When it comes to tactical flashlights, every operator knows the importance of precision and stealth. In the dimly lit corridors of a hostile environment, the "quick peek" technique becomes more than just a tactic – it's a lifeline. This technique involves a momentarily illumination of your flashlight briefly illuminating the darkness with a burst of light before either engaging the threat or retreating back into the shadows. The quick peek allows operators to assess threats without revealing their position to potential adversaries.
In most cases, a quick peek will be performed in a room clearing scenario, where a home defender armed with a weapon and a weapon-mounted light will slowly and deliberately move around corners, using those corners as cover.
But room clearing isn't just about what you see – it's about what you sense. Listen for any unnatural sounds, take note of any unnatural smells like cigarette smoke, weed, or unfamiliar body odor. If you hear a large number of people inside, you are most likely not going to successfully clear the room by yourself, and you would be better off preparing an ambush for them outside the hallway while calling for backup (911).
In most home defense situations, the operator will be alone, and must therefore clear rooms alone. This is slightly different from doing dynamic room clearing.
Always remember this principle: you want to fight what you can see without letting them see you. Entering a room without conducting the pie slice method could very quickly lead into an ambush situation where the room clearer is attacked from a slice of the pie he failed to check.
With that in mind, it’s always important to compress your firearm as close as possible to your body when you’re not actively aiming to make sure the muzzle of your weapon isn’t sticking out into the room. If you’re not aiming down your sights, you also have a better field of view, allowing you to see more of the room you’re trying to clear.
Unlike a team-based dynamic room entry, there is no reason for the room clearer to rush into the room. In a normal, dynamic room entry, there will be several teammates working in conjunction to cover all possible angles for attack. When clearing a room, no one is covering you, so a quick but cautious pie slicing technique while allowing yourself room to retreat is the most logical solution.
The goal of the quick peek with your flashlight is to allow you to see into a threat area without giving the threat enough time to attack you.
INFORCE lights are tailor-made for the quick peek technique. Take, for instance, our WILD1 and WILD2 pistol-mounted lights – activating momentary-on mode is as simple as pressing and holding the activation switches. For rifle-mounted lights like the WML White, it's a matter of toggling the LED lever to the rearward position to activate momentary-on mode. Keep it forward, and you've got constant-on mode at your fingertips. Now, for the WML White/IR variant, that same LED lever does double duty – toggling between white and IR modes. For momentary-on Just hold the light's activator. For constant-on, a single press will do the trick. Keep the LED lever forward for white mode, and rearward for IR mode. It's that straightforward.
The "quick peek" isn't just a flashlight technique – it's a lifeline in the darkness. Whether it's a room-clearing scenario or a lone operator defending their home, room clearing demands acute senses and strategic finesse, and when used in conjunction with the pie slice method, ensures you maintain the upper hand. The principle of fighting what you can see underscores the importance of caution, and with INFORCE lights, purpose-built for the quick peek, operators have the tools they need to navigate darkness with confidence. From pistol-mounted WILD1 and WILD2 lights to rifle-mounted WML White variants, operators stay in control, no matter the mission – illuminating the path to success, one tactical maneuver at a time.
Click here to check out INFORCE's collection of pistol mounted lights
Click here to check out INFORCE's collection of rifle mounted lights