Scary! My G23 needed Night Sights.

[kwf2006]

LOL, I thought you might like that!

[NuBee]

Well I have a slim mini maglite flashlight that gives off a stromg beam for such a little guy.

While I'm at the gun shop I will see what they have to offer in lights for Glocks. From the phone conversation I understand mountable lights will have to be mostly ordered because most lights are not kept in stock.


In my brand new June 2007 copy of Guns and Ammo is an article entitled "cleaning house". It's amazing that they talk about cover vs. concealment and everything else but never a light attached or hand-held. But yet in the real world LEOs use flashlights all of the time. Go figure?????

Well I'm just going to start with the night sights for now and I have a flash light right be side my G23.

So what is the consensus? Is a light helpful or dangerous for HD

I assume that there is an appropriate circumstance to use the light and dangerous times when they should be kept off. I just do not know up from down yet until I can digest more info.

My next project will be to do something about my HD 12gauge needing some sight illumination if possible. The front sight is just a blade.

Thanks!

Nubee!

[KBCraig]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=54879

Use that while shooting. ROFL.

LOL, when I saw the Hobo Freight URL, I thought it might be for one of these:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=93175

[KBCraig]

So what is the consensus? Is a light helpful or dangerous for HD

Light is always useful. The best lights of all are those that aren't attached to either you or your gun.

If circumstances require that you use either a handheld or weapon-mounted light, you have to beware of tunnel vision. Sometimes bright lights work against you, because you can only see what's within the beam. You can't see anything that falls outside the beam. Bright lights are handy for stunning/blinding critters, but it's mighty unfortunate if the critter has a friend outside your (now very narrow) field of view.

Kevin

[stevie_d_64]

Please consider tritium night sights. I think they're effective, and they don't need batteries.

If I am in the dark, inside my house, I can see out more easily. I would not turn on a light with an unidentified threat. That highlights the person turning on the light.

- Jim

I've been following this thread, and without getting onto what I believe are the values of Titrium night sights and the like...To which I am neutral to the idea...

I have a little trick you may for whatever reason want think about in a situation like a possible intruder sneaking around in your dark house one night deal...(take a breath...)

Obviously you have the tactical advantage in your own home in this case...Whether lights are on or not...I agree though that flipping on lights is a quick way to draw attention to yourself, so I often do not consider doing that...

Ever wonder why those Chemlights are so cheap in Cheaper than Dirt??? They have a shelf-life of a bazzilion years, and are relatively rugged in their design and function...

Working your way through your home, and unless there is an obvious sign and position (if you've reasonably confirmed there is a BeeGee in your home)...But you are not sure of an exact position, and you of course are in a good concealment or cover position to observe the overall area where you think they are...

Think "hand grenade"...

Activate behind your back (you don't have to see what your doing with a Chemlight), and quickly toss that into the area where you think they are...

And conduct business as you see fit...

I do not believe these devices ruin your night vision to the point where it would impede your actions, or gaining control over the situation...

I would point out that the tossing of a device like this away from you, yet it illuminating an area in this manner might draw attention away from you, giving you that much more advantage in a situation...

Like I said, just something to think about...Whether you agree or not, this trick works in some situations, not all, but some...

I have some friends I served with, that tend to think outside the box and come up with sneaky little tricks like this from time to time...

[seamusTX]

Activate behind your back (you don't have to see what your doing with a Chemlight), and quickly toss that into the area where you think they are...

That's an original idea.

The same thing can be done with a flashlight, though it may not illuminate what needs to be seen.

In my own case, the only time it's so dark that I can't see at night is during a power failure. I can practically read with all the interior lights off. My house also has a very helpful "feature": The doors and floors creak. I can tell where Mrs. Casey is by the sounds.

- Jim

[9mmGuy]

Are you talking about Glow Sticks?

I do not believe these devices ruin your night vision to the point where it would impede your actions, or gaining control over the situation...

Especially if you use red ones. Red light will NOT dilate the pupils. Ever wonder why the eye doctors office is lite with red lights. Helps when you get your pupils dilated for an eye check up.

[hi-power]

...(if you've reasonably confirmed there is a BeeGee in your home)...

OMG! Shoot!

Sorry, I don't mean to belittle your post. This just popped into my head and I had to share.

This thread reminds me of the time my wife called me at work at about 10:00 one night because a group of teenagers was hanging around our mailbox at the street and shining a laser light in the windows. I was working the late shift at a local hospital and all I could think of was that the laser might be attached to a handgun.

