Flashlights on guns in general and in home defense

[Neanderthal]

I have a light on my bedside handgun, but not on my EDC.

 

[Grendelshooter]

No, it's not "monumentally stupid". Making such broad generalizations is, though.

There are very real and subjective advantages to having a weapon mounted light for some people and there are very real and subjective reasons why others don't need one or want one. What's really "retarded" is thinking a defensive gun is a "one setup fits all" discussion. It's not.

No, there aren’t really any good reasons.
I suppose soldiers who professionally kill people (along with choreographed sweeping and rock-painting) don’t know anything about weapon setup.
And don’t kid yourself, we’re talking about weapons set up to kill people. In self defense of course, but killing none the less.
Weapon mounted lights have been standard equipment for grunts for at least 10 years. I remember hanging a mini mag light off my m4 barrel with a .50 cal link because the tech just wasn’t there yet in 03-04, by 07-08 surefires were issued with every rifle.
The only logic that would justify not using a weapon light, a modern world wide standard in defensive and offensive arms, is a boomer mindset stuck in 1975.
That’s not to say it doesn’t work, but it’s like driving a steam powered car.

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

You're not the only one to have experience with weapons and equipment. And not everyone is a grunt going around kicking in doors in a combat zone at all hours of the day and night. That's a problem with the newer generation. They think they know more than everyone else.

If you can't understand why not everyone wants, likes or needs a WML there's no point even talking to you.

Oh, and BTW... I don't know about you, but my mindset in a defensive shooting is not about killing someone. Ever. It's about stopping the threat to me, my loved one(s), or an innocent third person. No more, no less. Guess that's more of that "boomer mindset"...

 

[ricco]

The mission drives the gear.

If you're high speed low drag type looking for bad guys in the dark then of course you want a light. If you're the typical ccw guy whose main threat is the bad guy in the quikie mart parking lot a light is pretty low on the mission driven gear list.

 

[AguaFriaRanger]

The mission drives the gear.

If you're high speed low drag type looking for bad guys in the dark then of course you want a light. If you're the typical ccw guy whose main threat is the bad guy in the quikie mart parking lot a light is pretty low on the mission driven gear list.

It gets dark every day though, and right here in Oklahoma. I personally exist every single night. I never intend to be in a gunfight moving forward, but I acknowledge that bad guys don't care about what I want or they'd leave me and mine alone, and I know that I am a big boy and stay out past dark sometimes, so there is a light on my gun. Additionally, I go in buildings.... all the time. If the power were to be cut or something similarly strange it could be dark. That light gives me options everywhere I go. And it costs me nothing to carry it. If you don't want one that is fine, don't carry one. But pretending there is no use for a light when the sun goes down every single day is a hilarious argument to make.

 

[Gideon]

That light gives me options everywhere I go. And it costs me nothing to carry it. If you don't want one that is fine, don't carry one. But pretending there is no use for a light when the sun goes down every single day is a hilarious argument to make.

At first I thought this discussion was about whether a WEAPON MOUNTED light or a HANDHELD light was preferred. I can agree with both sides of this in context.
I guess we can all relitigate settled common sense if they want.

If you're high speed low drag type looking for bad guys in the dark then of course you want a light. If you're the typical ccw guy whose main threat is the bad guy in the quikie mart parking lot a light is pretty low on the mission driven gear list.

The orange lights in my local Walmart parking lot transition me from photopic to mesopic vision, which is to say they are insufficient for identifying a target.

All the lumens.

 

[teslawasframed]

I have wml's (white, IR & combo lights) on all my fighting rifles and handguns, including my nightstand G17, but I also have a handheld light sitting right beside it. Each have their uses. I'm not a high speed dude, just a night shift patrol officer...but I use both my handhelds and my wmls on duty with some frequency. Handheld more often, obviously.

I was taught to use my pistol wml to bounce light off the ceiling if it was all I had on hand and I needed extra light in the room, but didn't want to flag something...it works very well.

 

[AKguy1985]

I do want to put the streamlight forend on my Mossberg 590.

 

[diggler1833]

I see a lot of answers that are acceptable to each person's specific conditions...and that is a good thing.

I was fortunate to have gone through a few instructor courses in room clearing, house clearing, urban combat etc... That doesn't mean I think I'm smarter, I simply mention it to qualify that I have some experience and am not talking out of the side of my neck.

Having spent weeks being shot and shooting others with SESAMS in urban facilities with no lighting...I want a weapon mounted light, especially on a long gun. A separate flashlight makes little sense here. One-handed manipulation, or at the very least severely handicapping your usual two-handed manipulation of a long gun reduces your chances of success of winning a chance encounter. As a team member, you're adding to the risks of your teammates. Get a pad with a momentary switch to reduce your chances of giving your position away. If you can't trust yourself not to shoot a family member because the light is attached to the weapon...go get training, or figure out another defensive weapon besides a gun. Shooting without verifying is what the durka durkas do. If you're serious about safety, then you should be serious about training.

Regarding pistols: I still want a weapon mounted light, but as a backup on my HD pistol. Why? Because I have a wife and kids. Huh? Well...try maneuvering a child or other family around behind you with your non-gun hand while you scan in the dark for a threat. It isn't possible without a third hand unless you give up your ability to either use your flashlight or gun (i definitely don't recommend trying to usher anyone anywhere with your gun hand). However a weapon mounted light on your pistol will allow you to keep the pistol downrange, a light downrange, and still offer the ability to use your other hand to direct family.

Nobody says you can't have a flashlight too. If I had no family to worry about and only had a pistol, then I'd probably just rely on a flashlight. It does offer more versatility in falsely communicating your position to somebody hiding in the corner of the next room.

There are always plusses and minuses, and no one answer is always going to be 100 percent correct for every situation across everyone's circumstances. For me, I think that weapon mounted lights on long guns make more sense than not...and my situation dictates that a light on my pistol is needed in addition to the flashlight (I have both).

 

[RockHopper]

I had a dog rush at me in the dark a couple weeks ago. I've been carrying the same flashlight, in the same manner for several years now, and use it daily. I still fumbled the damn thing on the draw, and dropped it without getting it turned on... Thankfully nothing came of it, because I just got back in my car. But I sure felt like a damn fool. It's got me rethinking things.

My nightstand handgun has a light. I live alone though, so if You show up in my house in the dark... My gun pointing at you is guaranteed. I also appreciate the blinding and disorienting effect that today's high lumen lights with strobe options give you.
That is a double edged sword though, whether your lights on your gun or not. I bright light can blind you just as quickly as an adversary in close quarters.
Lots of aspects to consider on what's right for you....