Beacon of Light

Beacon of Light

Beacon of Light – If you are like me, we tend to go to the range when it is a nice day out, sun isn’t too hot, not raining, and overall decent shooting conditions….but is that realistic? Most of the major military operations that have taken place have been under the worst conditions (like D-Day and the rain, Battle of the Bulge in the cold snow and winter to name a few), and another condition we don’t take into consideration is the dark.

Hard to believe but there tends to be equal number of night hours and daylight, but few train in low to no light conditions.

This is contrary to what most people think about their most likely encounter being in a dark alleyway, at 2am in the morning or the most vulnerable times. So how do we address that threat? The answer to me is bring daylight to the fight, in the form of a weapon mounted light.

Most people have a handgun as their go to for both concealed carry and home defense should something go bump in the night. More and more guns, from Glocks, 1911s to Sig Sauer and even some revolvers are coming standard with rails meant for frame mounted lights. This is a huge advantage for multiple reasons. First if you have ever tried to clear a house with a light in one hand, its awkward, and it decreases your ability to have a stable two-handed platform. The second is that many companies don’t provide handguns with “night sights”, usually tritium, therefore it is hard to get proper sight alignment for target engagement.

Finally, as compared to a laser sight, having a light lets you positively identify your target while potentially disorienting/momentarily disabling would be adversaries compared to a laser only showing where the gun is pointing.

One of the biggest complaints I hear about lights is that it is hard to find a way to incorporate into both carry and training. These are in my opinion minor issues, but valid. The first, is our holsters at JM4 can be custom cut to fit the light of your firearm, enabling you to have the ability to see in that dark alley. Due to the leather, it is significantly more comfortable to carry the extra bulk of the flashlight, as well as it is in my opinion more snug than mass produced kydex or plastic holsters. As for training, there are several ranges offering night/low light opportunities as well as you can practice clearing your house with training tools I discussed in another blog. Just be cognizant that using a high-powered light can use your batteries quickly so carry a spare and change them often.

Adding a light is a great option to give you a major advantage in less than ideal conditions which in my experience when bad things typically happen.


Author: Ian Bolser