Oregon Shooter

Good question, and like most good questions, the answer is “it depends.”

With the advent of super compact and hardy flashlights (not to mention unbreakable LEDs) it didn’t take long for someone to make a mount for handguns and manufacturers to catch on that a “rail” was a good thing for selling their guns.

After all, they do look very tactical and just about everyone can justify buying a light (for some reason) considering they cost less than $200.00 these days for one off the top shelf.

Attaching a dedicated light to a handgun does have many PROs but it also has a fair amount of CONs depending on the situation, so let’s look at what situations you might want such a device.

Building Searches:

Anyone who has “cleared” (searched for a “Bad Guy” [BG] with gun drawn) a building at night knows that managing a gun, light, and opening doors is a dexterity test in it’s own right. 

Reaching out to open a door with light in hand sometimes ends in a seemingly ear shattering “THUD!” when turning the handle and the back side of your light hit’s the door.

Also the act of shooting with a light in one hand and gun in the other (no matter what system you use) is less than an optimal two-handed grip on the gun as far as speed, control, and retention of the handgun.

Attach the light to the gun and we eliminate two issues right off the bat, dexterity and ability to use the gun AND light while doing something else with your non-shooting hand.  We also gain a superior firing position by retaining our “daytime” two-handed grip if we need it.

Where The Light Goes The Gun Goes:

May sound obvious, but some people forget this simple idea and do not think through all the possible scenarios where you would want to light up another area than the one you are pointing your gun at.  You may not want to point your gun at anything but still need a light to check out that “bump” in the night.  If that bump is anything other than a (BG) then pointing a gun at it might not be a great idea, especially if it’s the wife come home unexpectantly.

No Hiding You Are Armed

With a light attached it’s hard not to give away the fact that you are armed.  Where a separate light can be used without drawing the gun out. 

I have drawn a gun very few times at night compared to the amount of times I was ready to draw and used my flashlight to ID what was troubling me.  The only time I can think of drawing and searching with a light intentionally was as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff during building searches and that was because I HAD to be there. 

NOTE: Searching a building alone is one of the most risky things you can do. Go slow and listen often if you can. This includes your house. Don’t rush unless you know a loved one is in danger!

Not Practical For EDC:

A light mounted on a handgun is about the hardest thing to conceal for daily wear and unless you live in an area that it’s cold 360 days of the year and wear a parka indoors, it’s not likely that you will carry this way for long if you decide to try it.

Some people opt for a belt carry device for the weapon light and a regular IWB/OWB holster for the gun, thinking this will solve all the problems of pointing guns with lights on them and not needing a huge holster for the gun/light combo.  Problem is that when you really need a light at night you will either have it out already or will not have time to get it out before the gun is drawn. so what have you gained?

Do They Have A Place At All?:

Yes.  On a dedicated “house gun” which may or may not be your EDC gun. 

My dedicated “house gun” is a 870 Remington Shotgun and it has a Surefire 318 forearm light mounted to it.  The only time the shotty goes to work though is when I know the house is compromised and then it is from a defensive position in the bedroom, not clearing the house.

Outside of that application I see no real need for them for the average CHL person, they are just not practical in that arena IMO.

UPDATE:  05/2009

I have started to carry my G17 with a TLR-1 weapon mounted light in a kydex IWB that I made myself. 

Unfortunately there are not many holster makers out there that make a concealable rig for a handgun/light combo.  A promising company called www.ravenconcealment.com” seems to be doing a good job, but at $100.00 and a 40 day wait period (as of May 2009) I was could not drop the coin.  I bought my own kydex from www.knifekits.com” for less than $20.00 and made a holster based on the Raven design.

I’m happy to report that the IWB is most comfortable and I have been concealing it with no problems under a lightweight “trail shirt” in 80deg weather for several weeks now.

Being able to carry with a light attached solves the biggest issue of shooting at night which is a solid shooting grip.  Having a gun mounted light makes followup shots a piece of cake and with a good holster there is very little given away in the concealment area. 

I do carry a SureFire 6P or Fenix LED light also as a back up and for ID when a threat has yet to be determined.  My SOP is to drop the 6P on the draw and light with the TLR-1 on the gun. 

Considering that most defensive situations are at night and the victim is likely at an initiative deficit when the fight starts, having a light drawn with the gun (and one handed if need be) provides a huge time/task benefit over a separate light or no light deployment.  Shooting two handed with a weapon mounted light is “light years” (pun intended) ahead of any combo technique for speed and accuracy. 

For these reasons, I now feel that a weapon mounted light on an CCW is worth every ounce and trade off IF you can conceal it.