Weapon Mounted vs. Handheld Light – Part 2

With a few exceptions, lights designed to be mounted to your pistol’s accessory rail cost significantly more than a handheld light of equal quality. Not only do they have to pack a lot of illuminating power into a small package, lights that mount directly to your firearm have to include a switch that is easy to reach.

The sensitive electronics must be able to withstand the recoil of a centre fire handgun. The lens material has to endure muzzle blast and fouling without breaking or permanently diminishing the quality of the beam. That’s a lot to ask, and it doesn’t come cheap.

Many weapon mounted lights will function perfectly over the course of a few practice sessions, but only the most rugged lights can withstand the recoil and abuse of being attached to a pistol for several thousand rounds. Consider how often you’ll want to practice with your light mounted to your pistol when making your choice, and assume that if you want maximum durability, it will come with a price tag to match.

Even if you decide not to keep your light mounted every time you fire the pistol, at the very least, fire 200 rounds with the light attached to ensure it’s mounted correctly and will not work its way loose under recoil. Also be sure to check that the light and switch still function after firing. 

Finally, it’s not a bad idea to clean the outside of the light’s lens before storing the gun for emergency use.

Here are a few suggestions from Klarus Light to get you started. There are plenty of excellent lights listed here, always be aware that inexpensive lights typically cannot be expected to stand up to long-term use nearly as well as more costly designs. Remember the old addage, “If it looks too good to be true… it will probably catch on fire when you try to turn it on.”

Klarus XT11
Klarus XT11S
Klarus XT15

Weapon Mounted vs. Handheld Light – What do you use?

Weapon Mounted vs. Handheld Light – Part 1

Do you know what that rail is for on the front of your handgun? Contrary to popular belief, it’s not there to impress the ladies! It’s for mounting accessories, which usually means some kind of “tactical” light. Anyone who carries a handgun or keeps one around the house should also have a good flashlight, and a rail-mounted light is a convenient solution. Handheld flashlights are a popular alternative, and many respected firearms instructors seem to prefer this option.

Here are the basic pros and cons of the handheld light.

No matter which way you lean on this issue, it’s essential that the light selected is of high quality. Even if you skip the practice and training necessary to become proficient with a light, just having ready access to a reliable illumination source is better than waving around your gun in the dark. Below are a few general gear-specific tips and some recommendations to get you started.

Handheld Lights

LED technology has come a long way in the last decade and we now have plenty of remarkable flashlights that put out a great deal of illumination but can still fit in your pocket. However, not every well-constructed bright flashlight is suitable for use with a handgun. Beyond basic quality and light output, the most important feature to look for is a switch that can be activated easily with one hand. This usually means a tailcap switch that is operated with the thumb.

A simple interface is also ideal. Some lights have a strobe function or various brightness modes depending on how many times or how long you press the switch. For self-defence, the light should be stupid-easy to operate so that next to no brain power is required to activate it under stress.

Some lights feature a “momentary-only” style switch, which is useful for techniques that require the user to activate the light only for short bursts in order to avoid becoming a target for a potential attacker. Others boast extraordinary light output, which may be ideal when searching for missing children in the woods at night, but possibly counter-productive when illuminating your bathroom with a glossy white tile floor.

Most tactical flashlights run on one to two batteries, usually AA or CR123. Both battery types are common and affordable, and many of the brighter flashlights will burn through those batteries fairly quickly when used on the highest setting, so keep a good supply handy. No matter the bells and whistles, just make sure your light comes from a reputable manufacturer, like Klarus Light, who have a history of making lights that work every time and won’t die out on you when you need it.

Below are a few excellent tactical flashlights that are both reasonably priced and reliable.  This list should help get you thinking in the right direction.

Klarus ST2C
Klarus XT2C
Klarus XT11
Klarus FH10

This list should help get you thinking in the right direction. Stay tuned because next week we’ll be discussing the basic pros and cons of the weapon -mounted light.

How you can use your flashlight when you go on a camping trip

Flashlights can be used for far more than you might think and you will definitely miss having one at the right time. Flashlights usually illuminate a task for your assistance but there are a lot more functions that a flashlight can do.

Since the advancement of LED technology the flashlights have been passed through a renaissance period of sorts. They are now smaller in size, brighter and can be controlled with microprocessors. They use less energy and they are compact in design. These features have made a flashlight one of the necessary things in your daily life.

Flashlights can be used in many ways and several security services are using flashlights now-a-days. They would be your perfect assistant while you are on camping or hiking. Flashlights are not only used for illumination, but also as a self-defence tool. They can provide you with the support you need to handle any dangerous or emergency situation. For these special purposes, tactical flashlights were invented. Tactical flashlights are very popular in military, police or other armed forces agencies.

