flash light

[3KingsE]

I never realized how important a good flashlight is to have at night in your safe with your gun. I heard a noise downstairs of my house in the middle of the night when I quickly realize the only light I have is a big mag light. Trying to balance that and my gun was manageable but not prepared for it. I know that is something home owners need to practice but is their one light that is better then others or would it be personal preference?

 

[1DrnkMxR]

It would be personal preferences, many good choices out there for any budget. I have a Fenix TK10 on my night stand with an output of about 225 lumens which is plenty enough.

You would need to chose the type of battery you like rechargables or alkaline. Check out candlepower forums.com for more info.

 

[Firefighterchen]

Surefire has a great reputation...but you are right it is all personal preference.

I personally carry Olight M20/21 warriors because i got a good deal on them. I was told, and from personal testing, that 90 lumens is a good minimum amount of light for defense purposes.

 

[rffreq]

while I Pick up gun wife calls 911 and gives address first , check loaded and cocked indicators by feel. slip a small flashlight in my pocket, put a flashlight on my head, turn on 800 lumens on light on gun, yell out and proceed...
Gotta love those headlights or even the mini mag headbands.

 

[depley61]

Get a light that is small but has a high lumen (candle power). A activator button on the base is preferable but not necessary. Once you have the one you want you then need to practice with it dry fire at your home during daylight or with the lights on and live fire at the range so that you can learn the various methods of holding and using both the firearm and light at the same time. Check out this link:

Link Removed

 

[Treo]

Flashlights are like guns, I use different lights for different purposes. I prefer lights that take a rechargeable battery for obvious reasons, especially if I don’t use the light frequently.
For normal, daily, use I carry this Gerber ultra task light.
Gerber Infinity Ultra Task Light 22-80010
If I know I’m going to be out after dark and my night stand light, I use this 15 dollar rocky LED
Link Removed
And back in the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I worked nights
Stinger® Series - Stinger XT® | Streamlight

 

[kelcarry]

Not sure how many of you have children or relatives in other parts of your house but in my house it is just my wife and I. I am in my locked bedroom with a wedge under the door. I have my cell (911), my remote car alarm, my FN5.7 near my pillow, my 12g shotgun with a few steps, and my tactical plan for my location in my bedroom. I know where I am and where everything is and do not need a flashlight to tell me anything and certainly not to let someone else know where I am. Everything in all the other rooms of house is "stuff" and it insured and replaceable---I am not and if they are better at this than me gunwise, I do not intend to find that out as I lay there dying after a shootout, when I found them with my super flashlight. They try to enter my bedroom by defeating the door, they will die--I have the advantage, not them. If it is necessary to search your home because others are in different parts of house, I understand that--even then, the flashlight tells the BGs where you are--it is your home and you need the flashlight? Hey, I understand the thread and understand the comments, I just feel that I am better off with my mindset and my situation on this whole "bump in the night scenario". Here is hoping all you fellows do is buy expensive flashlights and never get to use it for your real intended purpose. Peace and G-d Bless.
PS: Want the best light out there? ASP Triad

 

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Part of my EDC is my Streamlight PT1L. Love that little guy. ProTac® Series - ProTac® 1L | Streamlight

 

[Keykutter]

Gear Hog has a pretty nice sale on flashlights right now today. $20 for a $40 lite and it has the same light set that the comparable Surefire has in it. 130 lumens and an aircraft aluminum body I think and it's LED. I bought 5 of them to keep around the house and in my cars.

KK

 

[JD Beam]

A 130 lumen headlight sits right next to my pistol next to my bed. I like the headlights cause they keep your hands free... Yes I have gotten in the argument that a handheld is better cause you can control the light better (turning it off and so forth). But I like the light that stays with the direction I am looking and that I have my hands free to work a weapon.

 

[Firefighterchen]

I'll up your 130 to 500!!

Olight Holiday Set - Hunter with M20S-X + A3 Led Flshlights + Accessories

This is not the exact kit I have, same light but I didn't get all those accessories... it looks like another decent deal (not as good as I got )

JK JK Like I said before, minimum 90, anything above that just gets better for defense but worse for everyday/prolonged use/battery use.

 

[NCIC105]

Have alarm system set to stay so that is will instantly go into alarm. Have a surefire 6PX™ Tactical
Single-Output LED beside bed on night stand.

Link Removed

As always cocked and locked.

 

[David Manuel]

get a wepon mounted one like the viridian c5l wich is a 400 dollar green laser light combo wich has many settings including stobe

 

[David Manuel]

or just get night sights for your gun for at most 200

 

[Stan45]

I have tried the high lumen lights. I think people put too much importance on them.
One night with my new high output light I was sitting on the bed and shined it on the wall; I was seeing spots for a few minutes.
If a bad guy was in the house I would have been at a disadvantage.
From a SD point of view, I just want to see the bad guy and see my front sight, nothing more.
However if you have some acres you may want to step out of your backdoor and light up your barn.
It all depends on your use.

 

[eagleeyes]

so you heard a noise at night went downstairs with a big light and your gun........what caused the noise?? did you shoot it
i'd like to find a nice LED pocket flashlight next time i'm out shopping and a good switch blade that is actually sharp
be safe and don't shoot till you see the whites of their eyes some say esp if you have other people living with you don't want to shoot them thinking they were the perp

 

[Iam2Taz]

Ummm.... I once heard: They always shoot the guy with the light first. Just sayin...

