Super bright tactical light for home protection

[Chrisj CMA]

Ok, so.....Ive been wanting a tactical flashlight to inhance home protection.  I thought I could find a grip with a laser light in it for my pistols, but I guess they realy dont make them for all models, and mostly semi autos is what the are fitted for.  

So Ive been looking at hand held tactical lights in stores.  First of all I was not going to buy something made in China or anywhere else for that matter......US only.  

So in Cheaper than Dirt catalog (where I buy ammo now) THey had a cool light for 90 bucks.....kind of pricey.  But If its US made and as good as It looked it may be worth it.

I went to the actual website and they really only cost $62.  I snapped one up.............this will give me the power to blind an intruder before I have to decide to blow a huge hole in his body and make a big mess.  If deadly force is needed at least I will be able to see what I am shooting at.  

I cant wait to practice


http://www.surefire.com/6p-original

[bg]

I've got a surefire e2e, they sure are bright.
only issue i've found is they are not battery friendly.
they eat them up pretty fast.

[Chrisj CMA]

I've got a surefire e2e, they sure are bright.
only issue i've found is they are not battery friendly.
they eat them up pretty fast.

Yeah, I figured Id want the extra high output bulb in there, so I got a box of the batteries too.  THey last 10 years, so I should be ok for a while 

[fudgie]

Heck yea, shine it in their eyes and take a shot! 

[PAVALKER]

A few months ago I got a nice twin pack of Aluminum Tactical Flashlights at Costco.... for 30 bucks I believe.  They have a low/high and pulsating switch position... and are quite bright.  These are not quite the same ones I got in the store... but they are a twin pack....

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11500428&search=flashlight&Mo=10&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=flashlight&Ntt=flashlight&No=5&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1

[fudgie]

I think costco is anti gun. Them and Toys/Babies R Us will not get my money. 

[PAVALKER]

You might be right... I seem to recall hearing that, but didn't come across any concrete info about that (nor did I actually look for it).

Here is the light pack I got....  (as reviewed by someone else... not me).

Techlite Lumen Master: Tactical Light... Lite.	powered by Aeva

And I did get a twin pack for 15 bucks.... it was on sale (actually got 2 twin packs).

[Jess from VA]

This is mine.  I don't have anything fixed to a pistol, so this fits nicely in the off (left) hand in a two handed pistol grip.  Constant-on, but better is the momentary-on button in the rear of the lite.  Also a strobe to disorient.

Pitch dark, lite on, two in the head, light off..... move.  Repeat.  

These lites need to be kept with the house defense pistol.  

http://www.lapolicegear.com/surefire-z2-combat-tactical-flashlight.html

 

[Jeff K]

I have a couple of surefires, they are G2's, the first one had the bulb go dead before the first battery went dead, the second one I got is LED, it cost more but $20 bulbs are hard to swallow.

[PAVALKER]

This is mine.  I don't have anything fixed to a pistol, so this fits nicely in the off (left) hand in a two handed pistol grip.  Constant-on, but better is the momentary-on button in the rear of the lite.  Also a strobe to disorient.

Pitch dark, lite on, two in the head, light off..... move.  Repeat.  

These lites need to be kept with the house defense pistol.  

http://www.lapolicegear.com/surefire-z2-combat-tactical-flashlight.html

 

I do have a flashlight and laser light on my Remington 870 Pump Home Defense (with pistol grips).  It hangs on the lower extended mag tube and either one can be operated by a push button...  yea I know a laser light on the shotgun is kinda useless and I wish the flashlight was brighter to.

[Jess from VA]

Pavalker, my favorite accessory on a defense shotgun (besides Choate pistolgrip/fore end set) is the XS Big Dot Tritium Front Sights .... you get the right one for your particular shotgun, and it just glues on (epoxy) over the existing bead.  

http://www.xssights.com/store/shotgun.html

[junior]

call me old fashtion, but i still like my 6 d-cell mag light. its the only flashlight that is consitered a deadly wepon

[Sludge]

Ya cant go wrong with a surefire.  Its a great light.  Blind em and shoot em while your at it

Seriously, take some time to get some night shooting in with it.  Its a very educational experience if you havent ever tried it. Most folks consider firearms training as daylight/indoor stationary, good light, ...  Ya need some night training.  Ya need to see that muzzle flash destroy your night vision after a couple of shots.  Ya need to have that flash light not pointing where your muzzle is pointing...

 

[Chrisj CMA]

Ya cant go wrong with a surefire.  Its a great light.  Blind em and shoot em while your at it

Seriously, take some time to get some night shooting in with it.  Its a very educational experience if you havent ever tried it. Most folks consider firearms training as daylight/indoor stationary, good light, ...  Ya need some night training.  Ya need to see that muzzle flash destroy your night vision after a couple of shots.  Ya need to have that flash light not pointing where your muzzle is pointing...

