Would you mount a light on your 1911?

All the what if's come down to what if you use a little common sense and training and the light saves your life or someone in your family...

I would NEVER shoot a dark figure in my house, I have 2 teenage sons and for all I know it could be a girl sneaking in or out, or one of them sneaking in or out... I have a pretty good plan for my home but nothing is perfect...

If you don't like the idea of a light, don't use one... Its that simple, 99.9% of us will never have to use our HD weapon and I pray the .01% that does, stays safe and acts responsible...

Have a plan guys, I have an awesome alarm system, state of the art, right down to video with audio in and out, I even have a ti outdoor camera {scored it from a government auction, $14K camera for $400, new in the box}... I have gone through with my kids on what to do when the alarm sounds, I have set it off and drilled them a couple times {as well as myself}, and they get it... They know if there is fire, my oldest is to go to my youngests room next door to him, while calling out for me, pull out the ladder roll from his closet, and let his brother go first then follow him down, he is to send his brother to the neighbors house and he is to stand in a safe spot near our shed so I can see that they are out if need be, if his brother is not out for some reason he is to keep his hands on top of his head...

I have drilled these things into them for years, and hopefully we never need the training BUT, as my father used to tell me when he used to have fire drills {firefighter family, lol} "if it doesn't save your life, you will teach it to your kids, if it doesn't save their life they will still teach it to their kids", I remember thinking yah right, its xmass eve and I'm freezing climbing down the side of the garage when there is no fire, BUT I do the same things to my kids now, and I am more confident in the even of an emergency they will know what to do... I sleep a little better knowing that...

Anyway, my weapon light is part of the plan, I have been on the opposite side of the strobe and it is very effective, I don't care how good you think you are, you try and shoot someone with a strobe flashing your vision in and out, and on the other hand the operator {me} of the strobe has a slow mo effect that is our advantage, pretty cool tool, I like it.. Plus my light has the invisible laser {I know I most likely will not throw my nv goggles on BUT, its still a cool option...
 
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Today 08:30 AM 2ndsojourn said:
Who would buy a 1911 with a rail on it anyway, let alone put a light on one?
*dons flameproof suit*
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Me, if it's a Marine M45A1. No light on the rail, but it came with the gun. :)
 
Sig Scorpian is a sweet gun... I just really dont consider it a 1911
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Well technically speaking that would be MOST of what current people think a 1911 is.

It is a 1911 pattern gun... but todays day in age they are all 1911's for laman terms.
 
I ask myself how I'd like to be in a situation, being innocent, and looking at a flashlight beam with a 45 caliber hole above it held by an amped dude with a nervous trigger finger.

Reminds me of the time I was looking at a distant hunter through my binocs who was looking RIGHT at me through his rifle scope.
 
Reminds me of the time I was looking at a distant hunter through my binocs who was looking RIGHT at me through his rifle scope.
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Try being shot at.... during hunting season, that Crack sound sure brings your attention.
 
None...

My 1911 is of the traditional style, and doesn't have provisions to mount a light. Which for me is as it should be...
 
I also have a Sig Scorpion...

I'm going to set my vote with the "NO" crowd. But I do have a hand held light with the house gun.

My reasons are stated by others in detail, so in a nutshell: I use the light in my weak hand to investigate the "problem". I may not want to point my gun at everything I point my light at.

For example: I awoke late one night to a knock at the door. I used my light in my weak hand, gun in strong hand at my side, to see what was going on. I'm really glad the light wasn't on the gun, because it was a police officer, and I can't imagine he would've appreciated having me point my gun at him. Long story short, he was being a nice guy, letting me know my garage door was open (yeah, I know...stupid me) Nothing came of the experience, but I'm glad the light/gun were not connected.

On a side note, my 12ga pump wears an inforce WML, mounted to the handguard, but that's because a pump shotgun is a two handed weapon. Same goes for a carbine.

Ok, you guys can proceed to beat me about the head and shoulders for whatever part the above you don't like!
 
For example: I awoke late one night to a knock at the door. I used my light in my weak hand, gun in strong hand at my side, to see what was going on. I'm really glad the light wasn't on the gun, because it was a police officer, and I can't imagine he would've appreciated having me point my gun at him. Long story short, he was being a nice guy, letting me know my garage door was open (yeah, I know...stupid me) Nothing came of the experience, but I'm glad the light/gun were not connected.
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I just fail to see why you used a flashlight at all in that situation. A knock at the door is much different than a home invasion. Don't you have porch lights?:confused:

I agree with having one on a carbine or shotgun just as you said... but to me, ideally, a handgun is still a two handed weapon. I should also note I don't and wont use a weapon light to "search" or to "check out" it is there for when I already know I need to point a handgun. Everyone's situation is different however, I live alone, so if someone is in my house, they will be lucky if being swept by a muzzle is the only thing they recieve.
 
I just fail to see why you used a flashlight at all in that situation. A knock at the door is much different than a home invasion. Don't you have porch lights?
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I figured somebody would pick up on that! I left that part out to keep the post from getting too long. Two reasons: It's my (good/bad?) habit to grab the light when I grab the gun, and that night, turns out the porch light was burned out. I corrected that the next morning. And at 2am, coming out of a dead sleep, I can't say I was thinking 100%. A learning experience to say the least!
 
I figured somebody would pick up on that! I left that part out to keep the post from getting too long. Two reasons: It's my (good/bad?) habit to grab the light when I grab the gun, and that night, turns out the porch light was burned out. I corrected that the next morning. And at 2am, coming out of a dead sleep, I can't say I was thinking 100%. A learning experience to say the least!
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Gotcha, cant knock you on always grabbing it, I was just curious as to why you used it for a knock at the door, generally I turn the outside lights on so I can see who or what is out there, and keep the house dark so they can't see back at me.
 
Nope, flashlight is separate, I have several flashlights and use my daily carry a lot, after 10 years of carrying a light I don't know how I got along without one.

I have thought about getting a gun mounted light, but haven't made the jump yet.
 
Those of you that say a WML is just a liability have never trained in the PROPER use and/or seen what its like to have a light (handheld or WML) used against you.
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I have seen goofy posts like this for many years and will say I really have had to laugh at most of them. The main advantage of having a good quality light is to point the light DIRRECTLY in the eyes of whatever unknown threat that might exist.


If your light, along with your muzzle, is pointed at the ceiling or the floor you've lost a big advantage. So what is "PROPER". :confused:
 
There are tactics and proceedures to be trained in that help to dispell the "here I am" and covering no shoot target concerns. I routinely carry sidearms with mounted lights, and once thought like the nay-sayers here, until I got real training.

If I can deliver rounds on target before my adversary, I can prevail. If there are no-shoot targets in the space, should I have my weapon out to start with and where do I hold it? Splash your light off walls, they reflect. The mounted light is NOT a replacement for a handheld. The weapon light is not for searching.

There are plenty more things to consider.
 
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