INFORCE Blog

On April 30, 1980, at 11:25am, six Arab-Iranian terrorists broke into the Iranian Embassy at 16 Princes Gate in London and took 26 Iranian Embassy employees hostage. The terrorists demanded the release of 91 prisoners being held by Iran in their home region of Khuzestan. If their demands were not met by the afternoon of May 1^st, they threatened to blow up the embassy and everyone inside it.

Not many governments at the time had a dedicated counter-terrorist force, but the British government was an exception, and they responded by sending in the venerable Special Air Service. The pride of the British Army, this black op unit specializes in covert reconnaissance, hostage rescue, and unconventional warfare.

SAS operators were divided into two teams: Red and Blue. While Blue Team breached the ground floor of the building, Red Team would abseil from the roof, and it was important that both teams would enter the building at the same time so the terrorists wouldn’t have time to respond. Speed and aggression were essential components of SAS doctrine. One of the unit’s founders, Lt. Col. Paddy Mayne, said “When you enter a room full of armed men, shoot the first person who makes a move, hostile or otherwise. He has started to think and is therefore dangerous.”

While this sort of “guns blazing” approach to room clearing is no longer considered popular (or sane) in modern tactical shooting, it might help explain SAS’s interesting choice of gear. In the 1980s, weapon modifications such as red dot optics and weapon mounted flashlights were barely considered by conventional armies. SAS was, for the most part, trained to fight in enclosed spaces in the dark, and their weapons highlighted their mission.

Unlike the rest of the British Army, which at the time was using the L1A1 SLR service rifle, SAS utilized the MP5 submachine gun for its size and accuracy. Specifically modified for low light operations, SAS modified its MP5s to include a top-mounted flashlight, which conveniently doubled as an aiming device.

Notice how the flashlight sits in place of an optic on the submachine gun’s mount. This might seem counterintuitive at first, but there is, in fact, a method behind the madness. SAS operators were mostly trained to shoot with gas masks, and utilizing the iron sights on any weapon while wearing a mask is far from optimal. Since there were no truly convenient red dots or reflex scopes at the time, SAS commandos would use the variable beam focus on their lights to double as both a light source as well as an aiming reference point. On these old “Laser Products” flashlights, the adjustable bezel could adjust the throw on the beam, making it suitable for either a wide area or a small, focused spot depending on the situation. This made it easier for SAS operators to shoot with reasonable accuracy from the hip while also maintaining spatial awareness, which was already difficult due to their gas masks.

The tactics and equipment used by the Special Air Service remain relevant in a modern home defense scenario. In a situation such as a home invasion, a homeowner will most likely be forced to engage threats in the dark and will have to maintain situational awareness while using his flashlight. With an Inforce WML and its 10,000 Candelas of beam intensity, a shooter is guaranteed to get a bright, solid illuminated area that can be used as a point of aim. In close quarters combat, pinpoint accuracy is not as important as it is when hunting or precision marksmanship, and if a shooter trains enough with his weapon and familiarizes himself with his shot placement when using the WML as an aiming point, shooting from the hip becomes a viable tactic for close quarters engagements.

For those who use night vision, the WML White/IR comes equipped with an invisible infrared beam perfect for illuminating pitch black areas while also providing the same targeting benefits as its white light brother. Aiming with a night vision device over one eye, especially in the dark, is difficult and awkward and the WML White/IR offers a solution.

The hostage crisis at the Iranian Embassy lasted for 6 days, but it took SAS just 17 minutes to take out the terrorists and secure the hostages. Suffering only one injury during the assault, the Iranian Embassy hostage crisis remains one of the most stellar examples for a well-conducted counterterrorist operation in the world today.

While there are many advantages to using a pistol-mounted flashlight, there are also some very distinct drawbacks. Despite what many pistol light users might think, the weapon mounted light is not for searching or scanning. Massad Ayoob, a 40-year law enforcement veteran with a legendary reputation in the firearms world, advocates for using a secondary flashlight for the sole purpose of scanning an environment in a low-light combat scenario. 

