depends on what your training and/or comfort level is, as well as what your personal/home situation is. Assess your situation, and adjust your strategy/tactics/techniques as needed.

Just my opinion.

Edit: If I did use a WML, I would definitely want to practice with it mounted to see how it would affect its balance, as well as running my reliability test protocol. I had a Gen3 Glock 23 around the time they were reported to have reliability issues with lights mounted (since corrected, I believe), so that always stuck with me.

 

[reccpd101]

2 or 4 legged problems

People can practice shooting and improve. It dont mean much if they don't have the fuzz to drop the hammer on a perp. What are they going to do if somebody shoots at them? The average Joe should stay where he can protect his family and stay there. A light on a weapon is bad move at the least.

I agree 100% in an urban setting against 2 legged problems. That's what we got paid for and trained for. I train whole families sometimes. It is very hard to find a range that will allow you to do that. Much less, let Joe Homeowner run around with activated lights and lasers on his 50 caliber plastic roscoe practicing how not to get shot while he's carrying a lit Christmas tree for a target.

On the other hand, I grew up on a farm. An old Eveready D cell taped with electric tape under the double barrel was hard on chicken coop raiders. You could do the same thing to light up the door of your bedroom, long enough to make sure you didn't put a load of No. 4 in your son coming in to tell you he was home for a surprise visit. But PLEASE don't try using it for room clearing.

 

[HardToHandle]

If you have a light attached to your handgun, is that light actually on your gun when you do your various drills?

Yes, I always practice with a WML mounted. Yesterday I actually shot three pistols at the range, all of which had dedicated WMLs.

If not, does it make a difference in the guns balance or your handing of the gun?

Minor impact on handling, often provides a little more weight to improve return under recoil.
Notice how many uniformed cops working evening or night shifts have permanent WMLs? In my area it is nearly 100%. People who face threats daily figure the juice is worth the squeeze.

Any difference in racking the slide or changing magazines?

No impact.

 

[HardToHandle]

One addendum - I almost always carry a small LED flashlight along with a WML on my pistol. Some situations the handheld flashlight would be better than a WML.

Those little flashlights all have added O-Rings to allow for finger retention. Minor impacts to clear stoppages, reload magazines or do most anything. Example picture, except I have fifty cents in mine... Thrym Switchback Tactical Flashlight Ring -The Firearm Blog

WMLs have been reality for 35 years. This stuff isn't rocket science -it just takes a willingness to learn, commitment to practice and the discipline to implement.

 

[mmb617]

Some will think of me as ill prepared but I have no light on my gun and don't practice my quick draw techniques at the range even though I could at the club I belong to.

I think the chance that I'll ever have to use my gun in a self defense event is extremely low. I prefer spending my time putting lots of rounds through while concentrating on shot placement. I like to think that if I ever did really need to defend myself all that familiarity with exactly how my gun handles would be useful.

 

[jimmyj]

No bells or whistles, just factory sights:
"Fight, Front Sight"
regular practice at 3, 7, 15, and 25 yards.

 

[BAM-BAM]

I say both if you have the option....................

I have a M&P with it's rail and a Wilson Combat Beretta Centurion with a rail....... I have WMLs for both ...... I also have a FenixLD02 single AAA in my pocket..... and a Maglite XL50 handy.


The Maglite is primary but if needed I have to option to drop it and still have a light available; to confirm any "target" before firing. Ya; a risk to me but I won't just fire on a "shadow". I can activate/flash the Streamlight with my weak hand thumb

or I can pocket the flashlight and use the WML if it's a 4 legged varmint in the yard.


But I don't use the WML as a"flashlight"

 

[KSDeputy]

I do not agree with having a light on a firearm. If you feel you need a light carry it in the hand you are not shooting with. We practiced that for years before lights were put on firearms. It is a much safer alternative. I carry a one CR123 cell Streamlight flashlight in my gunny sack for this purpose. I may buy a 2 cell Streamlight which is 600+ lumen.

 

[mrgreenjeens]

I was home alone on a windy/rainy night a few years ago and at about 3:00am I could hear my shed door slamming in the wind. I remember feeling certain that I secured it earlier in the day and was a bit nervous checking it out in my dark backyard, so I went prepared. I had my M&P .45 in my right hand and a flashlight in my left. I quickly learned that this was not an ideal set-up. Opening my slider and screen door was very awkward with either hand. After making my way to the shed and seeing that all was well (I must not have fastened the door), I went back to my house with a first hand lesson learned. My M&P .45 now wears a flashlight mounted to it's rail and my left hand is free to open/close doors or defend myself if need be.

For home practice, I use a laser to improve my pointing accuracy. I use an unloaded gun with my finger off the trigger and quickly point towards an object. I then touch the laser to see where it would have hit. It actually works very well at indoor distances and I am now able to point at a light switch size target and have the laser confirm a hit fairly consistently. My point shooting with live ammo at the range has greatly improved.

Try this laser cartridge for at home training. I love using mine.
[ame]https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07115ZZBM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1[/ame]

 

[gwpercle]

I have seen the "light on the gun" thing but got to thinking about it ....
If I'm a bad guy... where would be the best place to shoot at...
I would naturally shoot at the light...kind of like the go towards the light thing... I don't think I'm going to put a light on my gun...just doesn't seem like the smart thing for me to do.

Gary