The first reaction of most gun purists to this photo might be “ew, someone put a rail on a classic firearm.” Then they realize someone put a rail on a classic firearm. Gun owners with M1911s, Browning Hi-Powers, M9s and so forth usually shy away from accessories like weapon lights because they don’t want to go through the hassle and expense of buying a rail for their weapon. Many of them logically believe that mounting a flashlight involves buying a very specific rail and paying a gunsmith to mount it then waiting several days to get the weapon back.
The truth is that a gun owner is more likely to use his weapon at night, or at the very least in a dimly lit parking lot. Undesirable elements need darkness to conceal their activities, and it would be wise to mount a pistol light for situations like this.
Thankfully, the folks at Recover Tactical have a solution to the rail problem that requires neither a gun smith nor a drill or any other special tools. Recover’s rail systems are attached with simple Allen keys or screwdrivers, and in the case of their systems for the M1911, act as both a grip and a rail. Recover Tactical offers a variety of grip and rail systems for firearms other than the M1911 such as the Glock and Sig platforms, M9/92FS, Browning Hi-Power and S&W Shield. For a price point of about $25, there are few better options.
Using the Recover Grip and Rail, I mounted Inforce’s WILD2 pistol light without any trouble at all. Designed for toolless installation, the WILD2 can be removed from its box and secured onto any 1913 or Glock Universal Rail by hand. Its ambidextrous paddles were easy to reach, and I barely noticed any difference in weight from the WILD2 while the ridges of Recover system provided a more stable grip.
The Recover Tactical rail system. Also comes in green and black.
Both the WILD1 and WILD2 fit perfectly on a Recover rail system without issue. With the addition of a powerful weapon light, the only major change I needed to make to my loadout was a new holster, and there were plenty of affordable choices available online.
I am a believer in the phrase that it’s better to have and not need than to need and not have, and having a pistol light is a great insurance policy. Whether you’re checking on whatever tripped over your living room sofa at 2am or anticipating the worst from a car that blocked you off in the middle of a dirt road in the middle of the night, a pistol and flashlight combo is the common sense decision.