tactical sling for flashlights

[black bear 84]

Tactical sling for flashlights

I have been offering to my customers my MAG 951 (951 lumens flashlight based on the Maglite 3 “D”) with an optional Quick Detach swivel with a short Velcro strap, for easy hanging of the flashlight.

Last night I had a brain storm and adapted a regular sleeping bag cinch strap to the Quick Detach swivel.
The result is a great way to carry and operate the flashlight, very unobtrusive, quick and highly tactical.



The strap goes on your right shoulder and across your chest, and the flashlight hangs behind your left hip. The strap is adjusted in length until the left hand index finger touches the switch when you drop your hand to your side.
At that point grasping the flashlight and bringing it to the shoulder as shown in the pictures is one smooth and quick motion.

Your right hand can be shooting a pistol and the advantage is that the tremendous side spill of the MAG 951 will illuminate your sights (including the rear).

If you need that hand to open a door, hang onto something or for any reason, just drop the flashlight it will return to the original position and will be there for your left hand to find again.
If you are reloading or changing magazines and the light is on, even that it is pointing at the floor, the light will be enough for you to see what you are doing, as the picture in the dark basement is showing.






The proper procedure is to stretch your right arm and bring the magazine with your left hand to meet the pistol’s well. As my son is demonstrating in the picture.
That way you can keep your target in your vision and monitor what the target is doing. But at the same time part of your vision is seeing the introduction of the magazine.
The wrong way is to retract your right hand next to your chest and lower your sight to see what you are doing .

Ever try to change a magazine in the complete dark??




I buy my sleeping bag cinch straps mostly locally or from Campmor.
A piece of Para cord will serve very well to give you the proper length and you can use it for the same purpose for a while.

Best regards
black bear

[Mannlicher]

as long at it is extremly 'tactical', it will sell.

[LAK]

It'd be nice to be able to hold it further from your body. What happens if it decides it doesn't want to switch off - or it switches on at a time when you definately want it off and will not switch off?

Maybe a miniature hammer taped to the side to break the glass and smash the bulb?

[Stiletto]

*scratches head*

I can't see that doing anything but restricting your movement.

[Avizpls]

its not black. How can THAT be tactical?

and if i dont say it, someone will. Get your finger off the trigger!

[CorpseEater]

..is this a joke?

[LAK]

Ever try to change a magazine in the complete dark??

I missed this first time around.

If you can not change a magazine "in the dark" - you should practice it with your eyes closed until you can. And it is really not that difficult to master.

[bergie]

Nice firearms safety in the 2nd pic., cocked, finger on trigger. What is he pointing at that he is ready and willing to destroy?


bergie

[ATW525]

as long at it is extremly 'tactical', it will sell.

Really, it only needs a catchy name like the Extreme Tactical Counter-Terror Ops Flashlight Retention Device for Ninjas.

[BerettaCougar]

lol

[black bear 84]

I would like to see an objection that is intelligently worded, so far I haven't the foggiest idea what your objections are.
Maybe some member would like to use some more words to "educate" me?
black bear 84

[BerettaCougar]

Think about it!!

Late at night, dark in the house, and theres 3 or 4 BG's ARMED in your house!!

And they have the cover of night on their side, you are walking around like a UFO with a flashlight dangling off your neck!

Flashlights on a gun are different, because you can turn it on and off fairly quickly and they stay in place and can be turned off and on without you having to loose grip of your weapon. just reach a finger out and turn it off or on if you hear a noise in a set direction...

[Stiletto]

While the idea of carrying a separate flashlight (as opposed to getting one that latches onto your gun) isn't so bad, that sling strikes me as doing nothing but impeding movement...not to mention if someone throws or shoots stuff in the direction of the flashlight, it's going awfully close to your head.

The preferred methods of gun + flashlight use have historically been crossed wrists or flashlight-high (as in over your head).

[tackdrivr]

The preferred methods of gun + flashlight use have historically been crossed wrists or flashlight-high (as in over your head).

The over the head method is known as the FBI technique. Crossed wrists is called the Harries technique. Keep in mind that with the Harries technique the gun/flashlight is directly in front of the shooters head.

[tackdrivr]

The FBI technique can also be applied to long guns in conjunction with dedicated lights or as a stand alone search/engagement technique.

[tackdrivr]

This technique places the light source away from the shooter, In this case it's only a couple of feet. The technique is useful when defending from a fixed location. The light source can be directed to illuminate a door way/room entrance while the shooter covers from a position of advantage away from the light source.

It is recommended that addition hand held and/or dedicated lights remain with the defender.

[tlm225]

I agree that if you can't perform a mag change in the dark you need more practice. With your "technique" of having a flashlight dangling at your side to use the reflected light while loading, you just made target aquisition easy for the other guy. And if it's dark enough to need a light to see/identify the other guy, your'e not likely to keep your eye on him with the light pointed at the floor.

