What does it mean to be "TACTICAL"?

nseditor · Oct 23, 2005

I bought a 3-LED Coast V2 Triplex advertised as "tactical". I earlier bought 3 Coast 3-LED V2 Triplex Torch.
The 2 lights are about the same in brightness because their heads are identical, I think.

The 'tactical' model is shorter, squatter, and made of light aluminum and has rough surface, the other is thinner, longer and much heavier.

Here are random links to their images:
http://www.botac.com/cov2trledfl.html (non tactical)

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/brandsplace/0246-ccc7737.html (tactical)

I like both of these lights. So what makes one tactical and the other not?
Thanks.

nemul · Oct 23, 2005

one thing is tactical have a tailswitch.. sized so you can cup with your 4 fingers and palm and turn off/on with your thumb... most have a momentary tailswitch too...

greenLED · Oct 24, 2005

"tactical" also gets overused and overhyped... to mean almost anything running on 123's and having a tailcap switch :green:

LowBat · Oct 24, 2005

Today the hype word for selling something is "tactical".

Yesterday the hype word for selling something was "turbo".

AdamW · Oct 24, 2005

LowBat said:
Today the hype word for selling something is "tactical".

Yesterday the hype word for selling something was "turbo".

So true! Also, the new hype word for the customer of a "tactical" device is "operator."

Look through any of the "tactical" supply catalogs for "operators" and you will find the word "tactical" applied to all kinds of things. Products like sunglasses become "tactical" when they are black. I am thinking that "tactical" is actually an expensive substance, for if "tactical" is applied to something like a flashlight, the price goes up.

That's it for my tactical web post! Operator out!

Robocop · Oct 24, 2005

I think it depends on the actual item in question.....I have an off duty paddle type holster that I carry when I want to conceal my weapon. It is a nice set up however it is not designed to be very sturdy nor does it do much for weapon retention thus I consider it to be a non-tactical carry holster. My duty holster is a level 3 Safariland and it is designed to be rugged and to keep my weapon safe and in my control until I need it. It is a simple design but very effective thus I consider this to be tactical gear.
As far as flashlights go I believe a light is considered tactical when it is easy to operate and works every time you need it to do so. I think a tailswitch is a must have for tactical use as well as a simple one level on- off type set up.

Tactical to me also suggests that an item is suitable for a combat situation and can handle many different environments or weather. Combat situations often make the senses dull and fine motor skills fade. This is where the ease of use part comes in handy at times. In my personal opinion I do not need a hybrid LED-Incandescent for such a light or even a light with S.O.S , Strobe or even 15 different levels of brightness unless it is very,very simple to operate and will not confuse the user in a combat scenario. I think a good example of 2 lights that are both considered as tactical could be for instance the Longbow with a twisty and the QIII. I do have a QIII and will say it seems to be tactical however the LongBow is a better example of tactical in my opinion. It has a more reliable on-off method with a twisty and the light engine is potted all the way to the base of the actual emitter. Both have similiar output however I would rather have the LongBow in a combat situation or maybe a survival situation. The higher cost of a LongBow is justified for me in this case as it is simply a more tactical design.

The best example I can think of as far as a small light would be the Ultra-G in the old style version. It was so simple yet effective. Worked every time I needed it and was almost impossible to mess it up. It has no special circuits and does not have a high-low option or anything else to get in the way. It makes light when I needed it to do so and I always knew it would work Very tactical design and any idiot could figure it out within a few seconds.

I have seen videos of officers killed simply because they forgot to work the safety on their sidearm and stood there wondering why the weapon would not fire. I have also seen officers with all the tactical additions to their firearms become confused during a firefight. One video showed an officer talking about his new tactical laser sighting system and how he practiced daily with it. When he needed it most the batteries failed and he stood there trying to find this little red dot he was so used to and forgot all about his ever reliable night sights. He was shot and injured unable to continue while his partner killed the suspect with a shot gun blast.

I do not carry a Glock any more and have had an H&K 40 for several years. In my opinion the simple no nonsense design of the Glock makes it a good tactical design as it was made for combat. The makers did not worry about all the fancy designs and made an ugly yet very,very effective tactical firearm. I did carry a Glock for years and sold it simply as I liked the feel of the H&K better yet I still consider the Glock to be of a more tactical design.