 

Exactly!  I do intend to get nighttime shooting done as soon as I can after it comes in.  My home defense weapon is my 18" barrel 20ga shorty shotgun and/or my 4" barrel model 19 .357.  I will be using the surefire with the .357 primarily but I will blast a couple rounds with the .500 and try to get a pic of THAT muzzle flash.........


One question, I was thinking you want to practice holding the flashlight in the non-shooting hand, under the weapon and aimed at what the gun is aimed at.  You say no, how come?

[Jess from VA]

Well two things.  You do practice holding the light and pistol together, pointing in the same direction...but here is where you use the momentary switch.  Obviously, if you mosey around with the light on constantly, the zombies will see you, and aim at the light (assuming they are armed, you must). 

So you see old police training where they single handed the pistol in a crouch, and held the flashlight in the off-hand way out at arms length at 45 degrees..... so if the zombie shot at the light their body would be (somewhat) away from it. 

You need a light to see, but so does the zombie.  You know your house better than they do, so should be able to creep to a covered position at a wall, doorway, head of the stairs, and stake them out in the dark... only using the light at the instant of shooting. 

(Of course, they better be armed, and they sure better be armed before the police arrive.... assuming you call them at all)

[Chrisj CMA]

Well two things.  You do practice holding the light and pistol together, pointing in the same direction...but here is where you use the momentary switch.  Obviously, if you mosey around with the light on constantly, the zombies will see you, and aim at the light (assuming they are armed, you must). 

So you see old police training where they single handed the pistol in a crouch, and held the flashlight in the off-hand way out at arms length at 45 degrees..... so if the zombie shot at the light their body would be (somewhat) away from it. 

You need a light to see, but so does the zombie.  You know your house better than they do, so should be able to creep to a covered position at a wall, doorway, head of the stairs, and stake them out in the dark... only using the light at the instant of shooting. 

(Of course, they better be armed, and they sure better be armed before the police arrive.... assuming you call them at all)

Ok, that makes sense, the good thing here in FL they dont have to be armed, they just have to be a threat.....If they break into my house they are a threat.  However if they see they are about to die and give up, rollover and assume the hog tie position, I will probably just tie them up and wait for the posse

[X Ring]

Jeff, in my experience the most effective method of using that light is the Harries Technique.  Hold the Surefire in your non gun hand with your thumb on the button.  Move your non gun hand under your gun hand then press the back of your hands together.  The more you point your non gun hand elbow toward the ground the more locked in the position will be. 



Marty

[Chrisj CMA]

Jeff, in my experience the most effective method of using that light is the Harries Technique.  Hold the Surefire in your non gun hand with your thumb on the button.  Move your non gun hand under your gun hand then press the back of your hands together.  The more you point your non gun hand elbow toward the ground the more locked in the position will be. 



Marty

Well, I didnt know it had a name, but that is what I was going to do anyways....I have practiced that with my Mag light, but the problem is the on off button

[X Ring]

With a Maglight or Streamlight, you hold the flashlight by the head and use your index finger to push the button.  Just don't push the button all the way down.  Use it as a momentary button only.  When you practice bring the weapon/light combo up, activate the light, fire your shot, turn the light off and move to your left or right.  Lights attract bullets like a magnet.  Before you try doing this in the dark, practice it during the daytime. 

Marty

[Sludge]

Jeff, in my experience the most effective method of using that light is the Harries Technique.  Hold the Surefire in your non gun hand with your thumb on the button.  Move your non gun hand under your gun hand then press the back of your hands together.  The more you point your non gun hand elbow toward the ground the more locked in the position will be. 



Marty

Thats the technique I use.  In the comment I posted above where I said... "Ya need to have that flash light not pointing where your muzzle is pointing..."  I meant using this technique without practice and having the light elsewhere when ya need it.  Good points were made by others about when to use the switch so as not to provide a target indicator to the intruder/aggressor.

[fuzzy2bucks]

My blonde SKS would luv to have one of those lights added to her body.

[Jess from VA]

My blonde SKS would luv to have one of those lights added to her body.

As a surplus weapon, no need to get fancy with a light mount for an SKS.  I'm sure you've used duct tape with blondes before ( ), so duct tape a light flashlight under the SKS handguard, and you're good to go.

If you tape to the barrel, and fire a couple hundred rounds, the tape will melt or catch on fire.

Really, we have been talking about high dollar tactical Surefire flashlights, but a good medium size $20 LED flashlight with new batteries also provides very good light (if not quite as good as the surefire).

[Chrisj CMA]

Really, we have been talking about high dollar tactical Surefire flashlights, but a good medium size $20 LED flashlight with new batteries also provides very good light (if not quite as good as the surefire).

I thought so too, but call me crazy I wanted a good piece of equipment made in the US for this use and I didnt care if it cost more.  All the "tactical" lights (and there are a bunch) I could find on store shelves were made in China.  I buy enough China crap, I wasnt going to for this unless I had to

[big turkey]

I like it Jess, but there were some wrinkles in that duct tape.

Need to work on that.

Al

[NW roller]

Surefire is a great light I have been using one for years.