[HiLightTactical]

Are mounted flashlights or laser sight attachments worth the investment?

 

[Square target]

If you buy a good one yes but i would avoid the cheaper ones who won't even pay for advertising.

 

[Coalcracker]

The OP is inadvertently advertising. His nick is a URL that sells lights.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

I don't think it's "inadvertent", I think it's quite deliberate.

 

[Speed]

I hear and agree with you BUT at this point they have not violated any forum rules. When and if that happens one of the mods will surely let them know.

On a side note. Thank you for using the report button.

 

[Some_Mook]

Lasers are a good way to have fun with cats. Flashlights are good to have when it's too dark to see what you want to see, but if you have your flashlight attached to the front of your firearm and use it to see what it was too dark to see clearly before you turned the flashlight on, you are, by default, pointing a weapon at something / someone that you have not yet clearly identified as a legitimate target.

 

[m5215]

Are mounted flashlights or laser sight attachments worth the investment?

In my opinion absolutely not. I don't like trinkets and gadgets hanging off of my pistol.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

I can think of a reason for a flashlight. Let's say things have gone berserk, and the invaders have entered your trailer park. Power is out, no moon. You're stumbling over sewage vents, sprinkler heads, etc. You turn on your light for just a second to see what hazards are in front of you. I have a green light on my AR, it's not real bright, it won't light up the whole park, and the green light is more subdued than a white light. I can think of a scenario where a laser might be beneficial too. If you're being shot at, it might be easier to light them up with a laser from the hip while returning fire. I think they can both be useful in very specific situations. But I've never been in those situations, so I'm just guessing. Just in case, I got both, cheap stuff that works. The light was $36, and the laser I've had for years, I think it was $15. They work, that's all I require.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

Like this.

 

[Speed]

I have one gun that has a flashlight on it. My 18" 870 Tactical.
Otherwise, I am not a fan of flashlights and lasers. My nightstand gun has a Surefire E2L next to it.

 

[RZR6-4]

Lasers are a good way to have fun with cats. Flashlights are good to have when it's too dark to see what you want to see, but if you have your flashlight attached to the front of your firearm and use it to see what it was too dark to see clearly before you turned the flashlight on, you are, by default, pointing a weapon at something / someone that you have not yet clearly identified as a legitimate target.

A light with a wide enough beam will allow you to identify something without pointing right at it.

On another note, I would rather take the chance of inadvertently pointing at something I shouldn't have than be walking around with a loaded gun in my hands not having any idea where I am or what is in front of me.

 

[deputy]

to each his own.......and his own set of circumstances....
i have attached a light on a handgun for a few select moments in time as an leo.......it came in real handy when i needed it as an attachment and needed a free hand as i was by myself. Those times were far and few. So the over-whelming majority of the time the gun light was carried on the belt till it was needed.......and was a dandy hand held compact flashlight way more often than as an attached gun light......as such it was a heck of a good tool.......but more often as a flashlight.....

 

[LimaCharlie]

I am retired and rarely go out after dark. I don't clear buildings. I see no reason for a weapon mounted flashlight.

I bought lasers for my carry guns several years ago. I find I tend to look for the dot rather than the front sight when I practice. I got rid of them.

My carry guns do have night sights for low level light use. I have multiple flashlights available throughout the house and two or three in each vehicle.

 

[jmf552]

One of the best shooting classes I have ever taken was called "Advanced Low Light." Some really cool things about it were we were out on the range floor, not in shooting stations and they turned the blowers off so we could see the visual effects of gunsmoke, which is quite disorienting when you first encounter it in the dark with a flashlight. It is like a thick fog.

Also, at one point we got down to shooting in complete darkness with no flashlight. Think that shooting scene near the end of "Silence of the Lambs." The RSO had to wear NVGs and only one shooter could be hot at a time and the RSO stood right behind the shooter. At one point, we had to engage a moving target in zero light. Basically, your first muzzle flash gave you your only illumination and you had to figure your next shots off of that.

My equipment choices based on my experience in that course:

• Gun mounted lights give your opponent something to aim at and another small motor thing to manipulate besides the trigger. I don't like them.
• A good handheld flashlight is my way to go. It has to be a rear switch, press on, release off. You basically flash it on for a micro-second, get a picture, light off and move. Then repeat as necessary. We were taught all the major flashlight holds in conjunction with a handgun. Those are really useful to learn.
• A flashlight that is too powerful is not a good thing in really low light. It is disorienting.
• Lasers did not help me much. In gunsmoke they look like a Star Wars light saber. Also disorienting.
• Night sights are really, really useful. When you can't even see your gun, you kind of want to know where it's pointing.

So my set up for night is tritium night sights and good small flashlight. Nothing else.

For a long gun, I would go with a gun mounted light with a very well placed switch and a red dot sight.

 

[Nod]

I have a flashlight with green lens mounted on my PCP rifle for shooting rabbits in the dark of Winter. Works perfectly !