You need enough light to positively identify friend or foe and no more.
Weapon light use for home defense
What is the optimal intensity level for a weapon light at home? I have some high lumen flash lights and the marketing trend continues to be towards brighter and more intense lights. However, if awakened at night, even an old-school X300 with 170 Lumens could be overwhelming when just waking up. I can understand military and LEOs needing 650-1000 Lumens, but those roles presume that the user will adjust to them before entering a hazardous situation.
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I would recommend less than 170 lumens in your case.
I don’t know a single person that uses WMLs for a living and wants less than every lumen and all the candela currently on the market. You’re not looking into the light itself.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
A more powerful lite allows for a more lit room or hallway. The light itself can be a weapon. A bright light can put an intruder on the defense, hard to be on the offense of one can’t see.
A home owner knows where windows and mirrors are, light beam can be directed toward floor or ceiling to prevent a reflective flash.
Also, it’s possible to illuminate a room, with a GOOD light, by using the ceiling. This can greatly decrease pointing muzzle at unintended objects.
The use of a WML is a controversial topic. Training is very useful.
A home owner knows where windows and mirrors are, light beam can be directed toward floor or ceiling to prevent a reflective flash.
Also, it’s possible to illuminate a room, with a GOOD light, by using the ceiling. This can greatly decrease pointing muzzle at unintended objects.
The use of a WML is a controversial topic. Training is very useful.
I’m in the more is better camp, but with the caveat that there has to be a decent amount of spill to the light as opposed to the trend of super tight beam long throw lights. If I can turn my gun/target line (and a few degrees on either side) into daylight I’ll see better and ideally make the most informed choice as to appropriate use of force.
My only real recommendation is to seek reputable training so you can develop your own preferences.
My only real recommendation is to seek reputable training so you can develop your own preferences.
TLR1-HL
Blinding to whatever your covering with it and lights up light daylight immediately
That is what is on my nightstand pistol .
Blinding to whatever your covering with it and lights up light daylight immediately
That is what is on my nightstand pistol .
I’m with you on the TLR-1 HL. Current lights are 1,000 lumens. The earlier models were 800. Both are fantastic in function, durable and aren’t too expensive. My old agency had a few hundred we used with minimal problems.TLR1-HL
Blinding to whatever your covering with it and lights up light daylight immediately
That is what is on my nightstand pistol .
Thanks for the replies, and the photos!
The brighter (lumens and candela), the better (my opinion).
I plan on using my home's light switches to illuminate but being able to reach through existing light and illuminate dark areas or blind adversaries is a benefit.
I plan on using my home's light switches to illuminate but being able to reach through existing light and illuminate dark areas or blind adversaries is a benefit.
I’d like to move the main to the inside of my bedroom and just keep a bump helmet with quads on my nightstand. Until that is feasible, I’ll have TRL-1 HLs on my Springer in the nightstand and the carbine and 870 in the closet. I know guys like Surefire, I do too, just have the Steamlights and am happy with em. Would like to try a Modlite next.
I've got a TLR-4 on my nightstand gun. I think it has plenty of light for my house size. It will identify the thing going bump in the night and paint a red laser dot on them. That's all I need it to do. I'll do the rest.
I started using lights when Surefire was essentially the only game in small handheld lights. Approx '97-98.
A that time the 6P had 60 lumens of incandescent light and we thought it was huge. It worked outdoors at 25 yards. Time has changed the game, the human eye hasn't although yours may have, as have mine.
I now have higher power lights but these are still only in the 3-400 lumen range. I find these sufficient for most duties. But if my time was spent searching outside residential areas or the woods I'd want more, LE work. My neighbors would probably get a bit nervous if I was searching outside with a light and gun.
I don't think I need more light in my home.
Weapon mounted lights - I'm good to go. If I aim in on something in my house it's fair game and I certainly don't want to take the time to switch between a handheld and weapon mounted light.
Jim
A that time the 6P had 60 lumens of incandescent light and we thought it was huge. It worked outdoors at 25 yards. Time has changed the game, the human eye hasn't although yours may have, as have mine.
