Are Flashlights Practical?

[ZanderFTW]

Is a 250 lumen light too much.

http://www.torontoairsoft.com/Elemen...AN_p_2401.html

[BennyBoy]

I forgot to bring my flash light on Friday to UA, got freaking rocked from people hiding in dark corridors lol

Someone on my team put a strobe on to blind enemies through a bottleneck area where we needed to pass through, shit sucks when walking back to respawn. Gave me a headache afterwards too =D

[Gunny1980]

I find the strobe function on flashlights ends up doing as much disoriention to the person using it as the target they are using it against. Momentary on/off is the way to go in my opinion. /my 2 cents

[p.phresh]

I run a streamlight TLR-1 with strobe function when I run my pistol. I mainly play CQB and have been using a pistol light or flashlight on my rifles and SMGs with pressure switch for more than 8 years. I never play without a flashlight now!

helps with lighting up the target and giving you that extra split second when they are "stunned" by the light when you pull the trigger. Plus you can follow your BBs easier, and walk the shot onto the target if necessary.

I've only had a flashlight with strobe function for less than a year now. I don't find I use it that often unless I'm trying to get across a gap. I turn it on, point it at the op-for and run! The reason I don't use it when I'm trying to shoot a target is cause it takes two taps on the TLR-1 to activate the strobe function.

If I am shooting at someone I can tap the flashlight once and get the shot off faster. But having the strobe isn't a necessity in a flashlight, it's a "nice-to-have".

[Azathoth]

Originally Posted by Eeyore

No! You don't need to bind your friends with a 300 lumens light.

Blind is a permanent condition, dazzle or disorient is the word you are looking for.

I run a Surefire P2X Fury Tactical Flash light 500lumens in a 10,000 square foot indoor facility near Edmonton. Used it many times along with X300, TLR-1s, Fenix, outputting 200-500 lumens. No one has ever gotten male pattern baldness, gone blind, had erectile dysfunction, or even complained for that matter.

I find that the strobe is a useless feature in airsoft. I don't get disoriented from the strobe from clone lights. The output isn't high enough and the cycle rate of strobe is too low, that and clone lights tend to have awful throw, as well as a pale blue beam. You need to be pretty close <12ft for a strobe to be truly effective and at that range the white light is more effective than a strobe.

I honestly cannot remember anymore how many times people will come down a hall with their strobe, run into my momentary on and turn back for cover or get shot

I've found that high intensity white light using a momentary on/off with an optional push to 'lock' on to be the best solution for a weapon mounted light. So effective in fact i've sold all of my lights that have a strobe function except for one that I keep in the car.

[GSK88]

Originally Posted by ZanderFTW

Is a 250 lumen light too much.

http://www.torontoairsoft.com/Elemen...AN_p_2401.html

My Surefire M951 is 65 lumens and will seriously disorient you in a dark room if flashed into someone's face.

You don't need uber power for your light.

[ShelledPants]

What is a M3X? 90Lumen? It's bright as balls.

[Danke]

It is nice to have a variable output. What might be just fine outside in the open will be not be much fun inside.

When you put your light on a white wall you'll get the back scatter wiping out your own vision.

[phloudernow]

bright flashlights can threaten the enemy, it might give away your position but if they know where you are already might as well. What I mean by "threaten" is that with your flashlight on you can see the area very clearly but they are disoriented by your light. also if your light is extremely bright, it will be harder for them to aim in the direction of the light.

I find that a light can suppress the enemy sometimes better than bullets can. instead of popping off shots in the direction they are hiding in to prevent them from coming out. shine a light at them. Basically telling them "I Know where you are, COME OUT AND YOU GET SHOT" obviously this only works if you don't get flanked and whatnot. But its a tool i use from time to time

[Scrivah]

I love playing at Ultimate when all these guys come in with their strobes. Doesn't do much but give away their position. (Don't tell them that though, I would like to keep picking them off!)

[Azathoth]

Originally Posted by Danke

It is nice to have a variable output. What might be just fine outside in the open will be not be much fun inside.

When you put your light on a white wall you'll get the back scatter wiping out your own vision.

No it doesn't. maybe against a mirror or a sheet of stainless steel that is polished. But is a mirror in a airsoft cqb site a realistic thing to see given the sharpies that fly off BB strikes? I have no problem seeing with my face a foot away from a white wall that is being lit by my 500 lumen surefire. With my light mounted to the left side rail, If i`m shooting around the corner using the wall for cover the bore will clear the corner before the light will, leaving me with the cone of death reflecting back at me. However the light has enough throw that I will get an entire hallway illuminated just from the peripheral area. If you are worried about the light against the wall use an urban prone which puts the light over the bore and see how well that works.

Variable output can be useful for navigating without destroying your night vision, map reading etc but red filters for flashlights will get the job done, and navigation lights like INOVA's fit that job very well or a belt/rig mounted loose flashlight. But for a weapon mounted light I would prefer them locked to one output.

[Danke]

My comment is more directed to the folks in the lumen race; you know, must have the most lumens, must have the highest fps etc. Glad your light works for you though.

[Azathoth]

Originally Posted by Danke

My comment is more directed to the folks in the lumen race; you know, must have the most lumens, must have the highest fps etc. Glad your light works for you though.

Ah... I see. I do hear a lot of locker talk about my at games about "I just bought this NCSTAR light that's 1000 lumens"

The entire method of measuring the output of a light is rather questionable. I would really only trust Surefire, Insight, and a couple other brands on their stated light output.

[Danke]

Only 75 lbs!

[ZanderFTW]

So will 50 lumens make a difference for a flashlight (200-250)