Fight Lights

[NH Shooter]

Really like that end result. What are your thoughts on the Travis Haley surefire light? I'm guessing it wouldn't have the candela you want but otherwise hits the same ideas

IMO, there's definitely an advantage to a beam with higher candela for SD purposes. These beams are characterized by a more intense central hot spot and lower intensity spill.

I've heard it said that a high-candela beam is not as good for situational awareness. Based on my own experience, I do not believe that is an absolute truth.

While a brighter spill better illuminates the space in your peripheral vision, it's a fallacy to believe that high-candela beams have no spill at all and greatly hinder SA compared to a wider beam with brighter spill. In fact, even the 70,000 candela/650 lumen Malkoff E2XTD head has a bright enough spill for human vision to see what's there.

Photos depicting beam patterns are not good indicators of this. The human vision system can see detail in scenes with contrast ratios 10x greater than a digital camera sensor, so what might appear completely black in a photo is actually bright enough for human vision to discern detail.

There's also the discussion of photonic barriers and how more candela can help overcome them (video).

One challenge with using a high-candela hand held light with a pistol is aligning the beam and sights on the target. I find that if the sights and hot spot do not align on the target, my eye gets drawn to the hot spot of the light. With enough practice using your preferred hold, this challenge is largely mitigated.

Finally, the higher the candela, the more blinding it is to someone looking directly into the beam. So not only can a high-candela light better overcome photonic barriers, but the more powerful of a photonic barrier it can create.

[Crashpad]

The only lights I use are either single output or gas pedal switch UI.

I like the gas pedal switch Surefire offers for several reasons. First, there's no way to accidently turn it to constant on. You have to twist the tail cap to make that happen and a little bit of tape applied in the right spot means that you can make sure that it is only a momentary light.
Second, the ability to go from looking at a tire in a dark parking lot with the low beam and then instantly lighting up the rest of the area to see who is approaching from the other end (I don't know who it was, but they decided to go be somewhere else) by only pushing harder, working under the hood of a truck in the woods at night and then being able to quickly look all the way up the hill to see what is making the noise (black bear) is so useful. No need to twist anything, no need to to adjust your grip or use the other hand. You can even put the light on low mode, constant on and still access the momentary high mode by just pushing the tail switch.

If only Surefire would expand the gas pedal switch to more lights and give us a good rechargeable option that doesn't limit the outputs.

[newyork]

If they had those with a low at around 25 lumens instead of 5.

[NH Shooter]

If they had those with a low at around 25 lumens instead of 5.

I find the 25 to ~50 lumen range extremely useful for administrative tasks.

[newyork]

I agree. 5 is too low imo

[El Cid]

I carry two lights day to day. My "admin" light is a Streamlight microstream USB. In a pinch I could use it for work/defensive tasks, but it's mostly for things like reconnecting a cable under a desk, or looking in the back of the junk drawer, etc.

My "fight light" as you call it has changed a couple times over the years. For the longest time starting in the 90's it was a SF 6P. Then, I adopted the 6Z to jump on the Rogers/Cigar technique. Several years ago I switched to a SF EDCL2-T. I only replaced it because of the newer LED lights that have retina torching candela. Currently I rotate between a Modlite (18650) OKW and a Cloud Defensive full size MCH (HC single output).

My preference for switches on fighting lights is first for momentary with full brightness, or as a second choice, a gas pedal (like my EDCL2-T had) where it starts low, then with a hard press you can give someone a tan. I worry that under stress a clicky switch might stay on when I don't want it to.

Technically I have a 3rd light because my pistol has a WML 24/7.

[GyroF-16]

If they had those with a low at around 25 lumens instead of 5.

FWIW- I use two of these in my EDCL-2, and it gives me easily 25 lumens in low mode. I was disappointed in the 5 lumens for doing preflight walk arounds in the dark, and the high mode was nearly blinding in a confined space like a wheel well.

With these higher-output rechargeables, all is good. I’ve been using them for several years now with no ill effects.

I’ve heard that they don’t work well in an EDCL-1, however. (Don’t recall the issue)

[Archer1440]

A powerful, handy light is a reasonable option when needed. North of strong language, and somewhat south of pepper spray.

In other words, popping 64,000 candela of Modlite OKW into the face of an over-aggressive parking garage panhandler at twilight, can be a useful thing.

Just saying.

[NH Shooter]

When nothing less will do.

• Malkoff Hound Dog Super head (1,700 lumens/75,000 candela)
• Malkoff MD3 body (body can be purchased without tailcap with a call to Malkoff)
• Lumens Factory SW01 high-current twisty tailcap
• Maglite C-cell Belt Holster

Powered by a pair of 18500 Li-ion cells.

[theJanitor]

My favorite, for a number of years, has been the Surefire Digital LX2. I have accumulated several. I do not know what the current version would be, or if it still exists in their line-up.

Me too. Starting with the LX2, then the EB2, and now the EDCL2T. Unless I'm carrying a specialized dual output light (VIS/IR), then its the EDCL2T. It's hard to beat the progressive pressure switch.