[PH/CIB]

I have always hated light at night or anything that would give away your position even those swinging rocking parachute flares threw light over everything, and if a trip flare went you knew it was the enemy however had a deer set one off one time about gave us a heart attack. Have not seen anyone smoke with their hands cupped or at the bottom of a bunker under a poncho in years and I never smoked at night good way to get your head blown off and guard duty in the bunker or outside the perimeter on ambush or LP is no place to smoke.

That said a light on a gun does free up your off hand while as others have said giving the bad guy a good chance to shoot you in the head or torso, while a light off the gun like I believe the FBI used to train gives you the advantage of holding the light away from your body so if they shoot at the light hopefully you will not take a round to the torso or head although you could probably do that with the gun with the light on it holding it away from your head and body however it would be hard to shoot accurately that way and now if they shoot the light they just shot your strong hand and gun giving you no chance to defend yourself unless you are carrying another gun to use in your weak hand.

I thought at one time it might be neat to develop a periscope with a high intensity light on it or just get some PVC pipe and experiment attaching a light to it and seeing how hard or easy it might be to use the light that way to get the light away from your body.

I also thought at one time that developing a flashlight in the shape of a ball that you could throw in a room and clear it and then retrieve it for the next room might be a good idea but I believe I read some country like Israel had developed that with a grenade inside that they could set off remotely if needed. Did some night shooting with a flashlight around barricades and noticed flashing the light off and on quickly that when you flashed it on and quickly fired and flashed it off at a short distance the flash of the gun going off illuminated the target enough that you could quickly index the sights and do a double tap.

I also agree on not room clearing if you don't have to,,,if you know an intruder is in your home go to your predetermined ambush spot call 911 and let him enter your kill zone not you his. There is an old saying,,,"If you have a choice never go to a Man always let a Man come to you, the First thing the Eye sees is Movement!" A Man waiting in ambush in a good hide will in most cases take out a Man moving and trying to find him.

Lastly remember whether it is you sticking a flashlight or a gun around a door or window or the bad guy,,,with a sheetrock two by four wall,,,it would not be hard to empty a magazine through the wall starting at chest high or waist level and moving down to floor level and then away from the door or window.