Help with home and HD flashlight.

S

SigP6Carry

New member
Suggestions for home flashlights?

Hello, there. I just recently lost my old military style (I think MX-991 is what they were called) to a battery leak. I blame the cheap batteries I was using and the fact that the day before the leak it was on for about 10 hours due to a power outage. So I picked up a Maglite 2D. I love the Maglite 2D, but it's not as great as I thought it would be.

I'm not sure if you guys know of any flashlights for home use and/or HD that would help. the Maglite 2D is WAY to big to weild with a gun and maintain proper hand hold, but I found the bent neck military model worked well with a handgun, but not a rifle or shotgun.

Any advice, folks? I was thinking a mini-mag. Like a 2AA or something. I like the Maglite well enough, but it's a little too much.
 
Yes, I have suggestions.

Things have changed a lot in the flashlight world. Now you can go to Target, or similar, and get a good LED that runs on "C" or "AA" cells and will give anywhere from 80 lumen's to 200 plus lumen's. I stay away from the three "AAA" cells because the usually use a battery carrier and those can give problems. Also they just do not have the run time of "AA" or "C" cells.

I have lots of lights, but I just purchase at Target a INOVA that in 85 lumen's and runs on two "AA" cells. Price was about $37.00. The also have good RiverRock, and Life+Gear lights. Stay away from the CR123 powered lights unless you want to spend a lot for batteries.

As a bench mark, the old 3D Mag lights with normal bulb runs about 40 lumen's.

If you want to spend more here is a good site I have pruchased from many times.

http://www.lighthound.com/

I like the Maglite well enough, but it's a little too much.
Click to expand...

Ok, I just caught that line. Anyway try Target, Wal-Mart etc. for small bright LED's
 
Tactical Handheld high output LED lights/rail lights

Thomme,

Just replaced the incandescent bulb of my Smith and wesson flashlight with a high output LED, although it runs on 2 cr123 batteries it simply blew away my 3d magled in terms of usable light, spill and throw. I also have a surefire 6p with incan bulbs it really sucks the power out of the 2 cr123s in 60 minutes total run time, when the bulb dies out i would replace it with this LED bulb, way cheaper than the original surefire bulbs. At pistol range this LEDs are the way to go. Check out candlelightforums, there is a ton of info out there., i discovered this replacement bulb yesterday when i bought a solar force L2, a clone of the 6p but twice as powerful. A little caveat my surefire and my Magled has survived some nasty falls, not sure about Solar force...................another thing incans penetrate rain and light fog, leds are quite not at par.
 
I've been using a Streamlight Strion for a while now and really like it. It's small, lightweight, bright at 116 lumens, spare bulbs are cheap and a huge plus for me is that it's rechargable.
 
I use Fenix AA and CR123 flashlights. With LED lights you're looking for a couple of things. 1) You'll want a regulated LED. This is a small integrated circuit that controls the flow of power to the LED ensuring an even output until the batteries go dead. This also extends battery life. These are missing from $20 LED lights. 2) you'll want a high performance Q5 LED. 3) You'll want a flashlight body designed to keep the LED cool. LEDs dim if they get too hot.

Probably the cheapest source for Fenix lights is Amazon.com. I own a bunch. I keep a 1x CR123 powered 180 lumen P2D on my belt. I keep a 225 lumen 2x CR123 TK11 near my bed, and keep a 2x AA powered 180 lumen LD20 in my BUG, on my desk, by my sofa, and in my car. I also keep a rechargeable Pelican 7060 by my bed.

BTW CandlePower Forums is a good resource for flashlight research.
 
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If your able to get to a "GRANGER" store... They carry a line of LED flashlights that are about a rugged as any I've ever seen The brand is Stream-light. They make a military style with an angled head. You can have incandescent bulb, or LED's. The use concentional batteries, have a long battery life.

The only problem is... For the most part they dont come in tactical black. In fact they are a bright yellow.
 
Wow. considering the amount of work or cost that's involved in "good" flashlights. I think I did well with my Maglite 2D. I was thinking that it wasn't as much flashlight as I needed, but it turns out it's probably just about right.