My Department made the mistake of buying a radio system a few years back that was labeled as the latest tactical system. It had multi channels with a private or talkaround feature, all digital , and loads of other features. There were so many buttons on it that it was almost impossible to operate with one hand. Now for every day needs it was an incredible system however in a dark alley during a footchase it was a burden. Many officers would attempt to transmit on the emergency button and hit the power button by mistake. Both buttons were so close it was almost impossible to get it right under stress. They would call for help only to find they had no radio at all as this thing took 30 seconds to power back up. Or they would forget they were on the side channel and be screaming a location for help with no answer from dispatch.

I remember once I tried to activate my emergency button and hit the battery release button that was also very close to the orange emergency button. My radio fell apart on the street and almost cost me my life as this distracted me. I looked down thinking my belt had came apart or something and this gave the suspect time to lunge towards me.
It seemed that the makers were so focused on all the tactical gizmos they forgot the simple needs of an officer in a combat or stress situation. We now carry a much better radio with 2 simple nobs to control and I can work this thing in a dark alley without fear of all the other stuff to get in the way. There is almost no way to mess this system up and the battery release is on the bottom and held in place by a set screw also. It has an emergency button on the radio as well as the shoulder microphone attatchment. It is not as feature packed as the old tactical system yet to me this is a much more tactical radio as it leaves me secure feeling and functions perfect in every situation.....and it costs half as much as the old system...imagine that.

I think to sum it up tactical to me is simply an item that can handle abuse of every day combat situations yet leaves the user confident that it will function each time it is needed It should be a simple design made of the better materials and be easy to operate in the field.

It is only my opinion however I think many of the newer lights are great to collect and great to play with on a weekend camping trip however there have been a few that seemed to require a degree in computer science to operate. I know with practice many lights could be reliable and easy to use and I myself have several that are complicated with modded circuits and multi level features. For duty carry however I keep it simple and stick to the tried and proven performers.

Cmoore · Oct 24, 2005

The word has been too abused by advertising to have much meaning.

To me, it also depends on one's situation. Tactical to an Army Ranger will not necessarily mean the same thing as tactical to a law enforcement officer.

In general, the word should imply certain distinct features such as:

Waterproof
Red Light Capability
Green Light Capability
Rugged Construction
Shock Resistant
Weapon Recoil Tolerant
Capable of passing a 6-foot Drop Test
Ease of Maintenance
Variable Brightness
Lots of others....

You pick the features important to you and your needs.

David_Campen · Oct 24, 2005

To me, it also depends on one's situation. Tactical to an Army Ranger will not necessarily mean the same thing as tactical to a law enforcement officer.

I guess that the meaning also depends on ones age. To me "tactical" means a nuclear weapon designed to be carried on a mobile launcher to be used for things such as taking out an armored battalion as opposed to "strategic" which applies to much larger devices sitting on ICBMs and designed to incinerate large cities.

balazer · Oct 24, 2005

Last I remembered, tactical means relating to tactics, a tactic being an action taken to achieve a goal. And unless I am totally off base here, I believe the tactic is to shine a bright light in someone's eyes, so that he or she is intimidated, unable to see you, or temporarily blinded.

But that's just my guess. Maybe someone who really knows can tell us.

By my definition, any very bright flashlight with a fast switch can be a tactical light. But of course a nice one is also small and light, and has not too narrow a beam (to make it easy to get it into the other guy's eyes).

lightlust · Oct 24, 2005

In the real world, "tactical" is using what you have available to get things done.

"Tactical" is also the marketing ($$$) word de jour for for the 25 - 48 age group, who associate it with effective military tools.

(If you want to sell to 18 - 25, use "Extreme!" For under 18, repeat whatever buzz word a celebrity heiress coined last week.)

* * * * *
I like Britannica's take on it here.

cslinger · Oct 24, 2005

Tactical is about the software not the hardware. A Navy SEAL dressed in bermuda shorts and floral shirt carrying a spork is a million times more tactical then some mall ninja wannabe dressed in black, balaclava in place, kneepads with a supressed M4 carbine, with Surefire flashlight attached.

Now Tacticooool is another story and being a guy, who is also a gunny I can attest that I too fall for Tacticoool marketing at times. I just happen to know my limitations and know that know matter what gear I have I am a High Drag Low Speed kind of guy at heart.

