The Pros & Cons Of Carry Pistol Lights

Feature | The Pros & Cons Of Carry Pistol Lights | Compact Pistol Light

August 17, 2018 / Comments (2)

Featured Guns & Ammo

Are carry pistol lights worth mounting on your gun? Handguns do really look badass with it, so let's find out how this piece of equipment will work or not work for a regular gun owner.

You've probably seen the SWAT in movies with a flashlight-like thing mounted to their firearms. Those things are called carry pistol lights and I bet they'll look great on your gun too. Not only is it a cool addition, these pistol lights are very useful in the dark when things get really suspicious around your house. But when in it comes to guns and accessories, it's necessary to make smart decisions. Let's talk about the pros and cons of mounting lights on carry guns to help you decide if this is something you really need.

Carry Pistol Lights | Are They Essential to Your Gun?

 

Pros

1. Illuminates the Area

Illuminates the Area | The Pros & Cons Of Carry Pistol Lights
The light on your pistol will immediately illuminate an area or room where your gun is pointing at. Obviously, this is the very reason for mounting this accessory on your handgun — to see better in the dark. Mind you, this compact pistol light may look tiny, but it illuminates a bigger portion of the area more than you expect it to.

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2. Availability of Holsters for Pistols with Lights

Availability of Holsters for Pistols with Lights | The Pros & Cons Of Carry Pistol Lights | Compact Pistol Light

A lot of new generation holsters are available in the market for light-bearing pistols. You won't have any problems looking for concealed carry holsters whether it's inside the waistband or outside the waistband for this purpose.

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3. Encourages Two-Handed Grip

Encourages Two-Handed Grip |The Pros & Cons Of Carry Pistol Lights | Compact Pistol Light
Gun owners don't normally practice using a gun with one hand. However, using both hands to hold a gun in defense or tactical mode is more efficient. It also gives you more speed and accuracy when facilitating your gun.

4. Reduces Felt Recoil

 Reduces Felt Recoil | The Pros & Cons Of Carry Pistol Lights | Compact Pistol Light
Many shooters want to add more weight to their firearm for better control. It reduces felt recoil on the gun and helps speed up the next shot with consistent accuracy. In a way, mounting a light on the pistol will lessen the need for other accessories to dampen its recoil.

Cons

1. Bulky for Concealed Carry Weapons

Bulky for Concealed Carry Weapons | The Pros & Cons Of Carry Pistol Lights | Compact Pistol Light
Less is better if you want to conceal your gun. Unfortunately, installing a light on a handgun makes it too bulky for concealed carry. The whole point of having a CCW is to have a gun you can draw easily for defense purposes.

2. Gives Away Your Location

 Gives Away Your Location | The Pros & Cons Of Carry Pistol Lights | Compact Pistol Light
The light on your handgun does not give you a useful advantage in the dark all the time. Imagine yourself chasing a burglar inside your house. He stays quiet in a corner but knows exactly where you are because of the light. The light actually tips off your location. So when a burglar becomes very uneasy as you get closer to his location, he won't hesitate to defend himself by any means necessary.

3. Handgun Malfunction

A few handgun models have been experiencing feeding malfunctions, especially with the Glock. This happens to the Glock 22 and 23 with tactical light attachments. It's bad news for law enforcers who try to carry out their duties and rely on the reliability of their firearms.

 

Watch this video by PersonalDefenseNet about using handheld illumination vs gun-mounted lights:

Our list of pros and cons should help you decide whether to install a tactical light on your pistol or not. Try to outweigh the advantages and disadvantages of having this accessory on your gun. There are instances when it's useful, but I personally think regular gun owners are better off without it. I think the biggest downside is carrying a concealed carry weapon that's bulky due to the mounted light. It really just defeats the purpose of bringing a CCW in the first place.

What can you say about the pros and cons of using carry pistol lights? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Up Next: Shooting with Both Eyes Open | Shooting Tips and Tricks

 

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November 2017 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.

Featured image via Amazon

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