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Originally Posted by TunnelRat
There are arguments on both sides of this that I think are valid.
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Bingo! It always surprises me how these "gun-mounted light vs. regular flashlight" arguments go. It's not a question of which is better; they both have advantages and disadvantages. But nobody ever seems to suggest the most obvious solution: Use both.
It's a good idea to have a separate flashlight in your other hand if possible, that way you can use that as your primary method of illumination. I also think that every home-defense gun should have a light mounted on it if possible: If someone breaks in and you only manage to grab your gun and not your flashlight (or you need your support hand for something else), doesn't it make sense to still have a method of illumination? Don't you still want to be able to determine that it's not your drunk neighbor accidentally going to the wrong house?
A lot of the arguments people make against weapon-mounted lights are ridiculous, and they usually just show that the person hasn't ever used one. If you think it's not a good idea to have the weapon light on at that moment and you're afraid the light will give away your position then
turn it off. I've never seen a weapon light that didn't have an 'off' switch. And no, you don't need to point the gun to illuminate an area; splashing the light off a wall or the floor will usually work just fine.
Sure, for a lot of things a separate flashlight is better, and if you have one you can leave your weapon light turned off. But doesn't it make sense to have a backup source of illumination if needed?