A couple questions

[giantsfan]

So I've been looking around at what people are adding to their guns..I've got a couple of questions...

For Glock owners, of which I'm one, is painting the slide markings with white fingernail polish - gay or cool?

I'm going back and forth thinking it looks kinda cool and totally gay..

Next!

Don't rail lights pretty much say "hey I'm here, shoot me!"? I get lasers but a flashlight? Feels like it makes one a target.

About 3" groups...are the uber-accurate shooters firing said groups in simulated defensive shooting situations or on a rest, 1 shot per minute?

[Lexustech48]

As far as the flashlights, i feel my experience as a mechanic can help here. A true standard, full sized Streamlight can in broad daylight blind a person. I have a few people that have them at work and they are no joke powerful.

Imagine that intensity at night directed at someone who isnt expecting it. That split-second you got them to react and look away from the blinding light that just hit their eyes is what COULD give you the edge in a nighttime confrontation.

Something like this at the end of a Glock is OVERkill, but damn is it going to be effective:

http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=251

My $.02

[giantsfan]

As far as the flashlights, i feel my experience as a mechanic can help here. A true standard, full sized Streamlight can in broad daylight blind a person. I have a few people that have them at work and they are no joke powerful.

Imagine that intensity at night directed at someone who isnt expecting it. That split-second you got them to react and look away from the blinding light that just hit their eyes is what COULD give you the edge in a nighttime confrontation.

Something like this at the end of a Glock is OVERkill, but damn is it going to be effective:

http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=251

My $.02

I can see that...no pun intended but if you've got a rail light, which in a low light or no light level might seem like the sun, aren't you more realistically scanning the area looking for a BG?

Sneaking up on a BG and then flipping on the light seems unrealistic to me...I'm not LE so I don't know for sure...anyway, to me, it seems like it would make you a target.

[littlejake]

Law enforcement agencies teach different techniques for use of handheld flashlights in concert with the hand gun. Some of these techniques involve not holding the flashlight in front on ones self.

One of the most popular techniques is weak hand holds the flashlight and the strong hand the gun -- wrists crossed (gun wrist over flashlight wrist) to put the light parallel to the boreline. If one adopts that technique -- might as well mount the light on the gun.

[WETP]

It depends. What are your goals, just owning a firearm and trips to the range. If you are planning to get serious training and learn how to operate in different environment. IMHO a WML is a must.
In reference to the Glock markings, I think is white crayon, that way you can keep retouching it. THe way a train and how much dust and dirt I get on my guns. No way I will do markings. but for normal range trips. Go ahead, is kind of cool.

God Blessed.

[Invisible_Dave]

Light discipline is an important factor when doing low light building searches. Yes, people will shoot towards a light, however you don't want to clear a room and miss someone due to darkness. Like most situational questions the answer is "it depends." I can tell you that I would rather run a tach light than try to search/shoot with a flashlight in one hand and a firearm in the other.

I can say that while searching for a target I would usually be using a gun mounted light. Once the target is acquired, the light is only on when I'm on point and my finger is on the trigger. While reloading or while moving to and from points of cover the light is now screaming shoot here.

That has been my experience. Some may have different theories.

[Oceanbob]

I white-out some of my Glocks because as a GLOCK owner for 25 years I GET BORED with the plain-jane-black. YMMV.

I do have a green-laser (only one) and have mounted it instead of a light. Light weight and easy to activate with a finger. Lazermax. I don't plan on running a Streamlight or anything; I prefer a high-powered Flashlight. I also run (currently) various Night Sights on some of my weapons. Tru-glow Tritium fiber-optics are nice; Trijicon and meprolight tru-dot fixed sights are good for the Glock 26... As soon you start collecting, buying or trading handguns you will get some weapons that already have various night sights. I usually just leave them on.

With practice you should be able to run a 3 inch group firing from a standing position, two handed, rapid fire. Practice and good habits are the key.


Old and new....

[Glockshooter626]

I dont know about painting the side markings with white fingernail polish, but I rubbed my G19 with a white crayon. Makes the markings stand out more.