She decided to call the local PD and report them as I was driving home to see what was up. PD was already there when I got there and were patting the boys down, and after about 10 minutes, they let them go.

Anyways, those kids had no business being in front of our house late at night shining a laser in our windows. The police didn't seem to have a problem with us calling them about it, although we do live in a fairly small town.

[pbandjelly]

ROFFLES! shoot with extreme prejudice!!!!!!
"Stayin' alive, Stayin' al-" CLACK-CLACK CLACK

Tossin' chem-lights, that's way tacticool.
I might reserve that for confirmed BG's, and not the occasional "bump" in the night, but that is a great idea.

I think for the time being, NuBee, work on your two handed approach with the flashlight.

[KD5NRH]

Well I have a slim mini maglite flashlight that gives off a stromg beam for such a little guy.

You ain't seen nothin' yet.

If you can get your hands on a Pelican M3 Xenon (careful, there's an M3 LED out there too; I'm sure it's a great light for searching or task lighting, but the 135 lumens from the Xenon one makes for a much blinder BG) it's a great choice. Failing that, the Surefire G2 and an upgrade lamp assembly will get you 120 lumens for a somewhat shorter time per set of batteries, but in a smaller package.

I have both, plus a Brinkmann LX that now contains my Surefire's original lamp assembly, and use them a fair bit in security work, and around the land. I tend to need new batteries for them about every 45 days. If you're using a tac-light right, then unless you spend a lot of time checking buildings and pastures, you should get several months out of a $20 12-pack of Surefire-branded batteries.

As far as weapon mounting, I'm all in favor of it, but I would also recommend having a handheld one for use with other guns, and for carry when you can't carry a gun, or don't have justification to use the gun yet.

Practice light-on-off-move, light-on-shoot-light-off-move.

As for the chemlights, they're a great way to get some active illumination into an area for a night-vision device, as well as a distraction. WalMart has some battery-powered LED versions in sporting goods that I really like for marking positions at night, and they should work great for the same thing here.

[NuBee]

I had to stop by ole Wally for a few things anyway. I'll stop by after the gun shop.

Great ideas for lights. I want to start out with a good hand-held version first. Now the idea of throwing a light source for a distraction and illumination makes sense to me. But, I'm still thinking that if I turn on a light and some thug is in the dark, didn't I just give him an advantage(I'm refering to a light, mounted or not)?

But again LEOs have used this method successfully for decades. Of coure they have the training and instructions for these types of scenarios.

Thanks!

NuBee

[seamusTX]

... I'm still thinking that if I turn on a light and some thug is in the dark, didn't I just give him an advantage(I'm refering to a light, mounted or not)?

I think so, but here's the thing: You have to get as much information as possible and make a decision for yourself. Your life may depend upon it. I won't be there to back you up.

I don't mean this to sound harsh, but many people give advice as if it were the last word. I try to give information, not advice.

If you haven't already, read everything you can by Massad Ayoob.

- Jim

[Skiprr]

My house also has a very helpful "feature": The doors and floors creak. I can tell where Mrs. Casey is by the sounds.

A nightengale floor! An architectural technique originating in feudal Japan that purposefully created floorboards to flat-out chirp when they bore weight...ergo the nightengale part. The technique was called uguisubari. Seriously. Would I kid you?

[seamusTX]

Thanks for the fascinating information, but I don't think any Japanese carpenters worked on my house in Galveston in the 1920s. It's termite damage and settling.

- Jim

[NuBee]

Well gents I ordered my Trijicon night sight set today. It should arrive at the shop in about a week and they will call me.

The gun smith told me to just drop off my slide and I would have it back the very same day.

I've received practical info from you guys. I've already received my Infidel IWB holster which was one of a few suggestions and it is great.

While I was there I bought another new Glock- made 13 round magazine, and a box of Federal 165gr hydra shocks.

I picked up 2 small, dark, regular flashlights as well.

Now to find out how to get some night sight work done on my HD 12gauge if possible and to look more into lights specifically for my G23.

I'm doing things one step at a time to keep rookie mistakes at a
minimum.

I am not exaggerating when I say that I cannot see my hands, gun or sights in my house at night with all of the lights off. If I stand directly in front of the back door there is light but I'm not standing in front of any doors in a dangerous situation.

I wonder how many other armed and innocent citizens will run into this problem when it's too late

Thank you all so much for all of your help and info. I am well on my way.