Rama: Weapon, light, weapon-light and training

Karlon N. Rama
Stage five

WHEN I first got into shooting, one of my very first investments—after gun and holster, of course—was a Pelican M6; an all-metal, lithium-powered flashlight small enough to fit in the palm of my hand and which burned bright enough to blind.

Its construction makes it a sufficient blunt-force, pressure point and pain compliance instrument in capable hands. That, plus the blinding output of its xenon lamp, qualifies the M6 as a weapon by and in itself.

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But my real intent in getting it was to have a weapon light to significantly improve my chances if ever I got into an armed confrontation at night or low-light, where most critical incidents happen.

There was a variety in techniques to train with. There was the Harries method, the Rogers technique, the FBI hold, to name some.

Moreover, a scope ring of the right diameter allowed me to attach the light to any rifle with a rail. Also, via an especially made adaptor, the M6 could be mounted on the rail-less handgun I was carrying daily at that time.

The M6 was perfect at that time. It was so well-built, that its bulb was practically impervious to recoil.

Now, new LED technologies have since emerged to push all incandescent weapon lights like the M6 on the same road the dinosaurs took.

These technologies have made flashlights of the same design much smaller, much lighter and burn even brighter and longer using the same battery time.

Moreover, as most handguns now have rails incorporated into the design, handheld lights, regardless of bulb technology, remain in vogue only among the most hardcore.

Most people now prefer lights like the SureFire X300, which attach directly to almost any handgun, or the X400, which does not only serve as a light source but an aiming device as well.

These are selling like hotcakes at a local firearm accessories shop.

Holster makers abroad are quick to cash in with sheaths that allow both gun and its weapon-mounted light to be carried together.

With the heightened local sales of weapon lights, it will only be a matter of time before these holsters hit the local market.

But in as much as we now have smaller, lighter and brighter weapon lights that can be carried with ease, old points need to be stressed—training.

Shooting a gun with a weapon-mounted light is obviously not the same as shooting a gun without one. Some say the level of reliability one gets from a gun changes when a weapon light is attached.

One gun owner reports experiencing feeding problems intermittently whenever he shoots with his light mounted. The problem, he said, disappears when removes the light and shoots again.

Another gun owner acknowledges that his second shots land low whenever he fires a controlled pair when he shoots his handgun with the weapon light attached.

I tried to verify this by shooting a polymer-framed gun mounted with a weapon light dubbed the M3 Tactical Illuminator from Insight Technologies at one target and shooting it again another target without one.

The 10-shot groups I got from both targets spread about the same at 10 meters.

But this does not also mean the reports were invalid. It could be a case-to-case hit.

That being so, better go to the range with your gun and mounted light and start doing your own reliability and accuracy tests.

There are also other issues to deal with.

One issue is how long one should keep his lights on in a critical incident. Yes, the light illuminates the bad guy. But, it also makes the defender a bullet magnet because it gives away the defender’s position.

Also, when light hits the smoke the gun emits after firing, it obscures the target and makes our second shot difficult.

Shooters need to train themselves on how to resolve that.

It is important to realize that whenever we build up on something – like incorporating new tools to our shooting kit – we need to build up on our skills as well. To do that, we need to get some range time.

That being said, I wish everyone a fruitful, enjoyable and safe range time.

(knrama@gmail.com)