Is my perception of an EDC self-defense pistol distorted?

[10Mad]

On my house gun yes. On my EDC no. The newer lights are very bright, for a short time, and fairly small. Having it already on the house gun is nice and I don't have to turn it on but I like that it's there in a grab and go package.

There are some good pocket lights on the market that would be nice compliment to your daily routine if you want to go that route.

 

[Heinz]

That is the question right there. Why have you left a secure area to venture out in your home?

Kevin

To find out who the Weimaraner is chewing on

Different homes have different defense levels and different needs. I do remember long term power outages that the night scavengers (human) took advantage of. Those may be coming back. I think I would still prefer a separate Modern flashlight like a Fenix.

 

[WardenRoss]

Massad has a good u tube on searching with a WML.

You beat me to it. Thanks for posting!

In addition, I wish everyone could take a night firing course. It will humble you and teach you a valuable skill.

Rock on!

 

[waffles]

A weapon light doesn't stop you from also having a handheld light. While there are ways to search with a WML without pointing the pistol directly at what you're looking for, you don't need to do that either. Modern WMLs are pretty high output, pretty small, and not that expensive. Assuming your pistol can easily take a light, as most modern defensive pistols can, why not go for it? I read plenty of stories of someone shooting a friend, family member, or other person mistaking them for a home invader, or cops mistaking a phone or other object for a knife or gun in the dark, and in none of those cases would more light have been a bad thing.

 

[Echo40]

Perception is an individual thing, as are choices. One shouldn't allow others to make decisions for themselves because people are individuals with their own idiosyncrasies, and therefore what works for some may not work as well for others.

There is no such thing as the ideal, one-size-fits-all EDC Pistol, and anyone who asserts otherwise is an arrogant fool.

All those little peripherals on the market are intended to appeal towards specific demographics with specific wants and needs which fit their own individual situations.
Obviously, there are circumstances under which a flashlight is absolutely vital, ergo it stands to reason that those who fit their firearms with flashlights live under or otherwise frequently encounter conditions in which a flashlight may make the difference between life and death for themselves or their loved ones.
The same goes for Optics, Laser Sights, Extended Magazines, Braces, Stocks, etc.

For some, just a plain pistol with nothing extra attached is all they need, but others require more, and even if their only reason for attaching a bunch of peripherals to their firearms is because it makes them feel more confident, then that's as valid a reason as any.

 

[sigp220.45]

To find out who the Weimaraner is chewing on

Different homes have different defense levels and different needs. I do remember long term power outages that the night scavengers (human) took advantage of. Those may be coming back. I think I would still prefer a separate Modern flashlight like a Fenix.

Exactly. The hide in the bedroom crowd must not have dogs.

If someone comes into my house there will be barking and screaming. I will turn on the lights and see who Randy is eating.

If there is barking and screaming followed by a shot I will turn on the lights and see who shot Randy.

Were I to hunker down beside the bed and call the cops, they would show up and shoot Randy.

I love Randy. If he is doing his job I will do mine.

No matter what, I'm turning on the lights. If they don't work I have a flashlight right next to the gun.

I don't have a light on any of my carry guns, though one does have a red dot.

 

[somorris]

I personally prefer to keep things simple. No weapon-mounted lights, lasers, etc. for me.

 

[Autonomous]

OP, forums are full of good, bad and worse information. Lots of members don't listen to better ways to do things, they just want to tell how they, for better or worse, do it. Many are quick to brand anyone with different ideas as Tacticool fools.
Sorting the wheat from the chaff is the trick.
Get a copy of The Law Of Self Defense by Andrew F. Branca.
Deadly Force by Massad Ayoob covers much of the same material.
These books touch on legal principles, ethics, your responsibilities, rights, etc.

 

[Photog]

I have an issue with weapon mounted laser or flashlight. Safety. One of the golden rules of gun safety, perhaps the most important one is not to point your weapon at anything you do not wish to destroy. You are walking around a house with your weapon mounted laser/flashlight, sweeping the entire area with the muzzle. Your adrenaline is up, you may be on the edge of "fright or flight", your gun is ready to fire. Ideally you should have your finger off the trigger, but in high stress situations, you may not. If you are using that laser to sweep the area, what happens if your child or spouse, or possible house guest, happens to appear in front of you? You have a very good chance of pointing a loaded weapon at them. Myself, like many others, could probably walk through my house blindfolded and tell you where I am. If it was necessary to search my house, I would keep my handgun at a low ready position, thus avoiding breaking that number one rule. There is enough ambient light in my house, from appliances, street lights, etc. to see anything I need to see. Again, just my opinion and the way my dad raised me.

