Do I need a weapon light?

[sobo]

because if you have to identify a "bump in the night" and there's a chance it's a family member, you probably don't want to point a loaded gun at them to identify them.

Most trainers will teach you to ID an unknown presence by activating a WML at low-ready for just this reason. It is in keeping with Firearms Safety Rule #2.
With the WMLs of today, practically a particle-beam weapon in and of itself, at low-ready that's plenty of light to ID friend or foe in the dark.

 

[American123]

If you carry and/or if you keep a gun for defense, you need a light. Whether it's mounted to the gun or handheld is a personal choice. And if you do have it mounted to the gun, you may still need a handheld...because if you have to identify a "bump in the night" and there's a chance it's a family member, you probably don't want to point a loaded gun at them to identify them. YMMV

With the above said, make absolutely sure you can find a holster to fit your gun/light combination BEFORE you buy the light. There are tons of lights on the market these days. But as you move away from Surefire and Streamlight, finding a holster for it can be an increasingly difficult proposition.

Not saying a off weapon light isn'y useful, but any WML worth using has more than enough spill to identify a person even without point the gun at them. A TLR1 HL putting out 800 lumens will light up a whole room no matter what direction it is pointed in. That all being said, I carry a off weapon light, and still have a light on my daily carry, used the off body light many times, so far thankfully haven't needed the WML.

 

[leadcounsel]

For a night stand bedside or house gun, absolutely yes. You probably spend a lot of time at home, most of it in the hours of darkness. And for obvious reasons a light on the gun is probably critical. The bulk is irrelevant, and you don't even need a special holster. I have lights on most of my HD guns; shotguns, handguns, rifles...

For a carry gun, it depends. The drawback is the added cost of a dedicated holster for EVERY gun you carry. So if you are like me and rotate thru guns based on seasons or dress, several holsters are needed. And you have to swap the light to the gun often. A real hassle. And there's the added bulk and weight which cuts against concealment. And then there's brandishing to use a light.

Lights are $50-100. Holsters are minimum $20, and easily $100 for real quality. So even just 1 dedicated carry gun light and holster is not cheap. I suppose you could constantly rotate between bedside gun light to carry gun, but what a hassle that would be.

Now all of that might be necessary if you spend a lot of time in public in the dark, at night, in dark areas, or have to spend a lot of time in warehouses, alleyways, big buildings, basements, vacant houses (like being a home inspector), parking lots at night or in darkness. If I had to work in urban areas at night, and/or traveled regularly at night, or found myself deep inside buildings with no natural lighting, I'd probably get a carry gun light and carry a redundant flashlight.

But for me, I rarely go out at night anymore and the rare occasion, I just bring a nice flashlight. A quality flashlight is $30. Not very practical to find your seat in a movie theater by drawing your gun... The advantage of a flashlight is that you can shine a light without drawing a firearm. Drawing a firearm can be viewed as an offensive gesture and threat. You could literally get shot for threatening someone by drawing a gun to shine a light. And since I already might carry a flashlight then it's just redundant and needless cost and bulk.

 

[The Heretic]

I have the strange worry about trying to grab it half asleep, so I like a trigger guard. Maybe one of those string ones for at night.

I have RSBD - I talk and sometimes thrash, kick and strike in my sleep because I am not 'paralyzed' during my sleep like most people. I do not sleep walk and in order to get out of bed I must be awake.

So I do not have a handgun where I can reach it when I am asleep.

 

[The Heretic]

And if you do have it mounted to the gun, you may still need a handheld...because if you have to identify a "bump in the night" and there's a chance it's a family member, you probably don't want to point a loaded gun at them to identify them.

I live by myself.

But I have several small powerful LED flashlights I can and do clip to the bill of a ballcap in addition to a WML.

One of my WMLs - a Surefire X300 has a diffuser filter I put over the light which provides a much more even illumination over the light it casts - I recommend these if possible (they only come in certain sizes) - but all of my WMLs cast a fairly wide beam. My OLight Javelot is a large hand flashlight and it too has a diffuser - it casts a beam of about 170* out to over 100 meters - much more without the diffuser.

 

[Alexx1401]

Most trainers will teach you to ID an unknown presence by activating a WML at low-ready for just this reason. It is in keeping with Firearms Safety Rule #2.
With the WMLs of today, practically a particle-beam weapon in and of itself, at low-ready that's plenty of light to ID friend or foe in the dark.

I was going to say this same thing. Even the rather small light / laser deals I use give lots of light. In a room dark enough to not be able to see who is there all I need to do is turn the light on, gun pointed down, I can see everything in front of me clearly. LED lighting made all lights so far better than things were before they came on line.

 

[No_Regerts]

All my HD guns have lights. Even thoughI almost always have a flashlight in me, sometimes they walk away and don't get put back where they were found.

In the winter, I edc with a weapon light because I can dress around it and I go to work and come home in the dark. If I go out at night, I carry bigger guns with lights. I'm not as concerned with printing at night.

 

[American123]

I have RSBD - I talk and sometimes thrash, kick and strike in my sleep because I am not 'paralyzed' during my sleep like most people. I do not sleep walk and in order to get out of bed I must be awake.

So I do not have a handgun where I can reach it when I am asleep.

I had a strange experience one time of waling up to the carry piece out of the holster, the magazine out of the gun and the chambered round sitting next to the gun and the magazine. To this day I wonder how that happened.

 

[Certaindeaf]

One weapon light to rule them all!,

 

[DangerDog]

I'm of the opinion there's no excuse not to have a light on your weapon system. Unless you're carrying a revolver or something for some reason. Still should have a light on you regardless. Situations can happen day AND night.

I got my G27 in 2011 and always carried it without a light until December last year when I discovered the Streamlight TLR-6. I was so happy.

 

[andreys21]

There are holsters that work for both; light or no light.

 

[titsonritz]

I have lights for my G19s, 870, 1301, ARs and AKs, pretty much anything I'd use to "repel boarders". With things being stupid concerning weapons purchases and my once archaic lights I've been making a point to upgrade.

 

[BrandonQuixote]

If it can bear a light, put the best one money can buy on it.

 

[SHOOTZMEDLER]

I have lights on majority of my firearms and of those, all my HD have lights as does my EDC.

 

[The Heretic]

I had a strange experience one time of waling up to the carry piece out of the holster, the magazine out of the gun and the chambered round sitting next to the gun and the magazine. To this day I wonder how that happened.

I seriously recommend that you put any firearm, or anything you could use to harm yourself or someone else, out of your immediate reach while sleeping.

I usually remember doing these things as I usually wake up afterwards, but I have answered the phone while asleep and had a conversation with someone, and not remembered it later.

 

[The Heretic]

I'm of the opinion there's no excuse not to have a light on your weapon system. Unless you're carrying a revolver or something for some reason.

 

[44s rock]

Don't have a light attached to any of my SD weapons, do not want to be pointing a loaded weapon just to search in the dark, too much chance for an accidental shot!

 

[The Heretic]

One weapon light to rule them all!,

 

[PNWPrepper]

In my opinion, if it's a firearm that you might have to use in a defensive situation, it needs a light. And if it doesn't have a light you need to carry one. Also in my experience, I lose my multi tools and flashlights way too often. I don't lose my gun, so I just keep a light on my gun to keep it simple.

 

[The Heretic]

Don't have a light attached to any of my SD weapons, do not want to be pointing a loaded weapon just to search in the dark, too much chance for an accidental shot!

Issue already raised and answered