Operating in Low or Subdued Light

“When the sun sets, all the monsters come out to play.”

As a trainer I routinely get asked, “What kind of flashlight would you recommend?”  As a firearms instructor, I have taught low light pistol programs, SWAT ops in adverse lighting, and routinely run training and qualifications in low and subdued lighting.  Fact is that law enforcement officers on every shift use their flashlights and search homes and businesses in poor lighting conditions on a regular basis.  That said, what are some good lights for LEO’s and what about shooting in low light, coordinating the handheld light and pistol, as well as weapon mounted white lights?

Equipment

In my book Citizen’s Guide to Armed Defense I devote a substantial amount of Chapter Five, Tactics on operating effectively in adverse lighting conditions.  From that chapter, things you should consider when purchasing handheld flashlights:

• Throw – The distance a beam can travel and illuminate a subject
• Corona – The wider area of a beam that encompasses the entire lit portion
• Hot Spot – This is the intense circle of light within the corona where the beam is at its brightest
• Side Spill or Side Splash – Is the unfocused light that is emitted from the bulb or LED and lights up areas around the circumference of the lens.
• Activation Switch – For most LE contexts an end cap switch which allows temporary activation is preferred
• Dual Switch Flashlight – A light which has two activation switches: one on the side of the tube, and one on the end cap

Most police flashlight today use LED’s – Light Emitting Diodes instead of incandescent bulbs.  These LED’s last much longer and are able to take more of an impact abuse than the bulbs when I first started in LE.  Further, LED’s will produce some light up to the point that the batteries are completely dead versus and incandescent bulb which gives little to no warning.

I originally purchased a Streamlight SL-20 aluminum body flashlight years ago when they first came out.  Prior to that most LEO’s would carry three or four D-cell flashlights.  Working at an outdoor rock concert facility at night during the summers, I would burn through a lot of batteries.  Most coppers would carry a small AA battery light as back-up in case their main flashlight died on the job.  When the SL-20 came out it was 20,000 candlepower (lumens were not yet in vogue) and as a rechargeable light, as long as I tossed it into the charger after my shift was over produced blinding light (this was a great tool to deal with unruly concert fans under the influence).

Since that time I have primarily carried rechargeable lights while on patrol.  In my SWAT operator role a few years ago, I would carry small LED lights powered by CR123 batteries but those lights were used less.

My current lights while on patrol are the Streamlight Stinger DS (Dual Switch) LED light as primary and the Streamlight Strion as back-up.  *If you don’t carry a back-up light, your primary is going to take a dump at the most inconvenient times and in the worst environments.  Remember what the Navy SEALs say about redundancy in equipment, “Two equals one, one equals none.”

The Stinger DS LED light is carried in a polymer baton scabbard.  The Strion in a small holster with a flap.  At 350 lumens for the DS LED and 260 lumens for the smaller Strion, both of these have enough brightness to get the job done at run time of 2 hours at their brightest settings.

Weaponlights

I like weapon mounted lights.  Since my SWAT days when we would run with HK MP5’s with white lights, designed by Surefire built into the forearm of the subgun, I found the weapon mounted light to be vastly superior to a handheld light.

Since that time I’ve mounted Surefire Scout lights on the picatinny rails of my M4 carbines or attached a Streamlight TLR-1.  While teaching the low light portion of my carbine instructor program, I’ve even run a Viridian Green white light, greet laser the X5L-RS.  While shooting in low light on the move, I was able to easily fire head shots with this combo.

On my Glock 19 duty pistol, I’ve worked patrol with a Blackhawk Xiphos light attached.  Lately I’ve begun carrying a Surefire X300 Ultra on my G19.  This is a smokin’ 600 lumens and does a great job of the role of the flashlight/weapon light in police work, that of: navigate, locate, identify and engage.

My friends at Viridian Green sent me a white light/green laser holster combo.  The C5L light/laser and Tacloc holster combo which turns the light/laser on when you draw the pistol.  I’ve got to be honest, this is a great idea when you consider that manipulation of the actuation switch under stress.  The C5L uses a proprietary “Radiance” technology to spread the corona of the beam out further to the sides.  This gives a wider beam allowing more area to be seen versus an intensely hotspot.

How many lumens are minimum?  Can your flashlight be too bright?  The standard minimum in defensive use tends to be 200 lumens.  Some SWAT operators of my acquaintance have stated that when using high, 600 or more lumen, weaponlights in narcotics search warrants, they have experienced too much reflection from white or lighter colored walls.  While shooting my G19 with the Surefire X300 Ultra attached, I’ve noticed that there is a decent reflection off of white paper targets but nothing that made it difficult to use or operate.  I have appreciated when running SWAT operators through building clearing and in force on force that operating behind that “wall of light” offered by these high lumen lights is appreciated.  They can truly distract and disorient subjects with their intensity.  Do you need a light so bright that you can see the skeleton of your suspect?  *I’m kidding by the way.  I don’t believe so, but a 200 lumen plus light which has a throw sufficient to illuminate at adequate distance is a good thing.

Shooting or Operating with the White Light

Coordinating the flashlight and handgun takes practice.  Over the years I’ve run enough shooters in low light pistol and carbine courses to readily acknowledge that a weapon mounted light is easier and can be used more effectively in low or subdued lighting.  Regardless of having a mounted light or not, competence with a pistol and handheld light must be achieved.  This takes proper training and practice.

There are really two valid flashlight techniques for law enforcement officers.  They are the neck index and Harries techniques.

The neck index is a one handed shooting technique which indexes the flashlight, held in the weak hand, alongside the jaw under the ear.  This is a one handed technique with the pistol held up at eye level and extended.  This is a quicker technique to assume and can be used for decent distances and from the weak side of cover.

The Harries technique is a two handed stance with the flashlight held under the gun had (bent armed similar to the Weaver stance).  The back of the hands are held together at the wrist with the weak side elbow rolled under to create some isometric pressure to control recoil.  The Harries is a more stable technique, exposes less of the officer from the strong side of cover and because it is two-handed is more accurate.  It is slower to assume and somewhat fatiguing for longer periods.

It is recommended that officers train in and adequately learn both techniques.

Wrap Up

Many police shootings take place in low or subdued lighting when armed miscreants come out at night to ply their violent trades.  Adequate equipment is a necessity with excellent equipment available for just a little more.

Obtain the best you can afford and then spend time learning to run your guns in poor lighting situations.  Fortunately this can be accomplished in dry fire mode or while using a Bluegun or SIRT pistol.  Make night time the right time – light up the night, and the suspects, with solid lighting equipment and techniques!