| nals by their very nature are cowards, and commit | | | | against the wrist of the flashlight hand eliminates |
| their crimes when they believe their chances of being | | | | what is called "limp-wristing," where there's not |
| seen are low. It should come as no surprise, then, | | | | enough support for the gun to properly recoil and |
| that more crimes are committed at night. It also | | | | cycle the next round. Limp-wristing can result in |
| follows that the majority of defensive uses of | | | | failures to feed in semiautomatic handguns. |
| firearms occur at night. | | | | With advances in micro circuit technology, lasers and |
| For citizens who carry a gun for defense, or keep | | | | lamps, there are alternatives to the cumbersome |
| one in the home, this presents a problem. Low-light | | | | flashlight/handgun combination. |
| conditions make it more difficult for the citizen to see | | | | Weapons-mounted lasers and lights were once used |
| the criminal and more difficult for the citizen to use | | | | only by police SWAT teams and the military. Today, |
| the gun's sights. Fortunately, though, there are | | | | though, prices for such lights and lasers have reached |
| products and techniques that enable you to identify a | | | | the point where almost anyone can afford them. As |
| potential threat and, if necessary, quickly get your | | | | with night sights and flashlights, weapons-mounted |
| gun on target. Each product and technique has its | | | | lasers and lights have their advantages and |
| advantages and disadvantages, so it's important to | | | | disadvantages. |
| find the solution that's best for you. | | | | Laser Sights |
| Night Sights | | | | Laser sights are extremely effective in low light |
| If you keep a gun for self defense, night sights are | | | | conditions where you can positively identify a threat |
| an absolute must. In defensive shooting, shot | | | | to you, and need to get your gun on target quickly. |
| placement is key to stopping an attack. If you can't | | | | By simply depressing a switch, you activate the laser. |
| quickly align your sights, chances are you'll miss. | | | | When the laser dot is on your target, you're ready |
| Many companies produce glow-in-the-dark night sights | | | | to fire if necessary. |
| for handguns and long guns. Usually these sights have | | | | Laser sights have become so compact that they |
| dots that are filled with tritium, a radioactive gas that | | | | have almost no effect on the weight or grip of the |
| glows in the dark. Trijicon, Meprolight, Novak and | | | | gun. Crimson Trace makes grips for most popular |
| other companies make night sights that fit most | | | | models of handguns that are nearly identical to the |
| production guns with little or no modification to the | | | | size of original factory grips. Other companies, such |
| gun required. | | | | as LaserMax, make laser sights that are equally |
| Night sights are effective when you're able to at | | | | unobtrusive. Guns equipped with such grips and sights |
| least see the criminal, and know with certainty that | | | | will generally fit any standard holster. |
| he constitutes a threat. In total or near-total | | | | The disadvantage with laser sights is the same as for |
| darkness, though, night sights will not enable you to | | | | glow-in-the-dark night sights: if you can't see the |
| see your attacker or at least confirm that he is | | | | criminal, you don't know where to aim your gun. Thus |
| indeed a threat. | | | | laser sights are best suited for low-light conditions |
| Flashlights | | | | rather than no-light conditions. |
| Using a flashlight in conjunction with your defense gun | | | | Weapons-Mounted Lights |
| enables you to identify a potential threat. More | | | | Weapons-mounted lights provide the positive threat |
| importantly, a flashlight enables you to identify | | | | identification of flashlight/handgun combinations, but |
| persons who are not a threat. Nothing is more tragic | | | | without the cumbersome techniques and training. A |
| than mistakenly shooting an innocent person. | | | | simple press of a switch illuminates the area, allowing |
| In a tense defensive situation, holding a gun steady is | | | | you to identify a potential threat. |
| often itself difficult. Trying to hold a gun as well as a | | | | Weapons-mounted lights--also called "tactical |
| flashlight becomes even trickier. However, there are | | | | lights"--are usually mounted on a rail just forward of |
| techniques you can learn that have been proven | | | | the trigger guard on a handgun. Most have switches |
| over time. | | | | that are placed within finger's reach for fast |
| One popular flashlight/handgun hold is called the | | | | activation. Brightness levels on weapons lights vary |
| "Harries technique." With this technique, you hold your | | | | from dozens of lumens to hundreds of lumens. |
| gun in your strong hand, and the flashlight in your | | | | Many weapons lights also incorporate laser sights, |
| support hand. The wrist of your gun hand rests upon | | | | giving you the ability to positively identify a threat |
| the wrist of your flashlight hand, and you bend the | | | | even in total darkness, and then quickly lock on to |
| wrist on your flashlight arm so that the backs of the | | | | the target with the laser sight. |
| two hands are touching. This hold puts the flashlight | | | | Weapons-mounted lights are not without their |
| directly parallel to the bore of the gun and provides a | | | | disadvantages, though. One disadvantage is that |
| solid support for your gun hand. The primary | | | | most weapons lights require the use of holsters |
| disadvantage to the Harries technique is that it forces | | | | specifically designed for such lights. Some models |
| your gun hand to point the gun off to one side. If | | | | even require the use of holsters designed especially |
| you're right-handed, you'll see that your gun is | | | | for a particular light/gun combination. |
| pointed twenty or thirty degrees to the left of your | | | | Perhaps the primary disadvantage to weapons lights |
| line of sight. To compensate, you'll need to hold the | | | | is that their use violates one of the four cardinal rules |
| gun and flashlight much farther to the right than you | | | | of gun use: never point your gun at an object you |
| ordinarily would. | | | | are not willing to destroy. When you're shining your |
| Another common flashlight/gun hold is the "FBI | | | | weapon light on a person, you're pointing your gun at |
| technique." This entails holding the flashlight at arms | | | | that person as well. Imagine hearing a suspicious noise |
| length away from your body. The advantage to this | | | | and lighting up the area, only to find that you're |
| technique is that the criminal will be inclined to shoot | | | | pointing your gun at your child. |
| where he sees the light, while you'll have him in your | | | | You can minimize this problem by strictly adhering to |
| sights. The disadvantage to the FBI technique is that | | | | another of the four cardinal rules of gun use: keep |
| you'll be shooting one-handed, something that | | | | your finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire. |
| requires much more practice than two-handed | | | | Also, holding the gun at a "low ready" position, with |
| shooting. | | | | the muzzle pointed 45 degrees toward the ground, |
| A variation of the Harries technique is taught by | | | | will allow you to see your environment without |
| instructors for Massad Ayoob's Lethal Force Institute | | | | directly pointing your gun at someone. |
| (LFI) classes. With this hold, the gun hand rests on | | | | Night sights, flashlights, laser sights and weapons |
| the top of the wrist of the flashlight hand. The wrist | | | | lights all give you an advantage in nighttime defensive |
| of the flashlight hand is bent enough to aim the light | | | | gun use. In the end, though, there's no substitute for |
| at the target, and the meat of the bottom of the | | | | training. Lastly, there's no substitute for the hope and |
| gun hand is forward of the wrist of the flashlight | | | | prayer that you never need to use your defense |
| hand. Having the meat of the gun hand pressing | | | | gun. |