Strobe me, bro!

[Model12Win]

Hey gang! I got a new TLR-1 HL weapons mounted flashlight that is currently attached to my Glock 19 Gen 4 for home defense. I see it has a "strobe light" feature on it, but it can be programmed to be disabled if desired.

What is the point of the strobe light? Is it effective? Seems like a gimmick to me but that's why I'm making this thread, to see if it actually adds effectiveness to the defensive firearm.

Thoughts?

[FITASC]

Take it off your gun, and look at it in a darkened room. If it's worth a darn, you will be amazed at the effect.

[JoeSixpack]

Strobe if it's fast enough can have a very disorienting effect.
Imagine your on a business end of it in the dark it's definitely gonna throw you off.

The user is less effected because they're only getting the bounce back which is not nearly as bright.. giving you an edge.

Strobe or not a flash light is a good thing to have.. don't be afraid to point it at a potential BG's face.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Folks have tested it and it's hype. Having a weapons mounted light on in the dark makes you a fine target. There is small segment of the population that have neurological disorders that are sensitive to flashing lights of the correct frequency.

Tests - mount a strobing light in a target. Have folks draw and shoot the target. Not a problem for most.

Also, if the light is off center from your opponent - they have a fine target to shoot.

Been there in FOF.

[JoeSixpack]

Hype? I don't think so if I point one of my flashlights at my face I can't see a thing.. and I don't even own any firestarters just run of the mill Chinese led crap.

The strobe is very disorienting the problem is a lot of lights are to slow.. ya gotta have a fast strobe.

You're not trying to causes seizures you're just taking advantage of pupil dilation.
If you couldn't blind your target in a dark room your light just sucked.

[Bill DeShivs]

A strobe is almost as disorienting to you as it will be to your target.

[JohnKSa]

Bill beat me to it.

[JoeSixpack]

Guys grab a light, grab a friend, try It out in a dark room. unless you got a really weak light or a slow strobe it's not as bad on the user as it is the target..

Even if you don't wanna use strobe a sold beam is hard to see if it's in your face.

This ain't gonna work at 20 yards unless you have a real focused beam or in a well lit area but a dark area say 5-10 yards (think inside your home).. oh ya it's effective.

I can point you to some very cheap lights that are plenty bright enough for the task.. not great lights mind you but they'll do the job.

Movie clip but illustrates the idea
https://youtu.be/eAQqT8HBs8M?t=1m43s

[JohnKSa]

I can point you to some very cheap lights that are plenty bright enough for the task.. not great lights mind you but they'll do the job.

I don't like to think about how many hundreds of dollars I've spent on lights.

I might have had a slight problem with buying high-performance lights at one point but I'm over it now. I mean I didn't sell any of them, but I've slowed way down on buying new ones...

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I have tried it and seen it tried in FOF exercises in the dark. It's hype.

This is an interesting point. If you are close up to your opponent and square facing him so you can shine the light in the opponent's face, guess what - the opponent just opens fire straight in front of him. Surprise!

If you rely on the strobe, you are ridiculous. BTW, I have a PhD in visual neuroscience, so I have quite the handle on the issue.

Again, try it in a dynamic, moving situation in the dark - the guy with the light is the target!

[Lohman446]

You are in a position where you have drawn and pointed your weapon at a target as a civilian. Now you are going to complicate the situation by using a "less lethal" firearm mounted weapon that likely reduces your own ability to use your weapon. The fact that we are discussing a home defense weapon (by definition being used in the confines of your house) only adds to the following question. Why?

[Targa]

I believe in light and noise discipline, projecting your location is a bad idea.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Boys like their toys and the new gadget buys ads in gun magazines, goes on-line, etc.

Serious folks test them out realistically.

[Model12Win]

So are some of you not recommending a weapons mounted light at all? Isn't target identification important under all situations? I recall several stories about people shooting family members in the dark, thinking they were intruders, and a weapons light seems like it could have helped avoid such a tragedy.

[JoeSixpack]

Originally Posted by Glenn E. Meyer

Boys like their toys and the new gadget buys ads in gun magazines, goes on-line, etc.

Serious folks test them out realistically.

Why bother? I already suggested that but how can any one top this:

Originally Posted by Glenn E. Meyer

I have tried it and seen it tried in FOF exercises in the dark. It's hype.
~
If you rely on the strobe, you are ridiculous. BTW, I have a PhD in visual neuroscience, so I have quite the handle on the issue.