I now have higher power lights but these are still only in the 3-400 lumen range. I find these sufficient for most duties. But if my time was spent searching outside residential areas or the woods I'd want more, LE work. My neighbors would probably get a bit nervous if I was searching outside with a light and gun.
I don't think I need more light in my home.
Weapon mounted lights - I'm good to go. If I aim in on something in my house it's fair game and I certainly don't want to take the time to switch between a handheld and weapon mounted light.
Jim
This is a very generalized statement, but for indoor applications, I like spill over throw. I want lots of brightness and want it to light the whole room, not be concentrated in a hot spot. That means I'm valuing for lumens over candela. For my nightstand gun, I've stayed with the older Surefire X300u because it has more spill over the newer X300 Turbo. I'll take all of the brightness I can get, but I can make due with a TLR-7 at 500 lumens if that's what I have. The X300, TLR-1, TLR-7 are all great lights that I've used and would have no problem using for PID in a self defense situation.
On my rifles (with outdoor applications), I still want lumens, but candela becomes really important so that I can throw that brightness a great distance as well as penetrate any light sources that might be shinning back at me.
On my rifles (with outdoor applications), I still want lumens, but candela becomes really important so that I can throw that brightness a great distance as well as penetrate any light sources that might be shinning back at me.
You can get away with just about any type of light in a house, even a XC1. I even think a XC1 could arguably have an advantage inside a house, where it is generally inadequate elsewhere.
I think the key to success with a wml is to understand the balance of flood & fill vs spot that it has, at what brightness, and what technique to apply with it. One of things I find missing in the majority of low light training and discussion is the concept of considering what you "buy" with each activation "cost". This is true indoors and outdoors, and indoors the more spot a light has, the higher the "cost" of each of your "buys".
if the only place you want a wml is inside the house, then something like a x300 is likely over kill. A single cell set up like a tlr7 or something from inforce would be good.
I think the key to success with a wml is to understand the balance of flood & fill vs spot that it has, at what brightness, and what technique to apply with it. One of things I find missing in the majority of low light training and discussion is the concept of considering what you "buy" with each activation "cost". This is true indoors and outdoors, and indoors the more spot a light has, the higher the "cost" of each of your "buys".
if the only place you want a wml is inside the house, then something like a x300 is likely over kill. A single cell set up like a tlr7 or something from inforce would be good.
Actually, what works well for me are 4 little night lights plugged in around the house. I do have a Surefire on my bedside shelf and night sights on my 1911, but the most use the flashlight gets is if the dogs are barking at something outside. I have large dogs loose in the house, and the main purpose of the night lights is to avoid tripping over one. Being able to see, recognize and shoot if necessary is just serendipity.
In the home use only context, think about what you might use it for. If you hear a bump in the night and have Depends on (did it semi for real once and it's not fun), when you clear your house, having the WML on constantly does a great job of advertising your location. In actual use, the WML will be deployed intermittently; a high lumen light will leave you blind, once you turn it back off. Most homes have sufficient ambient light (night lights, street lights, etc.) to let you navigate without a WML. My HD SBR has a lower power (600 lumens at most) Modlite mounted to it and I wouldn't want more.
I would agree with you on this for sure. Your statement of how you apply the light is 100% true, splashing it into the room and flood/gill giving the most efficiency out of the time the light is on.You can get away with just about any type of light in a house, even a XC1. I even think a XC1 could arguably have an advantage inside a house, where it is generally inadequate elsewhere.
I think the key to success with a wml is to understand the balance of flood & fill vs spot that it has, at what brightness, and what technique to apply with it. One of things I find missing in the majority of low light training and discussion is the concept of considering what you "buy" with each activation "cost". This is true indoors and outdoors, and indoors the more spot a light has, the higher the "cost" of each of your "buys".
if the only place you want a wml is inside the house, then something like a x300 is likely over kill. A single cell set up like a tlr7 or something from inforce would be good.
Additionally, I think greater power in the light can help if the environment changes (i.e. you have to move from a small room to a big room, inside your house to outside, etc).
or buy nods and call it good.
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