If you are just educating yourself on the many facets of armed home defense, it can be a little overwhelming. What are your state and local laws? What weapons are you comfortable with? Where can you get training? All of these questions(and countless others) will need to be answered. Likely, if you land on the idea of keeping a handgun for home defense, you will be further bombarded with gun choices and gear options. One thing you will definitely need to acquire once you have your home defense handgun is a pistol light. There are several reasons why this is a great idea; read on below to see them!
Seeing in the Dark
Duh, right? I mean, why else would you want a flashlight, if not to see in the dark? As obvious as this sounds, take a moment and imagine scenarios where you are likely to have your home defense handgun drawn. Home invasions and other crimes do occur during the day, but it is far more likely you would be forced to defend your home at night.
Once we’ve accepted this premise, having a flashlight handy should make a lot more sense in our preparations. You must identify targets clearly when in a dark environment.
A Weapon of its Own
If you’ve ever been stunned by a bright light, like a camera flash, then you know how disorienting that feeling can be. Imagine being attacked right as you were experiencing that momentary blindness. It is devastating. The light from a modern flashlight is an effective self defense tool all on its own. A handheld flashlight can also be a surprising useful impact weapon when held in the hand. However, when considering factors of a home defense situation, putting a pistol light on your weapon simplifies things when you are woken up to a home invasion at three a.m. If the light is on your pistol, it’s one less tool you’ll need to grab.
Keep Your Offhand Free
If you are carrying a separate flashlight, you now have no free hand. Obviously, there are several reasons when defending your home to have your offhand free. For starters, if you can keep two hands on your pistol, you will have more controlled and effective shots. You may need to turn on lights or open/lock doors as you move through your house. You might have to use your offhand to call 911 and stay on the line with first responders as you shelter in place. God forbid, you may have to use your offhand for striking or grappling is you end up in a physical fight with your attacker. I’m sure there are other potential reasons, but you get the idea.
Counterweight
A lesser benefit(but take any benefit you can), the added weight that a pistol light adds will assist with recoil management. This can mean easier, more accurate follow-up shots, which can be the difference between life and death.
For any of your firearms or gear needs, including tactical flashlights, head over to Liberty Shooting Sports! Our team is standing by to answer your questions and assist you with your next purchase, regardless of your experience level.