Combat course & E1E....

[Robocop]

I just finished my semi-annual firearms qualification course as required by the state to keep my Police License. Every few months the Dept. will require us to do the course in darkness and being a flashaholic this is my favorite course.

This last course was different than usual as we had various run and shoot courses with those metal flip targets. The course included 3 mandatory reloads and this all had to be done while holding your light. I used my main duty light for the standard part of the course as this is simply lining up on a target from various distances and firing. In between strings of fire you have time to reload and the pace is not too bad.

Well the combat courses are much harder I found as I had no lanyard on my main duty light. I had to tuck the light under my arm while reloading and it slowed me down. I switched to my back up light at the time which happened to be my E1E and Lumens Factory EO drop in. This was the only light I had which had a lanyard and made reloading much faster as I did not have to worry about my light.....I just let go of it and it was easy to retrieve.

Well the point of this long story is to say that that little light made me look very good. I finished the course in record time and hit all targets. Some of the targets were at 25 yards and about the size of a pie plate. That incandescent drop in really amazed me as it was plenty bright for the 25 yard sections and had just enough spill to scan for threats while the throw allowed me to see well past 25 yards......Just wanted to say that this little combo is a good choice for a one cell incandescent back-up. It was such a success that about 20 co-workers made me write the web site down and they are ordering the same drop ins. They even agreed to buy the E1E host from our local supplier just to get the same set up as I used.

Great little light to say the least and I never realized the value of a good lanyard until using it with such a small light on such a fast course.

 

[light_emitting_dude]

Neat story robo. I carry a SL microstream as a back up. It would work well on a lanyard also. I will try that.
We also have a low light shooting course when we re-qualify. Last year I used my L4 and not only illuminated my target but a few others also. :laughing: I think I will use my L1 next time.

 

[Robocop]

I usually always carry my TW4 as a back up and for some reason decided to use the VG1 body and swap the head for the Lumens Factory 90 lumen drop in. I planned to try it out on a few courses that were not timed or scored just to see how it performed. I was really impressed with the power to size ratio and it really did have that "wow" factor to impress my co-workers.

I also tried out the 13 Volt set up in my Raider using three R123 cells and it was easy to notice me on the firing line when standing beside other officers.....man that thing is impressive to say the least.... I was a little nervous with that set up as it was the very same set up that failed on me last year. It was simply a blown bulb and has not happened since however I hesitate to use it on scored events.

It is things like this that bring new life into many lights I have not used in a while....I am ordering a few more drop ins today and plan to keep a few and give a few more to co-workers who failed the course tonight....:laughing:

 

[SureAddicted]

Cool story Robocop. There are a couple video's out on low light shooting, and they emphasize on how important a lanyard is, especially when you have to reload. It does make life so much easier, I just need to get into the habit of using one more often.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

Great stuff!! People will never understand why we love our E1e's with the LF lamp assemblies... You really need to use one to get it.

 

[Illum]

interesting, they specifically require you to have a hand out for the light?
It seems reasonable to have a weaponlight on your weapon :thinking:

how did you go about lanyarding the E1e? I want to lanyard mine

 

[Robocop]

The VG1 body I use on my EIE has a lanyard attatchment and allows me to use a small wrist lanyard.....I recommend the VG1 body as it is just a nice combo for the E1E.

I carry an H&K USP-40 and have done so for 11 years now. I bought the leather duty holster and night sights however never did wish to use a mounted weapon light back then....If I changed to that system now I would have to buy new leather anyway. I like using a seperate light source and always have at least two good lights on duty. I never use a laser sight for the same reason....I do not want to become dependant on the laser or mounted light should they fail.

Just last night I saw 2 officers using weapon mounted lights that failed. I agree weapon lights are awesome and used correctly offer a big advantage over handheld secondary lights but.....In the case of the 2 failures I saw both officers froze when their light went out. They had a duty light on their belt but did not go to it for some reason. It seemed both had became so used to the weapon light that when it failed they simply did not know what to do.