There is no way I am putting a light on my weapon. You point a loaded weapon at whatever you are shinning it on. (Including the stupid 10 year old from next door who thought it would be funny to rap on your door.) One slip and not so good for him. Explaining stupid is one thing. Explaining why you shot a 10 year old is something I don't think you want to do.

You need a decent light. Preferably with a button on the end. Take a course and learn how to fight with it. Not just use it, fight with it. There are 3-4 comfortable ways to hold a light for use with a weapon.

Good Luck. YMMV

 

[Firefighterchen]

I have tried the high lumen lights. I think people put too much importance on them.
One night with my new high output light I was sitting on the bed and shined it on the wall; I was seeing spots for a few minutes.
If a bad guy was in the house I would have been at a disadvantage.
From a SD point of view, I just want to see the bad guy and see my front sight, nothing more.
However if you have some acres you may want to step out of your backdoor and light up your barn.
It all depends on your use.

If you shine your own light in your own face, or against a wall and look at it, before the encounter, then your tactics are wrong. (i do understand you weren't in a real encounter, but to equate seeing white spots, and then having a bad guy show up, is backwards).

Imagine what the bad guy would be seeing if he had the full amount of lumens directly in his face, he wouldn't be seeing spots, he would be completely blind for a good few minutes.

The last time I had someone slam on my front door was when I lived in my apartment and I could see my front door from my bed. I retrieved my handgun and light, and lit up the front doorway through my bedroom door. I was seeing no white spots, and luckily no bad guy either.

Ummm.... I once heard: They always shoot the guy with the light first. Just sayin...

There is no way I am putting a light on my weapon. You point a loaded weapon at whatever you are shinning it on. (Including the stupid 10 year old from next door who thought it would be funny to rap on your door.) One slip and not so good for him. Explaining stupid is one thing. Explaining why you shot a 10 year old is something I don't think you want to do.

You need a decent light. Preferably with a button on the end. Take a course and learn how to fight with it. Not just use it, fight with it. There are 3-4 comfortable ways to hold a light for use with a weapon.

Good Luck. YMMV

Why would you have your finger on the trigger if you didn't know what your target was, or what was in front of or beyond it? Sounds like a training problem more so than an equipment problem. I'd rather be pointing my firearm at possible danger, and after identifying the threat or non threat to either move my finger to the trigger or point my barrel somewhere else. What if you slipped without a light? Would it not be equally as hard to explain to someone how you had your finger on the trigger and you shot at a target you could not identify in the dark? Training is training is training, we train so we don't have the slip up. I train without having the light constantly on, but rather I turn it on when I have identified the general direction of the possible danger. I feel, it gives me the greatest advantage, and that is why I train and have chosen my methods. YMMV.

The great thing about life is, there is no one way of doing anything. If you prefer non-weapon mounted lights, that is perfectly fine. There are great tactics and training to get very efficient with two handed operation. I prefer weapon mounted lights, and I train using that configuration.

I still have a hand held light with an activation switch on the tail cap. I agree with Taz, whatever method you choose, learn how to fight well with it. Train hard, and train often.

 

[BluesStringer]

Opinions on flashlights, what kinds, and how to use them best in tactical situations, are as varied as weapons themselves. In reading the OP, I don't think s/he expected that much strong opinion on the question.

I love flashlights. Have multiple ones around the house and in the Jeep. I have to carry one on my duty belt for the armored car company I work for, and after a little more than 4 years of trying different ones, I finally settled on a Fenix TK21. I prefer lights that accept rechargeable 18650 batteries. Cycle-life is quite impressive, and on that particular light, when power gets low, the light automatically switches to the next lower setting instead of just shutting down. The TK21 is a medium-high output light at around 460 lumens on high, which is about 4 times as bright as you need for home use, but it also has four levels and remembers the last setting used, so it's still useful at home. My duty belt stays in a locker at work though, so....

I keep an Olight T-20 Military by the bedside. (Link goes to "Tactical" model - "Military" may be discontinued, but only slight differences between them.) As of this writing, that link has a great sale price. This light maxes out at 220 lumens with memory of last-used level. I keep mine on the low or medium setting to conserve batteries as much as anything. This makes a good rifle or shotgun light too. Very lightweight, pressure-switch accessory available, and the one I have has stood up to thousands of rounds sent downrange with it mounted on my 5.56 rifle.

I agree with what kelcarry said about the use of a light giving away your own position as much as illuminating the area in front of the light. A light is a tool just like a gun. You have to train with it and know ahead of time what situations call for its usage and which call for staying dark. I have a S&W 4563TSW with a Streamlight TLR-2 attached, but I train myself not to immediately use either the light or laser. It gives an intruder a target, certainly, at the very least, a general direction to shoot at, so I would only use either/both functions if I absolutely needed them. The TLR-2 has easily-manipulated controls to switch between functions, but that is another thing you have to train extensively with before counting on either the tool or yourself in a tactical situation.

Bottom line, train, train, train, and when you think you've trained enough, start over and refresh your training. Weapon or tac-light, neither make you safer if you don't know how/when to use them.

Blues