Weapon-Mounted & Hand-Held Lights Part II

As mentioned in our last post, Weapon-Mounted Lights (WML) have a distinct advantage over hand held lights. The biggest being that the operator can keep both hands on the gun and have an excellent sight picture at the same time.

If you keep your defensive pistol secured in the house or vehicle, carry is not an issue. If you carry your pistol, you will need a new holster to accommodate the pistol with the light attached. There are several inexpensive options in a "universal" fit, but they may not be the best solution. There are also rather expensive units that come with dedicated holsters from companies such as Crimson Trace and others. A middle of the road option is a Fobus holster. This is an outside the waistband holster that works well with a cover garment. For inside the waistband, you will probably need a custom rig.

Don't forget defensive rifles and shotguns. A larger more powerful right might be in order as there typically is more room to mount a unit. However, the small pistol sized lights also work in this application. A side benefit to having a light on your long gun is that no special holster or case is needed.

If you do not currently have a tactical flashlight, perhaps the first step is to own a quality hand-held light. This should be a quality light that you always keep with you or nearby. A cheap Chinese unit from Home Depot does not qualify. Remember, you are conceivably staking your life, or someone else's on this tool. Units from Streetlight and Surefire are our favorites. The light does not have to be overly large and should fit easily in your pocket. The bezel of the light should protect the sense. The flashlight can be used as a last ditch striking tool if it has this feature. LED bulbs have become standard. Strobe features might be interesting but they also may be complicated to use under stress. Somewhere between 100 and 200 lumens is sufficient. You do not want a light that is too powerful as you may end up blinding yourself from the "splash back" off walls in smaller rooms. Battery choice in the light is another factor. The CR123 batteries last longer and make for a smaller flashlight. However, AA or AAA are typically more readily available. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the switch of the light needs to be on the tail-cap and have a momentary "on" and a full "on button.

Give us a call or email and we can set you up with a light that fits your needs. We will also show you how to properly use it! We also offer low light firearms classes where we go in-depth in the proper use of defensive lights.

More to come....

---