So, flashlights can be helpful in camping too. A reliable flashlight for camping is a must have device for everyone. Every camper needs a flashlight; it doesn’t matter if it is for the trip to the toilet block and back, for cooking purposes, for finding your things or to detect something strange in the dark. While you are camping you should always bring a handy flashlight along!

There are so many reasons why campers need to bring a long a flashlight. Those who are frequent campers need a high quality flashlight for camping, take a look at the wide range of on the Klarus Light website. Here’s why:

-- It is useful for outdoor works or activities in the dark such as hiking, driving.

-- Flashlights make it possible to read at night.

-- Cooking after the sunset requires the assistance of a flashlight.

-- It is useful if you need to search for things in the dark and to detect any suspicious object in night.

-- So in camping, flashlights can be used to illuminate the camp zone.

-- Tactical flashlights are very handy self-defence tool. Lighting up the place will make the attacker nervous, and throwing a harsh light beam into the eye of enemy can blind them for a moment.

-- The body or the handle of a flashlight is very hard and it is strong enough to be used as a striking weapon.

Make sure to always keep your flashlight handy when you go on your next camping trip! What else do you use your flashlight for when you go camping?

In search of, and finding, a very good flashlight

Flashlights have undergone a revolution thanks to the LED technology that is also changing household light bulbs.

The result is much brighter light with the same size of batteries. It does not make sense to buy non-LED flashlights unless you like the warmer, but dimmer, glow of the old incandescent.

Flashlights come in an enormous range of shapes and sizes, from ones that easily fit in a pants pocket to ones that can be swung as weapons.

If you’ve ever been interested in the mini kind, which you can whip out from your pocket at the least provocation along with headlamps to make illicit night-time lawn watering easier!

Some models running on a single AAA battery can pump out 100 lumens, enough to light up a couple dozen metres. An old style flashlight of similar size might offer 10 lumens, and barely illuminate a couple of metres.

For an affordable, durable mini flashlight, you may want to check out the Klarus Light XTQ1, which has a life span of up to 50 000 hours. It is waterproof for up to 2 metres and actually proves quite reliable, despite only having a lumen output of 800.

You can spend enormous sums on a flashlight. BUT a better idea would be to find one that is both cheap and trustworthy and rather buy that instead. Browse through Klarus Light’s website and you’ll be sure to find a flashlight that suites your needs.

Review - Klarus XT2C

The Klarus XT2C flashlight itself feels high quality, with no sharp edges and good balance and utility. The interface is also much more intuitive than a lot of the tactical flashlights and it seems like this feature puts the XT2C above a lot of others. Like many other high end flashlights, this one is designed for an 18650 li-ion battery or two CR123 camera batteries. You may want to order your flashlight with the batteries and charger from the Klarus Light website; there you’ll find a wide range of durable, affordable and innovative tactical torches.

The switch interface on this flashlight is spot on for the intended application. Mode-less operation means that actions are always the same. A light press on the main button pulls the flashlight up on high, whereas a harder press clicks it down to stay on. That by itself isn’t fantastic; it’s how the flashlight incorporates the strobe functionality that is really usable.

Strobing flashlights are supposed to confuse and disorient targets, but incorporating another mode into a flashlight in an intuitive way is difficult. Most flashlight interfaces are somewhat confusing to use. However, with the Klarus XT2C you can press the “Mode” button to get straight to a momentary full brightness strobe!

With all the buttons on the back and a compact body, this flashlight would be a great candidate for mounting on a pistol or rifle.

The light beam on the XT2C could be described as “floody” and very wide. The reflector is fairly small and uses an “orange peel” style texture rather than a smooth one. When you point it at something, it floods the whole area with light instead of focusing tightly where you aim it. This is perfect for the intended use as a weapon mounted flashlight.

You probably wouldn’t drop your flashlight into a glass of water, but it’s nice knowing that it can handle some water without any problem at all. The flashlight is spec’d at fully waterproof to 2 metres because the o-rings on both sides stop the water from getting past. This light is also impact resistant to a certain height.

All in all, the Klarus XT2C is great value for money. The Cree XM-L is a great LED and really pumps out the lumens in this small flashlight.

Review – Klarus AR10

Flashlights are important, aren’t they? Small and large, piercing the darkness like a searchlight or dimly preserving our tactical night vision, we love them all. The AR10 rechargeable flashlight is a pretty straightforward torch, at first glance, but there are hidden superpowers within.

