Tactical Flashlights

Can't hit what you can't see! :p But you can see him just fine....... All he can do after he is blinded is shoot in approximately your direction. Maybe he gets lucky, but I like my odds of hitting him first better.
 
wouldn't a tac lite not only be bright but also able to handle the recoil of whatever gun it was mounted too? so far in the conversation it seems people would use it as a flashlite but often they are mounted to handguns, rifles and shotguns. i would think besides brightness a tac light would have to hold up to 12 ga stogun blasts as well. do some of the cheaper tac lites people have recomended hold up well when mounted to a shotgun?
 
Some tac lights attach to weapons. Most of the ones mentioned here do not. The 6p led from surefire that I have will not attach to a weapon, I think they sell a mount for a shotgun for it but am not sure. What you are thinking of are weapon mounted tac lights which is a whole other ball of wax. Personally I do not like stuff hanging off the end of my pistols, I would rather hold a flashlight in my support hand. If you are interested surefire has a few, but they are wayyyyyy more expensive then the ones we are talking about.
 
The most thorough review of "tactical" flashlights can actually be found on TFL in the Gears & Accessories forum. There is a sticky thread that a fellow member, black bear 84, keeps adding to. His reviews are very helpful. He takes pictures to let you see the difference between the different lights.

I also think his BOREALIS with a retna scorching 1050 lumens is something worth looking at if you have the extra cash lying around :D.

Check it out!

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=239165
 
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I have a Surefire 9p as part of my self-defense package, along with a 1911, extra mag and a 4-inch folding knife ... the 9p will absolutely blind the BG, especially in the dark but even in subdued light ... however, without an offensive weapon -- like a gun -- you need to be prepared to take advantage of that period of blindness and disorientation to get out of Dodge fast, and that requires planning and practice ... also, as others have mentioned, the 123 lithium batteries that many tactical lights use fail -- at least in my experience -- with little or no warning, unlike AAs, where the light will dim as the power is used. so I don't use the 9p for anything but nightstand standby .. I have a 6p for routine uses, like walking the dog in the dark, etc. change the batteries once or twice a year if you don't use the light, just to be safe ..
 
I've drunk the Surefire kool-aid three times, two flashlights, and a weapon light for my XD. If its anything to ya, one of my instructors from Marine Combat Training (a former scout/sniper) complimented me on my C2 LED for its brightness at dark and its battery life. Alot of military, law enforcement, and civilians like using super-bright lights in general for their handiness and deterrent options.
You might enjoy the lights with crenelated bezels- what looks like a cookie cutter on top.
I bring a light with when I walk the dog at night, honestly much more handy than a pistol.
 
I carry a flashlight everywhere.well if I have pants on:eek:

just like a knife or a gun.

I've been carrying a surefire L2 for the last 2 yrs.

also heard good things about fenix,but never tried any(I'll stick w\surefire).

clown
 
I use the Streamlight Polystinger DS LED
•Light output: High – up to 24,000 candela (peak beam intensity), 185 lumens; Medium – up to 12,000 candela (peak beam intensity), 95 lumens; Low – 6,000 candela (peak beam intensity), 50 lumens
•Runtime: High – up to 2 hrs.; Medium – up to 3.75 hrs.; Low – up to 7.5 hrs.; Strobe – up to 5.5 hrs.
•C4® LED Technology. Shock-proof with a 50,000 hr. lifetime

I also have a Surefire 6P and a S&W Surefire clone as well as my old Streamlight ultrastinger and 2 SL-20's
 
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If you just want a super bright flashlight for home/defensive use, my DeLights work great. They aren't waterproof, and shouldn't be weapon-mounted-but they are darned bright (brighter than most Surefires,) have a focusable beam, and run forever on 3 AAA batteries. Small, easy to operate, and will blind anyone that comes in your house. They only cost $43.00 shipped, and are all the flashlight most people will ever need.
 
Bat, pepper spray, tazer... or...
pitbull.jpg_w450.jpg


when friends come over:
pitbull-and-child-759940.jpg



when BG shows up:
pitbull.jpg



In other words, a big loud dog is a very good deterrent, and in some breeds if necessary their bark can be followed up with devastating effects for the BG, with that said I would never suggest a pit bull (or any other big aggressive breed) for someone who wasn't properly prepared for the responsibilities. I recommend big dogs for single women especially for a couple reasons. First breeds like labs and shephards are big and loud and will usually protect if they have to but are also very obedient (assuming proper owner). They cannot be turned against you in a struggle (at least not as easily as a gun could), it doesn't require practice on your part (obedience training and a good relationship with the dog help though), and if you are scared out of your mind your dog is still going to do its job.

