I also don’t have a light on any of my guns, I use a hand held flashlight. My house is built in a way that it’s easier to maneuver with pistol and flashlight going around corners. I practice using different tactical grips, Flashlight in my support hand, pistol hand resting on support arm (cross wise) and also pistol in one hand and flashlight in the other hand resting on my cheek, when my head turns the flashlight turns.
1 Like
Carry a hand light, off to the side. The XDM has a CT laser that’s button operated when I squeeze the grip to fire, yet is off unless I squeeze with a firing grip. Seems to work well. My concern with light on weapon is that the light might give the bad guy an aiming point 
2 Likes
I HAVE A LIGHT ON MY BUSHMASTER AR15 AND S&W SD9VE. I ALSO HAVE TACTICAL FLASHLIGHTS AVAILABLE.strong text
3 Likes
I have lights on both my home defense weapons. I have a iProTec RM190 on my Glock 22 40cal. and a Streamlight TLR-1 on Tactical 12ga. I know my way around my house in complete darkness, I don’t use the lights to find my way. I use the lights for two specific reasons in my home defense. First reason, is to light up my target so I know 100% who my weapon is pointed at, and second reason is if I do have an intruder in my home I can use my weapon light to blind them from being able to see me and take there sight ability completely away.
3 Likes
Same here. Light with a laser on my Glock 19 and a Tac light mounted on my 12 ga pump.
1 Like
Why yes, my AR in 300BLK has a Streamlight up front with a momentary and full on switch mounted to a vertical grip that has a drop out bipod.
My personal reasoning for the light is that it can blind an intruder, make them turn and flee, thereby keeping me from having to squeeze the trigger. If perchance they want to aim at my light with their firearm and open up, my light will allow me to see it coming and start launching 200gr rounds to stop it.
2 Likes
All my home defense guns have lights (Streamlights). I also have my home alarm system wired to turn on the lights in my living room and in the kitchen. That means “they” stand in absolute bright light while I am in a dark bedroom holding my tactical 12 ga. If I need the weapon light, its mounted there, but the disadvantage goes to the person that broke into my home. I have a few years of tactical training with shotguns.
1 Like
Yes, in fact a Streamlight with a light and laser on the Glock 19 and another tac light on my Mossberg 88 12 ga shotgun. My biggest fear is hearing a noise in the middle of the night, grabbing one of my firearms and shooting at something I can’t 100% see then finding out later I shot my dog or even worse, my wife. These lights are bright and will blind an intruder, even is its for a split second, its enough for me to see who it is. I don’t use the light to get around inside the house as it would be like a big sign that says Here I am, shoot me!!
1 Like
I don’t have any lights on any of my pistols. I’ve been thinking about getting a laser though.
My AR isn’t any good because my bedroom is in the back of the hallway. Well I take that back I can easily walk out of my room and have it ready but I’m not as familiar with it as my pistols.
I once read somewhere (I think it was the armory life) that said you could use the light switch instead or aim your light at the baseboard or something and the cone of light will light up the rest of what you need to see. Supposedly. But idk anything about this as I don’t own a weapon mounted light 🤷
1 Like
Tactically, weapon lights give you a big one second advantage because for that split second the adversary will be a “deer in the headlights”. 485 gr of 00 traveling at 1300 fps will have already arrived at its destination before that second is up. I would probably use that one second accordingly, because as I mentioned above my whole house alarm will have already put them in broad daylight conditions. Therefore ID (not a family member) is already established.
2 Likes
I put a Streamlight on my Glock. It has a flashlight and a laser. With the touch of a button the laser is on. Also mounted a tack light on my Mossberg 88 12 ga shotgun. Last thing I want to do is shoot my wife thinking she was an intruder.
1 Like
I do. AR in 300 Black, a Streamlight attached to the vertical grip/dropout bipod. It also has a vortex red dot but it would depend on available time if I bothered with that, meaning probly not.
In a quick response situation, and for home defense they all are time critical, I have the light there in order to blind, stun, and identify. This AR I had built with home defense in mind, and keep subsonic hp’s in it…it also has the key mod handguard vs standard for lighter weight and somewhat improved maneuverability in tight places. 16" barrel…
2 Likes
Now was the question just for my primary home defense gun or all of em? 
The AR has a light, but neither of the pistols nor the 12ga semi-auto full of '00 buck…
A d yes, I’m kinda trying to be funny, sorry. It does bring up the question of - How Many Home Defense Guns Do You Have?
By this I mean you can access it within 3-4 seconds AND it’s ready to be fired when you do …
1 Like
Pistol is ready in a holster mounted on my bed rail. Rifle is on a wall mount. The pistol is there to compliment the rifle. But if needed I’d be able to defend with just the pistol
1 Like
I do have a light on my weapon because I am away from home more often than not. I use the Olight mini 2 Valkyrie and can switch this light to all my firearms very quickly.
1 Like
I’ve known some very good, very smart people who swear by their mounted lights, but they make me uncomfortable. As others have said, it gives away my position. I have good night vision, I qualify at night, and I have home court advantage if someone breaks in. I also know where all the light switches are if I really need to see who is in the room.
2 Likes
I understand this 1000%, which is y I have a momentary switched streamlight that I can have on for half a second or an hour, depending which way I press it on my AR vertical grip…
That said, the giving away of position is y my red dot of choice doesnt project a beam, only I see the dot.
2 Likes
I can speak from some experience, if you have a high powered LED light, especially handy having a strobe function, a weapons mounted light does not give away your exact position and is essentially the same as a handheld light.
In the world of paintball, night games specifically, large open areas, wooded, or CQB.
Close quarters 1,000 lumen or better is recommended.
Distances of up to 50 yards and open areas 18,000 lumen.
Wooded areas 3,800 lumens or better.
Light brightness I’ve found to be effective, especially in a strobe mode playing paintball at night games.
The effect on the opposing players while it seems to say here I am, it kinda does but more importantly, it puts a big black dot center of their vision.
Night games, the opposing teams try and take out the persons with high powered lights as it halts entire teams due to blindness. I’ve had dozens of players trying to shoot me but most often, they can only hit the players around me as they can never actually see me unless they are looking away and using the corner of their eye which is not very effective.
In a self defense situation, seconds count and you already have the upper hand, in a familiar home, know the corners, blind spots, etc.
If you want to know how effective your light is whether weapons mounted or handheld, setup a test tonight, total darkness in the home, family members with rubber bands. Home invader (you) vs given family member who knows how to use the light and has a rubber band at the ready.
See how long it takes for you to recover from being blinded in total darkness with a strobe light or how accurate your rubber band is…
2 Likes
Love the red dot. Crank the lumens down on that zero’d close combat optic and you’re all set.
I also should confess that people smarter than me have told me that a really bright tactical light can stun the person you point it at. A deer in headlights, if you will. So that gives you a few precious seconds to ID your target and take action before you lose any tactical advantage of a hidden position.
I’m still not putting a light on my pistol, but I understand the theory behind it.
1 Like
I have both. One mounted on my HD Glock 41, and I had one mounted on my cane. But I bought a new tac light. 1300 lumens and I hold it away from my body.
1 Like