The problem with weapon lights... [updated with pics]

[SkyHawk]

Keep a good flashlight next to your gun, even if you have a weapon light. If you need to investigate something, grab both.

[Foothills]

These things are awesome for lighting up the yard. Handy to have one on motion and another one on a switch.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Defiant-180-Degree-White-LED-Motion-Sensing-Outdoor-Security-Flood-Light-2-Pack-DFI-5982-WH-2/313792591

I actually don’t like light pollution. I like a dark yard. I have infra-red cameras. But it’s a nice alert when the light comes on.

Annoying in a wind storm...

[naz]

Whoa. That must have been scary OP. Definitely time for motion lights

[ZombieLivesMatter]

Wrong. A decent light will more than illuminate a target directly ahead while pointed at the ground in front of the shooter.

And get some motion activated yard lighting.

Spot on with both points. Training is essential, and while I’ve only taken two low-light classes, they both ingrained the light splash to identify.

And definitely motion activated lights, I have them outdoor and indoor.

and on a unrelated tangent, I see arguments for either one or the other online..... when you can obviously have both, WML are so inexpensive and small footprint.

[L84CABO]

Glad nobody was hurt.

Why don't you have a lock on your gate? You may also want to stage a flashlight at your front and backdoor. Having some pepper spray there too isn't a bad idea.

You also need to get some motion lights out back. If this is the third person you have had in your yard you gotta do something to tighten things up. A "Yard Enforcer" (motion activated sprinkler) might be useful too.

And if you've got an alley behind your house, maybe some razor wire along the fence. I know it's ugly. But it's better than constantly finding people in your yard.

[tabascoz28]

Ignorance is bliss. I don't have any of my windows or blinds open at night, most of the time, not during the day either. I don't have dogs and never need to go out there at night. There's a barking dog at all hours of the day and night from my neighbors so I have extra plywood on my bedroom windows. Gated and locked security front door. I have cameras front and back with microphones for my record.

But if you point your weapon light at their eyes, they can't see your weapon. I have a heavy trigger pull for my DA/SA but not heavy enough so that I pull it immediately if need be and I practice that 1st and 2nd pull on a weekly/monthly basis at the range.

Very good point, have a very bright second light as your main.

[Epaphroditus]

Motion activated lights and sprinklers keep pretty much everything at bay.

If you think the perp is as nervous or scared as you are you are wrong - they are 24/7 on the job and are cool as cucumbers. They've been there and done that 1000 times and they DGAF.

If they get injured due to a beating or shot they get a warm bed and food.

City living is one thing but out here in the country folk lurking around windows at night generally need to be put down ASAP.

[Maulerrr]

For weapon lights though, don't some have features where they automatically kick down several hundred lumens or just turn off if they begin to overheat? Depending on what your weapon light is, that should be a consideration too if you plan on using it to hold someone blinded and at gunpoint until police show up in 5-15 minutes. All of my hd/carry guns have lights if they accept them. But I agree with needing a handheld light.

Also this comes to mind too... guy pointed a flashlight to identify some people who happened to be cops, but his light just happened to be mounted to his AR as well




Sounds ridiculous but when I lived in a not-so-nice neighborhood in San Diego as a kid, there were a few instances when I had police/sheriffs department quietly walking through my backyard looking for someone.

Food for thought.

[dozer wright]

[QUOTE=Citadelgrad87;25360201]Wrong. A decent light will more than illuminate a target directly ahead while pointed at the ground in front of the shooter.

100 percent right. ^^^^^^^. If your light wont do the same look at the quality .and Lock your gates not latch , Lock .Also a Nice Security camera Set Up helps I have a Monitor right next to my tv. 6 Camera views On one Screen makes seeing the whole property easy. Also wired to another tv in the safe room. Just incase.
Be safe out there , I had a similar Situation and left my pistol on the Entry way table. Took a. Beating but in the end came out out ok. Lesson Learned. Tough situation , it I had my Pistol would things have been better or worse. Not sure.

[plumbum]

Standard Calguns answer: get both.

Weapon lights are great to leave you a spare hand, but even having a cheapo flashlight handy is a good thing.

Also, with a large yard, even a string of white Christmas lights will provide sufficient light to see a human sized target at a distance without being offensive like spotlights... but motion activated spotlights are a great idea too.

[twinfin]

I won't be taking my weapon light off anytime soon. The Streamlight attached to my bedside gun is specifically and properly designed to throw off enough of a peripheral cone of light as to illuminate the area even when the gun is pointed in a safe direction. As far as I know, all decent weapon mounted lights factor in the need to illuminate while the gun is pointed in a safe direction.

Perhaps one might take a walk through their darkened house or yard to familiarize themselves with the ability of their weapon light to illuminate things outside the direction their weapon is pointed. You might be surprised at the results.

[dreyna14]

These things are awesome for lighting up the yard. Handy to have one on motion and another one on a switch.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Defiant-180-Degree-White-LED-Motion-Sensing-Outdoor-Security-Flood-Light-2-Pack-DFI-5982-WH-2/313792591

Thanks for the suggestion. As soon as I'm out of 'rona quarantine I'm off to find a decent motions detecting light. I have one in the front porch and yes I do use it to tell if someone is out there. I tend to like thing dark, too, as lights tend to create blind spots and shadows people can hide.

Glad nobody was hurt.

Why don't you have a lock on your gate? You may also want to stage a flashlight at your front and backdoor. Having some pepper spray there too isn't a bad idea.

You also need to get some motion lights out back. If this is the third person you have had in your yard you gotta do something to tighten things up. A "Yard Enforcer" (motion activated sprinkler) might be useful too.

And if you've got an alley behind your house, maybe some razor wire along the fence. I know it's ugly. But it's better than constantly finding people in your yard.

My gate isn't locked because I use it. I'm almost positive this guy hopped my wall. There's a location it's only ~5' high. The rest it at least 6'6". I noticed an area behind my garage on that side which had what looked to me like footprints in the weeds/grass but didn't see any evidence of shoe marks on the wall/fencing. My mom suggested carpet tack strip on the wall/fencing there. I'm not too keen on that given this litigious state. Last thing I need is a lawsuit from some dip**** trying to tresspass onto my property.

BTW, the gate latch is a real pain in the a** to open without making a ton of noise. If he opened the latch, I would have heard it and been on alert immediately. Not having a lock on it also helped him GTFO of my yard without me helping him.

[FeuerFrei]

We live rural and when trespassers come around we just deal with them on a case by case basis. OP story about a simple trespasser is kinda not a thang.

Some scare off easy and others need a little convincing. LE response time for us is about 30 mins on average. We don't usually call about trespassers.

We keep the outside of our shop and house lit up at night with LED floods. The motion lights had been a PITA by getting set off by critters and wind. Sold them.

1k lumens hand held spot lights are handy. Our power goes out frequently due to storms/wind etc.
HD weapon with a mounted light is good to have. Common sense really.

[Jimi Jah]

If you wear a headlamp it points the light in the direction you are looking.

[SkyHawk]

If you wear a headlamp it points the light in the direction you are looking.

Also makes for a good target if someone wants to shoot back, and illuminates everything in front of it like your hands, gun etc