Choosing a Flashlight
SHOOTING IN LOW light or complete darkness is challenging, and to do this successfully you need the right equipment and training. However, professional training is not needed – you can sharpen your skills by venturing out in the dark and working on a few drills by yourself while testing the effectiveness of your equipment.
Of utmost importance is to understand that you cannot under any circumstances shoot at something or someone that you cannot see. You can shoot in the dark only when using light, firstly to identify the possible threat, and then to assess the danger before making the decision to shoot or not. You must drill this concept into your mind, so as to avoid shooting a family member or an innocent person with no intention of harming you.
When under stress, we are capable of doing strange things, and it is absolutely essential that you prepare yourself to pull the trigger only when life and limb are at risk. This becomes even more important in low light or darkness. Keep in mind that in the dark an attacker might not be able to see you, so it can become tricky explaining why you fired a shot.
MANY HANDGUNNERS INSIST that you should have night sights (preferably tritium sights) on your handgun, but this is not a necessity. Seeing bright dots on your front and rear sight is less important than being able to clearly see the perceived threat and to make a clear-headed and correct decision as to whether your life, or the life of someone else, is in imminent danger.
Therefore, a good flashlight, security lights or even a light burning in an adjacent room in your house is a must. Security lights facing away from your position or a handheld flashlight are the better options.
A good flashlight should, in most cases, enable you to see traditional iron sights silhouetted against the beam reflecting off the ‘target’. So, if choosing between having night sights on your handgun or a good quality flashlight, my advice is to opt for the flashlight.
Choosing a flashlight can be challenging, given the multitude of ‘tactical’ options available. In my own experience, a couple of factors must be kept in mind. Firstly, don’t choose a light with a narrow beam that is concentrated on a small spot at say 15m, forcing you to sweep it around to search for the threat in the surrounding darkness. Select one that delivers a wider area of illumination, enabling you to see the bigger picture, which may include a
second threat lurking off to one side which you might also have to deal with. A wider beam facilitates peripheral situational awareness.
A FLASHLIGHT FOR such use should preferably have a battery status indicator. Nothing is more unsettling than batteries that die just when you’re trying to fight for your life. Many new generation LED lights keep on shinning at maximum power only to switch off completely when the battery voltage drops below a certain point.
In the old days of alkaline batteries and incandescent bulbs, the beam would start dimming, providing fair warning that you’re about to be left in the dark. I’ve experienced this first hand when my old D-cell Maglite’s beam steadily weakened while I was chasing problem elephant at night in northern Mozambique (I confess I was young and not very experienced). This allowed me to head back to the bakkie for a fresh set of batteries.
However, on another occasion, my modern and super-durable
1 000 lumen flashlight suddenly switched off soon after I’d exited my bakkie to approach the sheep pen of an elderly farming couple who, suspecting stock thieves, had raised the alarm. Needless to say, the bright light reflecting off the wall of the pen left me totally blind after the battery suddenly died.
Lastly, choose a light with an ON/ OFF button only. Many new lights have more than one switch and a plethora of combinations that must be pressed in rotation to deliver various beam strengths, etc. When you’re under stress, most of these lights become useless unless you have frequently practised with them, and even then, a simple ON/OFF switch works better. A separate switch for strobe is acceptable but should be engaged only after you’ve used the main beam to assess the situation. A strobe can then be utilized to momentarily disorientate a possible threat and may help to de-escalate a potentially violent situation. However, a strong beam will work just as well.
Your flashlight should be of good quality but need not cost an arm and a leg. It is simply a tool to assess the threat level. If you identify a legitimate threat, it’s best to move away from your current position, possibly behind better cover, and if you are indoors, do not exit the house. Remember the primary aim is to survive the encounter, not to engage.
ONE DRAWBACK OF using a flashlight is that it leaves you only one hand for gripping your handgun. You need to practise shooting with one hand only (strong and weak hand) to improve your chances of a successful outcome. A one-handed grip on your gun also renders it easier for an attacker to wrench it from your grasp.
A handgun-mounted light permits a two-handed grip, but not all pistols – and no revolvers – have accessory rails, and not all shooters can afford tactical lights. Moreover, the bulky combination of pistol and light is cumbersome for daily carry, and finding appropriate holsters is not easy. Carrying a detachable light separately which can be quickly attached to the weapon when needed is an option. However, I don’t know many handgun owners who use mounted lights, probably due to these drawbacks. Also, using such a light to investigate a noise in your garden could result in your pointing the gun at a neighbour or a family member. Rather have a flashlight on hand that can also be used during power failures or for changing a flat tyre or doing repairs in the dark, while your handgun remains securely available in a holster on your body.
Some argue that using a flashlight will give your position away and make you a target. This might be true, but legally, for you to shoot in self-defence, a potentially lethal attack on your person must be imminent or in progress, indicating that your attacker has already seen you. The light is used to identify and confirm the perceived threat, which is essential. Besides, a powerful torch is likely to momentarily blind your attacker, rendering him incapable of accurate shooting, which should give you time to assess the situation and act accordingly.
A WHITE LIGHT is one of the most cost-effective must-have tools in a lowlight defence situation. But, I repeat, you may not fire a shot in low light or darkness unless you’ve clearly identified the threat and are certain that a life is at stake. This makes the light indispensable. And while on the laws applying to defensive shooting, always remember that if you are inside the house, someone trying to steal your car parked outside, or break into your garden tool-shed, does not pose a deadly threat, and you may not legally shoot.
Do remember that your bright light can temporarily blind you if misused, putting you at a disadvantage. Trying to direct the beam through a glass windowpane which can reflect the light back at you, can be hazardous; likewise shining it on a mirror or white wall. So, on obtaining a flashlight, walk about inside and outside your abode at night, with all the lights off, and shine the beam in every direction to identify problem surfaces. You’ll soon learn to use light to your advantage in preparing yourself for a possible attack on your own home.
In a future edition we’ll discuss shooting techniques in conjunction with a flashlight.