Pistol for Home defense: Flashlight vs weapon light

For my home defense AR15, it’s a no brainer....it has a surefire weapon light...
For my bedside pistol, I’m on the fence…..I use a small streamlight hand held flashlight. The thought is that I don’t want to light up something with a light mounted on my pistol that I don’t intend to shoot (like pet or family members). Also, I feel like the hand-held flash light gives me some tactical advantage in certain situations (like holding the light in a different position that the pistol).

At the same time I’m noticing an increasing level of popularity with pistol mounted lights…Am I missing something? What are your thoughts? Hand held flash light or weapon light for pistol?

use both

If you are shining your light to see a potential threat I'd want my pistol to be following it. Pistol mounted light has always met my needs. I'm not going to point my pistol somewhere I can't see and if you shine the light on a threat and your pistol is pointed somewhere else you are losing precious time to get your gun around to meet up with it.

How is pointing with rifle mounted light any different than a pistol mounted light.

I have a pistol mounted light. My thought is that there is always some ambient light in my house because we leave a light on all the time and with our house layout I can see pretty easily. If I have to turn on my pistol light to see someone, odds are they aren't supposed to be there and my pistol will be pointed at them anyways. I would rather have both hands on the gun rather than holding a flashlight in one hand and the pistol in the other.

I've got a weapon mounted light on my bedside pistol solely for the fact that I don't want to fumble with multiple items if I have to use it coming out of a dead sleep. Before I got my weapon light, I had a high lumen flashlight next to my pistol on the nightstand. It got knocked over so many times reaching for the snooze, I can't imagine trying to get it and my pistol and manipulate both reliably in a "right now" pitch black, half asleep scenario. My light can produce momentary light and strobe from my natural shooting grip , which is great for clearing a room, or turned on for a constant beam. I have the Streamlight TLR-1 HL.

Having a light mounted doesn't mean that you have to use it. It means that it's there if you need it.

Neither, if I come into that situation, I either know who it is/isnt off the bat. If not, you will be asked to identify yourself, if no answer in 2 clear shouts(3-5 seconds) lead is probably gonna fly.
12 gauge #1 bird and 0 buck mixed

Think outside the box for a minute. I suspect the main reason why LEO's use lights is because they are always in situations where they are not familiar with the scene. If you know the layout of your home, darkness can definitely give you advantage over the person who doesn't and doesn't make you an immediate and obvious target. Night vision is the ultimate choice, but clearly not practical for home defense.

If an obvious intruder is in my home to do me harm, the last thing I'm going to do is turn on a light. I'm going to take a defensive position in the dark that gives me a clear advantage and spray him with bullets before he knows I'm there.

I'm kinda sorta with Dan on this one. Especially now that kids are out of the house so I don't need to go roaming to protect them. I have one and will turn it on if needed, but always kinda figured that if I didn't know exactly where the perp is that a light only serves to tell him where I am and get myself shot. My current home defense plan is to stay put with Momma, call 911, and put down anyone that comes through the bedroom door. I have experienced an intruder outside, went out, and was lucky I didn't have to shoot him. In hindsight, there wasn't any reason for me to have gone out there.

I'm sure the military/LEO training is great about teaching how/when to use weapon lights.

Custom XDM-9mm with Green Crimson Trace Rail Pro

Surefire Centurion, hand held next to it , inside table drawer.

My doggie is my first line of defense, as she will bark that "special" bark to wake me up and let me know somethings not right outside.

100% weapon mounted light. I can turn it fully on, or I can push the button and release it for when I want it off and on. If you follow good trigger discipline, then weapon mounted light is good. Plus, you have 2 hands on the pistol at all times.

Tactical Amazon Headlamp ftw

I have both. My biggest issue where I live is 4 legged critters, so I keep a flashlight handy for when the dogs find a skunk and I need an accurate .22 shot.

I am a Sig guy, no doubt. I prefer the Remington 870 20 inch 12 ga/ with SureFire Forearm.... the gun holds 7, side saddle and stock 12 more, and 24 more on the sling.... after that I am down to the Sig P226 with the rail mounted Streamlight....


Like others above, I don't have kids at home... my only worry is getting in front of the wife and her Sig P228... (those of you that know her and history know what I am referring too...)

I hope one of us calls 911...

If an intruder is in my home I don't have the luxury of locking myself in my room or hiding in the dark. I have to go confront the threat because I have to protect my children and make sure they are safe even if it increases my risk. I wouldn't turn on a light, but with the lamp that stays on I can see the majority of my house pretty easily.

Pistol mounted !
Far to many advantages...

Positive identification is a must !
Many family members and friends are killed each year when they unexpectedly show up in the night!!!

And believe me even in Texas,,, the LAST thing you want to have to do is pull that trigger !

After you do kill the perp.... you will have opened the biggest can of worms you will ever see!