[giantsfan]

In a tactical situations, we used NVG's not flashlights. We had flashlights..everyone did but the NVG's allowed us to be largely undetectable at night unless of course...the BG's had NVG's too.

These were training scenario's however and not real life combat situations. I don't know that LE agencies utilize NVG's but they sure seem like a better option to flashlights.

Incidentally, I got my son a pair of "Spy Gear" NVG's and I'll be damned if they didn't work as well as our initial grunt NVG's we had for ground units. Definitely not as good as our aviation tubes however...those were very high quality optics.

[NewbieDave]

So I've been looking around at what people are adding to their guns..I've got a couple of questions...

1) For Glock owners, of which I'm one, is painting the slide markings with white fingernail polish - gay or cool?

2) Don't rail lights pretty much say "hey I'm here, shoot me!"? I get lasers but a flashlight? Feels like it makes one a target.

3) About 3" groups...are the uber-accurate shooters firing said groups in simulated defensive shooting situations or on a rest, 1 shot per minute?

1) IMHO... don't like it. My guns are just tools... not a piece of art.

2) Just cause you have a light mounted on your weapon doesn't mean it stays on all the time. I would use WML mainly for spot checking or to ID targets.

3) 3" at what? 10-15-25 yards? Most gun magazines use support for their testing and not from a draw.

[giantsfan]

1)

3) 3" at what? 10-15-25 yards? Most gun magazines use support for their testing and not from a draw.

Self - defensive scenario's tend to happen at close range...10ft I guess?? Putting a 3" grouping together while moving away from a BG seems unrealistic that's why I was asking OR I just suck...lol

[wamphyri13]

Take this into account when thinking about the weapon mounted light. It's for YOUR house right? Unless your house has no windows or DSL/router, there will be some ambient light and not be pitch black. Plus who knows their way around your house better in the dark? You or an intruder? What I'm getting at is, the light doesn't need to be on until necessary. You know your way around in the dark and will be able to locate an intruder before activating the light. Unless there's Lego on the floor and you're barefoot. Then you're screwed.
Ryan

PS - I mentioned the DSL/router because I have a D-Link router at about 4' high and it's BRIGHT blue lights illuminate just about everything.

[Whatisthis?]

There are quite a few scenarios where a light, whether mounted or in hand, will make decisions easier in a bump in the night situation. What if that bump is:
A) a family member. This could be someone who has a key to your place and shows up unexpectedly or it could a son/daughter, who is supposed to be in bed, but it is sneaking around at night.
B) just a noise from an animal and there is a human shaped dark spot (I have a cat that tears everything up at night as well as a larger guitar case which I once all the lights are out, could seem like a human shape if I'm just waking from a sleep)
C) an actual bad guy BUT is just looking to steal stuff and not cause any harm. Doesn't mean he is a good person for not wanting to cause harm, it's just you're going to jail in CA if you shoot someone breaking in to steal your TV or computers.
D) an actual bad guy who has the intent to inflict harm. In this case, he would most likely have a weapon. Seeing the weapon, identifying it, and responding correctly would be key.

Without a light or way to identify one's target, it seems as if one is trying a be a tough guy that thinks he is so bad *** that he will shoot anyone in his home that makes a bump in the night. Your place could be totally different than mine but when all the lights are out at my place, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between any two people. Ultimately, it's up to you on how you want to do it.

[NewbieDave]

Well... while moving at 10 ft, yeah, it's going to spread out.

For my training, I'm double tapping into a 9" plate at 10 yards all day... even when moving. And this is from the draw. If you're stationary and have a good purchase on the pistol and coming up from low ready... I know I can group in 3" square.

It all comes down to training and trigger time.

[NewbieDave]

Well... while moving at 10 ft, yeah, it's going to spread out.

For my training, I'm double tapping into a 9" plate at 10 yards all day... even when moving. And this is from the draw. If you're stationary and have a good purchase on the pistol and coming up from low ready... I know I can group in 3" square.

It all comes down to training and trigger time.