Tactical Light & OC Techniques?

ResQTech · Nov 24, 2003

Is there a special technique to use OC with a tactical light (E2e, Z3)? Light and spray, spray and light?

Wave · Nov 24, 2003

I picked up a TigerLight to simplify this problem.

ResQTech · Nov 24, 2003

But a TL wont fit in my pants pockets like my Fox spray and E2e do.

Wave · Nov 24, 2003

Yeah you're right, I can't remember the last time I saw a fireman wear a gunbelt.

Anyhow, I light then spray. It's a natural progression of your available force options

(1)Light 'em up for positive target identification. Also dazzles your target giving you TIME to see if you have to take this any further.

(2)They're dazzled and you have positively ID'd the target as a threat. Spray! Be aware of outdoor wind conditions, or indoor confinement as getting hit with your own OC sucks!

Joe Talmadge · Nov 24, 2003

Well, just taking the OC by itself, the general strategy I'd propose: spray and move. Even if you're lucky enough to have the spray work as advertise and force badguy to close his eyes, he could sitll bull forward to where you last were, so stepping offline automatically would seem to be judicious. If I happened to be covering him with my light as well, and I had my wits about me, I would turn the light off as I moved -- the whole point of moving is to show up where he doesn't expect you, so you move in the dark, then light up again if you'd like. Probably worth getting a few of the OC drones and practicing this: Light & spray, reflexively turn off light and step offline fast, possibly re-light.

Joe

Blackbeagle · Nov 25, 2003

IMO...

If he's close enough to spray, he's TOO close to illuminate:

That close and reflection starts to blind your night vision. Acclimate your night vision and then try illuminate a sheet of paper or similar at close range and see what happens. Gets worse as the lumens climb.

The hostile is too close tactically. Spray distance is knife fighting distance. Thinking of spray range as 10'. Mark off 10' and then stand at one end. Have someone else at the other side lunge at you You won't have time to drop the light and go for the can. Try this even at 20' and you'll probably still lose if the can is holstered.

Have someone illuminate you. The tendency is to squint, bow the head forward, and probably turn to one side. The squinting will make spraying into the eyes difficult. The bowed head makes getting it up the nose almost impossible. The clenched teeth and slight turn away makes the mouth a harder target.

If he's that close, I'd go for spray immediately. Either that or do a Harries with the light in one hand and the spray already in the other.

Bravo25 · Nov 25, 2003

Just my .02 worth, but really if I am walking around in the dark looking for someone, I may have a tac light in one hand, but it sure isn't going to be pepper spray in the other. I am going to conclude immediately that deadly force is the only equalizing option I have, and hope that I get to back down from there.