Weapon Light vs Weapon Light/Laser?

[NJGF 375]

Weapon light/laser combinations have much lower light output than just a weapon light.

 

For example:

170 lumens for the Surefire LED Handgun Weapon Light with Laser

500 lumens for the SureFire X300 Ultra Weapon Light

 

For a nightstand pistol, do you all have weapon lights, lasers, or combination ones and why?

[MidwestPX 172]

Light only on all my guns.  In my experience, lasers are helpful in two situations: shooting a moving target and in conjunction with night-vision.

[Clintoon Eastwood 2]

I was never a fan with lasers

[Shawnmoore81 623]

I went with a laser onto carry piece and a light on my battle rifle. Not a big fan of the combo ones.

[checko 180]

Light only.  Lasers work both ways. 

[High Exposure 5,674]

I have a dedicated white light on every gun I own that is designated to be used for "social" purposes and has the ability to mount a WML. The brighter the better - I have 300Us on all of my pistols and Furies on my long guns. I am eagerly waiting for Surefire to release an Ultra head for the M600C to upgrade the 2 I have.

 

I do not like lasers on any gun unless I am using NODs.

[maintenanceguy 510]

No lights, no lasers for me.  I know my home, even in the dark.  I want the advantage.  If I'm walking around in the dark with a beacon, I go from having an advantage to being an easy to hit target.

[checko 180]

No lights, no lasers for me. I know my home, even in the dark. I want the advantage. If I'm walking around in the dark with a beacon, I go from having an advantage to being an easy to hit target.

Its not just to see where your walking. Helps threat identification and disorienting a potential target.

[High Exposure 5,674]

I know my home, even in the dark. I want the advantage. If I'm walking around in the dark with a beacon, I go from having an advantage to being an easy to hit target.

The light has nothing to do with navigating your home. The advantage is being able to acquire and ID a threat so you can process it faster. Is that a knife, a badge, a cellphone or a gun in the unknowns hand? Is it a stranger or your neighbors kids, or a family member up for a late night snack?

 

If, after IDing your unknown a "Shoot" solution happens to be the correct answer, then the light on your gun is a force multiplier - it allows you to keep both hands on the gun while you aim and fire (I do t know a out you, but I am much faster and more accurate with two hands on the gun), keeps the light oriented with the sights, and lets you use your support hand for other tasks if necessary - open a door, use a phone, carry a child. The light allows you to know if your "intervention" worked. Without being able to see, how do you know if you hit? Considering that most people that are shot with a handgun die of old age, if you did hit, how do you know if it worked? Are they down? Are they staying down? If you cant see how do you know?

 

As far as being a "beacon" would you do you do during daylight encounters to avoid drawing fire? What cloak of invisibility protects you from being seen or engaged by a threat during the daytime or in well lit areas? The answer is that there isn't. YOU are the beacon, not the light - otherwise good guys would only get shot during the day. Bottom Line: You need to see in order to win a gunfight. You need light to see. You need enough light to see well enough to quickly ID and process a threat or unknown. That light may have some disadvantages if not used correctly - but, like everything else in life, there is no free lunch.

 

If you don’t want to get shot, don’t go looking for a gunfight.

[bhunted 887]

With that logic, hope you don't shoot a loved one or friendly... HE, help! Man overboard. ;)Dang, HE got here in time! Whew!

 

No lights, no lasers for me. I know my home, even in the dark. I want the advantage. If I'm walking around in the dark with a beacon, I go from having an advantage to being an easy to hit target.

Sent from John's iPad 2 via Tapatalk HDTypos courtesy Apple...

[bhunted 887]

..opps... Nm...

 

 

Sent from John's iPad 2 via Tapatalk HD

Typos courtesy Apple...

[LorenzoS 100]

Surefire X300 on my pistol, plus a Surefire LX2 handheld.  For me, adding a laser on top of that would be more brainpower than I would be willing to spend at a very critical time.  Simplicity pays dividends when things get intense.

[NJGF 375]

Thanks for all of the replies. I am going to get a SureFire X300 Ultra.

[High Exposure 5,674]

Excellent choice!

 

If they make one for your platform, I strongly suggest picking up a Surefire DG switch as well. LAPolicegear.com usually has them on sale.

 

Good Luck!

[MidwestPX 172]

i actually just got a Viridian X5L to try out on my HD M&P Pro.  The reason why I decided to give it a go is because with the suppressor on it, you have to shoot through the can and while I'm reasonably accurate at typical HD engagement scenario ranges, I am curious if the laser will make me faster on target as well as more accurate.

[olderguy 0]

Glock light and lasermax internal on my G19 when at home.  I pull off the light when leaving the house and remove the laser after a couple of shots at the range so I don't run the chance of throwing it out of calibration.  If I need the weapon at home, I want every advantage.

[david8613 69]

I have a glock light laser combo, pretty nice unit being that you can control the brightness of the light, dim it some so as to not give away your position...

[MidwestPX 172]

I have a glock light laser combo, pretty nice unit being that you can control the brightness of the light, dim it some so as to not give away your position...

A dim weaponlight would be last thing I would want.  The great thing about illuminating a target with 150-600 lumens is it becomes impossible for the target to shoot back with any sort of aim because of the blinding amount of light being dumped in their face.  

[Blake 50]

A dim weaponlight would be last thing I would want.  The great thing about illuminating a target with 150-600 lumens is it becomes impossible for the target to shoot back with any sort of aim because of the blinding amount of light being dumped in their face.  

 

This is why I upgraded to the streamlight tlr-1hl.  I was worried I would be blinded even behind the light when I turned it on in complete darkness, but I did not lose focus when going from a total dark scenario to clearing my condo with the light.  As bright as it is any intruder it is pointed at will not be able to see clearly.  

 

I had a tlr-2 and sold it bc I did not find the laser to be very helpful.  

[NJGF 375]

So I looked around and found the Streamlight TLR-2 HL which outputs 630 lumens and has a red laser. Any comments about this one?

[High Exposure 5,674]

I like the reported brightness, but I am not Streamlight/Insight fan.

 

I have had too many of their products go tits-up on me to recommend them. Their CS is great, but the best CS ever doesn't help me keep 24 lights on the road when they keep breaking. The best CS is high QC so you don't need CS in the first place, and here is where Streamlight seems to be lacking a bit.

 

I have been running 4 of them since they came out without a hiccup and am very happy with the product. I used SF CS once about a year ago, when the rail grabber on an 6 year old light broke. They took care of it immediately and upgraded me to an X300U at no cost and without me asking.

 

I was just given authorization to transition the whole Department to SF X300Us.