I have a tlr2hlg as well and I can't carry it aiwb. Just too much going on. Strong side I probably could if I could find the right holster.Originally Posted by SLG
Though I've been told to try the xfer to accommodate this, I don't know if it'll fit though.
VDMSR.com
Chief Developer for V Development Group
Everything I post I do so as a private individual who is not representing any company or organization.
http://soldiersystems.net/2017/01/17...ts-introduced/
For those like me that wanted to see it. Looks pretty sweet.
"Shooting is 90% mental. The rest is in your head." -Nils
This will be hard for me to effectively type, but I'll try. All of what I'm talking about is from my professional perspective. Some of it is applicable to civilians, and I use those aspects in my personal life. Some of it is just not applicable for civilian self defense issues.
I strongly prefer a handheld light for most pistol applications. I can search with it, gun out or holstered. I can MUC with it. I can see my sights and shoot well with it one handed at any reasonable self defense range. So what does this have to do with using a WML? I don't see a WML as being very useful for civilians, except on a home defense gun. Even then, it is not how I would search my house. See above.
So, the WML for me, is a very limited use item. When I really need it it is because I only have one hand. That occurs for me only once or twice a year typically, but no doubt other examples will spring to mind. When I'm clearing a tunnel, crawling on my hands and knees, and using my left hand to support my body and movement, I need a WML. When I'm clearing a roof, and need one hand on a ladder, or one hand on a rafter, becasue I'm walking on rafters and need the balance, I need a WML.
In those types of circumstances, there are no flashy techniques. You just turn the light on, leave it on, and hope to see the bad guy before he shoots you. In those cases, the brighter the light the better. A laser is a big advantage for one handed shooting from awkward angles, like those contortions you get into described above.
So, if I have two hands on the gun and am using the light, the downward temporary rocker on the Streamlight works very well for me and the way I grip a gun. It allows me to use the light more tactically, much like a handheld. If I need it one handed, then my trigger finger can swipe down on the switch and turn it on permanently. I have found both those options to be much more reliable for me than the Surefire switch. With the SF, you push forward for temp. I find that under recoil, I lose that connection more often than I would like. For permanent on, I find the SF switch to not move as smoothly as the Streamlight switch, but it is perfectly workable. Just not as nice.
Though the switch moves differently, the Inforce light works exactly the same way for me as the Streamlight. Touch it for temp. Release when you want the light to go off. Tap it for permanent. Tap it again to shut it off.
In reading the above, I don't think I was very clear, but I'm not sure what to do about it. The way the switches work, I personally prefer the TLR or Inforce to the SF, regardless of how I'm using the light. Since I mostly limit the WML to one handed use of the gun, any perceived drawback to those switches goes away for me. That's really the crux of it I think. My intended and actual use of the light is much more limited than the market would have you believe a WML is good for, so in that narrow range of use, the switching is less of an issue. Now, after using the TLR and APL for a while, I have come to prefer them for all WML uses.
I stongly dislike dg switches or the contour switch from Streamlight. Both of them mess with my control of the light and gun more than I want. I also have small hands, and I demand a certain level of shootability and recoil control. If you have bigger hands, or are less caring about how the switches affect your grip, then thats a different story.
On a handgun, no accessory is more important than your ability to grip it well. This gets back to what the role of the handgun is. Except for the limited circumstances noted above, I would have no need for a WML, and would not go to hassle of carrying one.
That said, we are working on a new concept in holsters to accommodate the duty size lights and lasers. More soon.
The XC2 doesn't do it for me. Neither does the mini APL. It is so close to standard APL, which I can carry just fine. I am glad to see they bumped up the lumens on the APL though.
Thank you for that. It was very clear and helpful.
You're welcome. Please let us know what you end up with and what you think about it.
Great post SLG and I couldn't agree more in regards to WML's and my use as a civilian.
I misunderstood the switching on the XC lights. Not as thrilled, but it'd still probably do most of what I'm interested in. The excitement I have for these releases though is not so much "look, here's a new thing I can buy now" as much as it is "the thing I want is only 1-2 years away now!".
SLG, that was an awesome post. Thanks! That makes a lot of sense and definitely made me reconsider the switching. I'll have to try my friend's TLR to see if my finger geometry jives with it.
As cool at the TLR-2 HL G looks, that adds a ton of bulk in an area that monumentally affects comfort and flexibility for me AIWB. I'm very curious what you're conjuring regarding holsters, but frankly I'm extremely skeptical it'd ever be something I could make work for myself. The TLR-2 basically looks like a rail-mounted device designed to maximally torture me AIWB.
My interest in this stuff is probably 60:40 laser to light, so I'm curious to hear your thoughts on the laser side of stuff here. How does the switching effect your use of the laser, and how are you deploying that, in what situations, etc? The laser position on the TLR-2 also bothers me a little; it looks like it'd have a significant POA/POI drift from 5 to 15 yds unless you zeroed it for some sort of holdunder method. I really have no experience or clue with lasers so it's likely I'm totally misunderstanding things.
The offset on these types of light laser combos are not ideal. They are mostly done that way becasue of heat issues. You probably know more about that than I do, but until I was told that by the manufacturer, it hadn't occurred to me. For my use, i.e. one handed in awkward positions, I don't think it is a big deal. Others may need closer alignment. I typically zero the laser at 25 yards, and that works out well, but I may have to experiment with other zeros and see how it goes. I use 10 yards for my MRDS, and that makes me wonder a bit.
For a laser option only, the CT stuff is probably best, as long as it works well with your gun. It doesn't with mine.:-( If i was using a rail mount laser instead, I would want a DG type switch. My general complaints with type of switch may not apply to people with bigger or different hands and guns. And different uses.
As for carrying the gun with the TLR2...you'll have to wait and see, but not very long. I'm pretty excited about this development.
I really hope others will chime in on this stuff. Light use in general is not well understood in the community. WML use is further underexplored. I've been working on a curriculum for integrating lights and lasers into one man tactics, but the truth is, is that it takes a lot to put on a high level course like that. A seminar, that could actually cover 95% of it could be done in 4 hours, so a real course is hard to justify unless you have the facility and equipment and people to really take it to the next level.
Last edited by SLG; 01-21-2017 at 03:56 PM.
If you adjust the laser so that the beam is parallel to the bore, then you know what your offset is regardless of distance (setting aside bullet drop). Possibly that might be easier for some to use.
Reply With Quote