I hear this term, and I did a search trying to find the definition, but came up empty.
What is a "tactical" flashlight. How does it differ from a "regular" flashlight?
IMHO, tactical lights or tactical illumination tools must have:
60 lumens output or more - in the Gladius specfications.pdf file it states a minimum of 60 lumens of light output for tactical and high-risk applications.
"Momentary ON" only switch feature - "Momentary ON" using forward clicky switches (like in my Stinger XT) may prove disastrous during high stress shooting situations where the switch may be unintentionally pressed into "Continuous ON" mode, allowing the missed target to shoot back at the location of the light source that's still ON after the muzzle flash.
Strobe feature to momentarily disorient and/or cause dizziness to suspects - the
Bucha effect is a
seizure-inducing effect of light flashing at 1 Hz to 20 Hz. It is named after a Dr. Bucha who identified the phenomenon in the 1950s when called upon to investigate a series of similar and unexplained helicopter crashes. Those pilots who had survived reported sudden onset of dizziness and confusion, causing them to lose control of their aircraft. The strobe in my Gladius makes it easier to gently take down friends bashing its strobe feature.
Durable - should survive accidental drops on concrete, rocks, throwing lights to pass to injured people before they can be extracted or to buddies whose light stops operating in the middle of a procedure, etc.
Waterproof - must operate underwater for unintended drops while crossing flooded streets, canals, rivers, not to mention the non-tactical applications like cleaning aquariums, swimming pools, toilets, etc.
Properly focused - must be free from dark holes within the beam pattern in order to facilitate threat identification and threat disorientation.
White light - color temperature must be in the white light spectrum whether using LED or an incandescent light source to accurately identify or locate persons or items.
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