Yay or nay?
I have heard that running a pressure switch can be detrimental, because under stress people are capable of activating their light accidentally at an inopportune time.
They seem really convenient and quicker though.
Minus the fact for light ND the other main issue that can arise is their durability. I know some people have had shit luck with pressure pads breaking.
A pressure pad and a good quality tailcap IMO/experience take me the same amount of time to operate. However, you must put alot of thought into your light mounting location in order to A)manipulate it w/o altering your master grip B)Ambi-dextrose.
PJ
I use a pressure switch on top. Works great for left and right, barricade or not and it has a thumb press too just in case I want too.
There are pros and cons to both. Seen it in the field go off on both types (press or pad) and still its up to you to functionalize your gear and making it run in any circumstance.
Think of your opposite side, mounted on shoulder, on a barricade- start there and trouble shoot.
One buddy has has 2 lights on his- go figure but it works.
Yeah I had never considered running two lights until I saw it recommended in Dynamic Carbine. Personally I just have one weapon light and carry the other on my person, I prefer the saved weight.
It seems like Larue has some options for cord management on his website.
To help negate flashing my light unintentionally, I put a butler creek scope cap on the end of my light. Protects the lens and helps prevent lighting up by accident.
i elimnate both issues by having a tail cap and a pressure switch and a lock out option.
Light discipline is something that must be addressed in training. It is up to you to ingrain the necessary skills to avoid ND whether it is IR or white light.
Pressure switches seem to be more prone to breakage but so are all other switches under hard use. Backup lights are essential. When kitted up I have 4 lights and in one instance over the years had TWO go down on me at the same time.
You can only do so much, plan accordingly and hope for the best.
Dont like pressure switches on white lights for two reasons.
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To much risk of a white light accidental discharge, which can get you killed.
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With the frequency of use for a white light, pressure switches seem to wear out to fast and are not cheap to replace.
I run just tail cap switches on my white lights.
There are a few reasons I prefer not to use pressure pads for carbine mounted lights.
-I tend to break things, things like pressure pad wires especially.
-I already have a pressure pad and wires for my peq15, and I do not want to employ the wrong one when needed.
-My light can be activated with either hand with its tailcap, and since I use a protected pushbutton the accidental activation of the light is negated.
-When bumping into people and things inside enclosures or thick brush the pressure pad is much more likely to get hit.
-I tend to increase my grip when I present the weapon to a threat, and I don’t always want my white light on at the time.
The only real benefit to a pressure switch is that they can be positioned to be more readily bilateral.
Just my experience and opinion.
I’ll add to this that:
- I’m nervous about the wire getting unplugged, and thus I’ll be pressing a dead switch for light when I need it most, and
- The light will become activated by the squad’s rifle rack, which covers just the exact portion of the handguard where I’d put the pressure switch in the first place.
The tailcap on my light is positioned for ease of use with either hand; well as best as I possibly can get it within my constraints, at least.
I dont like pressure switches for two reason … 1) Durability 2) and AD under stress
If running a light and an applicable laser (or other optic/device), you may very well have no other choice than to run a tape switch. If you do, have at least 2 spares available. Wires and plugs break.
If ALL you’re running is a single light, you have to decide for yourself whether the most convenient possible placement is worth adding a primary failure point (i.e., you can reach the tape switch, but if/when it breaks, can you reach the light itself?).
I just picked up a Surefire 600c and while I never had the intention of using the included pressure switch, I have to admit it’s starting to grow on me. I like to run my light as far forward as possible on the opposite side of the gun that my thumb rests on which puts the tail cap out of reach. I glued the pressure switch to a rail cover attached to the top rail so I can activate it with my thumb over the rail. It works great and is ambidextrous. Of course, if I had to operate in the war zone I might worry about the switch’s durability during a lead throw down…
I think if you’re going to run a tape switch a hard rail mount like the Surefire SR07 is the way to go. I’ve noticed that it requires a little more focus to activate it and I can feel the switch and casing better. Because there’s more substantial feedback and essentially a readily available index point,due to the hard surround, I find that light AD’s have become non-existent while training in my case. However, I still prefer a clicky tail cap simply because I’m not confident enough yet to run one full time.
I’d like to see Surefire make that style of rail-mounted switch with a PEQ-15 end on it and don’t want to hack up a dual-plug unit just for the one wire. For now I just have to remember to be careful when using the Insight tape switch, although at least it has a very positive click. Ideally my switch setup would be identical on all platforms but I’m not using any of my guns for serious social purposes so it’s not a big issue.
[QUOTE=JohnnyC;707485]I think if you’re going to run a tape switch a hard rail mount like the Surefire SR07 is the way to go.
QUOTE]
Ditto to what Johnny C said. I’ve ran an SR07 for several months now, and really like how securely the rail hook attaches the tape switch to the the M4s rail. The SR07 also features a combination pressure pad switch and a constant on/off pushbuttom switch. LEO price is around $60.