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

[wpage]

Like the move where you hold the long flashlight/club extended away with your weak hand. have your pistol at ready in the strong hand.

[tdp113530]

What were you watching on Netflix?

[Gun Kraft]

Like anything else training with a weaponlight is important. Simply having it isn't enough.

As Citadelgrad mentioned you can use the weaponlight's spill to illuminate an object/person without having to point the pistol directly at them. That's part of training.

The idea of blinding someone so they can't see your weapon is a fallacy. If they intend to cause harm, your light is a beacon that's very easy for them to focus on and aim at.

One reason why a weaponlight is useful is because you need to identify whether they are an imminent threat and make the decision to engage or not. Being able to do that with both hands on the gun (for better accuracy) is a good thing.

There's much more, but as someone mentioned that's why you take low light training.

[shojivic]

Weapon light at the low ready. Why?

Trespassing suspect could reasonably be burglary suspect.

Burglary suspect reasonably articulated as having burglary tools.

Burglary tools/devices (crow bars, lock cutters) can inflict great bodily injury/death.

Reasonable to defend oneself against possible great bodily injury/death with firearm.

Weapon light at low ready with light spillover is articulated as reasonable for a Felony suspect.

And a backup light is always good for a prepared law-abiding homeowner.

[dreyna14]

What were you watching on Netflix?

The Staircase

[tdp113530]

The Staircase

Watched it. Pretty good. I won't give away the ending if you haven't finished. Check out Night Stalker. Really good.

I put motion detector lights in the corners of my dark backyard. Work good and really light up the area. Additionally it gives me advance notice if a intruder comes a calling.

[dreyna14]

Like anything else training with a weaponlight is important. Simply having it isn't enough.

As Citadelgrad mentioned you can use the weaponlight's spill to illuminate an object/person without having to point the pistol directly at them. That's part of training.

The idea of blinding someone so they can't see your weapon is a fallacy. If they intend to cause harm, your light is a beacon that's very easy for them to focus on and aim at.

One reason why a weaponlight is useful is because you need to identify whether they are an imminent threat and make the decision to engage or not. Being able to do that with both hands on the gun (for better accuracy) is a good thing.

There's much more, but as someone mentioned that's why you take low light training.

I agree with what has been said, however, I had already identified the subject as not being an imminent threat by seeing him cowering in the corner to keep distance from the dogs. I almost brought my gun up when he took a step in my direction but I think my repeated commands implied that was a bad idea to follow through on.

Thanks for all the input. My post was mainly in regards to the mental conundrum I had put myself into in a possible defensive situation and decisions that need to be made in split seconds. It also gives me more respect to police officers who make repeated commands to perps who refuse to comply and come back with BS excuses. My wife laughed because I must have told him to GTFO of my yard twenty times and he just argued back that he was homeless and hungry as if it justified his trespass.

[pacrat]

OP said;

Everything was checked as soon as I got it out of the safe. Light working, mag loaded and round chambered. Unfortunately, it took four attempts to get the right code punched in to open the safe. The lighting in my office closet is poor, at best. I may install a light in the closet with a contact on the door. I open the door and it turns on. I have a circuit I can run it from and the ability to make it work.

You might go the easy route with one of these.

https://www.harborfreight.com/200-lumen-led-super-bright-flip-light-64723.html

Beats pulling wire. Mounts with either magnets or velcro. Mount inside closet door jamb and just flip switch.. Place another inside the safe if you feel the need. They are surprisingly bright and have a big enough wash to cover a room.

Don't mount where it faces you when you flip switch. You will be flash blind for several minutes.

I personally have mine mounted on frnt of safe, left of door. Just a tug and it is in my left hand while I operate safe combo with right hand.

Just a thought and viable alternative. Works great for me.

[tawadc95]

I relented and purchased A TLR 8AG in Oct 20, it's on my home handgun.
My kids are all out of the house in their own homes so most likely anyone in my home is not to be there.

It took me a lot of years to purchase one because of the muzzle issue but in my current home circumstances I do not believe muzzling a friendly is as great a potential as in the past. This by no means expresses a lack of concern for pointing a gun at a friendly, it means I'm better served with a WML now.
Using walls to bounce light from Sul or other ready positions as the layout would dictate works well.

I find the WML works quite well for my home defense plan, the laser is a great tool for taking maximum advantage of cover and shooting positions, allowing odd angles to be not nearly as daunting a task.

I still keep a handheld at the ready every night.

As I intimated in the first paragraph, my kids are all gone and my circumstances allow my use of the WML in a safe manner.

[dreyna14]

OP said;



You might go the easy route with one of these.

https://www.harborfreight.com/200-lumen-led-super-bright-flip-light-64723.html

Beats pulling wire. Mounts with either magnets or velcro. Mount inside closet door jamb and just flip switch.. Place another inside the safe if you feel the need. They are surprisingly bright and have a big enough wash to cover a room.

Don't mount where it faces you when you flip switch. You will be flash blind for several minutes.

I personally have mine mounted on frnt of safe, left of door. Just a tug and it is in my left hand while I operate safe combo with right hand.

Just a thought and viable alternative. Works great for me.

Oh, man! I forgot about those, ****in brilliant. I have no problem pulling romex but there is a Harbor Freight a half mile from my house. Thanks for the suggestion.

[OCEquestrian]

As soon as I saw the guy in the backyard on the cameras I would have dialEd 911 and had the police rolling out ASAP.

[champu]

[ar15barrels]

As soon as I saw the guy in the backyard on the cameras I would have dialEd 911 and had the police rolling out ASAP.

City dweller solution.

[HecklerNKoch]

This might be extreme but attached to every door frame-adjacent wall, I have 3 lithium charged ridiculously powered flash lights.

It's about being prepared, not killing.

Could be an earthquake, a fire, a heart attack. It could be anything....

And I don't need to point weapons at people to decipher their reactions or intentions or just realize that they're not even on planet earth.

π {} People heavily drugged out of their frame of mind wouldn't know if you were pointing a lightsaber or bazooka of them to comply. They're in a different consciouness.

If I leave my from door to the sound of an 90-year-old having fallen or the fairy godmother, there will be a sun-blazing torch in my hand kept pointed not at the human, kept as far from my mass as possible.

(I haven't mentioned anything about a firearm but the purpose of a firearm isn't to illuminate an object to determine if it is or is not a threat.)

[Scotty]

The idea of blinding someone so they can't see your weapon is a fallacy. If they intend to cause harm, your light is a beacon that's very easy for them to focus on and aim at.

I like to see you look at my 2200 lumen handheld on strobe and try to aim at it. Even the 1000 lumen light will overload your retina for a couple minutes.