Originally Posted By: greenjp
Just what "tactics" do these sorts of lights support for a civilian dude?
Prior law enforcement with lots of training. Like they say, once a Marine, always a Marine. Still training to this day. Plus I train people as well. Not as much as before, but still occasionally. I carry a "tactical" light every time I leave the house. As well as having several in the home to include those mounted to my home defense weapons.
Originally Posted By: greenjp
Got a pair of the ubiquitous adjustable lights from Amazon for about $14. Very bright, if an offputting high color temp. It's kinda neat that you can see the circuit if you set it to full zoom. Surprisingly even spread at anything but full zoom.
One night I was wrestling with a bad dude. About the time he pulled out a knife, my flashlight dropped and the incan bulb broke. I QUICKLY learned the value of a high-quality light. A light that won't break on you when you need it most. I can EASILY justify spending $100, $200, $300 or more on a tactical flashlight, because nothing is worse than needing a light RIGHT NOW, and not having it. After that night, I went from wearing one flashlight on my duty belt to three flashlights.
$14 for a pair of lights is all fine and dandy, for general use, but don't confuse that set as having quality consistent with a high-quality light.