 

[IcantC]

You bring up a very great point with the lanyard!

 

[JNewell]

Great report. I've never run through courses and evals with anything smaller than a 6Z/C2 sized light. I would have thought it'd be hard to control/aim a 1x123 light - guess not? Thanks.

 

[Hogokansatsukan]

Just last night I saw 2 officers using weapon mounted lights that failed. I agree weapon lights are awesome and used correctly offer a big advantage over handheld secondary lights but.....In the case of the 2 failures I saw both officers froze when their light went out. They had a duty light on their belt but did not go to it for some reason. It seemed both had became so used to the weapon light that when it failed they simply did not know what to do.

They need to train more. I've seen officers on the line stop when they have a weapon malfunction... and they don't clear it! They stand there thinking the stovepipe will fix itself if given enough time. Aaaaahhhhh!

I've used the E1E and E2E for combat shoots at night and they work great. I much prefer the smaller lights. Just ordered a Tomahalk LE that should arrive Monday, so I'm itching to try that one out.

 

[Lightraven]

Better to have those weaponlights fail in training than real life. Maybe the officers will be a little less statue-like the next time it happens.

There are too many advantages with a weaponlight, though. I used mine a couple months ago at night--had to hold my handgun and a light, while calling in my position and situation (report of 2 armed bad guys running towards me while I had two more suspects on the ground). Without the X-300, one of those things would have had to be put away--and it sure as hell wasn't going to be my gun.

I keep my X-300 in my pocket and attach as needed. I detach before holstering.

 

[light_emitting_dude]

Very good point. We must clear weapon malfunctions when qualifying. When you have done it enough times and have been trained, it becomes second nature amd will so in a real life situation.

They need to train more. I've seen officers on the line stop when they have a weapon malfunction... and they don't clear it! They stand there thinking the stovepipe will fix itself if given enough time. Aaaaahhhhh!

I've used the E1E and E2E for combat shoots at night and they work great. I much prefer the smaller lights. Just ordered a Tomahalk LE that should arrive Monday, so I'm itching to try that one out.

 

[ampdude]

Great report. I've never run through courses and evals with anything smaller than a 6Z/C2 sized light. I would have thought it'd be hard to control/aim a 1x123 light - guess not? Thanks.

Me too. I think I would have a problem holding a 1x123 light under those conditions.

 

[Solscud007]

Interesting. Have a look at SF institute's youtube video. Lowlight Technic 2.

It shows how to hold the light in the SF GRIP. the SF Combat grip rings REALLY help with mag changes and racking the weapon. But the rings dont fit e-series lights.

The ringed combat light stays on your finger when you let go of the light, to use your hand. very nice for my airsoft uses and should work very well for real world scenarios.

 

[ampdude]

I prefer a lanyard. That way I can just drop the light when I need to, but it stays within reach.

 

[Lightraven]

That is good shooting, Robocop. Hitting plates at 25 yards isn't easy especially holding a flashlight.

Do you wrap a lanyard on your wrist in the field? Does it have a breakaway capability?

I've expressed my opinion on flashlight retention in another thread, but I'm interested in the opinions of other LEOs.

 

[Robocop]

My main duty light (D36 Raider) does not have a lanyard attatchment so I rarely use a lanyard in the field. My back up light does have one and I really grew to like using it on that course. Our past night courses were all single strings of fire with time to reload so the fast paced combat course was new and fun.......reloading on the run with the light posed a different challenge with what to do with your light while reloading.

I saw guys holding it under their chin while others fumbled with their clips and dropped their lights while trying to reload. One officer stuck his in his pocket while reloading however it was turned on and this is a bad habit as it allows the bad guy to track your movement.....he just follows your light trail. I like the idea of a lanyard now and am trying to find a way to attatch one to my D36 Raider.

