JavaScript is disabled
Our website requires JavaScript to function properly. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings before proceeding.
I have surefire with unity rail button on my rifles. Don't think I need it on a concealed carry handgun. I want it to be a smaller package and easy to carry so I wear it at all times.
 
36pgs is a lot for someone new to the thread. What is the summary of the idea of WMLs giving away your position?
It is pretty thoroughly covered in the first two pages. Past that its more rehashing, as well as a rather entertaining tangent into flaming hamsters.

The cliff-notes version is the closer you are the more effective lights are at blinding/disorient/debilitating an assailant (photic reflexes are a real thing for some people). Most home defense situations will be indoors and well within the effective range range of a light to blind. "Just shoot the light" is not a thing that can really happen when your whole world is light.

Home defense is not the same as maneuver warfare where a light would indeed be a liability. Lights do have a range, but as long as you are within that range they are a very effective tool. If you are outside that range don't use a light. If you do not trust this advice try it yourself, it is trivially easy to just run a few simple scenarios in your own home with a powerful light to see how effective they can be.

In addition to tactical advantages, WMLs offer a very expeditious way to ensure proper target identification, and there were several cited cases of misidentified family members who were shot because the shooter had no proper way to ID who they were shooting. No, a WML does not need to be pointed at an unknown to ID them, so it is not a safety issue. Modern WML that have the power to blind someone if directly pointed at them only need bounce light to illuminate a person well enough to ID them. You can point the gun in a safe direction and still use the light.

Finally, if you ever do find yourself in a situation where the light is a tactical disadvantage, you can just turn it off. All modern WML today offer the ability to actuate the light without removing your hands from the firing grip. If you actually are worried about the light being a problem you don't have to use it, but it will be there when you do need it.

The only real disadvantages WML have today are weight/balance and cost. And the weight issues is drastically offset by not needing to hold a flashlight if you do need portable light. As long as neither of those are an issue for you there is not a lot of reason to not run a WML.
 
full.gif
 
It is pretty thoroughly covered in the first two pages. Past that its more rehashing, as well as a rather entertaining tangent into flaming hamsters.

The cliff-notes version is the closer you are the more effective lights are at blinding/disorient/debilitating an assailant (photic reflexes are a real thing for some people). Most home defense situations will be indoors and well within the effective range range of a light to blind. "Just shoot the light" is not a thing that can really happen when your whole world is light.

Home defense is not the same as maneuver warfare where a light would indeed be a liability. Lights do have a range, but as long as you are within that range they are a very effective tool. If you are outside that range don't use a light. If you do not trust this advice try it yourself, it is trivially easy to just run a few simple scenarios in your own home with a powerful light to see how effective they can be.

In addition to tactical advantages, WMLs offer a very expeditious way to ensure proper target identification, and there were several cited cases of misidentified family members who were shot because the shooter had no proper way to ID who they were shooting. No, a WML does not need to be pointed at an unknown to ID them, so it is not a safety issue. Modern WML that have the power to blind someone if directly pointed at them only need bounce light to illuminate a person well enough to ID them. You can point the gun in a safe direction and still use the light.

Finally, if you ever do find yourself in a situation where the light is a tactical disadvantage, you can just turn it off. All modern WML today offer the ability to actuate the light without removing your hands from the firing grip. If you actually are worried about the light being a problem you don't have to use it, but it will be there when you do need it.

The only real disadvantages WML have today are weight/balance and cost. And the weight issues is drastically offset by not needing to hold a flashlight if you do need portable light. As long as neither of those are an issue for you there is not a lot of reason to not run a WML.
Thats more than a summary but a really good explanation. The only critique i have is to not search with the WML but use a handheld until a threat is identified to avoid any "misunderstanding " with any good guy.
 
Thats more than a summary but a really good explanation. The only critique i have is to not search with the WML but use a handheld until a threat is identified to avoid any "misunderstanding " with any good guy.
Disproving bumper-sticker slogans often takes way more words than would fit on another bumper sticker unfortunately. This is true of just about any unfounded bumber-sticker argument.

The argument "I would just shoot the light" misses so much other nuance that "nu uh, you would be blind!" really is not an effective rebuttal. I think a few paragraphs summary is a suitable compromise. At least I did not flip back through the thread to pull out all the citations. I probably could have inflated my word count by double if I did that :s0140:

But we probably can get another 10 pages out of this either way, and that should set us up perfectly for the next occasionally active member to come along and go "wots all this now?" again. This thread will live forever.
 
But we probably can get another 10 pages out of this either way, and that should set us up perfectly for the next occasionally active member to come along and go "wots all this now?" again. This thread will live forever.
Picard_Let this thread die.png
 
Disproving bumper-sticker slogans often takes way more words than would fit on another bumper sticker unfortunately. This is true of just about any unfounded bumber-sticker argument.

The argument "I would just shoot the light" misses so much other nuance that "nu uh, you would be blind!" really is not an effective rebuttal. I think a few paragraphs summary is a suitable compromise. At least I did not flip back through the thread to pull out all the citations. I probably could have inflated my word count by double if I did that :s0140:

But we probably can get another 10 pages out of this either way, and that should set us up perfectly for the next occasionally active member to come along and go "wots all this now?" again. This thread will live forever.
Im glad you took the time, its a good explanation. Discussion is what forums are for so the next guy can just be hotlinked to your explanation above.
 

Upcoming Events

Roseburg Rod and Gun Club Gun Show
  • Roseburg, OR
Redmond Gun Show
  • Redmond, OR

New Classified Ads

Back Top