Originally Posted by
SLG
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.
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