Importance of a rail on your handgun

[Charlie Foxtrot]

Yeah, I reckon the sight of my pale, fat self wearing nothing but a black and green fanny pack would strike terror into the heart of the hardest-core gangbanger. Some things just should not be seen.

Gawd, I'm glad someone said that -- before I had to.

Meownself, I'm afraid I'm not even going to have the modesty of a fanny pack. It'll have to be the firearm, WML, and the pistol's standard capacity mag. Run what you brung.

I'm betting that sight will easily cause a regurgitation event.

[Drang]

Really wish for polymer frames to have built in light or better yet laser & light .

Rejoice! Taurus has heard your plea!

[runcible]

The concept of "production lines" does not apply here like you seem to think it does. I would say it does not apply at all. Manufacturing is far more flexible than commonly thought.

In the case of metal frames, there's enough datum commonality between both railed and non-railed frames that I can easily figure out how to do both using the same workholding fixtures and the same machining centers. Making one or the other is as simple as loading the correct blank (if there is even a difference between them) into the fixture and selecting the correct CNC program.

In the case of polymer frames, it is very easy to have replaceable cavity inserts that would make railed or non-railed frames in the same multi-cavity mold.

As far as assembling the pistol itself, it should make no difference whether the frame has rails or not.

None of this takes away the increased cost of development (ie. dimensional refinement), extra molding fixtures, related jigs, and the simple reality of having extra infrastructure/tooling needed for that portion of the weapon.

Something being technologically easy probably doesn't make it free to do so.

[Alpha Sierra]

None of this takes away the increased cost of development (ie. dimensional refinement), extra molding fixtures, related jigs, and the simple reality of having extra infrastructure/tooling needed for that portion of the weapon.

Something being technologically easy probably doesn't make it free to do so.

The cost is far less than you might think.

I do this for a living, not just the technical side but also the business case side......in case you were wondering.

[runcible]

For what it's worth, and bearing with the conversational emphasis on CCWs, the following make lights may be more viable for discrete carry:

Viridian RTL
Viridian light/laser combos of the previous generation
Crimson Trace Lightguard
Insight APL
Streamlight TLR-3 (I forget if they updated these, as they did the TLR-1)

It's an underserved part of the market, though the more overt-friendly lights are still viable for many.

[runcible]

The cost is far less than you might think.

I do this for a living, not just the technical side but also the business case side......in case you were wondering.

Mea culpa; it being free, I stand corrected.

[El Cid]

- I prefer a WML on any firearms I'm carrying (and therefore a rail)
- IME, if I'm in a structure, having someone shoot at a light I'm using isn't really going to matter where I'm holding it. In an open field I might agree.
- My pistol always has a light on it on and off duty. I work plain clothes so it's a concealed setup unless we are kitted up for a pre-planned op.
- I always have at least one hand held light on me.
- Just because I have a light on my weapon doesn't mean I have to use it. This is why tactics are more important than the equipment.
- Like most, I'm a better shot with2 hands on my weapon. That's where the WML shines IMO. The techniques for a handheld light and having to shoot are slower and more awkward no matter how often they are practiced.
- Can I accomplish my goals without a weapon light? Of course. I grew up before WML's. Just like I'm at home with iron sights as I grew up with long guns before RDS were prevalent.

The bottom line is that it's a software issue, not a hardware one. That said, give me the rail/light and let me decide how and when to use or not use it. If I became a private citizen tomorrow I'd still carry a pistol with a light mounted to it.

[mosin46]

seems to me that lights might be like tracers. they work both ways.

[Wheeler]

seems to me that lights might be like tracers. they work both ways.

According to the class I took last night, the light is like suppresive fire, use it to disorient, distract and get inside the bad guy's decision making process, move, reilluminate and shoot.

[Tamara]

seems to me that lights might be like tracers. they work both ways.

Oh, Jesus, not the "give away my position " thing again. Look, I'm not laying ambushes for Charlie on the Ho Chi Minh trail. I'm not a soldier or a cop. The only reason I've got my gun out in the first place is because the bad guy knows my position and is, you know, attacking me.