As far as the shooting goes I grew up in a country town and spent much time shooting at cans and bottles. I have never been a hunter really however I have always had a natural ability to shoot. I have also became very familiar with my old USP-40 and shooting it almost seems second nature by now.....plus in my opinion the old H&K is just an easy shooting very nice weapon to carry.

Now back to the topic.....I was really amazed at how well one can navigate a night course with such a small light. I do know more light is always better and believe me I was prepared with my heavy hitters but the little E1E came out on top this time. Good tactics and a little more juice from the 1 cell drop in made me feel really comfortable with the light emitted from this combo.

 

[Sabre]

interesting, they specifically require you to have a hand out for the light?
It seems reasonable to have a weaponlight on your weapon

I'm not completely sold on the weapon-light idea. The biggest problem I have with it is that bad guys shoot at the light. Why would I want to put it in front of my face?

I use the old hand-to-the-side FBI technique with the light. This was cemented one day in simunitions training when I pied off a corner in a dark building and ran into one of our role-player bad guys. When I pied the corner I had squatted as low as I could and held the light (a Streamlight Scorpion) up as high as I could. We spotted each other at about the same time. He was about 5 feet from me. When he saw me he started shooting. He was shooting right at the light, with me squatting well beneath it. The light blinded him in the pitch-dark building, and he couldn't see me. I didn't get hit because I held the light away from my body. Had it been a weapon-light, he would have been shooting right at my head.

 

[Robocop]

Personally I like the Harries grip as it allows me to most closely copy a 2 handed grip for more stability. My dept. has no restricitions on qualifying and light position and say use whatever works for you but stick with that style only. I have played with the Keller grip for flashlight shooting and it is actually very stable but just a variation of the Harries technique....and like I said I do not want to change now as I am used to the Harries.

I have became very good at pulsing my light or as we say it 'on in your face off in your face" which simply means you do not want to run around with your light on the entire time during a crisis situation. This allows the criminal to track you and I believe if done correctly a properly "pulsed" light is as safe as any other situation can be. If I am on target at night my light is on and once I decide to move the light goes off before I lower my weapon. If practiced regularly this becomes second nature and does work.

I agree practice and repitition are the key regardless of grip used or size of light. I say that however see many officers who simply freeze up and the fact is probably 70 percent of us do not get enough practice in. This is the biggest reason I believe simple is best and low light shooting is no different. I want a simple single stage bright light that requires zero fine motor skills to work. I was shocked that the E1E / LF combo was so easy to hold and use however it is simplicity at its best and it worked like a charm.

On a side not here I have sent an E-mail to LF as I did not see anywhere on their site to order the E1E drop in lamps. As of yet I have not heard back however it is still the weekend. I did not see anywhere to order anything actually and am wondering if anyone knows if something has changed with their site.....Do we have to use a different dealer now and if so where can I find some? I checked Wolf-Eyes however they do not show the smaller lamps and only have the D26 and D36 versions????

EDIT... Ok I have found some of the E0 E1E lamps at Light Hound and I would just as soon order from there as I have had good luck from there in the past. I may have been mistaken however if I remember right I could have sworn I ordered direct from LF last time.

 

[Solscud007]

I'm not completely sold on the weapon-light idea. The biggest problem I have with it is that bad guys shoot at the light. Why would I want to put it in front of my face?

Yes very true. However I believe Surefire Institute teaches you different holding techniques. The FBI Modified works well to keep the light away from you, however this is a searching method and does not allow a two handed grip of your weapon.

If trained properly there are single handed shooters who shoot better with one hand. There is a school of thought that it is better to learn to shoot with one hand for many different reasons. in this case, holding a flashlight.

However SF institute teaches the idea that for the long threat, you would switch to harries or the rogers aka SF grip for the two handed stable platform for shooting while simultaneously lighting your opponent.

Robocop: when you say Pulsing your light do you mean that you just turn your light on and off at will? or strobing your light? I prefer the Gladius as the strobing adds a little more disorientation and the large tailcap button is very easy to press with my palm in the Rogers/SF grip.