XD-45ACP Compact Burning TLR-2

[Bree]

Originally Posted by BMFOTP

Thanks, but I dont think an fountain of flame coming from my light will be acceptable. It will mess with my night vision more than I want.

I think it would be cool as hell! anyways... that is only gonna happen with powdered aluminum. The sheet stock won't fountain But you can form it around your light housing and it will help protect the light. And as it gets blackened it will blend right in!

[MiamiTJ]

Originally Posted by aphexafx

Oh...thanks for setting us straight!

Glad you know your place

[Snail50]

Originally Posted by MiamiTJ

Lasers are useless -- use your sights -- its faster and will always work ...

As for the flashlight, IMHO - flashlights should only be mounted on rifles.

Gotta disagree witchu, mayn. For the less-coordinated (me), it's much faster & easier to have the light already aligned with the bore (i.e. weapon light), rather than trying to get the flashlight parallel to the bore (handheld). My TLRs cast a wide enough spot that I can illuminate things without sweeping them with the muzzle.

[MiamiTJ]

Originally Posted by Snail50

Gotta disagree witchu, mayn. For the less-coordinated (me), it's much faster & easier to have the light already aligned with the bore (i.e. weapon light), rather than trying to get the flashlight parallel to the bore (handheld). My TLRs cast a wide enough spot that I can illuminate things without sweeping them with the muzzle.

Why does the flashlight need to be aligned with the bore? Most decent lights will illuminate a wide enough area that it does not need to be aligned.

Here is another possible problem -- flash the light at an intruder and thats where his focus, and possibly fire will go.

Before I ever took a firearms class I was taught in self defense classes and in various martial arts classes that a flashlight is a great weapon. It has many uses some of which include distraction, deception and its use as a blinding agent. These possible uses as well as many others would be severely hampered if its attached to my gun -- which I may want pointing elsewhere.

Simply put -- your gun always stays pointed at the threat, your light may need to point elsewhere. Lets say an intruder is caught at the door of your kids room. He is either down or at gunpoint but your kids are off to a side or behind you. You need to get a visual on them ASAP but you need to keep your muzzle on the bad guy. Or worse yet you need to keep your muzzle on him but scan for more bad guys.

[Snail50]

Originally Posted by MiamiTJ

Why does the flashlight need to be aligned with the bore? Most decent lights will illuminate a wide enough area that it does not need to be aligned.


--------------------It doesn't HAVE to be that way, but I've found that I'm much faster & more accurate if all I have to do is bring the gun up, toggle the switch down with my weak-hand thumb for momentary illumination, and fire. Also, a weapon-mounted light allows me to have two hands securely on the gun, which is less likely to induce a limp-wrist malfunction.


Here is another possible problem -- flash the light at an intruder and thats where his focus, and possibly fire will go.


----------------------You're at risk of incoming fire regardless once the perp knows where you are. THis is where training comes into play, because hopefully you'd be mentally prepared to assess the threat & fire within a split second of illuminating your target. Light on--Check hands--See gun--BANG/BANG! Besides, if the perp starts blasting away at the light, I doubt you'd be able to hold it far enough away from your body to draw the hail of bullets away from your soft parts. Obviously this is a generalization that wouldn't apply to all possible scenarios---I have a home-invasion in mind, because that's when I'd employ a weapon-mounted light; if I were attacked in a parking garage at night, it'd be a hand-held flashlight.


Before I ever took a firearms class I was taught in self defense classes and in various martial arts classes that a flashlight is a great weapon. It has many uses some of which include distraction, deception and its use as a blinding agent. These possible uses as well as many others would be severely hampered if its attached to my gun -- which I may want pointing elsewhere.


-----------------------A flashlight is indeed a great tool. Especially one like the Surefire E2D, which has castellated striking caps at both ends.

Simply put -- your gun always stays pointed at the threat, your light may need to point elsewhere. Lets say an intruder is caught at the door of your kids room. He is either down or at gunpoint but your kids are off to a side or behind you. You need to get a visual on them ASAP but you need to keep your muzzle on the bad guy. Or worse yet you need to keep your muzzle on him but scan for more bad guys.

------------------True. There's no single answer...except be prepared & train. In my house, I have flashlights in nearly every room, and a handheld light next to my bedside gun w/weapon-mounted light.