The simple reason why it’s a bad idea to search for a threat in your home with your pistol mounted light is that it violates the second rule of gun safety: never point the muzzle at anything you are not willing to destroy. If you imagine your pistol’s muzzle emitting a thin laser beam that kills everything it touches (as you should), you don’t want your pistol’s death beam pointed at your animals, your children, or your spouse. Some pistol instructors will argue that pointing the gun at the low ready with the flashlight illuminating the ground gives you a general idea of your surroundings without actually pointing your gun at anyone. 

There are two problems with this technique: the first is that in an emergency situation, people’s senses are heightened and adrenaline is flowing. They know their reaction times have to be fast because their lives depend on it, and to someone pumped up on adrenaline, every human silhouette becomes a potential threat. 

The second problem is the fact that your gun is out at all. In some states, this is considered “brandishing” even though the gun is not pointed directly at anyone. Federal law defines brandishing as follows: 

The term “brandish” means, with respect to a firearm, to display all or part of the firearm, or otherwise make the presence of the firearm known to another person, in order to intimidate that person, regardless of whether the firearm is directly visible to that person. 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(4). 

Depending on the state, the unlawful brandishing of a firearm could be anything from a misdemeanor to a felony. As long as the offended party sees that you have a gun and they perceive it to be meant for them, you can be taken to court, even if you have the gun at the low ready. 

This is not to say we advocate for no pistol lights at all. This simply means there are other, safer ways to use them that won’t end up with you accidentally shooting the cat or being sued because you pointed your gun at a friend who you forgot was staying the night at your place. 

For example, when searching a room, it’s best to use a handheld flashlight like the INFORCE TFx. As long as you remain close to cover, (door frames are perfect for this) you can scan the room with your handheld, and when you detect the threat, you can draw your gun and brace it against your flashlight hand to engage. 

What if the gun malfunctions or you need to reload? Tasks like this require two hands, but manipulating a pistol while your offhand is holding a flashlight isn’t as hard as you might think. Prudence and tactical common sense dictate that you must “get off your X” and move to cover before anything else. Once in cover, the flashlight may be tucked under your armpit before you tap, rack, and clear your gun. Alternatively, you can manipulate the magazine by placing your flashlight in between your index finger and middle finger while grabbing your next magazine with your middle finger and ring finger. 

If you should remember anything from this article it’s that the four main rules of firearm safety exist for a reason. If you have to violate one of them and possibly shoot your wife by accident, just know there are other ways to scan the dark, and not all of them involve a pistol mounted flashlight. 

“Crime and vice generally require darkness for prowling,” said Mahatma Gandhi. “They disappear when light plays on them.” These words have always been true for criminals since the dawn of civilization. Even though Gandhi was shot with a Beretta M1934 in broad daylight, most shootings tend to occur under the cover of darkness. 

Therefore, it should follow that after the invention of the flashlight, people who carried every day would have the forethought to strap a light onto their pistols. However, we cannot discuss how the modern pistol light rose in popularity without discussing how its predecessors failed. In 1911, George A. Seely invented the first hand-held battery-operated pistol/light combo. It was given the practical but unimaginative name “Night Sight for Firearms.” A technological marvel for its time, its recoil dampening system allowed a flashlight to be mounted to the frame of a revolver without breaking when it was fired. 

Regardless of how practical Mr. Seely thought this was, his invention was not widely adopted by the general public. This was probably because the light was never mass produced and would have been made by hand for every order, making it expensive and impractical. 

Flashlights eventually came into mass production, becoming sturdier and brighter. Certain people once again saw the practicality of using them with pistols. This especially became true during the Vietnam War, when American GIs and Marines had to play a deadly game of cat and mouse with the Viet Cong in their deep, dark tunnel networks with low ceilings. The Americans deployed tunnel rats to smoke the VC out of their hidey holes. These men, typically 5’5” or shorter, were trained to crawl into the darkness of enemy tunnels and engage the enemy with only a knife, pistol and flashlight.

Most times, the M1911 was used in tandem with an angle-headed flashlight for these underground operations. Unfortunately, not only did this loadout leave the tunnel rat with no free hands, but the M1911’s high caliber round was ear-shattering in the confined spaces of a VC tunnel.

When a unit had the resources, it could use a purpose-built .38 special revolver with a suppressor and flashlight. The idea was sound, but the execution was sloppy. This “tunnel rat special” revolver had its light mounted on the top of the weapon, eliminating its iron sights. While this was fine for the job it was meant to do, since tunnel rats would engage VC at arms-length distance, it would be absolutely useless outside of this one specific task. Once again – not something the civilian market would need.

