Self Defense light

[RUAK]

Hello all,

I'm in search for a self defense light.

I mean self defense as in if i'm walking at night and an attacker approaches me, i want to blind him.

I live in a not so great neighborhood.

I want the highest lumens that can blind an attacker.

I'm a noob when it comes to lights.

I know there are lights that have multiple outputs. Not sure if that's what i want?

i am looking at Surefire P2X Fury Defender LED

Fenix TK75 Flashlight

Surefire E2D Ultra Defender

What is recommended for my needs? Strictly to blind an attacker. Single output better than multiple?
bezel vs no bezel?

Would carry in my pocket or maybe a holster, maybe. Don't mind it being a bit bulky.

Suggestions?

I was going to get surefire fury tactical single output but i saw there or tons of other very cool lights!

Links removed as per the banner at the top of the page
Why has my link been removed? - Norm

 

[ledmitter_nli]

if i'm walking at night and an attacker approaches me, i want to blind him.

If an attacker(s) is approaching you, why don't you run the opposite direction or evade instead?

How is stopping, then pulling out a flashlight, then turning it on, then aiming it at an aggressor going to improve your situation?

Why. not. run?

 

[Knifefeak]

Kinda agree with led, sorry, but I suppose anything with a strobe feature might work well.

 

[Razzle]

I chose the TK75 for the same situation. I am unable to run away due to physical restrictions.

 

[ledmitter_nli]

This got me thinking, what if the aggressor pulls out a bright flashlight as well?

Works both ways I guess. :shrug:

Just goes to show the hilarity of lights for use in self defense :D

 

[RUAK]

This got me thinking, what if the aggressor pulls out a bright flashlight as well?

Works both ways I guess. :shrug:

Just goes to show the hilarity of lights for use in self defense :D

It will be used in combination with Glock 9mm pistol and trust me, I will by all means avoid a gunfight or an attacker if i could. I live in a bad neighborhood so my glock is first in self defense not a flashlight but i have bad vision and i have a condition where i cannot run so nice bright blinding flashlight is better for me if i have to shoot so i can aim better or make the attacker think twice.

So can someone please answer my question or give me suggestions? I don't want to hear your opinion about a light for self defense and your giggles. No thanks.

Suggestions please?

 

[ledmitter_nli]

The dynamic changes if you're lucky enough to carry to say the least. :thumbsup:

Look into the 800+ lumen single lithium 18650 battery XM-L2 lights with panic button tail switches - the recently updated XM-L2 Klarus XT11 comes to mind and popular with the LEOs in here.

Personally I carry the 960 lumen EagleTac TX25C2. While the side mounted switch isn't as accessible as the XT11's, the crazy lux for a single 18650 compact XM-L2 light makes up for it.

 

[Razzle]

OP, my choice is one of my 10mm Glock pistols, and either your mentioned TK75 or the PD35.

Stay safe out there!

 

[whatswrongwithmee]

Klarus XT11, instant access to strobe is useful and makes a beautiful sound that you can hear if you put it close to your ears.

 

[jaycyu]

Are you going to pull out the flashlight when you get attacked, or use the torch you're navigating with and redirect it?

What you want is high lux.
Lux is how concentrated the light is.
The larger the reflector, the more light gets concentrated, thus more lux.
Higher lumen will get you more lux, but a 1300 lumen XML without a good reflector will not be brighter than a 400 lumen LED with a large reflector to your foe's eyes.
The smaller the LED, the more lux, but less lumen, and smaller hotspot.
The smaller the LED, the less current/amperage it will allow.
A dedomed XP-E2 is the smallest die, which can be driven to 3A current when on a copper PCB.
A XML is the largest practical die (excluding the advance but cumbersome MTG2 and SST). It can be driven to 6A.

An aspheric lens setup (it has the highest lux) is out of the question, since without spill you can't see if the guy's pulling out any funnies.
The SF E2D defender is a little gentle.
The Fenix TK75 maybe too large for belt carry.
The Fury Defender's bezel looks good, but nowadays, XML are driven to 1000 lumens+. Secondly, the Fury doesn't accept a rechargeable battery.

I suggest the dedomed XP-E2 (or XP-G2) route, since it has max battery life and max lux. The 3A XP-E2 has 1 hour of batt life. It is conceivable that you complete your long walk with it constantly on, though it's going to attract everyone's attention. The XML won't be as bright to a person's eyes, and it'll drain your battery in <30 minutes. Though not as bright, the XML does have a larger hotspot, making it harder for someone to dodge it.

Options 1:
SolarForce L2P host with M3s head (google "Solarforce sale"). The L2P—a very high quality 6P clone—is very carriable and allows a solid grip.
SolarForce SS belt-clip
SolarForce M3s large reflector head (though the size might cause a jam when drawing it from your belt (I haven't tried it yet))
Vinhnguyen54's XP-E2 dedomed 3A P60 drop-in (in his sub-CPF-forum) (talk to him about your requirements). If you want a low-light setting during transit, ask for a no-memory H-M-L mode. When you get in trouble, turn your light off, then on again to get your high mode. If you don't need the long-runtime low-light mode, just ask for the 1-mode circuit.
Get a AW or Panasonic 18650 battery with around 3000mAh capacity. There might be other good Li-on brands; you'll have to read HKJ's reviews regarding them.
Get an i4 charger. Might as well be 4 bays instead of 2 over the i2 for a 4 dollars more.

