TFB's 8th Day Of Christmas: Lights And Lasers

The advances that manufacturers have made in the development of lights and lasers in the past five to ten years is nothing short of amazing. I, like most of you, remember a time when attaching a weapon light to a firearm was a head-turning event at the range. Thankfully, the idea of proper illumination has gone mainstream.

I am a huge proponent of carry guns having a weapon light. What many people don’t realize is that lights aren’t just for nighttime – the mere act of transitioning from a bright sunny day to a dark coffee shop could easily call for the use of illumination. To put it simply, you can’t shoot what you don’t see.

So, if your pistol is missing a proper light, take this opportunity to correct that omission by asking Santa for a light/laser combo. Or If you have a friend or family member who can’t see in the dark, gift them a new LED.

Just do me a favor and remember that weapons lights aren’t flashlights. Don’t draw down every time your keys fall behind the couch.

Last thing: I’m going to nerd out for a second and leave you with a LOTR quote:

In this phial,” she said, “is caught the light of Eärendil’s star, set amid the waters of my fountain. It will shine still brighter when night is about you. May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.

Translation:

You better have a way to make light when a giant spider is getting ready to eat your Hobbit arse.

The game-changing XC1, SureFire’s smallest and lightest weight WeaponLight, was specially developed to equip compact railed handguns with white light, which is absolutely critical for concealed-carry and other applications. It features a high-performance LED whose light output is shaped by a special multifaceted reflector into a wide, smooth 200-lumen MaxVision Beam™ perfect for maintaining situational awareness and identifying threats at close range. The XC1’s evenly distributed beam pattern—with no bright center—was optimized for human vision.

Extensively tested for performance, durability and reliability, you won’t find a higher quality, more dependable light on the market today. With 700 lumens of vibrant white light, our WMLx Series is engineered to be lightweight and powerful, and offers three easy-to-use operating modes: constant, momentary and strobe. At just 4 ounces, its concentrated spot and far-reaching, high-intensity beam provide significant light for situational awareness and long-distance target identification. With just a flip of the lever, instantaneously switch between white or infrared mode. In addition, the easy-to-operate lockout system ensures the light isn’t activated until you’re ready. Our all-inclusive rail clamping design integrates seamlessly with your weapon, providing simple, fast mounting with no need for additional tools.

• C4® LED technology, impervious to shock with a 50,000 hour lifetime; 510-530nm direct drive green laser with wide operating temperature range
• 800 lumens; 15,000 candela peak beam intensity; 245m beam; runs 1.5 hours (Laser/LED simultaneously); Laser only function runs 17 hours
• Engineered optic produces a concentrated beam with optimum peripheral illumination
• Green laser provides high-visibility long-range targeting
• Powered by two 3-volt CR123 lithium batteries with 10-year storage life

LL-803G Green Laserguard® Pro™ for GLOCK 42 and 43 is a powerful green laser sight and 150 Lumen LED white light in a single compact unit. Designed specifically for the 42 and 43 platform, this illumination and targeting product is activated with Crimson Trace’s famed Instinctive Activation™, which activates the unit with a normal firing grip. LL-801G offers four modes of operation: Laser + Light, Laser Only, Light Only, and Laser + Light Strobe. The unit features a Master On/Off Switch, is completely user-installed in moments, is adjustable for windage and elevation and offers 2 hours of battery life.