 

[growr]

Do whatever floats your boat...

Randy

 

[rosewood]

Greetings!

I will be honest, I am no different from the next guy, always intrigued by photos of what people choose to carry for self-defense.

However, I am a little confused. My take on engaging a threat requires that the threat be within 21 feet, give or take. What leaves me somewhat speechless, is when someone needs a tactical flashlight on their EDC to confirm their targets, then they start searching for an appropriate holster for said pistol with tactical flashlight..

Granted, I have older eyes, but I usually don't have a problem identifying objects and people in the dark at that distance. Wouldn't a tactical light on an EDC tend to impede the deployment of a defensive weapon?

Am I missing something?

I agree 100%. For a self defense gun, that you want to conceal, additions make it harder to conceal. I for the life of me don't see why there is a rail on a Shield for example. Once you strap the accessories on it, you might as well have a larger gun.

I keep a flashlight in my pocket at all times and usually 2 if I know I will be out at night. If I need the light I can inspect whatever without pulling my weapon.

I do have one home defense with a light and laser, but if I was to need to "go hunting". I would have a regular flashlight in my other hand until the situation at which I might need the one on the weapon.

Rosewood

 

[ISCS Yoda]

The 21 foot "rule" comes from the concept that at that distance you can be reached so fast that your self defense mechanism MUST be triggered (no pun intended) because even with a gun on you a miscreant with any weapon (blunt, edged, chain, hands, etc.) can reach you and harm you before you can draw your own weapon. But that's not to say that you should not draw your weapon if you perceive a threat at a greater distance - you just don't necessarily have to employ deadly force as quickly as when the threat is closer to you.

As for tactical lights or red dots, I am not a fan, inside my home or outside. Even with older eyes I can perceive a threat without a light and, besides, anyone in my house is probably a threat except and unless I have guests. If you have children in your home you simply MUST think differently about bumps in the night.

I do have a personal solution to this issue but everyone makes their own choices. My bedroom doors are locked - nobody can just meander in, miscreants or guests, unless they're already in that bedroom, and there is only one human in the world that gets that privilege. And she knows about the night table M686+.

Which leads to the OP's holster issue. Since I don't believe in attached lights, red dots, or even lasers on my self defense tools my EDCs are "nekkid" in that respect and my holsters are quite basic accordingly. My nightstand revolver lies totally nekkid as well, with NO holster interfering with my ability to put that S&W into use if necessary.

As per usual, YMMV every time.

 

[LimaCharlie]

I have always thought the "21' Rule" is silly. I practice self-defense out to five hundred yards.

 

[Duckford]

Assuming your pistol can easily take a light, as most modern defensive pistols can, why not go for it?

The bigger issue is that modern "tactical" thought has been cultish in an increasing amount since the 1980's. Owning a 45 wasn't just a potentially non optimal choice, there were scum of the earth who had not converted to the Cult of 9mm. Heretics to be hated and chased down until there was Only One. This mentality has only grown worse as those with influence want to control everything, from language to culture, and obsess about it.

You are begging the question. We have given many good answers on why not. And, the problem usually comes back to, the proponents simply fall back into cultish mantras and refuse to believe there even is an answer. They just ignore and repeat the mantra until they win, as if there is no other answer.

Even when an explanation that is valid and right is given, it is simply ignored and "why not just do as we say" is given yet again. Red dots, bull pups, short barrels on rifles that should not be short barreled for the purpose, weapon lights, ect. Even when they are the wrong choice, the proponents simply come back with "but why not" as if no reply was given.

The problem from what I've seen isn't the people without accessories attacking the people with them, but radically the other way around. Carry a steel frame auto loader, a revolver, the wrong type of plastic frame auto loader, carry a superior rifle to the mediocre AR15, choose a caliber beyond The Chosen Calibers, don't put a red dot on your pistol, don't put a flashlight on your pistol, the Cult has it out for you.

Whatever is decreed the Current Conventional Wisdom shall not be tolerated.

The people saying "you can point your gun at someone out in public to identify them as a conceal carry without directly pointing your gun at them, so everything will be cool" in the thread are the worst. Try it and see how it turns out.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

I have always thought the "21' Rule" is silly. I practice self-defense out to five hundred yards.