Option 2:
EagleTac G25C2 MKII
Fenix TK22
^Dunno. Things of that sort, with a XP-G2 LED and a bezel larger than an original 6P.

This recommendation is for a flashlight that impedes the sight of an aggressor.

 

[jaycyu]

Though I don't want to mention this in the Police Strobe thread, strobe can escalate an non-existent issue, by provoking a person who only seems potentially dangerous to respond violently. It's sort of insulting to strobe someone when it's common knowledge there's a chance it can trigger a seizure. It's highly unlikely, but the guy isn't going to just let himself get strobed.

Just get a bright constant-on driver. The glare is enough to hide your upper-body movements, depending on the distances of street lights.

 

[RUAK]

Well guys i pulled the trigger on a brand new Surefire P3X tactical single output flashlight.

It's advertised at 1,000lm

It's single output.

Did i do good? There's not much reviews on that model yet.

I'm thinking i should of spent more time to figure out the right one for my needs because i am not sure if i would need a strobe or dual output.

I see this light is about 15$ cheaper than the E2D LED Defender Ultra and the E2D is only 500 lumens while the cheaper P3X is 1,000 Lumens.

 

[Norm]

Surefire P3X 1000 lumens! Discussion.

Norm

 

[jimboutilier]

Well guys i pulled the trigger on a brand new Surefire P3X tactical single output flashlight.

It's advertised at 1,000lm

It's single output.

Did i do good? There's not much reviews on that model yet.

I'm thinking i should of spent more time to figure out the right one for my needs because i am not sure if i would need a strobe or dual output.

I see this light is about 15$ cheaper than the E2D LED Defender Ultra and the E2D is only 500 lumens while the cheaper P3X is 1,000 Lumens.

Like most things EDC, the one you always have with you and are most comfortable/familiar with is the best.

There are a lot of great lights out there for your intended use. No one can dispute that the Surefire brand is tough, reliable and targets your intended use.

But what ultimately matters is that it's something you can and will carry everyday in a readaly accesable manner and be comfortable using under stress. That's a very individual situation.

That particular light would not work for me because I prefer a smaller more versatile light like an EagleTac D25LC2 XML2 or Foursevens Quark QP2L-X Burst Mode, but we all have different needs and tastes. Anything small enough to EDC that puts out 500+ lumens / 5000+ lux, gives instant access to max brightness and is sufficiently robust is worth considering.

Let us know how you like it!

 

[precisionworks]

It will be used in combination with Glock 9mm pistol

Surefire X300 Ultra, 500 lumens, mounts in front of trigger guard, really popular with LEO. Lots of info on the police/military forums.

Biggest advantage is that it leaves one hand free & you don't have to coordinate the light & pistol. Disadvantage is that you'll need a holster to fit that combination.

 

[gravelmonkey]

Surefire X300 Ultra, 500 lumens, mounts in front of trigger guard, really popular with LEO. Lots of info on the police/military forums.

Biggest advantage is that it leaves one hand free & you don't have to coordinate the light & pistol. Disadvantage is that you'll need a holster to fit that combination.

Also, you have the disadvantage of having to point a gun at someone to light them up.

 

[Marten]

And it will mean whenever you need to light something up you will also be waving a firearm around. So much for firearm safety.
Tactical weapon light mounted to a firearm is not for utility lighting... Its for a very specific "niche" use...

 

[Starik1]

I want the highest lumens that can blind an attacker.

You need a 100mW green laser pointer.

 

[BillSWPA]

I keep seeing the idea of using a self defense light to shine the light in someone's eyes as the sole response to a problem being brought up in response to inquiries about defensive lights, but I cannot understand why. No credible source has ever advocated such a tactic. Rather, it is a first step intended to provide a 1/2 second advantage, which must them be utilized to implement other measures.

A light mounted on the gun can be very useful in situations when you need more light, but have already seen enough or otherwise know enough about the situation to know that bringing the gun to bear is appropriate. For example, you might have enough light to identify the threat but not see your sights. It is particularly helpful when checking on a bump in the night, and the location of all family members is known. I would suggest a Streamlight TLR-3 primarily due to small size and holster availability. While good concealment holsters for mounted lights are still not very common, good Kydex inside the waistband holsters can be had for common guns equipped with this light.

Often when you need your gun on the street, you will have already seen enough with ambient light to know that you need to bring the gun to bear and/or shoot, and trying to use the light simultaneously will just complicate things.

A separate handheld light gives you considerable flexibility in use of the light. Often, it will not be appropriate to draw a gun, but a light in your hand will be appropriate. The 1/2 second blinding/disorienting effect of the light can help you buy time to create or close distance, draw your gun, etc. should that become appropriate, and a strobe can help hide your movement. Good suggestions were made above for such a light.

 

[dss_777]

I was going to suggest the X300 "u-boat" as well, since using bright light as a means of self-defense is reall iffy at best, and potentially suicidal at worst. Look up "Tueller drill" to get an idea of how fast bad things can happen, then ask youself if really want to rely on a light working as you'd intend. Things go from "Oh, look!" to "Oh, ****!!!!" really, really quickly.

Given all that, I think you'll enjoy the Surefire. Let us know how that works out, and if you have any problems carrying a 3-cell light. My 3-cell based light is too long for convenient carry.