Guns with mounted lights

[SW CQB 45]

I recently went to a NRA school that addressed this issue.

The NRA instructor (retired from a large LE State agency) showed us to keep you muzzle depressed and the power of the light will still illuminate the area which you are searching.

if the decision is made to fire, they did a study and no real time is lost from bringing your muzzle up and firing as opposed to making the decision to fire with your muzzle already on target.

I know there are many pros and cons on this issue, however a two handed grip offers more accuracy. I really like the concept of a depressed muzzle plus it opens up your field of view.

 

[khclark]

Originally posted by Erich:
Thanks for the legal advice, khclark . . . don't know how I ever got along without you.

Oh, your welcome. Just let me know if I can be of further service.

Now let's start a thread about laser sights or point-shooting...

 

[Erich]

Right after I clear up whether I should carry a 9mm or a .45 . . . or maybe a .357!

 

[khclark]

Ha! You're alright, man!

 

[Erich]

Back atcha!

 

[PMalloy]

Frankly, if that justification works for you, then good on you. But I can "what if" you to death with many hypothetical and some real scenarios in which pointing a gun-mounted flashlight around is, um, shall we say undesirable. Oh, and have fun in court when the plantiff's attorney holds up your "deathblaster" for the jury to see

This is an interesting concept to explore. If I interpret this correctly, you see the utility of a weapon light on a long gun, but not on a handgun?

Personally, I think that 90% of "court concerns" are overblown, even as 50% of statistics are made up..

but if the worry is an attorney, wouldn't the inconsistency factor in as well?

IE-"Sir, you don't trust a light on your pistol, but the Wilson combat scattergun you actually used has a huge light attached to it...Which is it?" I'm not sure a light in any configuration is going to be a deal breaker court-wise.

I think proper gun handling techniques apply no matter which type is used. Finger outside of the trigger until ready to shoot with a pistol, shotgun, or rifle. Even if the light isn't mounted on the weapon, and carried in the weak hand, it's human nature to follow one after the other.

If you were clearing a building and heard an unwanted visitor moving around, would you actually shine your hand mounted light at the noise while continuing to point your handgun in the opposite direction? If not, then I don't see the difference.

I guess to sum up this long post, it seems strange that someone would support the use of a weaponlight on a shotgun/rifle, while disapprove of a handgun mounted light.

 

[khclark]

Well, the court quip was an apparently poor attempt at humor and not realy high on my list of concerns either.

About the light on a long-gun and no light on a handgun: it is strange (I did use the work "ironic"). I yield. May I go now, please?

 

[PMalloy]

Oh, I just wondered if you had any other thoughts or techniques in mind. I suppose irony is a strange thing...

 

[San Francisquito Bill]

Several posts have brought up the good point that if one has a weapon mounted light, there are going to be circumstances where illumination is needed but pointing the pistol in that direction is not desired. This is the reason our department mandates that we carry a separate flashlight in addition to our weaponlights.

I will say this, if a choice must be made between a hand-held or a weapon-mounted light, I would unequivically choose and recommend the hand-held.

Thankfully I am not, nor are most people, relegated to one choice. We can mount a light on our pistol and also have a hand-held. There is no requirement to activate the weaponlight, and by offering two choices we increase our tactical options and have a "backup" plan to identify our target and gain sufficient visual information regarding our surroundings, the situation, etc.

There are real reasons not to want a light mounted on one's pistol, including inability to sufficiently train with the system, inability to fit holsters, cost (if it's between light or practice/ammo, buy a cheap hand-held and practice), and inability to mount a light to one's chosen pistol.

Everything else (legal aspects, the concept of light as target, pointing the weapon at non-threatening things, etc.) can be dealt with by sufficient and proper training, tactics, and legal knowledge.

 

[Guest]

Originally posted by Erich: ...Thanks for the legal advice, khclark . . . don't know how I ever got along without you.

Erich; I think I'm going to find out. How to get along without him.

 

[WR Moore]

Originally posted by SW CQB 45:
I recently went to a NRA school that addressed this issue.

The NRA instructor (retired from a large LE State agency) showed us to keep you muzzle depressed and the power of the light will still illuminate the area which you are searching.

Amen! BTW, use the thumb of the support hand to operate the mounted light. By actual timed trials, 'tis faster than using the trigger finger and the shot grouping was better.

Use the TLR-1 myself, took me almost exactly 2 years to burn out the original batteries.

 

[Erich]

KKG, KHClark and I are just funnin'!

He's good folks.

 

[Guest]

Well, then I'd say he's got a lousy sense of humor!!!

 

[Mickey D]

Glad you asked. In addition to my everyday partner in cover, I keep this HK USP Compact .45 at the ready for night time duty.
Feels great in the and well balanced. I agree that regular practice around the house with an unloaded gun is beneficial.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Originally posted by Erich:
Anyone out there actually keep a light mounted to a handgun?

I've talked in the past about how I find lights to be wonderfully useful, and how I recommend that everyone keep a blast-y flashlight with a tailcap button (preferably that takes AA batteries and uses a computer-controlled Cree LED) in his back pocket. I recently put a xenon-bulbed cheapie on my Swock (an expensive Surefire would have embarrassed the gun), and I find it to work quite well.

Obviously, we're not talking about a holster gun here, but this thing is great for around the house. I was talking to a cop friend last night about these tactical lights: he's usually pretty darned traditional, but he told me how helpful he's found these to be in house-clearing exercises - said there are tons of uses for a free hand in such events. Now he has rails on every duty gun he carries, and he uses them.

Erich: It looks like you are using an adapter to convert the proprietary SIGMA rail to use the Weaver/Glock/Universal rail that is on your light.

Can you tell me the brand of the adapter and where it came from?

 

[ShelbyV8]

There are times for a hand held flashlight. Clearing a building or looking for an intruder are not those times. I kept chipping my teeth trying turn door knobs or moving items out of my way.

 

[MK]

I've considered one for mine, but it always
gets back to the holster issue.
I don't really need a light at the house,
but it would be handy out in the sticks if I
had someone drive up and start prowling around.
But, it's back to the holster issue again.
I guess I could remove the adapter when not
using it, and thus be able to fit in the
holster, but I often wear the holster even at
night.
I like the pistol close..
If I used the light, then I'd have to just sit
the pistol somewhere, and if I walked off for a
while, I don't have the pistol on me.
It could also be grabbed..

I guess I could get a bigger holster, but I
like the one I have.
So anyway, I like the idea of a light at night
in the woods, but it's kind of unpractical so
far.
I have no problem shooting one handed, so
carrying the light in the left hand, and the
pistol in the right will still probably spell
a major problem for anyone that wants to mess
with me.
It would be kind of nice to have the other hand
free though.
BTW, the moon/clouds have a lot to do with how
much extra light I need. Some nights, I don't
really need a light at all. Some.. you can't
see 15 feet away without some illumination.

 

[prochi2k]

I keep my M4 illuminator mounted 24/7 just in case I need to "help the bad guys see the light."

 

[Erich]

Hi Shawn,

I don't remember the brand name (Laserlyte?) but it's available from CTD and Midway for about $10. It's the only one of which I'm aware.

cheers, erich

 

[khclark]

KKG, for what it's worth, I apologize. I did not intend to offend.