YES!!! ARMY Be all that you can be! I like it!!!!

 

[biku324]

This 21-foot 'rule' is from 40 years ago and gained permanence (stubborn persistence?) as the 'Tueller Drill.' Mechanically applying this 'rule' is legally problematic, as each situation is quite different a will require one to think about the right response.

The 21-foot rule was developed by Lt. John Tueller, a firearms instructor with the Salt Lake City Police Department. Back in 1983, Tueller set up a drill where he placed a "suspect" armed with an edged weapon 20 or so feet away from an officer with a holstered sidearm. He then directed the armed suspect to run toward the officer in attack mode. The training objective was to determine whether the officer could draw and accurately fire upon the assailant before the suspect stabbed him.

Revisiting the "21-Foot Rule" - Weapons - POLICE Magazine

 

[Bald1]

The problem is marketing. Especially with the younger "tacticool" types. You know, the guys with beards and a shirt one size to small. If your not a soldier going door to door in a hostile environment or a SWAT Team member you probably do not need a WML. That being said I have one on my bedside Walther 9mm. But that doesn't mean I have to use it. As far as everyday carry? Smaller is better for me. Plain Jane P365 in front pocket. No extra mag. No $300 tactical flashlight etc……. I have an old school D cell Maglight in my truck if needed.

 

[DevilDog72]

k.I.S.S = keep it simple stupid.
I try to live by that principal. Weapon mounted light is something else to futz with. My nightstand gun has a flash light next to it. All that said to each their own and the more power to them.

 

[waffles]

The bigger issue is that modern "tactical" thought has been cultish in an increasing amount since the 1980's. Owning a 45 wasn't just a potentially non optimal choice, there were scum of the earth who had not converted to the Cult of 9mm. Heretics to be hated and chased down until there was Only One. This mentality has only grown worse as those with influence want to control everything, from language to culture, and obsess about it.

You are begging the question. We have given many good answers on why not. And, the problem usually comes back to, the proponents simply fall back into cultish mantras and refuse to believe there even is an answer. They just ignore and repeat the mantra until they win, as if there is no other answer.

Even when an explanation that is valid and right is given, it is simply ignored and "why not just do as we say" is given yet again. Red dots, bull pups, short barrels on rifles that should not be short barreled for the purpose, weapon lights, ect. Even when they are the wrong choice, the proponents simply come back with "but why not" as if no reply was given.

The problem from what I've seen isn't the people without accessories attacking the people with them, but radically the other way around. Carry a steel frame auto loader, a revolver, the wrong type of plastic frame auto loader, carry a superior rifle to the mediocre AR15, choose a caliber beyond The Chosen Calibers, don't put a red dot on your pistol, don't put a flashlight on your pistol, the Cult has it out for you.

Whatever is decreed the Current Conventional Wisdom shall not be tolerated.

The people saying "you can point your gun at someone out in public to identify them as a conceal carry without directly pointing your gun at them, so everything will be cool" in the thread are the worst. Try it and see how it turns out.

I think you should re-read the post you're responding to and take a step back there. You've clearly got a bit of anger towards something or someone that's not in that post.

I didn't mention ARs, short barrels, 9mm, nor suggest that you can "point your gun at someone out in public to identify them as a conceal carry(?) without pointing it out them". You're posting in a thread questioning whether or not a light or similar makes sense. OP doesn't think so, some do, some don't. I posted my opinion on it, that there's really not a big reason not to these days, and that more lighting options usually isn't a bad thing. I didn't call you names for not wanting a light.

 

[diyj98]

The problem is marketing. Especially with the younger "tacticool" types. You know, the guys with beards and a shirt one size to small. If your not a soldier going door to door in a hostile environment or a SWAT Team member you probably do not need a WML. That being said I have one on my bedside Walther 9mm. But that doesn't mean I have to use it. As far as everyday carry? Smaller is better for me. Plain Jane P365 in front pocket. No extra mag. No $300 tactical flashlight etc……. I have an old school D cell Maglight in my truck if needed.

I sometimes look at the photos guys post on the net of their service sized pistol, backup pistol, automatic knife, tactical flashlight, pepper spray, and sometimes other goodies as their daily carry. More power to them if they do, but I just can't imagine carrying that around unless I was a uniformed cop.