The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - What exactly happens when you hit somebody with over 1,000lumens at night?

Double Naught Spy · September 19, 2013, 08:00 AM

You haven't been clubbing in the last couple of decades, have you?

Since a flashy light has to be kept on your aggressor to be effective, if it will be effective, what are you doing about his buddies?

GB is no different here and it if you look into your stats and delve deeper into the incidents, you will find a lot involve multiples of attackers. What then?

How disorienting will the strobe be on you? Yes, your aggressor will get a lot more of the light, but if 5-10% is reflected back at you because of the close range, you are still getting hundreds of flashy lumens in your face, a level that Surefire considers to be useful as a weapon.

Note that many aggressors will simply attack the light. The light won't stop, but will draw them in violently. You will be holding the light.

So if you are playing the percentage game that for the short time you are in GB that you might be a victim of a crime and want to use a light as a weapon, then consider too that if that happens, probably more likely than you being a victim is the fact that the light isn't going to do diddly-squat. If the light didn't have so many other good uses, then I would suggest YD's Bobby Whistle over a flashlight. At least the whistle might summon you some help.

Anybody here ever attended one of those "fighting flashlights" self defense courses where professionals from the self defense industry give 1-2 days of instruction on how to stop bad guys with flashlight illumination? You know the courses where they teach flashing on the run, flashing from cover, CQF (close quarters flashing), speed battery changes, etc.?

There is a good reason why. Flashlight illumination is not effective at stopping attackers with any sort of consistency or reliability.

Jim, you are considering or have already put way too much stock into the credibility of illumination as a weapon and that could get you into real trouble.

Then there is the issue that all that light doesn't mean a whole lot for all of the daytime attacks. Light, and how people react to it, is relevant to ambient lighting conditions. Headlights don't do a whole lot in the daytime, do they?

September 19, 2013, 08:00 AM	#57
Double Naught Spy Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2001 Location: Forestburg, Montague Cnty, TX Posts: 12,717	You haven't been clubbing in the last couple of decades, have you? Since a flashy light has to be kept on your aggressor to be effective, if it will be effective, what are you doing about his buddies? GB is no different here and it if you look into your stats and delve deeper into the incidents, you will find a lot involve multiples of attackers. What then? How disorienting will the strobe be on you? Yes, your aggressor will get a lot more of the light, but if 5-10% is reflected back at you because of the close range, you are still getting hundreds of flashy lumens in your face, a level that Surefire considers to be useful as a weapon. Note that many aggressors will simply attack the light. The light won't stop, but will draw them in violently. You will be holding the light. So if you are playing the percentage game that for the short time you are in GB that you might be a victim of a crime and want to use a light as a weapon, then consider too that if that happens, probably more likely than you being a victim is the fact that the light isn't going to do diddly-squat. If the light didn't have so many other good uses, then I would suggest YD's Bobby Whistle over a flashlight. At least the whistle might summon you some help. Anybody here ever attended one of those "fighting flashlights" self defense courses where professionals from the self defense industry give 1-2 days of instruction on how to stop bad guys with flashlight illumination? You know the courses where they teach flashing on the run, flashing from cover, CQF (close quarters flashing), speed battery changes, etc.? There is a good reason why. Flashlight illumination is not effective at stopping attackers with any sort of consistency or reliability. Jim, you are considering or have already put way too much stock into the credibility of illumination as a weapon and that could get you into real trouble. Then there is the issue that all that light doesn't mean a whole lot for all of the daytime attacks. Light, and how people react to it, is relevant to ambient lighting conditions. Headlights don't do a whole lot in the daytime, do they? __________________ "If you look through your scope and see your shoe, aim higher." -- said to me by my 11 year old daughter before going out for hogs 8/13/2011 My Hunting Videos https://www.youtube.com/user/HornHillRange Last edited by Double Naught Spy; September 19, 2013 at 10:14 AM.