Attaching a flashlight to your handgun

[Sharpdogs]

Does anyone attach a flashlight to their handgun?* Or is it better just to keep it in your free hand?* This would be for a home defense set up.

[Goldtanker]

For me, the flashlight in the free hand is a much more flexible option.

[0dBm]

Gotta agree with GT.

If you lose the firearm, you lose the light, too. Gun with light attached looks cool in the movies, but is bulky and heavier. Separate light and gun allows more variety in shooting hold and techniques.

[charlie fox]

I've never cared for the flashlight-on-your-gun concept for civillian use. I can see it for troops/police clearing buildings all the time, but I think it's problematic for the average gun guy/gal. A small bright light in your off hand is much more flexable.

[jeremy54b]

I have to disagree with the notion that a weapon-mounted light has no use for civilians. I have dogs...and little ones around, in a defensive situation, I only get one hand. The other's tied up keeping them corralled. For me to be able to illuminate a target and engage with one hand is a great advantage.

[Stormdrane]

If you put one on a handgun, make sure it has a quick release, so you can remove the light and shine it around without having to point the weapon in unsafe directions.

[JonSidneyB]

Some pointers on handgun mounted lights.

1st is the problem of paralex.* With some people there can be a tendency to use the hotspot if the beam as an aiming referece.* This can be both bad and good.* The problem is the source of light is below the bore rather than above it.* On the iron sights several things are happening.* The bullet is dropping the moment it leaves the muzzle.* The line of sight will bisect the acr of the bullet path twice.* This makes drop not much of an issue at practical ranges with a defensive handgun.* Acutally the line if sight on a handgun is not correct if it did not recoil the gun starts recoiling beforethe bullet leaves the barrel so the sights are adjusted to account for that.* With the light being below the bore it bisects the bore only once.* Some will say that this is not that important at the ranges* involved but it can be more so than you imagine.* The bullet is moving away from the line of site fast.* You will want to adjust the beam to a range slightly further than the longest distance you will be shooting to minimize this effect.* * Next you want to choose a light that is going to have the point source of light to be as close to the bore as possible.
If you can train youself to realize that the hotspot is only sort of a referece you will be ok.* The important thing to remember is if you set this up to be optimum at 7 feet, it will be off very fast.* If you set it up for 25 yards you will be ok at 7 feet.

If you practice heavily you will have muscel memory of the gun without the light, your handling characteristics change quite a bit.* If you choose a light that also has a laser, many are designed completely wrong.* In this case you want the laser above the light and not below.* This has not become the reference instead of the hotspot.* you want that beam as close the to bore as possible.

Another thing to consider is if this is used in your home, you have the advantage of layout.* A light is still usefull but not as much as if you were in a strange invironment.* A detached light allows you to have the light held away from the body so as not to draw fire directly to you.* I think another difference between LEO tactics with a gun mounted light is that they are using group tactics when it is employed.* *If the attached light gave a huge tactical advantage to individuals, it is my guess that you would see more of them on officers belts.

Jermey did make a good case for the light on the handgun. If I were to light mount a gun, I would still have a proper handheld and also use the gun mounted light as little as practical in an emergency while trying to be aware of its possible liabliities.

Just my 2 cents.

For myself, I still prefer my handguns light free

[Sharpdogs]

Good point about needing a free hand for pets/dogs. My dogs can pretty much handle themselves but I can see many instances when I may need to hold them back. Also great point about knowing the layout of my own house. Most of us could probably navigate our own homes in the dark. I think for know I will keep the light in the free hand and spend the left over money on ammo and practice.

[0dBm]

I have to disagree with the notion that a weapon-mounted light has no use for civilians. I have dogs...and little ones around, in a defensive situation, I only get one hand. The other's tied up keeping them corralled. For me to be able to illuminate a target and engage with one hand is a great advantage.


This is the benefit of an open forum; differing, but valid viewpoints offered.

I enjoy them all and benefit from the knowledge. From the information presented, I am now enlightened (no pun intended). O0

[VWTim]

I personally use a handheld light, but that's because it's what I train with and none of my guns have a rail to mount one to. For a pure home gun it does make sense in some instances. For me, living alone I don't have to worry about it being my son/daughter sneeking in at night. If someone's in my house, she better be on a bikini team....And even she'd get lit up for ID. It's always a good idea to keep a handheld light with you even when using a weapon mounted light.
2 is 1, 1 is none.

[Random Avenger]

Use them both. They are both tools and both have different uses in different situations. Learn to operate them both in conjunction with each other. They compliment each other when used correctly.

[jeremy54b]

Good point about maintaining a hand-held light also.

I keep Surefires all over the place for just that reason.

Also, good point about training. I train both with and without the light mounted. On my G21 with and M3, it doesn't make much of a handling difference, but I could see an M6 with the laser causing some issues with weight differences.

[AirForceShooter]

First off, lights work in 2 directions.
If you can see the bad guy he can see you.
Oh, so I can find out where my kids are??? You're kidding right? There goes rule #2. To find your kids you point a gun at them??
Guns don't need jewlery.
Just my silly opinion.

AFS

[jeremy54b]

And AFS, as someone else mentioned, that is why this forum is great...everyone gets to express opinion.

But, I still will stand by my position. I have weapon-mounted lights not only on my handgun, but on my carbine as well...

To address your point about pointing a weapon at a child or pet...I will already have them corralled in the event I have to employ a weapon-mounted light. I happen to have a home whose design allows this, and allows it to be easily controlled.

I am not an idiot, in fact, I would be willing to wager I've had more training with weapon-mounted lights and equipment along those lines than most...as my branch of service tended to handle weapons more than once or twice a year, more like on a daily basis and many of them had provisions for attachment of weapon mounted lighting, or PAQ-4s, or NVDs or things of that nature. I am pretty confident in my abilities to handle said systems, and I am not going to change my equipment or alter my training style simply because someone thinks that a useful tool, used in conjunction with traditional hand-held lights is "jewelry"... ;D

[D. Hartsook]

The best flashlight is "Muzzle flash" :spotlight:
hahahahahahaha

[naloxone]

I keep my flashlight in my hand, where it belongs. The weaponlight goes on my gun. ;)

[scríbhneoir]

I keep my flashlight in my hand, where it belongs. The weaponlight goes on my gun.* ;)


Welcome, naloxone!

Karen

[Goldtanker]

Hi naloxone! And welcome to EDCF!

Denny

[CanDo]

If you'd like to be able to have your gun and light seperate, but feel you may need an extra free hand, heres what to do: Tie a koppo wrap out of climbing accessory cord around your flashlight. You can then slip it around your two middle fingers - no dropping- and it could be used as a koppo in a real worst case scenario event.