I clamp on an Inforce APL to my pistol every night before I go to bed, and take it off when I get dressed and put the gun on in the morning. I'm with everyone else.... if I need to shine a light on something inside my house in the middle of the night, I'm already going to want a pistol pointed in that direction. Plus it gives me light if I have to be using that other hand for something else during an emergency.

If for some reason you do need extra light, you can always activate it while the pistol is pointed down at the ground. There's still plenty of spill to light things up.

A light and laser bouncing around will send MOST crooks and thieves running like.... HE double L

Drugged out druggies may not run.....

And it doesn't take much light! I leave one on in the hallway and it gives just enough light that I can see from the bedroom into the main area. Too much light and they'll see the deranged Jack Russell that's fixing to perform a very painful and bloody neutering procedure.

BS.....Why should we believe you? What do you suggest letting him kill you....come on. Man up go to some self defense training.

And yes when the lawyers find out you have been trained, your really in the sh&t then !!!!!
Try to scare the sh&t out of the perp first, last resort is pulling that trigger for a kill shot!!!!
Dont believe me!!!,,,,Research it .

Sometimes, this is the best feature on this website.

Do you REALLY think the lawyers give a crap if it was a justified shooting ????

Chad you need to keep to reloading ammo ! That area is the only intelligence you even begin to have or show and even that is debatable !

To the OP :

Get a pistol mounted motion activated light and laser and should the event ever arise , flash it around like there is no tommorow !

There is nothing in your house that cannot be replaced , except for life its self !

Where are you from.....ny? I think you need to research Texas laws on the use of deadly force. If you are in my house uninvited day or nite with or without I firearm you will be shot to death. Jeez another liberal

Sorry op....a troller took it another direction

Billy Bob your name fits you well !
Like i said the lawyers wont give crap about TEXAS LAW !
Have you ever heard of CIVIL LAWSUITS ???

Obviously you have no clue about Texas law because if someone is in your house and you have to use deadly force if you're no billed by grand jury you're protected from civil prosecution in Texas.

I prefer a handheld light. It doesn't matter as long as you have a good light and know how to properly use it and mainly dont over use it..

Who the [censored] is this guy???

looks like a keyboard ninja know knows no one here.

Where did he run off too

Lol probably Google Texas castle doctrine

He better watch out offending Billy Bob might end up missing in the hills somewhere

Just in case he is wondering

Hard to edumacate an idiot Kyle. I think we found one here. Only question is where he at?

He passed this one up tonight

I would dearly love to see this "motion activated light" that is pistol mounted.

and do you prefer cremation or would you like to be buried (in nyc or the gay bay?) cuz you go waving a light around in the middle of the night and the invader is armed then you dead most likely.

Someone that knows as much as you would do well to ask questions and take notes.

Guy has only been here a month and is already the biggest idiot on the forum

I see...So the overwhelming majority is for a weaponlight....I'll probably get one then!

I'm thinking of getting some sort of streamlight tlr light.
I would really like to mount it on my Sig P226 with night sights and loaded with a 20rd Mec Gar mag in 9mm. But as you know the rail on the Sig is rounded and the Streamlight internet site says that the Sig rail and the light will get marks....don't want that...so I'll probably just mount it on my G35 (it has fiber optic front sight and a standard 15rd mag).

I was busy screwing with the moron and never really gave a good reply in regards to you OP. Your on the right path. I have a TLR-2 on my XD 40 and the wifes XDM 9 and they are great IMHO.

Yep I run the TLR-1S with strobe on my G22 with night sights.

I won a Surefire X250 and X300 off a prize table, and use both. The X300 is on my G35, and the X250 is on my G40 in 10mm. I have used both for night hunting and shooting rabbits when we are bored at night on the deer lease. A 180 grain XTP out of a 10mm is nasty on a wascally wabbit.

Agreed on the weapon light. TLR-1S on my P30L. Momentary on/off or solid on/off toggle

The strobe feature on the tlr1 has to be one of the most annoying things ever. It serves no purpose because it is not fast enough of a strobe to be very disorienting.

Hell mine disorients me from behind the weapon feel like I'm epileptic

Thankfully you can turn the strobe off. Flip the momentary on switch ten times and on the tenth one hold it down. The light will go from strobe to constant on. Hold it until it turns off. You've the disabled the strobe.

To comment on the actual thread I have a TLR-1 I run usually on a 1911. I got it for hunting, not home defense and it's handy in that regard. At night chasing pigs through thick brush it is the way to go vs trying to hold a flashlight to see and a gun to shoot.

There are 3 guns deployed in various places in my house..
What I will grab in the middle of the night is a Wilson Combat 9mm AR with an 8" barrel and a Inforce WML mounted on the top rail with a Trijicon MRO.

2 is 1 and 1 is none. Something I heard a while back. I keep a Surefire X300 Ultra on my pistol at night and a streamlight strion next to it.