flashlight for home defense?

[vash]

you guys like the flashlights mounted on the gun? or do you use a separate torch?

my brother told me of a dallas cop that is in the hot seat because he shot a guy thinking he was simply turning on the light. pushed the wrong button i guess. my brother has a light on his work glock. seems more difficult to shoot without turning on the light. that button is sensitive.

i am surprised that there are definite techniques needed to work both tools at once. i need to practice a few.

[jyl]

Identify your defensive position(s) in the house at night. Assess the field of fire, what an intruder will be able to see with the lights off and what you will be able to see. Arrange light sources and to reduce former and increase latter. Install low mounted wall switch to turn on blinding lights to transfix intruder. Install deadbolt on bedroom door. Install telephone in bedroom. Close door. Lock door. Call 911. Prowling around a dark house juggling gun and flashlight is really a very last resort.

[Jagshund]

tac lights work both ways.

[masraum]

Does the flashlight fire laser beams?

THAT would make a GREAT home defense flashlight.

[Gogar]

Flashlight says "I'm over here!"

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Gogar

Flashlight says "I'm over here!"

Yeah, that's why you need the laser beams.

Or, if you've got a handful of ferrets and flashlights, you could really screw with the badies!

[Rick Lee]

I bought one of these for a rifle I was going to build.



But I fell so in love with it as a flashlight, I never bothered to put it on the rifle. It's 700 lumens, has a laser sight and strobe button. It's blinding bright. On my under-the-bed Mossberg I have a Surefire LED G2 with a pressure switch. For everything else I have night sights on my grab guns.

[HardDrive]

I've always assumed that my muzzle flash would provide sufficient clarity to all involved.

[RANDY P]

you better make sure you land a good shot cuz once that blast goes you aren't gonna see anything for a few seconds. Bright.

rjp

[Paul K]

Originally Posted by masraum

Does the flashlight fire laser beams?

THAT would make a GREAT home defense flashlight.

I have a Hellfire Underboss on my AR. little touch-operated switch on the foregrip. Has the option of flashlight, laser or both.



Paid $100 for it on GunBroker.com

Cheers,

Paul.

[Rick V]

Originally Posted by Gogar

Flashlight says "I'm over here!"

Yup, remember, tracers work both ways.
Your home, your turf, you should be able to navigate it without the use of lights. On the very rare occasion that I feel I need to get up to investigate something, I turn the outside lights OFF. That alone is a message to the bad guy that someone is up and looking. My family knows this is the time to say "Rick, it's just me"

[Porsche-O-Phile]

+1 to what jyl said.

The best thing (from your point of view) and worst thing (from an intruder's point of view) is to be in an unfamiliar setting with very limited view looking at a lot of dark corners and/or obstacles/obstructions and hearing a loud and authorative "FREEZE AND DON'T MOVE!" followed by the sound of a shotgun racking - not entirely sure which of those dark corners it's coming from...

"Tactical" gear? Pfft. No substitute for good planning, good practice, situational awareness and knowing your settings and the capabilities of your enemy (i.e. what they can/can't see, etc.)

Sun Tsu was right.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

"Tactical" gear? Pfft. No substitute for good planning, good practice, situational awareness and knowing your settings and the capabilities of your enemy (i.e. what they can/can't see, etc.)

Sun Tsu was right.

Concur. How many of you guys have fire extinguishers throughout your house? I have one near each grab gun.

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by vash

I am surprised that there are definite techniques needed to work both tools at once. i need to practice a few.

Yep, there are techniques for both, and several "variations" for the handheld torch. Both the gun-mounted and handhelds are supposed to be operated by the weak hand. However, you would be surprised at the number of people trying to operate the gun-mounted lights with their strong hand (and subsequent number of AD's). Especially since most have ambi controls. On a pistol light, the best application IMO is the little "wingnut" lever, designed to be operated by the weak-hand thumb.

Uber-bright tac-lights can be very useful, or they can be a detriment (just like a gun). Get familiar with proper techniques for use in SHTF situations, including the concept/methods of light-discipline, and "shoot-move-communicate". Modern high-power lights can be effective disorientation devices as well. YMMV.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Concur. How many of you guys have fire extinguishers throughout your house? I have one near each grab gun.

This is exactly what the jewelry store owner did in his store. He had firearms stashed in various spots around the place.

Funny we mention fire extinguishers, someone shot one of his fire extinguishers, creating a smoke screen which also helped him. I've wondered if this might be a way help yourself. Maybe we need to create mini tactical CO2 "smoke" bombs. They won't do any damage to a house or possible create a fire like a real one. I'm not sure how much CO2 woud be needed for a serious smoke effect. Maybe one of the show guys could help here.

[vash]

hmmm...jason bourne wants his life back.