I’m pretty sure I already know what most on this forum will have to say about it but I’m just curious.
What do you prefer, weapon mounted or hand held lights (with a pistol, not a rifle), why did you choose that, and what are the downfalls for each side?
Weapon-mounted, hands down. I’m not high-speed enough that I would ever want to use a gun one-handed instead of with both hands when I have the choice. That’s what it boils down to for me.
Weapon mounted is definitely the easiest I would think. The main, maybe only, downside to weapon mounted is that whatever you have your light on, you also have your muzzle on. Goes back to don’t point a gun at anything you aren’t willing to shoot kinda thing.
Honestly, for me its both/and, not either/or
My weaponlights (pistol and long gun) are for illuminating a target or a place where I can legitimately point my handgun. This allows me to get a stable 2 handed firing grip, while still holding a light. Or, I can use the light and gun 1 handed, if either I have a hand disabled, occupied, or if I am hugging a corner or a piece of cover. Its a niche item; but its an important niche for me.
My handhelds always come with me, whether or not I’m using a weapon mounted light. They’re for searching, or illuminating areas that I can’t, shouldn’t, or won’t point my gun. I also use them to supplement my handgun and mounted light in some scenarios.
Hope that helped:)
I prefer a hand held light along with my pistol. Gives me more flexibility and I might have to light something (more like someone) up that I don’t want to point a pistol at. It’s also the way I train, since I carry a handgun without accessory rail on duty.
It’s a different matter for long guns of course. A weapon mounted light is always preferable for a rifle/subgun IMO.
I think that people need to get past this, just because you point your muzzle at something doesn’t mean that you have to pull the trigger. We’re all big boys let’s leave the range rules on the range.
That said. I use a handheld (Surefire G2Z) to use in conjunction with my carry gun.
That is a hard and fast rule that has nothing to do with being on a range.
simple: BOTH. Batteries fail or die, bulbs break, etc, etc, etc… 1 tool never works for every situitation and flashlights are not that heavy or bulky anymore.
IMO, it’s situationally dependent. But that’s probably another thread.
Another both answer here, at least for HD. For CCW, some can conceal a weaponlight, I can’t so I have a hand-held.
Lets say for arguments sake one has a teenager who sneaks out without being noticed, but when they sneak back in one is awakened by a “bump in the night”. I for one would rather not be pointing a gun at my own child while checking things out.
Its a rule of safety, not a rule of the range.
Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy!
I prefer the idea of both. In fact my “bedside” gun has a light attached and a flashlight right next to it.
For my education, how would you envision using both lights?
Thanks
For me it would be strong hand on the pistol in the low ready while using the light in the weak hand to check the rooms. If the pistol was needed the light could be dropped as the pistol is brought up getting a two handed grip on the pistol with its light now illuminating the target.
Another option is if you’re kneeling around a corner, you can hold the handheld high, while you stay crouched or kneeling. Gives the impression that you’re standing when you’re, well, not.
If I want to, I can search with either light, or both, on.
Just nice to have options.
I’m not saying this is ideal, but just for discussion…
If you have a weapon mounted light, and need to id something in your house (lets say you fumbled your handheld light and it flew under the bed), you can just shine the weapon light at the ground. Lights are bright enough to illuminate the whole room enough to see, especially if you have light colored carpet. You don’t have to point at someone to tell who they are.
This sums it up very well, and my preference as well.
Biker
In both instances a light used in conjunction with a firearm is for threat identification purposes. Use the light as sparingly as possible.
Get your eyes used to navigating without the assistance of your white light. Too many folks (other cops I work with especially!) switch on their white lights to illuminate their path in low-light situations simply to get a “daytime view” of things they can already clearly make out with their own eyes and no white light assistance.
Avoid “Clicky” or click-on tailcaps on all of your lights if possible. There are very few situations where you will need to click on your white light and leave it on for extended periods of time. If you are searching for a quarter that rolled underneath your couch at home that is one thing. Searching for and identifying bad guys, while at the same time trying not to make yourself a bullet magnet is a completely different thing.
:agree:
Don’t even get me started on the state of L/E low light training. We definitely have some shortcomings.
With a good modern weaponlight you can light up someone without pointing the light directly at them.
I know cops that use both. For me NEVER a pistol mounted light. I can shoot one handed just fine.
I can’t stand the light hopping around with recoil when it’s on the gun, and the muzzle smoke obscures my vision of the target or threat which is really bad. And it’s much easier for me to use momentary on if the light is in my hand and not jumping all over on the gun.
Lastly there’s the pointing a flashlight with a gun attached to it arguement. In AZ if you light up a suspicious character (who doesn’t end up being a threat) in a parking lot at night with a hand held, you might irritate him. If you do it with a gun/light, you can be charged with Aggrivated Assault.