Strobe me, bro!

It's true and something I never thought about too much.. it will erode your advantage. Setting up a video recorder somewhere where it will work is a good way to see very nearly what the effect actually is.

Test it out with a friend? Give him welder goggles and use a toy gun. Or not, it depends on how good a friend he is.
 
It seems to me that WML are falling out of favor here on TFL.
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I think that's an oversimplification.

Low light shooting is not simple and it requires training if you want to do it properly, safely and skillfully.

When conveniently attached and fully functional WMLs hit the scene they were touted as a super-simple option, one that requires no thought or training--just stick the light on the gun and you're good to go, even when it's too dark to see. A lot of people believed the advertising.

WMLs haven't changed the fact that low light shooting is not simple. It still requires training if you want to do it properly, safely and skillfully. WMLs just present a different combination of issues that need to be addressed.
 
There are various flashlight techniques with hand held lights and WML. It's not enough to play cowboy with your friend IMHO or suggest toy guns and welder's goggles. Try to find a quality FOF that uses simunition types or airsoft. They sting enough make it real. I've peeled a bloody tee-shirt off my back from a close range encounter that went south.

To the OP about strobes, so I did a little informal research to compare to what I previously said.

A long serving SWAT commander said they were hype, gadget of the day and he took the course on them. Much prefers being able to control the light. Switching between functions is a pain and no one really were disabled in his experience.

Several officers said that they would discombulate drunks but not normally functioning folks. One said they did mess up some armed folks but their mental state was unknown in his comment.

One said that if you shine it in front of a person running away, they might trip.

A few said that they were good for signaling other officers and ambulances when you wanted them to come your way.

One said that he saw officers so concerned with trying to get the light into someone's eyes (so they would get magically zapped) that they ignored hands and waists. Lost situational awareness.

Now their use isn't Joe Homeowner aimed down the hallway for a bit hoping that the opponent (who of course isn't skilled) will be discombobulated. They
didn't see it with their encounters.

As far as the mini-debate here about your opponent - well -

https://moderncombatandsurvival.com/featured/shocking-fbi-report-criminals-gun-training/

According to a recent study on violent criminals conducted by the FBI, a full 40% of criminal attackers had received formal firearms training.

That’s nearly half who received formal, proper training – the same kind of training you’d invest in.

And they don’t stop there…

A full 80% regularly practiced with firearms, with an average of 23 practice sessions a year.

But here’s the stat that gets to me (and you’d damn well better take seriously)…
More than 40% of criminals had been in at least one gunfight…
and a quarter of these guys had traded bullets in more than 5.
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I again note, folks are talking about you and opponent being square on and shining the light square on. Try exercises, that's not what happens. It isn't the High Noon rehearsed gun fight.

So:

What is the point of the strobe light? Is it effective? Seems like a gimmick to me but that's why I'm making this thread, to see if it actually adds effectiveness to the defensive firearm.

Thoughts?
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The question is answered that it is not that useful and may be detrimental in the home defense scenario. If you haven't had realistic experience or training with them - try to get it.
 
That's interesting, Glen. I wonder what FBI study that was. Could it be that the criminals studied were those that had killed a police officer?
 
Remember that you need a light to determine if the potential adversary is (1.) No threat, (2.) A potential threat, or (3.) An immediate threat.

I'm not sure what my opinion is on the strobe feature on some lights. None of my (many) small hand-held lights have that feature. I've trained in building searching scenarios using airsoft or simunitions fx and strobing lights, and I found the strobe to be really distracting, but one would probably become accustomed with more training.

I've also done a little bit of live fire using strobing lights (hand held, not weapon mounted) and I found the strobe to be distracting in that circumstance too, but I haven't done much shooting with a strobe and that was years ago.

Based on not very much experience, my preliminary evaluation is that it's largely a gimmick but might have some real world application under certain special circumstances (that I can't think of right now)
 
Just because you have a light mounted to your firearm, doesn't mean that you have to use it, or any of it's features.

Myself, I have a light on my Sig P250C. It too, has the strobe feature. I like very much having the accessibility of a light when and if needed. Better to have one and not need it.....than to need it and not have one.

If I need a light in the middle of the night to go check out a "bump" in the night, I know that I can grab my Sig and I'm ready.

That, and the fact that I like having one hand empty. If something comes up, I want that empty hand available. I don't want it occupied by a flashlight.

I was in LE for over 30 yrs. I have a very good feel for what works and what doesn't.

And, if you do decide to go with a light on your firearm, don't try and save a few bucks by buying a Chinese-made product. Act as if your life could depend on it and spend the money. Sure-Fire or Streamlight comes to mind.
 
From above:
"A few said that they were good for signaling other officers and ambulances when you wanted them to come your way. "


Hmm...waving a Glock around with a light to signal others...:eek::rolleyes::confused:
 
Homeowner vs. LE use of a firearm mounted flashlight is going to differ greatly. LE trains with the use of a firearm mounted light several times a year.

Homeowners, not so much, if ever. There are guidelines / tactics that need to be followed to insure the successful use of a gun mounted light.

Myself, I had a light on my duty gun, one on my belt, and a full-sized light in my patrol car. Next to a firearm, a good light is imperative.

I never used my sidearm mounted light to signal anyone. That's what the one on my belt was for.

If you are forced to function in total darkness, you will need a light. That's just a fact of life.
 
Its not jedi magic... training or no training- WML's have some inherent "issues" assocated with their use. They are useful some limited circumstances and they are good in a pinch. They are not ( in my estimation) a good option for dynamic use or under varying conditions. If you have your gun on a badguy .. do you really want to take your gun off a badguy to assess a potential secondary development. I would want to keep my gun on the badguy even if I had to look away for a moment. You cannot do that with a WML. Its just not a dynamic tool no matter how much jedi training you have.

As I said earlier, I would want 2 lights if I were going to use a WML and if I could only have one, it would not be the WML.

Some people may simply be avoiding the obvious in exchange for what they consider to be kool. Sure, its kool... it looks kool and we see it on TV. Kool does not make it practical or tactical in all conditions. A handheld light is generally much more versatile .. its just not romantic or kool.
 
I think it's "kool" that you used the terms jedi and WML in the same sentence.

Only on an internet firearms forum would you find the abbreviation WML.
 
My Surefire LED flash light, is on my belt always, off side behind my spare G17 magazine, Pistol a G19 Gen 4. This light is super bright, flash at eyes, the recipient sees a huge blue blob! Mind you, even on Plane, I travel with this light. It has the serrated edge around the bezel!

And I have used the light a lot! Once found a lost diamond on a Security gig.

The crappy lights of the sales people did not work.

By the way, I spent 40 years shooting Bullseye Competition, do OK with one hand.
 
I take a Surefire on the plane with me. However, there have been some reports of TSA getting hinky with the more aggressive bezels.

One thing, the WML are used by the law and military when entering places where it is dark. In the home, you can (and some recommend) turning on the lights. That negates the need for the WML (yeah, the lights can go out). You can wire the house to turn on the lights through your phone.
 
A handheld flashlight is a very useful tool that I use a heck of a lot more than a firearm. I found that taking a basic low light class was a very helpful start in learning about light usage with firearms.
 
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