The late Darrell Mulroy and I became friends after he contacted me because we seemed to
agree on many points. He claimed, "You will shoot better in the dark than you will in
daylight," with the system that was taught at his school. He viewed teaching flashlight
techniques as overly complicated and stated, "You will learn to LIKE the darkness. We can
hide in it and it is our friend."
My teaching partner in California used the expression, "When you're in the dark, stay in the
dark. When you're in the light, light up the dark." Obviously, if you accept this point of
view, you probably would want to have a light available. Like many others, I teach low-light
shooting with and without a flashlight.
Whether or not you're fond of working a flashlight and a firearm simultaneously, you
certainly need enough light, ambient or artificial, to positively identify your target
before you fire.
Techniques without Lights
I've been taught several techniques, with and without flashlights (or gun-mounted lights on
long guns), including one which claims that you don't need to see your sights or your gun if
you fire from the isosceles position and use your sense of hearing to orient yourself to the
threat.
This last technique, ironically, was taught on a range with static paper targets, so the
issue of orienting to sound was not available to assess, nor was traversing to a position
not squarely to the student's front.
I do have some reservations about the "more natural pointing" of the isosceles position:
This will be true if the gun points to the apex of the triangle when it is grasped, but if
the gun aligns with the forearm, as has been taught
traditionally, the gun will actually point off to the non-gun-hand side when the body
"naturally" squares itself to the threat and both arms "naturally" thrust out to full
extension.
I tend to agree with some other instructors that if you get enough practice in sighted fire
you will condition yourself to bring the gun to what would be your normal sighting plane and
get a fairly reasonable alignment on your perceived target, even in dim light.
Jim Cirillo's weapon silhouette point is a useful
technique, particularly when there is not enough light to see the sights but enough to see
the shape of the gun. Jim's geometric or nose point techniques are intended to work when
there may not be enough light even to see the silhouette of the gun, but then there is the
issue of positively identifying the target.
Techniques with Lights
As to flashlights, I have rarely had to draw a gun on a human target, but I draw a
flashlight at least once a day. I don't believe that if you are threatened in dim light,
which is when it most commonly happens, you will draw your flashlight as you draw your
gun. I believe that the most likely role of the flashlight shooting techniques is in
situations where you already have your flashlight out and are suddenly threatened.
For this reason, I make it a point to use my flashlight in my non-dominant hand and I
make it a point to hold it in a position where I won't cross that arm if I should have to
draw.
As I don't believe in searching with the muzzle of the gun, I have given up on two-handed
techniques. like Ray Chapman's, which marry the flashlight with the muzzle. I am
particularly concerned with the Rogers technique, which also adds the risk of an interlimb
response (the risk of the trigger finger "imitating" the motion of the fingers activating
the flashlight).
For several years I advocated the Harries technique until I trained in low-light tactics
with my friend Andy Stanford. Andy
convinced me that at the ranges where unpleasant encounter are most likely to occur,
one-handed shooting should be adequate. I now prefer an adaptation of the SureFire
Institute variation of the old FBI flashlight technique. The flashlight is held in the
non-gun hand, just above the non-gun-hand shoulder. I find that I can index the light more
reliably if I place the knuckles of the flashlight hand under my cheekbone.
If I should have the time and feel the need to shoot two-handed while using a flashlight, I
prefer the Harries technique. This position is acquired by thrusting the handgun forward,
then crossing the light under the gun arm and placing the backs of the hands against each
other. The Harries technique requires that the thumb be toward the chest, which is the
natural way to hold a light with the button on the tail cap or for anyone who uses the
flashlight at or above shoulder level. This technique should work well for shooters who
prefer a Weaver or modified Weaver (Chapman) position.
For users of side-button lights who prefer the two-handed isosceles position, the Ayoob
quick-reaction technique is another choice. Simply thrust both the light and the gun out to
approximate an isosceles position, with both thumbs touching. Ayoob teaches that if you
place both thumbs together in horizontal alignment out to about seven yards the light will
shine in the assailant's eyes while the handgun is indexed on his chest. I always found that
the light pointed too high for me by seven yards. I found that rotating the knuckle of the
thumb on the hand holding the light below the knuckle of the thumb of the gun hand, rather
than leaving both thumbs aligned in the same plane, will keep the beam of the light within a
more useable range. This technique will only work if the light is held with the thumb
forward.
Are Lights Always the Answer?
A strong light can actually serve as an intermediate-force weapon in that it can be used
to blind an assailant temporarily. Today's high-intensity lights can actually force an
assailant to snap his head back when the main part of the beam strikes his eyes.
In addition to identifying the threat, use of a light can also identify or pinpoint you.
Modern flashlights are very powerful and create a lot of light "spillover," which tends to
illuminate the user. Further, while it makes the most sense to use a light from behind
cover, light-colored cover can easily reflect light back on the shooter, forcing the user to
"crowd" the cover to avoid the reflection.
I used to prefer a red filter on my SureFire lights as red light doesn't seriously affect
night vision. However, Andy also convinced me that when there is a threat of death or
serious injury, you need the full spectrum of visible light to get as much information as
quickly as possible.
The fairly new SureFire A2
Aviator model is worth mentioning. This light has a two-stage switch, using three LED's
for routine use and a high-intensity white light when the switch is fully depressed. By
selecting the model with the red LED's you can preserve your night vision during routine
use and have blinding white light available for emergencies or longer range illumination.
It's not cheap but it puts both options in one hand simultaneously and the LED mode places
very little drain on the batteries.
Use of gun-mounted lights requires that you either violate Rule Two and search with the
muzzle or use something like a light-colored ceiling or wall to reflect light into the area
that you wish to illuminate. A wiser choice might be to supplement the gun-mounted light
with a hand-held one, perhaps linked to the non-gun-hand wrist with a lanyard.
Like most things, dealing with a determined assailant in reduced light can be more
complicated than dealing with paper or cardboard targets. You can gain some insights into
these complexities from Andy's book, Fight at Night.
Material is posted on this page for information and discussion only and
purports to be no more than the personal opinion of
Stephen P. Wenger.
