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Just buy the
biggest? That's not always the best choice.
By Ken J. Good
Photos by Ichiro Nagata
Selecting a WeaponLight to deploy in a tactical
environment is a multi - faceted decision. Certainly
there is a subjective element - personal preference -
but there are also objective considerations that relate
to mission - specific imperatives. Many factors will
influence your ultimate selection. For instance: What
environment are you going into? How long do plan on
staying there? What are the distances involved? What
type of weapon do you have and what other optics,
infrared equipment or vertical foregrips will you need
to integrate? Where do you want your activation
switches? The good news is that SureFire makes a wide
variety of solutions to cover the entire spectrum.
Power Question
Let's first consider power or light output. SureFire
illumination tools are measured in lumens.
Fundamentally, lumens equates to the volume of light.
SureFire WeaponLights can be configured in 3 - , 6 - , 9
- and 12 - volt versions. Generally speaking, the more
voltage, the greater the volume of light. Within this
spread of voltages, the first one I would rule out with
any shoulder - fired weapon is the 3 - volt system. With
one 3 - volt lithium battery and the current
incandescent lamp technology, you just don't have enough
light with which to fight. I still see a few folks out
there with 3 - volt systems on their shotguns or MP5s,
which produce a mere 20 lumens. I shudder at the
thought. You should enter in at no less than a two -
battery, 6 - volt level. From here, you can dispense
from 65 to 120 lumens. With a 9 - volt system, you start
at 125 lumens and go up to 225. The power monster, a 12
- volt system, gives you a phenomenal 350 lumens or,
with a lower powered lamp, 225 lumens. What has to be
taken into consideration is that the higher power lamps
significantly reduce the system's run - time, down from
60 to 20 minutes. This immediately presents a decision
point for the operator. Do I want higher intensity
within this voltage or do I want longer run - time and
less power? Again, a personal or a mission - specific
choice.
For example, you may be using your WeaponLight in a strictly home defense mode. You may elect for the higher power lamp, as you do not plan on conducting any long - term building searches for burglary suspects. Keep in mind most SWAT officers have used the standard 65 lumen lamp found in SureFire 6 - volt systems successfully for years. It is a good benchmark. Moving up the power ladder, you can easily upgrade to a three - battery 9 - volt system. This means a bit more weight, and a bit more length on the lamp module, but it also means more intense light.
When dealing with threats, I believe a strong light should be a serious consideration. One of the best upgrades available from SureFire is a leading - edge component, part of the Millennium Series of lamp assemblies, known as Lamp Module 90, or LM90. What makes this a fantastic upgrade is the housing has an extremely hard finish, a slightly larger reflector and the lamps are compatible with the SureFire handheld M3 CombatLight. Lamp compatibility between your WeaponLight and handheld systems might bean important consideration when faced with a lamp failure in a high - threat environment.
Bigger Is Better
WeaponLights come with different size reflectors, which
are housed in the bezel portion of the lamp assembly.
The reflectors are themselves a pretty high - tech
phenomenon, being custom made with a special wave - like
finish to increase the surface area to maximize
reflectivity. The largest of all reflectors is 2.5" in
diameter, what SureFire calls a TurboHead. What benefits
does a TurboHead offer over a standard reflector and why
would you want one? Picture a nozzle on a hose. The
tighter the nozzle, the greater the water intensity. Now
you have the same volume of water that moves through a
smaller opening. A TurboHead works in a similar fashion.
A larger reflector takes light that would have been
scattered away from the lamp and redirects it toward the
center, or hot spot, of the beam. The light now reaches
further downrange. Like the water nozzle, you
essentially have more "light pressure."
The Old Switcheroo
Having whittled down your choices based on power output,
run - time and beam shape considerations, you then need
to weigh your options for switching. SureFire
WeaponLights come with a variety of switches, but they
can be broken down into two basic options: constant - on
in which the light is runs continuously and momentary -
on in which the light only illuminates when the operator
applies pressure to the switch. In the tactical
environment, there is a need for both options. Broadly
speaking, a momentary switch is better for searching and
fighting while a constant - on is better for
immobilizing a threat that has capitulated. SWAT teams
will often go to constant - on after they have caught a
suspect and he has surrendered.
Momentary - on, however, is by far the superior choice
for fighting. By constantly flicking your light on and
off as you "light and move," you present a random and
disconcerting "light picture" to your adversary. You are
unpredictable and hard to track. Your flashing light
becomes disorienting to the opponent. To put it another
way, you absolutely need a momentary - on switch in a
tactical environment whereas a constant - on is merely a
convenience. SureFire momentary switches are rubber -
sealed beryllium copper pads that, when pressed,
activate the light. Release pressure and the light
instantly goes out. SureFire calls these "tape switches"
in relation to long guns and "SlimLine switches" in
relation to handguns. Some of the tape switches are
integral with the WeaponLight housing and some are
what's called "remote" meaning the tape switch itself is
attached to a cable that runs from the tailcap of the
WeaponLight to a location you select on your weapon.
Most operators place their remote tape switch on the
weapon's forend, accessible to their support hand.
However, some prefer to operate the switch with their
firing hand, in which case a cable can be run to the
pistol grip. In either case, the operator simply orders
a cable long enough to reach either location.
Additionally, some operators want the maximum flexibility, so they want a tape switch on both the forend and the pistol grip. No problem, SureFire offers a dual tape switch option on all their Universal WeaponLights. Constant - on switches are either integral with the housing of the WeaponLight or "remote" on the end of a cable. In the case of dedicated forend WeaponLights - those that replace the factory forend with a SureFire unit - the constant - on is either a rotary switch (M500 system) or a rocker switch (shotgun forends). The constant - on switch on a Universal WeaponLight is a small flag switch on the tailcap, next to the cable for the remote tape switch. A remote constant - on can be ordered as well, a rocker switch on the end of a cable emanating from the tailcap of a Universal WeaponLight. Either a constant - on only switch can be had, or a dual switch with a momentary - on tape switch and a constant on rocker switch.
I don't advocate spending a lot of time worrying about where the switch is positioned. It is more important to learn to shoot bilaterally, firing from both shoulders with equal proficiency and smoothness, and operating the switch ambidextrously. Once you determine your mission and the light output you will require, then you can make intelligent choices about a specific system. Again, the ergonomics and configuration of your weapon play a large role in which system is best for you. Fortunately, most SureFire WeaponLight systems were designed to be upgradeable with modular, interchangeable components. The most important consideration of all is what system works best for you.
Ken J. Good was the founding
director of the SureFire Institute. His company,
Strategos International, conducts authorized SureFire
Institute training for qualified law enforcement and
military personnel. For more information on classes
available, contact Ken at
www.strategosinternational.com or call toll - free
to 888 - LOW - LIGHT.