I'm bumping this thread to see if anybody has anything to add to this discussion.
After speaking to people whose opinions I respect, along with some other folks with actual relevant experience, my opinion on weapon-mounted lights is split. I think I'm going to mount a light on my nightstand gun but continue to carry a separate light while out and about.
My (probably flawed) reasoning:
1. Outside the home, I need light in many situations where I don't want to even draw my gun, let alone point it.
2. Outside the home, the bulk of citizens who need their guns are at extremely short distances from the threat and are planning to draw and immediately shoot. The attacker is already attacking. Turning on a light, any light, isn't going to happen.
3. Outside the home, I don't anticipate going searching for bad guys. (I live in town, and even on my own property, if I hear a noise outside or in the detached garage, I'll call 911 and sit tight.)
4. Inside the home, I don't anticipate going searching for bad guys. If we hear something downstairs (the entire family sleeps upstairs), I'll call 911 and sit tight.
5. Inside the home, if I do go searching, it will be after walking across the hall into my daughters' room, flipping on the light and taking attendance. (The only rooms upstairs are 2 bedrooms and a bathroom.) I know my house well and can move easily without light if I choose to do so. Plus there is a bunch of ambient light from outside street lights and porch lights. If I do need light, I don't mind pointing my light and gun at everything/everyone that I encounter.
I'm not sure that it makes a significant difference either way, but basically, given the layout of my house, I think the advantages of a mounted light outweigh the disadvantages. For inside the home, I think most of us would be better off making other preparations:
1. Have current eyeglasses on your nightstand if you need corrective lenses. Many contact lens wearers forget this.
2. Have shoes/slippers/moccasins next to your bed. Walking across linoleum/tile/hardwood floors in the dark and stepping on a lego or other toy, hurts.
3. Have a family safety plan in place. Rehearse it. If your hear somebody in your house, what is "Plan A" to protect everyone? What might make "Plan A" unworkable? So, what is "Plan B"? What is "Plan C"?
4. If everyone is upstairs, do you have a safe way to get to the ground in the event that a fire blocks the stairs? We're much more likely to encounter a fire than an intruder. A ladder, not a gun, may be what saves your life.
5. Keep a cell phone in your room in the event the bad guy takes the land line off the hook in another room.
Anyhoo, I enjoyed reading through this thread and would love to see some additional discussion.
