When we think about outfitting a gun for our customers, we always ask them to consider a weapon mounted light. These lights offer you the ability to identify threats, disorient an assailant, and in general they provide a comfort level to us when light is low. Obviously they are not for everyone, and they don’t work in every situation, but our Glocks all have them.
From a L/E perspective they are great. One of the hard things to do is to clear a room or building while holding a mag light or other hand held light. Some argue that the weapon mounted light poses a risk of being an easy target, but considering any light gives away your position we are willing to take that risk. We prefer having a good shooting grip on the pistol. One thing to consider; the weapon mounted light should not be used as a traditional flashlight because you are obviously covering anyone you point it at. Don’t deploy it unless the situation calls for your weapon to be drawn. Carry another light or two. You can never have too many.
We use the M3 light from Insight Tech-Gear.
These lights are a great value at less than $100, and they have more holster options available than any other light out there. You can buy a kit that comes with an extra bulb, batteries, and a holster. The holster allows you to clip the light to your belt for rapid deployment or for using as a simple flashlight. For those of you who have CCW’s this is perfect for situations that have low light. If you need the light you can quickly install it on the gun.
There are a lot of other lights out there from many great companies, but for the price this is hard to beat. If you are wondering what to get your shooter, this is a great gift that they are sure to appreciate.