How to Choose a Mounted Tactical Light

Mounted tactical lights are a great addition to any firearm. Although the original mounted tactical lights were improvised by SWAT teams and others with specific needs, these early homemade lights proved that mounted lighting systems could be useful tools. Today there are many types of mounted tactical lights available from many different manufacturers. Lights are available for all types of firearms. However, there are a number of things to consider when choosing a light.

Instructions

    • 1

      Consider the type of firearm on which you will be mounting the tactical light. Lights meant for rifles and shotguns will be different from those meant to be mounted on handguns. Additionally, a tactical light that is meant specifically for one rifle or handgun platform will often not work on a different platform.

    • 2

      Determine the way you want the light to attach to your firearm. For handguns, the most common option will be a rail-mounted light that attaches underneath the barrel. More options are available for rifles, including lights that mount to a Picatinny rail and lights that replace the entire forend of the rifle. Each of these options will place the light and its activation switch in a different place. Ensure that the light you choose does not obscure your sight picture or have a switch that is too difficult to activate from a shooting position.

    • 3

      Take into account the brightness of the tactical light. It should be bright enough to illuminate an attacker, as well as degrade his night vision. The light should not be so bright that it will degrade your night vision, however. Output of a light is measured in lumens, and the manufacturer SureFire recommends 60 lumens for an incandescent tactical light or 50 lumens for an LED light.

    • 4

      Consider how long you will need to continuously have the tactical light turned on. Lights have different amounts of time that you will be able to run them between battery changes. Always use high-quality batteries in your light to make sure that you have as much time as possible before needing to change the batteries.

    • 5

      Read reviews of tactical lights that meet your requirements. Manufacturer's websites and consumer sites such as Amazon.com are good resources for finding reviews. Make sure to read professional reviews as well as consumer reviews to get a balanced opinion. Choose the light that meets all of your needs and has good professional and consumer reviews.