Gun mounted lights

**ERMedic** · December 22nd, 2012, 04:48 AM

Originally Posted by mongo

They sell all kinds of lights to put on your firearm, big ones, small ones, flashing ones, but they all have one thing in common, they are mounted on the firearm that you are holding right in front of you. Just the nice target for the bad guy to shoot at. I once saw FBI practicing night fireing at a range some time ago. They all had regular flashlights, holding them in there right or left hands, held out far to the side, and using there handguns with night sights. Makes you wonder. Do I really want to have a light on my gun?

The FBI has apparently done studies on this. They don't allow most agents to do this due to safety reasons. When an agent/officer/armed citizen puts his weapon light on he will obviously give away his position and silhouette themselves. When you have the gun pointed and weapon light on, where is it? In front of your face, and the bad guy will shoot to where the weapon light is. So the FBI believes the armed bad guy would shoot for your head.

**Brudog** · December 22nd, 2012, 12:55 PM

I often wondered about this myself. I looked at it this way. If am armed intruder had a light on his gun in pitch darkness he would be very easy to fire a short burst at him by aiming toward the light.

Even if his light was not directly in front of him the odds of hitting him would increase dramatically since I can now determine his position.

As of yet I have not added a light but have thought about it in both directions. Just haven't convinced myself yet.

**Mad Scientist** · December 22nd, 2012, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by filgun11

You're discounting that fact that if you have it mounted, it frees up your other hand. Free to brace for support... Free to hold another magazine. etc.

I'm not saying one is better than the other...

Ask my son what it's like to fly.

I got a light / laser weapon-mounted combo just so I could wrangle children with my off hand... Turns out I was right. Some flying debris in a windstorm broke one of our storm windows. I was out of bed with weapon in hand at the top of the steps within seconds. My son decided he should also check out the sound that woke him up. Without ever taking my eyes off the bottom of the steps and the red dot wandering around down there, I picked him up and (literally) threw him back into his room with my free hand. Adrenaline is a hell of a thing.

**bman1187** · December 22nd, 2012, 09:12 PM

A light mounted on a gun is a target. JMO

**rwb1500** · December 22nd, 2012, 11:28 PM

Ideally you should use a weapon mounted light in conjunction with a handheld one. They both have strengths and weaknesses.

The OP didn't ask anyones opinion on that though.

Buy an X300. For the cash (and it's a lot) it's the best. Tisn't cheap though.