Pistol questions

[Excalibur]

Originally Posted by S&Wshooter

Thinking of lights, I have mixed feelings about them, not sure what to think; sure you might need a light, and it can disorient a suspect, but it also shouts "HERE I AM, SHOOT THE LIGHT!"

Well it depends on the situation. Training tells me to only use lights in bursts, not to shine constantly. If you are searching, you shine for a brief moment to get an idea of what is in front of you, watch out for what you're shooting at and push forward. If you spot someone, you shine directly into their eyes and a good flashlight will blind them. I know a cop who had a flashlight he personally bought that was 700 lumens while his department issued Surefires that are just over 200 and the story was he shined it on a suspect in the dark and the guy just gave up.

[S&Wshooter]

Originally Posted by Excalibur

Well it depends on the situation. Training tells me to only use lights in bursts, not to shine constantly. If you are searching, you shine for a brief moment to get an idea of what is in front of you, watch out for what you're shooting at and push forward. If you spot someone, you shine directly into their eyes and a good flashlight will blind them. I know a cop who had a flashlight he personally bought that was 700 lumens while his department issued Surefires that are just over 200 and the story was he shined it on a suspect in the dark and the guy just gave up.

I'm just afraid of getting shot in the hand/arm by some dipshit aiming for the light; it's like how untrained folks instinctively aim for the GUN ("OH SHIT THAT GUY HAS A GUN!", ETC), but a little intensified

[Excalibur]

If you are in a dark room, you need a light to see where you are going and if the person popping up behind a door is a threat or a love one. If you are on the street outside, it also depends on the situation. A light helps, and it depends on training and how well you move and or use cover. They are just as likely to hit you as if you are just a shadow in the dark and if you are shooting in the dark, the muzzle flash will give away your position anyway.

So in a home defense situation, it helps ID who you are pointing the gun at. In an offensive situation, it can blind a threat so you can see how much of a threat is in front of you.

[Jcordell]

Over the past couple of years it's been nice having the light on my Glock. When doing a building search, walking up to a vehicle where there are no street lights, needing to get a glimpse of what or who might be hiding in a defile where there is no light illuminating it. Then with the light being on my pistol I have a free hand if necessary. I still carry a light on my belt for when it isn't appropriate to draw my pistol and what not,but I have found that light very useful. Like all tools one just needs to understand that it isn't a Magic Bullet. Something we tend to fall prey to in law enfocement.

[SPEMack618]

Having a light on my M-4A1 was super nice in Iraq. Lots of building searches. Lots.

Afghanistan we had better NODs and a lot less structures to clear. So no light.

[Excalibur]

I talked to an older Marine who back in the late 90s knew guys who taped 3 D cell Maglites on their rifles

[SPEMack618]

Pop used hose clamps to put a Mini-Mag on his GAU-5 in Grenada and Panama.