Chris

cslinger · Oct 24, 2005

Forgot to add if it is Tactical it means it costs more.

lightlust · Oct 24, 2005

cslinger said:
Forgot to add if it is Tactical it means it costs more.

ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, cslinger! (I forgot to mention that myself. :laughing: )

Geologist · Oct 24, 2005

Robocop said:
I think it depends on the actual item in question.....I have an off duty paddle type holster that I carry when I want to conceal my weapon. It is a nice set up however it is not designed to be very sturdy nor does it do much for weapon retention thus I consider it to be a non-tactical carry holster. My duty holster is a level 3 Safariland and it is designed to be rugged and to keep my weapon safe and in my control until I need it. It is a simple design but very effective thus I consider this to be tactical gear.
As far as flashlights go I believe a light is considered tactical when it is easy to operate and works every time you need it to do so. I think a tailswitch is a must have for tactical use as well as a simple one level on- off type set up.

Tactical to me also suggests that an item is suitable for a combat situation and can handle many different environments or weather. Combat situations often make the senses dull and fine motor skills fade. This is where the ease of use part comes in handy at times. In my personal opinion I do not need a hybrid LED-Incandescent for such a light or even a light with S.O.S , Strobe or even 15 different levels of brightness unless it is very,very simple to operate and will not confuse the user in a combat scenario. I think a good example of 2 lights that are both considered as tactical could be for instance the Longbow with a twisty and the QIII. I do have a QIII and will say it seems to be tactical however the LongBow is a better example of tactical in my opinion. It has a more reliable on-off method with a twisty and the light engine is potted all the way to the base of the actual emitter. Both have similiar output however I would rather have the LongBow in a combat situation or maybe a survival situation. The higher cost of a LongBow is justified for me in this case as it is simply a more tactical design.

The best example I can think of as far as a small light would be the Ultra-G in the old style version. It was so simple yet effective. Worked every time I needed it and was almost impossible to mess it up. It has no special circuits and does not have a high-low option or anything else to get in the way. It makes light when I needed it to do so and I always knew it would work Very tactical design and any idiot could figure it out within a few seconds.

I have seen videos of officers killed simply because they forgot to work the safety on their sidearm and stood there wondering why the weapon would not fire. I have also seen officers with all the tactical additions to their firearms become confused during a firefight. One video showed an officer talking about his new tactical laser sighting system and how he practiced daily with it. When he needed it most the batteries failed and he stood there trying to find this little red dot he was so used to and forgot all about his ever reliable night sights. He was shot and injured unable to continue while his partner killed the suspect with a shot gun blast.

I do not carry a Glock any more and have had an H&K 40 for several years. In my opinion the simple no nonsense design of the Glock makes it a good tactical design as it was made for combat. The makers did not worry about all the fancy designs and made an ugly yet very,very effective tactical firearm. I did carry a Glock for years and sold it simply as I liked the feel of the H&K better yet I still consider the Glock to be of a more tactical design.

My Department made the mistake of buying a radio system a few years back that was labeled as the latest tactical system. It had multi channels with a private or talkaround feature, all digital , and loads of other features. There were so many buttons on it that it was almost impossible to operate with one hand. Now for every day needs it was an incredible system however in a dark alley during a footchase it was a burden. Many officers would attempt to transmit on the emergency button and hit the power button by mistake. Both buttons were so close it was almost impossible to get it right under stress. They would call for help only to find they had no radio at all as this thing took 30 seconds to power back up. Or they would forget they were on the side channel and be screaming a location for help with no answer from dispatch.

I remember once I tried to activate my emergency button and hit the battery release button that was also very close to the orange emergency button. My radio fell apart on the street and almost cost me my life as this distracted me. I looked down thinking my belt had came apart or something and this gave the suspect time to lunge towards me.
It seemed that the makers were so focused on all the tactical gizmos they forgot the simple needs of an officer in a combat or stress situation. We now carry a much better radio with 2 simple nobs to control and I can work this thing in a dark alley without fear of all the other stuff to get in the way. There is almost no way to mess this system up and the battery release is on the bottom and held in place by a set screw also. It has an emergency button on the radio as well as the shoulder microphone attatchment. It is not as feature packed as the old tactical system yet to me this is a much more tactical radio as it leaves me secure feeling and functions perfect in every situation.....and it costs half as much as the old system...imagine that.