[FrankE]

IMHO, Flashlights have their place both mounted on handguns, and handheld.

The more important point, as was pointed out in my CCW class, is to make sure the intruder is illuminated without giving him a target. Thus, in my defensive arsenal, there are several Coleman ilumisticks. While defending against intruders, break the stick, and throw it in the direction of the intruder, i.e. down the hall, down the steps, etc. This lights the intruder, but doesn't allow the intruder to get a bead on you.

[GoCodeBravo]

I have a TLR-1 (same size minus the laser module) and suggest this:

1. Live with the powder burns (anything less than 4" barrel will cause your TLR-2 to get dirty on about any pistol)
2. IMO, weapon lights are great on 5" tactical model pistols and rifles, but have little utility on a compact
3. Get another, longer XD
4. See a previous post about keeping a tactical light SEPERATE from the firearm in question (by the NRA instructor dude) - agree fully

[Bree]

Originally Posted by FrankE

IMHO, Flashlights have their place both mounted on handguns, and handheld.

The more important point, as was pointed out in my CCW class, is to make sure the intruder is illuminated without giving him a target. Thus, in my defensive arsenal, there are several Coleman ilumisticks. While defending against intruders, break the stick, and throw it in the direction of the intruder, i.e. down the hall, down the steps, etc. This lights the intruder, but doesn't allow the intruder to get a bead on you.

Sounds good in theory but in a situation where the person who fires first wins you are gonna get shot fooling around looking for your Lumistick, breaking it open, then tossing it, waiting for it to get near where you think the BG is, and then doing what you need to do to fire your weapon.

The fewest number of steps and the simplest process is what will keep you alive. This system doesn't seem to have a lot of merit to me.

I have a Streamlight TL3 next to my XD-45 in my bedroom. My process is much simpler. If I hear a noise I don't like, I retrieve and mount both the gun and the flashlight at the same time... one in each hand. Gun goes to the low ready position and the flashlight is raised high and to the left to illuminate without lighting me up and without unnecessarily putting the muzzle on the target until I have determined that there is someone who shouldn't be there.

I simply press the momentary illuminate button on the TL3 base. At 200+ lumens it is a blinding light. It is fast and I have many options for where and how I can hold the light and illuminate the target. I can also do a momentary light up and return things to darkness just by moving my thumb. What's more, if the target moves away I can follow. The light stick will stay right where you toss it. Perps move and you have to be able to do so too.

My $.02.

[danp]

As far as the scorching problem goes, anything in front of the muzzle is going to get scorched. If you don't like that, get a light/laser that doesn't protrude, like the little model SA markets.

And regarding a mounted light/laser, if you can't see your sights a laser is a great tool. So is having a light you can use with your gun hand. I do not advocate giving up a handheld light completely, but a weaponlight is a great tool. I have a TLR-2 mounted on my XD-45 Service. There have been many times I have actually used both the TLR and the Stinger HP that I carry on my belt at the same time. However, I think it where the weapon-mounted light really shines (pun intended) is when you need to manipulate both the weapon and the light, but also need to perform some other function, like open doors or make a phone call.

Bottom line is, a handgun is a very personal firearm. The modifications and accessories that one person prefers are neither right nor wrong. They are simply a preference.

[XD45inAZ]

You don't need to turn on the light and leave it on. Quickly turn it on scan for the bg and turn it off. Move to a defensive position. Odds are his eyes are not ready for the bright light and will be temporarily blinded for a sec or two. If he does fire (which he probably won't because it is loud and draws attention to his escape) it will be in the general direction of where he thinks you are...because you moved to a different place after turning on the light he has no idea where you are specifically. You have the advantage and hopefully he runs away. I like having the laser as an option too. I hope when it is said and done it is enough to intimidate the bg and he flees with out a shot fired.

I have the tlr-2 and have "practice cleared" my house a few times (unloaded of course) just to see what the house looks like with the lights out. Several different scenarios with different rooms and the tlr-2 is plenty bright enough unless you have some huge mansion.

My tlr-2 pretty much stays at home attached to my 45 unless I am zeroing in the laser for a specific distance at the indoor range. I don't think I shoot enough with it attached to do any real damage to the unit. I couldn't imaging carrying and shooting that 45 with the light attached all the time.