It took several decades until the pistol flashlight took the form we see today. In 1996, Heckler & Koch released the Mark 23 MOD 0 pistol, otherwise known as the SOCOM. This 9.6 inch long handgun was suppressor-ready and equipped with a flashlight/laser combo called the Laser Aiming Module or LAM. With all its attachments, however, it tipped the scales at 5 lbs. The LAM was a well-conceived idea, but its proprietary rail rendered it useless to any weapon but the Mark 23 itself.

Picatinny rails, standardized the year before the SOCOM pistol was released, eliminated the problem of proprietary attachments forever. When the rails hit the civilian market in the mid-2000s, every company that produced firearms or firearms attachments recognized the diversity the picatinny rail offered. Some of the top pistols of the 2010s were the Sig Sauer P320, the Smith & Wesson M&P, and the VP40 – all of which were designed with integrated rail systems for underbarrel attachments.

The Picatinny made it possible for a firearms owner to mount a weapon light or laser on any compatible firearm, remove it, and mount it to any other railed firearm regardless of manufacturer if he changed his mind. This had massive appeal to consumers worldwide.

Not only that, but companies like INFORCE have developed smaller, lighter, and more powerful tactical pistol lights than anything seen in the previous decades. The lights from the INFORCE Wild series are true modern pistol lights, the culmination of decades of development in the tactical flashlight world. The INFORCE Wild lights are more compact, lightweight and powerful than anything that came before them, and with Picatinny and Universal Rail mounting for maximum compatibility, they make the perfect accessories for any modern pistol and a must-have attachment for anyone who’s serious about self-defense against criminals who hide in the cover of darkness.

A flashlight can be used for more than just illumination. With enough candelas, they can be turned into viable self-defense tools. Notice how I use “candela” and not “lumen.” Lumens on a flashlight measure the amount of light, but candelas measure a light’s intensity. Take this into consideration: the average fluorescent light bulb has 2,000 lumens while an INFORCE Wild1 has 500. While anyone can stare up at a fluorescent lamp and daydream about getting out of work early, nobody would want to look directly into the lens of a Wild1, and not just because it would be attached to a pistol. A fluorescent lamp’s intensity hovers at around 130 – 140 candelas, while a Wild1 has 5,000 candelas of blinding power. 

Flashlights with high enough intensity can be used to deter any threat, including ferocious predators. For example, when hiker Jiji Oh went on what she thought was going to be a stress-relieving outdoor journey in the mountains of Steamboat Springs in Colorado, what started as a self-care journey ended up being a fight for her life. Lost in the wilderness for four days, she survived at night by scaring away predators with her flashlight. Thankfully for Jiji, she found a pair of fishermen at their “secret fishing spot” and was taken safely to civilization. 

Likewise, in Nederland, Colorado, a family dog let out of the house in the middle of the night on a bathroom break was attacked by a mountain lion. The dog’s owners were able to scare away the mountain lion by making loud noises and shining the strobe of a powerful flashlight on it. The confused mountain lion had never experienced anything like a strobe before and decided it would be better to release the dog and walk away. The dog suffered several lacerations from the attack but is otherwise fine. 

In an urban environment, your flashlight is more likely to be used against human threats rather than animal ones. Statistically speaking, the average person is more likely to find themselves knocking back a few cold ones at a bar than staring down a cougar in the wilderness. A tactical flashlight is not seen by many as a weapon, and bouncers will most likely let you pass as opposed to a guy with a pocketknife. In the same bar, you’re very likely to encounter someone drunk and belligerent. 

In a self-defense scenario, the objective is not necessarily to incapacitate your opponent, but to remove yourself from the scene as fast as you can. There is no such thing as dishonor in retreat if it means you stay alive. In the absence of pepper spray, a flashlight can be used to temporarily disorient a threat before running away. Not only would it blind your opponent, but unlike pepper spray you would not be in danger of hurting others around you – or yourself. 

Some argue that the flashlight can be used like a kubotan – a small stick, usually the size of a human palm – used by some as a self-defense keychain. The issue with this way of thinking is that many kubotan techniques require hours of training which ordinary people don’t usually have. 

