Lessons on Defensive Flashlight

[Erick Gelhaus]

Defaulting to the old days of the Surefire Institute, I'm good with intermittent light, light & move. How intermittent is determined by the lighting conditions, environment, known issues & concerns. Once I find someone, then the light is on & stays on. I want as much information to come back to me as I can get.

As for switching, just off & on is quite nice. I like the current generation of clicky tailcaps. Depress & get momentary light, push to the click & get constant on. With good lights I can illuminate the waist and the face, if needed, at the same time. Or, intentionally move it to the face. Having a handheld separate from the gun is a good thing.

[NH Shooter]

Defaulting to the old days of the Surefire Institute, I'm good with intermittent light, light & move. How intermittent is determined by the lighting conditions, environment, known issues & concerns. Once I find someone, then the light is on & stays on. I want as much information to come back to me as I can get.

As for switching, just off & on is quite nice. I like the current generation of clicky tailcaps. Depress & get momentary light, push to the click & get constant on. With good lights I can illuminate the waist and the face, if needed, at the same time. Or, intentionally move it to the face. Having a handheld separate from the gun is a good thing.

100% agreed!

I am in no way dismissing the standard clicky switch. For 99% of EDC use, click-for-constant-on is mighty convenient.

My commentary is also based on the fact I carry two lights: one entirely dedicated to self defense ("fight light") and another for everything else. For strictly the fight light and considering the worst case scenarios I might use it in, I find the benefits of momentary-only outweigh any inconvenience of not being able to click to constant-on.

Thanks to all for contributing to the discussion!

[Larry T]

As with many things, for every scenario where momentary on is better, there's another scenario where it isn't. Every light I carry (currently Fenix TK16 v2) has a raised clicky tailcap and accommodates a Thyrm Switchback. I train with that setup and would never mix things up by carrying a light that operates differently.

[NH Shooter]

Perhaps the biggest advantage of integrating a capable light into one’s EDC self-protection scheme is that the fact that they are (1) legal everywhere and (2) are not generally perceived as threatening. Carrying a flashlight in-hand in a low light setting isn’t likely to upset anyone. For these reasons, and the fact that a capable EDC light can be so instrumental in ensuring our personal safety, I am an advocate of “deploying early.”

Deploying my EDC light early is no different than any other routine preparation I would make for the activity at hand. For me having my light in-hand when venturing out in the dark is no different than putting on a coat before going out in the cold. It has become second nature for me to do so: the benefit of being able to see details in my dark surroundings that would otherwise go unseen is something I no longer want to forego. It's also a great way to practice and maintain situational awareness.

Even routine use, like walking the dogs at night, I carry my light in the support hand the same way I would use it with the pistol. Bringing the hands up in a Harries technique position sans the pistol are reps I do regularly. As Larry mentioned above, consistency in handing and use of the light is essential. Handling and using it consistency on a regular basis ensures "no bandwidth required" should it need to be deployed in a stressful situation.

[NH Shooter]

Pocket clips seem to be standard equipment on all modern hand held lights. Some of these clips work well, some not so much. Most are removable, some more easily than others. It seems across the spectrum of users, there is a love-hate relationship with pocket clips: some find them indispensable, others find them nothing more than a nuisance.

While a pocket clip keeps an EDC light quickly accessible, they are not without drawbacks. Some clips leave the entire tailcap of the light exposed, and on short body lights the light does not sit deep enough in the pocket to ride in a stable fashion. Along with a clip that does not grip tightly, this is a recipe for a lost light. Deep carry clips are better in this regard, but still leave a clip exposed on the outside of the pocket. This may leave anyone who notices wondering if it’s attached to a weapon (such as a knife) and thus attract unwanted attention. I had this happen to me in a restaurant, catching a person at the next table looking at my pocket with the exposed clip. I do not want any of my EDC gear to attract attention, and this is why I now prefer all of it to be fully concealed.

In my experience using a pocket clip on any EDC item, I’ve found that it doesn’t take long for a clip to fray the edge of the pants pocket. Worst yet, I discovered long ago that in tight spaces (like inside my garage) where I can not fully open the door, I was brushing the side of the car when getting in, the exposed clip leaving scratches in the finish. Arrgghhh!

From a carry and handling standpoint, I have come to prefer a “plain body” light with knurling on which I can get a full and secure grip. Without a clip to interfere, I find the light rides consistently comfortable in-hand with no need to rotationally adjust its position to get the clip out of the way.

As always your requirements may differ from mine, but for me these are the reasons I remain firmly in the “not to clip” camp.

[NH Shooter]

Along with ease of access to the light (I carry mine in a front pants pocket), I have found that the addition of a lanyard to be essential for the way I use a light. So essential in fact that all of my EDC lights are equipped with one. With the lanyard, I can casually carry the light without fear of dropping it. I can keep the carry hand available for other tasks without having to stow the light, and as I have stated in other posts, I have found a lanyard indispensable when executing low-light malfunction clearings and magazine changes with the pistol.


Ease of In-hand Carry



Deploying early means a light spends more time in-hand. The lanyard provides retention security while comfortably carrying the light in-hand.


Quick Deployment



From a casual carry as shown above, it's a quick flip of the wrist to get the light into action.


Hands Free



The lanyard allows quick access for two-hand tasks while retaining the light.


Strap It On



With this lanyard technique, the light is held in-position in an open hand. If I know I'm going to need both light and frequent use of both hands, this is a useful way to retain the light.

There is zero doubt that a capable light is a must for EDC carry. For me, a lanyard like the one above helps me get the most out of it.

[1slow]

I ordered 3 Surefire from amazon, supposedly twist for on and push for momentary. They are click on and are going back. Doom on Amazon for incorrect descriptions.

I want more several lights like the EAG Surefire that are twist for on and push for momentary, single brightness.

Any help ? Thanks.

[NH Shooter]

I ordered 3 Surefire from amazon, supposedly twist for on and push for momentary. They are click on and are going back. Doom on Amazon for incorrect descriptions.

I want more several lights like the EAG Surefire that are twist for on and push for momentary, single brightness.

Any help ? Thanks.

LF makes a tailcap that is constructed and operates just like the old SF Z52 twisty - https://www.lumensfactory.com/en/pro...il.php?pid=345

I have another order in the works for them, I'll add a couple of these to it.

PM inbound.

[NH Shooter]

The Art of Manliness is a site that we might go to for entertainment, but usually not for expert advice. In this case, the article How to Use a Flashlight in a Tactical Situation has some solid information by virtue of contribution from Mike Seeklander.

IMO, worth the read!

[1slow]

LF makes a tailcap that is constructed and operates just like the old SF Z52 twisty - https://www.lumensfactory.com/en/pro...il.php?pid=345

I have another order in the works for them, I'll add a couple of these to it.

PM inbound.

Thanks, if these will work on SureFire 6PX Tactical , I will order several.