Sorry to not utilize your advice in purchase or modification. But your advice really helped put me at ease about flashlights.
 
Wow. considering the amount of work or cost that's involved in "good" flashlights. I think I did well with my Maglite 2D. I was thinking that it wasn't as much flashlight as I needed, but it turns out it's probably just about right.

Sorry to not utilize your advice in purchase or modification. But your advice really helped put me at ease about flashlights.
Click to expand...

See folks, this is why experienced flashaholics answer the "what light should I get?" with "what's your budget?".

Money (cost of light, cost of batteries) is always THE key element for non-flashaholics! :rolleyes:
 
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Thomme,

If you ask for a home flashlight, many will do.
A Home Defense flashlight in the other hand is a serious propposition in which you are betting your life.

There are many flashlight positions wich can be used with a big light, the Harries and the Chapman position are used by police every day (night?) when using the Magcharger, Ultra Stinger or Borealis 1050 lumens police flashlights.

If you are going to defend your house with a rifle or shotgun, mount in it a tactical light such as the Fenix TK-10 or the Solarforce with a pressure pad switch (with single output lamp)
I recommend a rifle such as a M-4 or Ruger Mini 30 or Mini 14 as they have more capacity (30 rounds) and they are easy to hit with, if your wife have to use it.

Here is a picture of both:

tworugers.jpg


If you are going to defend your castle with a pistol, make sure it is a effective one, such as a .45 auto with expanding ammo.

Much of Home Defense have to do with the tactic you will use to defend it, I recommend that the homeowner don't go about clearing rooms, this is a job for the police. If you suspect somebody is in your house to rob it, go to your secure room and call the police.

Open the door of your room just a little and just wait in the dark for your oponent to show up in the area you control.
You have to have in your hand a powerful light to blind your oponent, I mean really blind it, your life is in the table here. I use a Borealis 1050 lumens flashlight, it will cook his retinas, it will be blinded and blind men are easy to shoot or club down.

Are you are in the jamb of the door you are somehow protected and in control, your hand in the pistol can be supported by the edge of the frame (or not) and the light can be hold in one hand over your head or with a Chapman or Weaver stance.

If the blind men don't drop the gun or stop what he is doing, you can shoot him, you are on your right to do so as you are protecting your life.

I went a little overboard with my project and I have reinforced my door and frame from the inside with some steel planks somebody gave me. I also have a laser grip on my pistol, which make it easy to shoot under cover or barricaded as you don't have to put your face in the front of the gun.

HERE IS MY SET UP

noflash.jpg


THIS IS MY GOV'T .45 WITH FEDERAL 230 GRAINS HYDRA-SHOCK AMMO, AND MY BOREALIS 1050 LUMENS FLASHLIGHT

govtlaser.jpg


If you don't want to spring for a Borealis 1050 lumens flashlight (how much your life is worth?) you can get yourself a tactical light such as a Fenix TK-10 (about 200 lumens plus) but be ready to shoot the moment the guy raise his gun.

A flashlight that in a pinch can be used as a tactical light, and which for the price can be used as a practical flashlight for the Home chores, is sell in this forum by member Jindo, which runs Solarforce lights.
The Solarforce cost $30 and have 5 levels of output which make the batteries last longer.

In any case the light that you use for Home Defense should have fresh batteries and in a place next to your HD gun.

Cheers
Black Bear
 
I have a surefire G2...cheap, bright(with Xenon or LED) durable. I also have several other surefires but the G2 is probably best for HD on a budget.
 
Some light reading (pun intended) on defensive illumination. Probably the most important point: don't select a light simply on the basis of the number of lumens it spits out. For defensive use, there is such a thing as too bright.

My pick for these purposes is the Surefire G2. 80 lumens (bright, but not too bright), 12-hours of runtime (not at full brightness, but usable light), lifetime warranty. CR123 batteries are more expensive than alkaline but are thought to have a longer shelf life, and a 12 pack of CR123 can be had for $25.

If you have a compatible weapon, theStreamlight TLR-1 is an inexpensive, bright weapon mountable light.

The Maglite is a good pick for a general utility light, and in a pinch makes a handy bludgeon.
 
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