According to its proponents, the kubotan is not a “gimmick” but a practical self-defense tool capable of doing everything from blocking kicks and punches to incapacitating threats by applying force to pressure points. While a trained kubotan user can execute these techniques thanks to repetition and muscle memory, an untrained man on the street would be highly likely to fumble in a life-or-death situation. In fact, the official kubotan technique manual specifically states that no one should carry a kubotan without training. 

The comparison between a tactical flashlight and a kubotan is fair since both are approximately the same size and made of durable rigid material like hard impact plastic or aircraft grade aluminum. The only real difference is the tactical flashlight helps you see in the dark. 

In its simplest form, the kubotan can be used to strike at an aggressor’s face, chest, temple, or extremities. The problem is this would require the kubotan user to get up close enough to strike his or her assailant. Once again, if your objective is to run away, getting within grappling range of your assailant is generally a bad idea. 

On the other hand, someone following you in the dead of the night will be temporarily blinded with a 12,000-candela blast from an INFORCE TFx from as far away as eight to ten feet; especially if the light is shined directly into his face. A flashlight is also a great tool for identifying who might be sneaking into your room, especially if your first reaction is to reach for your nightstand weapon. 

If your room opens and you start blasting away in complete darkness, when you turn on the lights, there will be a chance you could kill a loved one. Reaching for a flashlight first allows you to both disorient an attack and see your opponent. 

Any gun owner who owns a pistol with a flashlight attachment will know the pain of looking for a compatible holster. Since weapons have to fit into their holsters like tailored suits, once an attachment like a laser or a light is added, whatever holster it once called home becomes a useless piece of kydex or leather. Fortunately, INFORCE has done the legwork and found several different holster companies that can accommodate your new pistol and flashlight combo.

1. Practicality: CrossBreed LDS 2.0 System ($99.95)

CrossBreed’s LDS 2.0 holster with Accomplice Magazine Carrier can accommodate a wide variety of firearm and flashlight combinations. Meant to be worn inside the waistband, CrossBreed touts this as a comfortable, adjustable EDC holster. The Accomplice Magazine Carrier can be attached to the holster piece and features adjustable retention, an ambidextrous design, and an adjustable cant angle.

2. Variety: Safariland holsters (price varies)

The fact that Safariland sports not one but several holsters compatible with INFORCE lights says something about the versatility of their product line. Safariland holsters feature a variety of safety features unique to this brand such as the SLS (Self Locking System), which uses a rotating hood to protect the weapon from unwanted takeaways as well as the ALS (Automatic Locking System) which retains the firearm in the holster until it is released by the user’s thumb pushing a locking lever, allowing for a smooth, natural-feeling draw (see image). A complete list of all Safariland’s compatible holsters is located here.

3. Vehicle Carry: Hornady RAPiD Vehicle Safe (Available at Scheels for $249.99)

While not exactly a holster, Hornady’s RAPid is a side-console gun safe designed solely for your vehicle. Accessible only by a user with an RFID wristband, key fob or the correct PIN, the RAPiD is perfect for any parent who wants to carry in their vehicle. With the RAPiD’s security system, there’s no need to worry about a curious child reaching for the weapon and causing an accident.

4. Customizability: ANR Designs ($69.99 - $98.99)

INFORCE's holster of choice, ANR holsters are made from kydex to stand up to the rigors of intense activities like competition shooting. They come in a variety of custom molds and patterns for any style or model of semi-automatic firearm you need. INFORCE has an available holster for the Glock 19/17/34 and Wild2, but a wider array of options is available on the ANR website.

5. Modularity: Insane Kydex (price varies)

Offering an insane (pun intended) variety of holster types beyond ordinary IWB and OWB options, Insane Kydex caters to everyone from competition shooters and law enforcement to casual enthusiasts and collectors. Their holsters are tailored to every individual customer with a wide range of options for pistol, light and optic compatibility. Capable of housing any INFORCE light, Insane Kydex's holsters are known for their color options, which vary from the tacticool to the tacti-crazy.

We hope you find this selection of holsters for OWB and IWB carry helpful. What are your thoughts on your favorite pistol/light holster combo? Tell us in the comments below.