For those who go into harm’s way with a light mounted on your pistol, aren’t you concerned about standing behind that gun, showing the bad guys where you are?
I’m an old, old guy, but I ways always taught to hold the light in my off hand, away from my body and wonder why and how this change in tactics came about.
Any input would be appreciated.
Meh.
Popper use of the light will limit your exposure.
“Light Discipline”
There’s 2 schools of thought, light him up, hit em, turn it off and repeat, and then the other which is light him up and hit em until they’re no more then shut the light off. If you turn it on and off, the next time you turn on you might not find the bad guy, he’s not just going to sit there and let you do what you want.
Try both, see which you prefer, and apply as necessary.
Shooting 1-handed with the light held away from the body is somewhat difficult. Like was already said, proper light use helps. That is activate light for a second, fire, turn light off, move, repeat.
Being able to have a firm, 2-handed hold on your pistol while using the light is a big + when firing.
And if your profession requires carrying a firearm in the first place, you should have both a handheld light AND a weaponlight, and will need to know all of the available systems to adapt to an ever-changing hostile environment.
One perspective, one approach, one technique, one system – rarely cuts it in the real world.
Gotta have more than one tool in the toolbox.
http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=16114
JW777 gave an excellent writeup on light light basics.
Some of your questions might be answered in his mini article
IMHO, this is right on target.
If you use a white light you’re telling the bad guys where you are. If you hold the light up and away from you like the FBI technique you are taking the aiming point and moving it away from you…but here’s the sticking point:
How many bad guys are going to take dead aim at the light itself and engage it accurately? It’s more likely that they will be sending rounds in the general area of the light, not right into the lamp element with sniper-like accuracy.
I’m an old, old guy, but I ways always taught to hold the light in my off hand, away from my body and wonder why and how this change in tactics came about.
Any input would be appreciated.
Like anything else in life, it’s a compromise. The weapon light makes using a light and a handgun together much easier.
Thanks for the input guys. I can certainly see the advantage of maintaining a two hand hold on the pistol. I guess one needs to weigh the pros and cons and make a decision. I think I’ll dance with the one who brung me.
I prefer the mounted light. You don’t have to keep it on all the time…most have a pressure switch option that allows you to quickly flash an area by just tighting your grip. Having a free hand, or two hands on the pistol is more of an advantage than a disadvantage in my opinion.
Yes, standing behind the light is an issue, and this can occurr with poor tactics whether the light is mounted or handheld.
Pistol mounted lights are not for searching, they are for after contact has been made.
You are far safer searching with proper TTPs using a hand held light.
I search with a handheld, using mostly the FBI and Rogers/Surefire techniques with my weaponlight off. When I come to point of contact, have to open a door, or get into very close quarters, I go to the weaponlight.
Someone said it best, tools in the toolbox.
How many bad guys are going to take dead aim at the light itself and engage it accurately? It’s more likely that they will be sending rounds in the general area of the light, not right into the lamp element with sniper-like accuracy.
I am glad someone finally pointed this out. The FBI technique is complicated, requires significant training (mastery of 1 handed shooting + working the light into training constantly). The problem is that holding the light arms length away from you, in your left hand, seems like it will do nothing to keep you away from incoming rounds.
Think about it - where do most non-skilled shooters place their shots? They jerk the trigger and put them LOW and to the LEFT.
Picture someone using the FBI technique and facing you. If aiming at the light, where are those non-skilled, low and to the left shots gonna go? Right into our good guy employing his FBI light technique.
For me in my AO a weapon mounted light a damn near mandatory, however, it should never be your only option.
When in uniform I have two handheld lights on my belt in addition to the one on my gun.
I have a weapon mounted light on my handgun but it’s only been deployed when the handgun is pointed at a suspect. BG already knows where I am when I have the light pointed at him. I have two handhelds (one on belt, one in ballistic TOC). The handhelds are what I use for searching.
What Mr. Vickers wrote in the article linked by Templar seems, to me anyway, to be the real key to white light use. Use of a white light is instantly going to grab the attention of any bad guys out there in the dark with an inclination to shoot at you. Whether you are holding the light in the FBI technique or the Rogers technique or the Harries technique matters not…if they are inclined to shoot at you, they will be sending rounds in the general area of that light source.
So don’t be in that general area. By using the light in extremely short bursts with movement between each use of the light you minimize the chance of giving the bad guy a useful aiming point.
JW, you’ve trained with him more times than I have: has anybody ever asked him about implications of turning the light off on potentially moving target? When I did my nightshoot, nobody asked, and I wasn’t smart enough at that time, not that I am smart enough now. Anyway, in training we shoot at stationary target, so flash for ID-move-flash for sight picture-move etc. works well. Assuming that real life target is not making it easy, turning the light off after ID-ing it could lead to illuminating a vacated area on second flash. I am sure somebody must’ve asked him that; I wonder what’s the answer.
For me, the advantage of a weapon mounted light outweighs the disadvantages. I don’t have to change my firing grip, as I would have to with a Rogers/Harries/or FBI technique.
A few years ago, I went through an advanced LE tactics course at my department. We went over the use of lights on weapon and without. We did a scenario where four officers made entry using flashlights and weapon mounted lights. The suspect would then try to engage the officers with simunitions.
It was difficult because the suspect couldn’t fire without exposing himself first. Also, each of us took turns being the suspect, and the lights, especially the bright ones, were very disorienting. With extremely bright lights, you can’t see what is behind it. As a suspect, I tried my best to stay out of the light.
I think a bigger danger is entering a dark room from daylight. You’re backlighted in the doorway and it is difficult having your eyes adjust from daylight to darkness or vice versa.
For entries in dark buildings, another compromise would be to turn on the lights then listen for movement. Now the suspect lost the cover of darkness and may try to change positions.
For covering a dark hallway, another technique they showed us was taking a flashlight and laying it on the floor pointed down a hallway, for example. You then step into darkness or cover away from the light and can see down the hallway without exposing yourself or giving away your exact position.
I much prefer shooting with 2 hands as to one and you should not be leaving your light on. Light up the area then turn it off and move.
Pat