I know that not everyone can or will own these big breed dogs but I thought I would throw it out as an alternative. This might be a bit off topic but we were discussing other alternatives to the gun.
 
lots of tactical flashlites are "brite" how many can withstand a regular pounding mounted to a 12 ga shotgun. what are best brands and what cost?
 
There may be such a thing as "too much flashlight: the very powerful ones can blind you as well as an attacker, even from behind the light. See the post by Glenn E. Meyer in the "When would a shotgun..." thread in this forum. Just because something can be manufactured and marketed doesn't mean it's actually going to work well in practice...
:cool:
 
The magcharger system is hard to beat. I have two, in fact. REALLY bright, rechargable and heavy enough to be used as an impact weapon. Won't work well as a purse light, though, too heavy! I aslo have a streamlight Stinger for when I need a smaller light. Might make a good purse light, too.
 
Tactical Light:

I would recommend a Streamlight tactical flashlight for your pistol, fair price.
85 Lumens would be the least to start out with in my opinion. By the way, my eyes hurt for awhile after looking directly at this light (at night in my bedroom) just to see how bright it was, (when I first mounted it on my Glock 21). Stupid I know, but wanted to make sure it was bright enough!
IT SURE WAS........:o
 
Surefire Executive Defender. This was recommended to me years ago while doing some covert ops. Not only a very bright light, but the bezel can be used as a weapon and will do serious damage to a scalp or face. Two uses for the price of one. I now carry it with me practically all the time as I bought a flashlight holster to wear on my belt. Be prepared to shell out some pesos. Well worth the investment.
 
Any "tactical" flashlight you buy should be nearly 100% reliable and you should have complete control of it. Depending on your frequency of use, you may want extended runtime on it as well.

That being said, you'd want a tailcap like this: http://www.surefire.com/Click-On-Lock-out-Tailcap-Z59 . The purpose of that is to be able to turn your light on or off with ease at a moment's notice. Twist tailcaps can be manipulated quickly with enough practice but chances are you'll always be faster with a push tailcap. If you've paired a handgun with a flashlight, you'll know exactly what I am talking about.

Tactical flashlights should be 60+ lumens; I find 80~120 to be just about right for searching rooms and blinding someone. Depending on your task, there are instances where you want 200+ lumens or 40- lumens. But 80~120 is fine for most tasks.

If this is your first tactical flashlight, I would go with a surefire 6P LED defender. It comes with everything mentioned above (80 lumens, 11 hour runtime, push tail cap, and as a bonus, a bezel that can be used as an impact tool). Also, it is a good base for a customized flashlight.

$100 may sound expensive, but many people that buy the regular 6P end up spend more than $100 because they want the tailcap and bezel found on the 6P LED defender.

If you really don't want to spend that much, you can look around for other alternatives such as jetbeam, fenix, streamlight, etc.

Wolfammoman offers great deals often, so visit the buy, sell, and trade section and see if you can find what you want.
 
I'm a Neophyte Flashaholic.......

Comparison.JPG


The one on the left is my "newest" light. It's made by Olight. I like it because of the multiple power cell configurations. Without the extender, it uses 3 x CR123, 2 x 18500 or with the extender you get 4 x CR123 2 x 18650's. The 18500 and 18650 batteries are LI-Ion Rechargeables.

It is not a TIGHT thrower, but it will light up a room. On Low (moonlight) it puts out some 8 Lumens, then Medium 120 Lumens, and then HIGH 700 Lumens. It also has a strobe function for disorientation purposes also at 700 Lumens.

I leave it on 120 Lumens for inside the house work, and reserve the 700 Lumen setting for outdoor work.

It also has a removable clip, lanyard hole, Strike bezel, tactical tail switch, as well as 1" body that is weapons mountable.

This is Water Proof to the IP68 Standard. It's a pretty good design and the price is nowhere near what the Surefire Family of lights goes for. The machining is every bit as good, and unlike the single o-ring design of the surefire, this one has dual o-rings on the tail cap as well as on the extender tube.

Pieces.JPG


Did I mention it comes with a Diffuser for utility work, as well as a really neat case to keep it all in?

DSC03028.JPG


Anyway, I was so impressed, I bought one for my dad and brother as well.
 
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