Seems like that definitively puts a end to the topic.

I'll just be over here in the corner being "ridiculous" ya'll please don't shoot me while I play with my flash light.

[Lohman446]

So are some of you not recommending a weapons mounted light at all? Isn't target identification important under all situations? I recall several stories about people shooting family members in the dark, thinking they were intruders, and a weapons light seems like it could have helped avoid such a tragedy.

There is a bit of a false dichotomy at play here. The choice is not limited to a weapon mounted light or NO light.

[CalmerThanYou]

A good quality, compact flashlight in my hand can be quickly deployed or turned off as my needs change. I do not feel the need to mount one to my firearm. But they sure are popular.

[Model12Win]

Thanks gang, I'm liking this conversation.

Seems to me having the light mounted to the gun just makes it much easier. You don't have to worry about having both hands occupied, yet the light can be activated with both hands on the gun to better control recoil for follow up shots.

That is my thinking. I do not have much experience in this, so would love to hear what others think. I have decided to disable the strobe function on my TLR-1 HL in the meantime. I would rather it not come on when I don't want it to.

[JoeSixpack]

Model 12 I prefer a loose flashlight for a handgun, I put them on most of my long guns though.

With a handgun you can use 1 hand free for the flash light so you're not pointing the gun at what you're pointing the light at.. with long guns it's a little more difficult to use a loose flash light so I mount them.

It also eliminates holster problems on handguns.

[K_Mac]

A good quality, compact flashlight in my hand can be quickly deployed or turned off as my needs change. I do not feel the need to mount one to my firearm. But they sure are popular.

I agree. I've never trained with a strobe but have played with one. I found it to be disorienting and would not use one. I like the versatility of a hand held light. I think having choices is a good thing and like many other choices, finding what works best for you is the best answer.

[T. O'Heir]

"...Folks have tested it and it's hype..." Yep. Looks really cool in TV flashlight commercials though. Only thing it'll do is blow your night vision.
A light of any kind on a firearm can make you a target in the dark.

[Lohman446]

I would like to point out we are discussing a home defense gun. By definition its going to be used in your own home.

You know your home and its layout better than any intruder. You know the best spots for staying concealed. You also have the opportunity to use motion switches (they go in place of standard wall mounts) to automatically illuminate the weakest points of your home. Anyone entering my house is bathed in light in the entrance rooms by these while I am standing in shadows. The other great thing is my kids don't forget to shut the light off on the way out the door.

If I chose to use a flashlight I am going to hold it away from my body with my arm across my body (once upon a time how they trained police). Anyone shooting at said light will be shooting off to my right. Meanwhile that arm will still act as a brace for my gun hand. If I find the light creates me a problem it is easily discarded without discarding my gun.

Further if I am not certain of the situation but armed I am not pointing my firearm at anyone I have not identified or anything else for that matter. Remember that rule about "never point a gun at something you do not intend to destroy" thing. It doesn't just go away because there is a light there. There is also an argument made by many who have argued against external safeties of keeping the gun as simple as possible - adding more controls for a light does not do this.

I am sure there are situations where a weapon mounted light works better. I do not believe that it is in your own house. Others may have differing opinions and they are very welcome to them.

[shafter]

It's effective to the extent that you're concealed behind a wall of light, but the downside is that it isn't hard to figure out where you are. Light doesn't bother my eyes and strobes don't effect me that much. I've noticed that they don't seem to affect others much either.

I like weapon lights but I don't see any need for a strobe feature.

[hdwhit]

Model12Win wrote:
What is the point of the strobe light?

The idea is that when the strobe flashes it illuminates your target so that you can get off an aimed shot while at the same time the flash destroys your target's night vision and disorients him so that he doesn't know where to shoot.

The reality doesn't match up to the theory.

The flash of white light affects both you and the attacker's visual acuity to about the same degree. The disorientation that comes from seeing and then not seeing is not limited to your attacker. The attacker is in darkness between strobe flashes and may move between them whereas you are always directly behind the flashing light.

[hdwhit]

Lohnam446 wrote:
I am going to hold it away from my body with my arm across my body (once upon a time how they trained police).

It's how my son was taught two years ago.