I see a lot of guys with pistol lights,..stream light..etc. I have a x150 insight with strobe.

But I would never use one after hearing a bump in the night or a noise. It gives away your location. What if there are two intruders and you light up one?...the other takes you out.

What say you?

Just an observation.

Shane

If you're clearing your house there is a technique on using your light that helps with that. Short bursts of light from the floor to the ceiling as you check rooms. Takes some getting used to, but it's pretty effective.

So the perp..knows which room your in and where you are.....

I understand in law enforcement on clearing a house...but alone..in a dark house not know exactly where the danger is...

No way.

Shane

True. Gotta weigh your options.

There is enough ambient light for me to make my way through the house. No light on my pistols. I know they layout and where everything is. They most likely would not. Puts me on the home field advantage and I like to keep it that way.

This FTW.

That's why you hold it gangsta style way out to the side. So if they shoot at the light you aren't behind it.

That might work but I want to put holes in the bad guy and not in my furnace, walls or TV.

But some people have kids or other family members in there house that might hear something too and walk out to see. I'd rather be sure what I'm shooting at than to shoot someone in the dark not knowing who it is.

Just don't point the light at them (kids or family members) in the middle of the night.



Shane

My kids would never go out to look if they heard anything. They were scardy cats. The only one left at home is under 4 foot and only on weekends. This is just my scenario and it may not work for everyone.

I like these discussions because they make you think. Those with me know to get low and hide in the event of things going bump in the night. I sleep poorly, so if one of them makes a snack run they know it's likely I will be somewhere on their trip back to bed.
I trust Casper, the dog. If he gets up I grab a gun. If he growls, I wake the wife. If he barks, I hand her a phone and say a prayer. At seven he has never lied and very seldom overreacts. I wake him way more often than he does me, did I mention I don't sleep well?
Paul

My wife doesn't sleep well either. And the three dogs are always on, they bark at everything. So between those 4 alarms I feel pretty good. The one kid that would get up in the middle of the night to get on the Internet is gone. He got busted a few times but didn't ask about the pistol in my hand. And by gone I mean he can be an idiot at his dad's place. We had rules.

My wife and daughter went home a day early from our last trip to the lake.Wife rode with the daughter so when she was dropped off at home there was no extra car in driveway.That night someone thought it was a good time to try and break into our home.They must have been watching it to notice the other car hadn't moved in several days.Sooo - The dogs wake up the wife raising holy hell,wife grabs her pistola,hears someone inside the garage and calls me.I first ask her if she has her pistol in her hand.She says she does and I tell her to get her 12ga out of the gun cabinet,shot anyone who tries to enter the house and hang up and call 911.The rest of the story she tells me.She has her shotgun and puts a full load of buckshot in it as she is talking to 911.someone jiggles the backdoor knob about the same time she-standing on the other side of said door,racks a shell into the chamber.This with all the dogs raising hell.She hollers that she is armed and will blow their f$$$%ng head off if they don't leave.They left.Law shows up about the same time my daughter does.Wife is freaking out ofcourse and trying to put the dogs up and they are not co-operating.The cop tells my daughter that he is going to shoot the dogs if the wife can't get them put up.The dogs probably saved my wife's life and to protect and serves action will be to kill the heros.I am so glad I wasn't home because I'd have gone to jail that night for assulting an officer and they would be stalking me right now.I thought long and hard about it and let it slide.It is a comfoft knowing when the day came for my wife that she was up to the task.I am always telling her and my daughter to be aware of their surroundings when at the store or where ever and I think they both understand now.

if you have absolutely no one that could possibly in the house, kids surprising ya with a visit, wife, dog, anything be ok I like a light so I can make sure of my target and what is behind it

X2. Lots of ambient light in my house.

Keep in mind, just because a light is attached does not require it to be used in a manner that would compromise the security of the armed defender. I have a weapon light on a 1911. I also keep a bedside light and a 12ga nearby. I also keep a light on my camp pistol; which is a P226 9mm/22lr package.

I have LED photocell night lights throughout my house. I can clearly see everything in it without a flashlight. I keep one on my shotgun and an additional handheld light next to each of our pistols.

My house is protected by ADT.




Oh and mossberg, savage, smith and Wesson, and marlin.

My dog alerted me to a burglar in the garage earlier this year. There's a big difference between "Cat pooping in the tomato beds!" and "Get the gun!"

That dog has earned his keep for life as far as I'm concerned. He's no attack dog, but his eyes, ears and nose are a lot sharper than a glass break sensor or a motion detector.

That's why the lights have an off and on switch. Even with ambient light, being able to have its use is better than not at all. I prefer to have the pistol light and have 2 hands on the gun,or 1 hand on the mutts collar and 1 on the gun

If you've ever been in a dark room and someone flashes you with a high intensity light, if only for a second, you know why people put those lights on their pistols. It will temporarily blind you which gives the homeowner time to do his thing.

Saying that, I'm cheap and do not want to spend that kind of money on a flashlight. I agree with previous posters that I know my house, and I know it well. I can walk from one end to the other and not so much as stump a toe on an out of place hot wheel.

I even know where the pile of legos will be...

Originally Posted By: GriffGruff78
Originally Posted By: kidde
I like these discussions because they make you think. Those with me know to get low and hide in the event of things going bump in the night. I sleep poorly, so if one of them makes a snack run they know it's likely I will be somewhere on their trip back to bed.
I trust Casper, the dog. If he gets up I grab a gun. If he growls, I wake the wife. If he barks, I hand her a phone and say a prayer. At seven he has never lied and very seldom overreacts. I wake him way more often than he does me, did I mention I don't sleep well?
Paul


My dog alerted me to a burglar in the garage earlier this year. There's a big difference between "Cat pooping in the tomato beds!" and "Get the gun!"

That dog has earned his keep for life as far as I'm concerned. He's no attack dog, but his eyes, ears and nose are a lot sharper than a glass break sensor or a motion detector.
kidde
His battery won't die and I trust Casper more than any electronic circuit. A good dog is better than any alarm. Plus I let mine eat all he can kill.

I wouldn't turn my light on the second I heard something. I would turn it on once the target is identified. Giving away your position is ridiculous. You simply can't look my way if my light is on, its that bright. Even if you have enough ambient light in your house being able to light up a target like the fourth of july gives you a distinct advantage.

Again, anyone who hunts people at night (Cops, soldiers etc), a weapon mounted light is the first thing they want on a new gun (matter of fact several Rowlett guys have a backup weapon light on their patrol rifles).

There are certainly times where you wouldn't use it, but no home defense gun of mine is not going to have one. You can't guarantee wherever the threat is you will have enough light to see on your own.

Years of hunting at night have taught me the importance of having one.