Poll: Weapon light on a pistol

[whphel]

No WAY!!!

The OP is talking about inside the house for a nightstand. In other words, home defense and at night.

1. The dogs and alarm wake me.

2. The dogs tell me where the threat is.

3. My eyes are adjusted to the dark.

4. We have soft night lights throughout, plugged into wall sockets. Our bedroom is wired so that I can flip a switch and turn the hall light on - 3 way switch. He's going to find himself flooded with light, back and front lighted and staring into a dark bedroom.

5. I know where the threat is but he doesn't know where I am. If he appears, I can see him but he hasn't seen me yet.

6. There's no way I'm turning on a flashlight and giving my position away. NO way.

7. He dies.

8. And the rest of us live happily ever after.

You are in your space which he has invaded. He is the confused stranger and therefore the loser. You have the choice to prepare yourself and your surroundings to benefit you and disable his senses.

$.02

+10

 

[RAWII]

I need all the help I can get to see in the dark. Light all the way.

 

[Gunner3456]

I really don't mean to be rude, but your comments are sounding off your lack of formal training like an air horn.

Lights are a great tool when used correctly.

I wonder what would happen if someone broke into your house VIA a window, the attic, etc. I would love to try some force-on-force in your home, if you feel that you're correct so strongly. Our insurance will cover you medically if you get injured, and up to a certain amount (More than we'd ever use) for damaged property. We can use Airsoft so the risk is lower than Simunition.

OK, folks keep posting to this thread which keeps bringing me back to it.

You know, the more I read this quoted comment, the more dumbfounded I become. You're an "expert" and yet you'd make those comments without first seeing the obstacle? To me that shows your lack of training "like an air horn." Where do you get the nerve? You suggest an attic attack, of all things, which I suppose defeats the alarms (plural) and the dogs?

Do you realize that the 70' gutter you see across the front is 22' in the air due to high room ceilings, second floor framing, and foundation stem walls? Do you realize that the bottom of those windows on the second floor are 14 feet in the air and the tops of them 19'? Do you realize the the bottoms of the 3rd story windows are are 23' in the air and leave you NO where to stand on the roof to break into them - a deliberate design? Do you realize how many lights and alarms not counting the dogs you'd set off just approaching the house? Do you have any idea what surprises are in that one and only room with a first floor window other than the steel commercial door I already told you about? It swings inward to the room making it harder to break.

Do you have any idea how the motion sensors work inside the house, or what they activate? Do you have any idea on which floor my bedroom is or where on that floor it is? Do you have any idea what booby traps I may have designed for you which are solenoid operated?

You can say:

I really don't mean to be rude, but your comments are sounding off your lack of formal training like an air horn.

But I think that statement made with an utter lack of knowledge of the target sounds off a lack of common sense and proper training "like an air horn." I believe that if you try my house, you're dead and I don't care how good you think you are.

I believe that after all the time and expense I put into hardening this house, that your cavalier comment is totally naive.

I'm sure you're a nice guy and I'll bet if we met we'd be friends, but right now I feel somewhat put down after all the money and effort I put into this. I may be the only one on this forum, or at least the only one who's mentioned it, who actually put the time and effort into building a "reasonably" hardened home which even has an inexhaustible, no power needed, potable water supply.

$.02

 

[Gunner3456]

I really don't mean to be rude, but your comments are sounding off your lack of formal training like an air horn.

Lights are a great tool when used correctly.

I wonder what would happen if someone broke into your house VIA a window, the attic, etc. I would love to try some force-on-force in your home, if you feel that you're correct so strongly. Our insurance will cover you medically if you get injured, and up to a certain amount (More than we'd ever use) for damaged property. We can use Airsoft so the risk is lower than Simunition.

Friend, you're looking at a million dollar+ home with $100k+ in defensive and survival equipment, designed from the ground up for survival. How much of your insurance do you want to spend?

I'm particularly thinking of your life insurance.

Dang, it's too bad I'm not sleeping well tonight. I keep hearing zombies.

PS The wide angle camera lens causes the pickup to look larger and the house to look (pushed back) smaller than it is due to perspective. That house is tall and intimidating when standing on the ground next to it looking up. It's 36' to the ridge pole.

Please look at the red front door, and compare its height to the additional distance on up to the bottom of the windows. That distance is about the same as the height of the door, and the bottom of the door is more than a foot off the ground.

There is no window directly over the porch roof. That's deliberate too.