[cosmolinelover]

since everyone else is hatin on you (and they have pretty legitimate reasons ) I'd just like to say thats a nice lookin 1911 black bear.

Oh yeah... and I dig the aviator glasses too.

[black bear 84]

Cosmolinelover,
I like it better now, I am learning something, I was clueless when I got posts like "is this a joke"
I don't think this crowd is too rowdy as they want me to believe.
And as you say they have their reasons.

Thank you for your kind words about my pistol, it has the Crimson Trace Laser Grips, the new rubber ones.
Maybe if I stay here I will pick up some pointers in how to use it more effectively.
No chance of me going to a course, I hear that they are very intensive and I am 60 years old.
I leave that for you young bucks.
Best regards
black bear 84

[Limeyfellow]

Maybe not very tactical but I could see the handiness if used in camping and you want something you don't end up putting down and its pitch black so you can't remember where you put the damn thing and you need to go pee. It may help to see what you are aiming at as such.

[gordo b.]

951 Lumens ? Man that is 8 times more powerful than a sure fire Turbo head (120 lumens) ! Is that a standard MEASURED lumen?

[black bear 84]

Gordo B

The power plant (batteries) are sending 10.8 volts to the bulb, the bare bulb meassure at the manufacturer produces 1234 lumens, the 951 figure is after factoring the customary 23% loss of light thru reflector and reflection from the lens.

The 8% losses thru reflection from the lens, could have been reduced by 6% with the use of a clear anti-reflection coating (same as they reduce light loss in binoculars and scopes) but the heat of this lamp is so intense that eventually will cook a halo in the coating.

So the lens is a regular Pyrex without anti-reflection coating.

black bear 84

[black bear 84]

Lymeyfellow,
Yes you are right!!!
I would have edited some of the post and some of the pictures (to avoid more flak) but I don't have that option.

So I propose at least to change the name from "tactical" to practical

black bear 84

[Double Naught Spy]

Man, black bear 84, those are some horrific pictures. There are only a few things wrong with the "proper procedure" of the reload picture depicted.

First, most mags won't drop free if the attempt to eject is with the mag not generally pointed in a downward direction. In the lateral depiction shown, the mag very well may not fully eject. From the looks of things, he is attempting a combat reload, only the slide isn't locked back. If he is doing an administrative reload, his off hand is slow to be in the correct position to collect the partially spent mag.
Second, why is the gun pointed at the ceiling. Are their bad guys on the second floor?
Third, why is he looking at his gun? Is the gun his threat or does he not have the ability to change mags without looking at the gun? Since the slide is not locked back, I am assuming there is still a round in the chamber. If so, there is NO reason the gun's muzzle should be removed from the direction of the threat. What the gun is still capable of being fired, the way it is being held will not allow the person running the gun to shoot that one remaining shot very quickly at the threat if said threat isn't on the ceiling or the floor above.

The tactical sling for the flashlight is just too much. The light is SO big that it cannot be handled single handed and can't be handled safely and efficiently with a lanyard on the single hand. Me thinks the light is just too big and heavy if you have to have a sling.

Also, given the intensity of the light of the 951, the position in which the light is being held is going to give a LOT of reflected light back to the person holding the light. His gun arm and hand, plus the shiny rear of the stainless gun, will be essentially over-exposed and close to his face, resulting in a constriction of the pupils to compensate and thereby limit his ability to see dimmer objects beyond his gun.

So aside from the finger on the trigger of a cocked and loaded gun, there seems to be a lot of things demonstrated wrong in the images provided. So instead of editing the pictures, you decided to show the pictures so as to promote a product even though the pictures depict unsafe gun handling. That doesn't seem like a good thing to me, but I am not the one trying to hype a product.

[black bear 84]

Double Naught Spy,

You evaluation of the pistol handling is correct; I don't have any trouble with what you wrote about it.

Your evaluation of the "big flashlight" is open to discussion by thousands of cops and hundred of thousands of civilians that still use one.
After all the Surefire 6 was born in 1988 and it was not tactical as it required two hands to switch it on.
Where you using flashlights those days with the Rogers-Surefire or the Harries position??

When you demonstrate that you don't know what you are talking about is when you talk about a LOT of reflection and contracting pupils.
It just you have tried before typing!! Not even my 2,000,000 candlepower spotlight do THAT, even when put right behind the pistol.
And for your information, Colt .45 in stainless have matte finished back of slide, hammer etc.

The sling is a good idea no matter what you or others say, that it don't apply to your particular scenario it don't matter. It will be useful for others, but it doesn’t matter to me as I am not selling the sling or care what you people do with the idea.

I was willing to edit or delete the thing because I was tired of so much Bravo-Sierra been thrown my way.
So, if the moderator can do so, I'll appreciate it.

black bear 84