Would you like to purchase the AR10 flashlight? Take a look on Klarus Light's website and you'll find a wide range of durable, affordable flashlights. 

The AR10 is a single-LED, single-focus flashlight, powered by a single 2600mAh Lithium 18650 cell. Illumination comes from a CREE XM-L2 U2 LED. The light meets IPX8 spec, which means it is waterproof to 2 meters, as well as being impact resistant from 1 metre. The battery is easily changeable and reverse-protected (You can’t put it in wrong!), accessed through a screw-on end cap, sealed with a single O-ring below the threads. There is a single push-button switch that activates both the on/off function as well as the four levels of light the LED can emit (Turbo, High, Medium, and Low). These are 1080, 450, 150, and 10 lumens, respectively.

When it’s first turned on, the LED shines at the intensity of the previous use. If a different intensity is desired, the user only has to click a few more times and the unit cycles through them all. Turning the device off is as simple as holding down the switch for a few seconds.

Two more modes are available as well. When the light is on in any mode, a triple press will activate strobe mode at Turbo intensity. Another triple press moves it to SOS mode, which is at Medium intensity. There is also a locking feature, which prevents the unit from accidentally being activated by children or from within a pack or suitcase.

When the light is first turned on, an indicator glows slightly in the centre of the switch. This is the battery power meter. (Centre button LED power indicator is above.) It will glow green for 70-100% charge, orange for 30-70%, and red for less than 30%. If it gets down to 10% or less, it will flash red.

The unit itself is about 14cm long. The flat end cap is magnetized, so that it will stay attached in an upright or vertical position, or hang from a metal shelf or rack. This is where the AR10’s hidden superpower comes in – you can rotate the head as much as 90°! There is a 45° joint that allows about the top inch to swivel down into a right angle to the main body. The light can stay on throughout the action, and will stay at whatever angle you place it at. With the magnetic tail piece, you can direct a steady beam of light in virtually any direction.

Below the end cap joint is a nicely knurled section. At that point, there is a groove around the entire torch with a chromed metal clip attached, which can spin around fully. The clip is very tight, and may be removable. The next three inches moving up to the inset tempered glass lens is mostly smooth, with a few deep designs machined in. Opposite the rubberized push button switch is a gasket-covered port for a microUSB charging cable.

The torch can be recharged without removing the battery. A weather-protected miniUSB port opposite the power button allows you to connect to any powered USB port to grab power and refresh the battery.

At 149 grams with a battery installed it’s not going to weigh anyone’s pack or belt too much. The whole flashlight has a nice heft to it, and you don’t have to worry about damaging it if you drop it. 

The AR10 is rated at a high output of 1080 lumens, with a rated runtime of “as long as” 220 hours on a full charge. While Lithium 18650 cells are not everywhere or particularly cheap, they are dependable and long-lasting and can take repeat charges for years. Since they can recharge in place, you may never find you need to replace it, but it’s nice to know it’s pretty standard if you do.

The flashlight trick that will produce smoke!

This flashlight trick will teach you how to produce smoke (actually pressurized oxygen) from your mouth. This is fun to do when you're bored at a campfire with your friends or family

You will need for this mighty trick:

-- A flashlight (so you can see it better)
-- Hands (yours)
-- A mouth (yours)
-- Lungs (yours)

Step 1: Hold your breath

The key to doing this effectively is to hold your breath the whole time you’re doing the trick. It may sound stupid, but don't breathe, since like I said, the smoke is actually pressurized oxygen. This is also the time to put the flashlight on your chin. NEVER blow out your nose while you do this, since it will ruin the smoke and make it travel all the way back to your lungs.

Step 2: Click your tongue

Yes, close your mouth and while still holding your breath, click your tongue 10 times. The way that you're supposed to click your tongue is to put your tongue at the tip of your mouth.

Step 3: Put your fist to your mouth

Put your fist to your mouth and puff your cheeks out. Don't puff them out too hard since you obviously don't want exploding cheeks. This should take about 3-5 seconds to do this. Don’t breathe yet!

Step 4: Open your mouth

Open your mouth. But do not exhale out your nose as already said since it will ruin the smoke. Just open your mouth and the smoke will come out. Also, you know what they say: practice makes perfect! It takes a while to get the hang of it!

Do you know any cool flashlight tricks? Let us know!

Need a reliable affordable flashlight? Don't go for the cheap flashlight that'll last a few weeks - visit Klarus Light's website and browse through the wide range of tactical, durable flashlights that will last you a life time!