 

[Will]

If a mounted flashlight is such a good idea then why don't LEO's carry that way? Just something to consider ...

Most tactical/SWAT LEO officers do carry that way. The average LEO may not due to training or need. The average officer is pulling over a car or responding to a complaint where point his firearm and light at the same time would seem excessive. An officer deployed to a high risk entry often has a light attached to his firearm. I expect responding to a bump in the night at your home is about the same. I guess much depends on personal perference, all the same the light attached to your firearm wasn't developed for the common man add on market, it has proven a truly usefull tool for the military and LEO. If you don't consider them of value it's your choice. For me I like the advantage, one tool to protect and if needed light up the shadows all in one hand.

 

[sillyrabbit]

Gunner3456............
You're right on the money for my $.02 worth

 

[Will]

Something I added to my night stand is the spare remote for my truck. It's always parked in the driveway so hitting the panic button would distract/distress the intruder and at best bother the neighbors and get there attention.

 

[gunnoob75]

If you read back, I said nothing about dogs and whatnot. I posted against situating lights to illuminate a particular area in your house, while having no alternative lighting source on your person.

As far as insurance covering that much money, we wouldn't damage that much stuff.

 

[Gunner3456]

Gunner3456............
You're right on the money for my $.02 worth

Thanks. Note that he offers to do an attic attack and next note that the house has no attic!!!!!! It has soffit and ridge vents for the rafters, period.

I'm sure Wakejoe is a nice guy and I hope to meet him and shake hands over this.

Something I added to my night stand is the spare remote for my truck. It's always parked in the driveway so hitting the panic button would distract/distress the intruder and at best bother the neighbors and get there attention.

That's a GREAT idea. Done! I truly believe in distractions; a magician's favorite weapon
called "misdirection."

That's the opposite of a light on your gun in your own home, on your own turf.

 

[gunnoob75]

Secondly, I don't remember offering to do an "attic attack". I do, however, remember using it to aid my point.

"If all your lights point over here, what happens when you need to go over there?" <-- General idea.

 

[Gunner3456]

If you read back, I said nothing about dogs and whatnot. I posted against situating lights to illuminate a particular area in your house, while having no alternative lighting source on your person.

As far as insurance covering that much money, we wouldn't damage that much stuff.

Originally Posted by wakejoe -snip-

I wonder what would happen if someone broke into your house VIA a window, the attic, etc.

I covered the window issues, as much as I'm willing. You don't like them already, trust me.

I just want to see you break in through a non-existent attic.

You would do so much monetary damage to that house you'd be shocked. It "lives," and it will damage itself cosmetically as it damages you, and that's as much as I'm going to give away.

I still think you need to scout your territory before you volunteer an attack.

I still wanna be friends.

 

[gunnoob75]

You're taking things too personally. I used Windows and Attics as an EXAMPLE.

"If all your lights are facing over here, what happens when you need to go over there?" <-- Read this.

I haven't questioned anything about your dogs, or windows, or attics, or whatever. Simply voiced my opinion on not using a flash light of any kind. Threat assessment is part of what my organization does. And I was more than willing to donate our time to show you.

You took my Attic quote out of context. That's your own problem, friend.

You're looking for an argument that I'm not giving...

 

[Spray-n-pray]

Wow guys! I never thought my question would prompt so much controversy. Gunner, I understand your point, and agree with you to an extent, but since I can't afford a $1million hardened home, I guess I will have to settle for a $100 weapon light. Your house does sound rather fascinating though.

 

[Gunner3456]

Not to be the bringer of bad safety measures, but I get muzzle swept all the time.

Still standing.

You won't need to be "muzzle swept" in this house. You won't make it that far. The house "lives."

Rigging the lights in the house thing is a bad idea. If you have all the lights in your house focused on one area, what happens when the fight moves somewhere else?

I'm not moving. I have my spot. You have to thread the maze to me and you won't survive it.

Let's say the BG somehow makes it past you and down the hall. You have now have no flashlight. Great plan!

Never happen. You don't know my layout, and you keep shocking me with false presumptions. Those can get a guy killed. Aren't you an expert?

Also, you keep assuming I have no flashlight. I have led flashlights stashed all around. I just don't believe I'll need to use it on my turf, and I don't recommend it in my situation. I recommend that everyone rig his own space to his own advantage, including lighting with battery backup, sensors and remotes.

You're taking things too personaly. I used Windows and Attics as an EXAMPLE.

I'm not taking it personally. I'm just trying to set you straight.

