Surefire

I think these bright lights are fun and make life easier when you are in the rear with the gear, but I don't understand the combat function of them outside of urban ops/door kicking.

I've used a AA maglite for 20+ years with a red filter, does everything I need in the field, never had to change the bulb.
Maglites are tough and cheap too.
Anything brighter is akin to a neon light announcing your location.

I planned on taking it on my deployment with me and using it as a general purpose light/and or a weapon light.

Why does a LRS guy need a weapon light?
 
I think these bright lights are fun and make life easier when you are in the rear with the gear, but I don't understand the combat function of them outside of urban ops/door kicking.

I've used a AA maglite for 20+ years with a red filter, does everything I need in the field, never had to change the bulb.
Maglites are tough and cheap too.
Anything brighter is akin to a neon light announcing your location.



Why does a LRS guy need a weapon light?

There are a lot of tactics-techniques-procedures that tactical lights bring to the table for both urban and rural operations. In a rural operation noise and light discipline is very important when you are in snoop and poop mode. However, when you are conducting searches/sweeps, trying to push the enemy into a location or deny a location the light is very useful. Most of all tactical lights are great when going against an enemy who has NVG’s, probes and floods are extremely effective against an undisciplined enemy.

As for weapon mounted lights, they were basically designed for CQB. So your assessment is on point, they are best used in urban environments, the primary purpose being illuminating dark areas while being able to utilize your weapon system. It also brings a psychological effect to the table, as to the violence of action with bright light in the face added (think deer caught in the head lights).

Another issue that does pertain to the use of a weapon mounted light and the use in SR type operations is clearing out cache points, hides and unknown areas within the immediate area like caves. Optimally you would be able to stay blacked out and should, however CQB while using NVG’s sucks and is more difficult. If I was on a SR type team (Sniper, Scouts, LRS ect) I would want a weapon mounted light but I would put some safety measures on it to ensure I did not have a negligent light discharge (cover the lens, cover the switch or pull the batts until I felt I needed them).
 
I like my 6P LED. It's good for LE. I found great use using it to check for concealments in paper and for reading letters through envelopes at the search bench haha. We could open it by law by sometimes you don't want to tip them off.
 
I think these bright lights are fun and make life easier when you are in the rear with the gear, but I don't understand the combat function of them outside of urban ops/door kicking.
agree!

surefire? Mounted on rifle? no thanks i don't want to become "suretarget" :D TANS it's safer
 
Ok, I have a flashlight problem... I have an xtremebeam, 3 surefires, and a bunch of no-name lights - none are mounted on weapons at this time. The xtremebeam is pretty cool - 3 levels of straight light starting at 200 lumens and down to about 50, a kick-ass 200 lumen strobe (that will give you epileptic fits when it hits you in the eyes) and an SOS strobe - I have rechargeable cr123's for it. Just got an LED surefire 6PX, and I have 2 incandescent E2Es... now if I could only afford mounts for them...

I'm not goins to extoll the virtues of any one brand, but if you need a light, it sucks not to have one handy. I try to have 2 within reach most times.
 
I've got a 6P in my pocket right now that I've been carrying since 2005. Never had to do anything except change batteries. I use it all the time. Also carry a G2 in my vehicle and I've never had any problems with it. I like their products and don't see a reason to change.
 
We got issued Surefires before we came out here. Not bad, but the eat batteries like no other, as I'm sure most flashlights in that category do. I have an LED Maglight that I carry on me that seems to work fairly well.

Like the Troll said, it sucks not to have one when you need one.
 
buffalo61 the reason your SureFire's eat batteries is they issued you incandescant lights for use with IR filters. If you had an LED lights your batteries would last up to 10 times longer, but IR filters don't work in that spectrum of light to produce useable light for NVG's....hence SureFire's V-series weapons lights.
 
I have a Surefire helmet light, classic universal weapons light for my rifle and another one for my 226 that is older that QC. I like them but I've never tried anything else to be a good judge. They worked so I never bothered replacing them.
 
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