What's the deal with weapon lights?

**Rant Mode On**

I don't get it. Perhaps I'm a newbie. Maybe it's my lack of experience. I just don't understand why people put these 1,000,000 candlepower xenon neon super-duper bright-as-the-sun lights on their rifles or pistols? You know, the ones that burn out a lithium battery in 30 seconds. It must be people's desire to be "tacticool", or to mimic police/swat. I've read all the positives for having a light. But I've never seen anyone acknowledge the negatives. Here's how I see it:

The purpose of a weapon light is to illuminate the target in a dark setting. Obviously, the person with the better view of their opponent will have a huge advantage in the speed and accuracy of their engagement. Most importantly, it blinds the opponent so that their response will be severely impaired. You're lighting up the entire target area and making it a piece of cake to see what you're doing, while your opponent's vision is rendered to nothing more than seeing a super-bright white light against a dark background (no, it's not the light at the end of the tunnel as you fill them full of lead). Their pupils instantly contract, and everything besides that light in their face is lost in darkness. The best your opponent can hope for is to shoot at the light, which is almost impossible, as it’s unbearable to even look in its direction, let alone establish a sight picture and return fire.

There's one problem with all of that. When are YOU going to be on OFFENSE? That's right. Offense. If you haven't noticed, police and swat are pretty much the only folks using weapon lights. Why? Maybe it has to do with the fact that they serve warrants by kicking down unsuspecting crack dealers doors' in the middle of the night? These professionals are using the weapon lights in the proper context -- to ambush. That's what a no-knock warrant isn't it?

Those being ambushed are being taken completely by surprise. If having a weapon light was such a great idea, or such a useful tool, then perhaps crack dealers should put lights on their weapons in order to successfully fend off the home invasion? Police/swat entry teams are just that – teams. These guys form a “stack” of usually four guys. A fifth breaks open the door, and the “stack” enters the room. They are covered from head to toe in ballistic armor. Each man is responsible for a certain portion of that room. Each man is equipped with a brighter than bright weapon light. The beam of such a light blinds the perpetrator, but it is also so bright that it floods the room. Multiple lights like that and everything in the room is visable. Darkness is the enemy of the entry team. What they can’t see, CAN hurt them. See, their playbook is to enter the room and take control. If they see anyone armed, the plan is to shoot them multiple times. The thing they fear most, is missing the guy in the corner. It’s that guy they don’t initially see that might pop them with an SKS.

As an individual, you’re not executing ambushes, forced entries, not covered in ballistic armor, nor are you working with a team of guys armed with fully automatic assault rifles.

Many people place a weapon light on a home defense weapon. For starters, in virtually any home defense situation, you are on defense. It is a good idea to stand your ground in whatever room you're in, and wait for them. It is never a good idea to go hunt for the home invader(s). You don't know how many of them there are, or how well they are armed. You don’t know where they are, or what they are doing. When things go bump in the night, are you going to turn on that mini-sun and go scouting through your home? Or sit in your room behind a barrier and get ready to "open up" on them if they came through the door?

I don't plan on hunting for thugs in my living room. Nor do I plan on doing hits, assassinations, ambushing people, or conducting home invasions. A friend of mine swears by these lights. I told him to "try it"...he turns it on and blasts me in the face with the light from about 15ft. I couldn't even turn my head in his direction. He said "see." I said, “that's fine, but you’ll never get the opportunity to stand in front of me to shine that light.” Try coming down the hallway with that light on and then shine it on me. So he does it. He still thinks he had the element of surprise. I told him, I can see the light coming from the door way and the hall way. Who says I'm going to wait for you to reach the entrance for me to start shooting? Why do people assume that there are some sort of rules to a life or death gun battle? Why do people think that these scenarios play out according to their ideas? I’m not going to wait for this guy to work his way to the door. I'm going to be spraying the entire wall with gunfire. This is why I am a die-hard fan of high-capacity magazines, by the way. I'm not going to wait for you to pop-out and say “surprise!” I will be emptying my magazine long before that. After all, I am the home invader, and he is the defender with the weapon light. He must find me, I am already armed an in a ready position.

These lights are so bright that they’ll give you away in a dark home even when you are behind a closed door. They emit so much light, that light seeps through the edges of the door way. If you think you're going to approach your opponent, then turn on the light in a surprise attack - you've been watching too much television. That isn’t going to happen either. Forget the weapon light for SHTF use. You won’t want to be roaming the streets of any city or suburb with a big massive light beam essentially telling every thug within 400 yards to “shoot right here.”

Bottom line, if a weapon light was such a good idea, the military would carry them. They don't. SEALs, Marines, Rangers, regular soldiers...none of them are blasting lights around in a combat zone. Giving away your position is a stupid idea. If anything, use night vision - that's a great idea. You stay hidden, while you can see your opponent well. Weapon lights are for domestic offensive missions, like ambushing unsuspecting homes. Exactly what our law-enforcement uses them for. What works for police, might not work for you. Their "mission" is different. Quit trying to be tacticool, and get practical.


** Rant Mode Off**