"If all your lights are facing over here, what happens when you need to go over there?" <-- Read this.

I already said I'm not "going over there." You have to come to me and you won't survive the attempt. <-- Read this.

I haven't questioned anything about your dogs, or windows, or attics, or whatever. Simply voiced my opinion on not using a flash light of any kind. Threat assessment is part of what my organization does.

You haven't been very good at assessing my "threat" - my house. You still don't have any idea what it can do to you.

And I was more than willing to donate our time to show you.

No thanks. First, my system is personal, private, and expensive. You'd do too much damage to my home and yourself with knee-jerk false assumptions, too.

You took my Attic quote out of context. That's your own problem, friend.

Your problem, friend, is jumping to conclusions. You simply had no clue what you were dealing with when you made the boast. I suspect you were picturing some typical residential structure instead of a building where the bottom of most of the windows are higher than the roof ridge of many single story homes, and which windows are very dangerous to you. I also don't think you realized that maybe someone, just someone, was ready for you.

 

[Gunner3456]

Wow guys! I never thought my question would prompt so much controversy. Gunner, I understand your point, and agree with you to an extent, but since I can't afford a $1million hardened home, I guess I will have to settle for a $100 weapon light. Your house does sound rather fascinating though.

Thanks. It is very interesting. I spent more on consulting for defense, hardening and survival than I did for the land which I bought many, many years ago.

 

[Gunner3456]

Wow guys! I never thought my question would prompt so much controversy. Gunner, I understand your point, and agree with you to an extent, but since I can't afford a $1million hardened home, I guess I will have to settle for a $100 weapon light. Your house does sound rather fascinating though.

Ya know, Spray-n-pray, I appreciate the respectful comments and I have some for you if you don't mind.

The consultants I hired convinced me of something, and that something is why I have so much disagreement in this thread. There's something you can do.

Places such as Lowes, etc., sell inexpensive motion sensors for lamps, overhead lights, even switches. That's for indoor and outdoor lights. Most of those have a function where you can leave all of the lights set at night to come on with motion and stay on for a period of minutes. Now, if anyone moves through the house, the lights follow along with him. That's not the system I have, but it would work.

Also those lights have a function which will allow you to turn them on during the day if you wish. That's often double-pumping the light switch, but the directions come with them.

I got convinced that bright lights which follow an intruder have three important advantages for you. First, they keep him in the bright light and you in the dark so you see him and he can't see you. Second, it causes his eyes to adjust to light while yours stay adjusted to dark. Third, the lights alone might (or might not) cause him to flee. At the very least, he won't feel as if he's "sneaking around in a dark house." He'll feel as if he has company, psychologically.

If he's drugged up and the lights don't cause him to leave, you can always blow him back to where he came from if you need to.

The best to you.

Cliff

 

[gunnoob75]

You're still not getting it...

You're trying so hard to paint me like I'm telling you that your house fails at everything, and I'm not. You took that even one step further with the muzzle-swept quote. That had nothing to do with you. Just me saying that being muzzle swept isn't the end of the world.

I don't know how many different ways I can say that.

All of these "Presumptions" you think I'm making really have nothing to do with you or your house. Just hypothetical questions and scenarios.

 

[stepdad]

I've got a G21 with a tac-light and love it. I live in the boonies and it's nice to have a strong light with my weapon. Stray bullets land harmlessly in the farmers field. It's all out war where I live and I'm on my own. Cops will show up in thirty minutes or longer. Local police have no factor in my staying alive.

~John

 

[Gunner3456]

-snip-

All of these "Presumptions" you think I'm making really have nothing to do with you or your house. Just hypothetical questions and scenarios.

You offered to take on me and my house. What do you mean they "have nothing to do with you or your house." That's totally contradictory and patently false.


"He who dares to teach must never cease to learn." -John Dana

 

[gunnoob75]

What unwillingness to be wrong?

What have I said that will get someone killed?

I haven't told you how to do anything. I haven't said how your dogs suck, or your alarms suck.

YOU told me that barking dogs and flashing lights would disorient me. I said no, I don't think it would.

I did not, anywhere, get in your face and tell you your system wouldn't stop anyone. I didn't say anywhere that what you had was a bad system. All I said was if you need to go somewhere dark, and you don't have a light, then you failed. That if you're giving away your position by flashing around a light, then you don't know how to use the light. I am, or was, more than willing to demonstrate this for you. At a cost from my own pocket.

Back off, hot shot. You're taking a lot of things out of context.