Tactical Light - Weapon Mounted Lights

Weapon Mounted Lights

Gun-mounted flashlights for police use were described as early as 1956. Weapon mounted lights (sometimes called "weaponlights") offer hands-free use, leaving the operator free to use both hands to control the weapon. Most models have an on/off switch mounted on a short wire. The switch is then mounted somewhere on the gun within easy reach of the firer's fingers. Weapon mounted lights are most commonly seen on rifles, shotguns, and submachine guns, but they are becoming more common on handguns as well. These lights are often much more expensive than the handheld lights, since they must be sufficiently robust to withstand the recoil of the firearm, and the dedicated mounting hardware also adds to the price. One downside of the weapon mounted light is that it is always aimed parallel to the bore, so illuminating an object means that it is also targeted. Because of this, weapon mounted lights may not be appropriate under some rules of engagement.

Weapon mounted lights used to be specific to particular models of firearm, and to some extent that is still true; for example, SureFire makes dedicated lights that replace the forends of the Mossberg 500 and Benelli M3 shotguns, the Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun, and the M4 carbine. On the other hand, many modern firearms are incorporating Picatinny rail systems, allowing any appropriately sized Picatinny compatible system to be attached. Other mounting systems are simple clamps, designed to mount most cylindrical lights parallel to the barrel of most firearms. Using an infrared light in conjunction with night vision goggles can mitigate this concern, so long as the target lacks night vision. Also partially mitigating this risk associated with a visible light tactical light is the ability of the tactical light user to temporarily disrupt the night vision of the target. For Police S.W.A.T. use, long-range weapon lights with exceptional range have always been a problem. Tactical weapon lighting companies such as ExtremeBeam for example have created small light duty lights which S.W.A.T. officers are able to mount to their modern weapons giving them an extended range out to beyond 300 meters (325+yards). This has allowed officer to blind suspects and protect officers closer at hand from being detected and thereby allowing for a better resolution of the situation with less lethal force.