I think to sum it up tactical to me is simply an item that can handle abuse of every day combat situations yet leaves the user confident that it will function each time it is needed It should be a simple design made of the better materials and be easy to operate in the field.

It is only my opinion however I think many of the newer lights are great to collect and great to play with on a weekend camping trip however there have been a few that seemed to require a degree in computer science to operate. I know with practice many lights could be reliable and easy to use and I myself have several that are complicated with modded circuits and multi level features. For duty carry however I keep it simple and stick to the tried and proven performers.

I had to quote your post so perhaps everyone re-reads it. Great information/experiences stated!

robinhood4x4 · Oct 24, 2005

I'm holding out for the Xtreme Tactical flashlights.

zespectre · Oct 24, 2005

I gave up paying attention to the "tactical" moniker a while ago. I have a (bad?) habit of testing the supposedly high quality stuff pretty severely (see any of my mini reviews) sometimes to destruction.

BUT, I'd rather cut, break, bend, blow-out, scratch, shatter, cross-thread, seize-up, melt, freeze, and in general screw something up while in the testing phase vs packing in 10 miles and finding the weakness there!

Wish I had the time to set up a site like Quickbeam's. I'd solicit everyone with the understanding that I was testing to destruction <evil grin>!

mtbkndad · Oct 24, 2005

nseditor,

Buy any light you like that you will always carry around.
Next PLAN on wacking a specific someone over the head with it.
Carry out your PLAN.
Your light is now a "tactical light". :twak:

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:

greenlight · Oct 24, 2005

I hope it doesn't mean you like to be tickled with tacks!! :poke:

Lightraven · Oct 24, 2005

Robocop,

Good post, as usual. The marketing evolution of the word tactical seems to originate with combat style knives then somehow spread to flashlights.

To the Army, tactical in the context of lights meant stealthy and not ruining your night vision--a red lens, mainly. White light was called administrative. The idea of running around searching for your enemy with a white flashlight was called suicide.

In law enforcement, there is a middle ground, somewhere between tactical and administrative. Most people you contact will not be armed with a gun nor will they be hostile and that is where the flashlight comes in. It allows you to see what you are dealing with--animals, kids, lost/disoriented people, or criminals. The need for the armed citizen is similar.

Obviously, the flashlight should be bright enough and white to provide that information at a reasonable distance--25 yards or less (rules out cigarette lighters and most keychain lights). It should be able to be turned on or off with one hand, your other hand holding a weapon (rules out the Thor, I think). Some features are touted as "tactical" but there is no real consensus about switch type, body size or material, lamp type, battery type or runtime or even durability.

It really doesn't matter what the flashlight makers call tactical, only what you need for your situation.

Robocop · Oct 24, 2005

Geologist and LightRaven thanks for the nice words....
I do agree that tactical can be different meanings to different people and that what is best for one is not best for the other. In my situation,or almost any officer, I must have a rechargeable set up as well as a long range incandescent. I like simple with the less moving parts the better. Believe me when I say I have tried all the gadgets and they have their purpose however I always find myself going back to the more simple designs of the true "tactical' lights in my opinion.
One point I can think of would be a multi level tail switch. When these work well they are really nice to have. However I have seen many threads where people are having some type of trouble with the multi level switches that were labeled as tactical. On my main duty light the tail cap does not even come off the body and it has a simple twist the head for constant on and a push for momentary on tail cap. There is nothing between the bottom of the battery and the rubber tailswitch....almost fail proof system thus I consider this to be more tactical than the multi level tail caps.
Of course user-error can make faulty any tactical system and more than once I have had my tactical light fail me simply as I let the charge get low. This is where a smaller tactical back up light comes in handy.

I think many makers are producing some good lights these days and almost all of them have some form of tactical nature. I think the biggest mistake some younger officers make is to get caught up with all of the tech stuff and they forget about actual tried and true tactics and equipment.

I have so many lights now that I can not count them and each one has a certain reason I wanted to have it. I will continue to buy new lights and do appreciate all the advances however these will be used in the proper environment for their purpose.

What does it mean to be "TACTICAL"?

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