I started using a light on my pistol in 1998. Back then, the M6 was the top choice and on a rookie NY cop’s salary, it was very expensive. It was also big, fragile, had a short runtime and didn’t put out much light, though back then, not much did. For most of my time as a cop, I used a surefire 6P and did the whole handheld light thing. I found that better than dealing with the downsides of the M6.
Fast forward to my time on the State Department’s MSD team. When I got there in 2004, we had Sig 228’s which of course did not support mounting a light. With some help, I managed to convert the team to 229R’s and get surefire weapons lights issued. Shortly after that, I went away from using the pistol mounted light as I found it mostly unnecessary. When 5 dudes enter a room, if one of them needs to transition to a pistol, the threat should be long taken care of by a teammate and if it isn’t you probably have their carbine weapons lights illuminating the room.
Obviously there are other uses for the pistol mounted light, and I gradually warmed back up to them. As a SWAT guy in the U.S., I found tons of use for my mounted light, especially in conjunction with a laser. I was always crawling through tunnels or other crawl spaces, climbing ladders, walking on rafters, etc. The TLR-2 HL was the best of the bunch and I carried it on and off duty for years. When I switched to an optics pistol in 2020, I went away from the laser as it conflicted a bit with the RMR’s dot. Which was unfortunate, as the laser is of tremendous benefit in a SWAT role.
At the same time, I switched from the TLR-2 to the TLR-7 and then the 7A. The 7 series are not as good as the TLR-2, but they are smaller and they get the job done pretty well, at least indoors. When I retired earlier this year, I continued to carry a 7A daily. Not so much because I think it matters for self defense, but because my daily carry gun is also my bedside gun and I definitely prefer the mounted light for home defense. I often need to open doors or move things while searching the house and a pistol mounted light makes that much easier.
So, if you don’t mind carrying a light on your gun all day, go for it. If you prefer a trimmer carry gun, maybe keep a similar gun with a light for home defense, or clip one on to your carry gun when you retire for the night. I like simple, so I just wear the gun with the light all day and then put it next to my bed at night.
