Weaponlight Myths and Misconceptions: Strobe is Stupid 

The strobe light is great when your attacker has photo-sensitive epilepsy lol

Shoots burglar in the foot Burglar: huh who's there? Huh must've been the wind

3:25 "Do you know what else is really disorienting?" *Me: Imagining getting shot multiple times*

They actually work great when you use them with a tactical glow stick mount and a semi-automatic PEZ molly dispenser.

"When you're Rainbow Sixin through your house" LOLOLOL

The military did study on strobe lights for non lethal force. Apparently aside from ruining other people’s night vision and giving you vision, a certain frequency can induce a physiological response. Supposedly they cause a stunning effect similar to a flash bang where you overwhelm their senses.

Strobe is most effective for indirectly lighting a room with a hand held light. Makes it hard for bad guys to pin point where the light is if you are moving it all around in a sideways figure 8. It’s very effective, especially if you are moving.

I'd use my strobe to disorient them, then I'd just GO TO THE BODY !!

As a former DEA agent I’m at a crossroads…I completely understand and respect what you’re saying about the strobe, however from my experience out in the field, I’ve used the strobe many of times during raids, etc. and always loved it. There was a difference between the regular light and the strobe in not only the bodily reaction of the bad guy, but also their facial reaction…always dazed and disoriented…always! I even know a SWAT commander who always insisted on the strobes from all his men (depending on the situation of course). It was just different and really hard to explain. I guess to each his own as they say, but I personally enjoyed it during my tenure with the DEA and glad that was an option.

Yeah I hate when companies put strobe mode on everything. I have about a total of 400 house entries in combat and never once found a situation where I wish I had a strobe. Yeah a strobe is a bit disorienting, but so is 1,000 plus lumens in your eyeballs.

Well if there's a light on the frame rail where do I mount my pistol bayonet?

Strobe lights tho make your pupils dilate and contract continuously when your in the dark which can make the enemy disoriented, constant light is good but the pupils will always be dilated if you do keep flashing the light at their face. Take your phone and spam the flashlight button towards your face and try with constant light and compare the difference. Either way both are fine

Not only do I have a light on my gun, I want a light on my light so I can light up the light while I light with my light 🔦

"Must be the wind" well someone's played skyrim 😂

Have you had someone run at you with a strobe light? Your depth persecution goes out the window

If you ever danced in a strobe light you know your brain needs about 3 seconds to adjust to what the hell is going on

Lol strobe lights *2009 has entered chat*

One counterargument I've heard with having the light separate from the gun is that there is the possibility of the noise you hear in your house is not a threat, like a family member or your dog. They say that the weapon-mounted light makes it more likely that you will point your gun at something that you don't want to destroy. Thoughts?

I just think you missed the point with the ”giving your position away”-argument. It’s not a thing when it comes to home defence but when it comes to a military/militia setting: any kind of white light for only a second will let anybody in the vicinity know where you are regardless if it’s a deep forrest or a building. A practical example of a weapon light being a detriment was when my platoon was issued weapon-lights for perimeter patrols. The patrols walked around the installation shining at the bushes so that anyone who came up to that place knew exactly where the patrol was.

A strobe feature is designed to produce disorientation without necessarily creating a blinding effect, it's a extra feature for self defense besides the blinding light and the use of the flashlight as a impact weapon...

Strobe is great for temporarily blinding and disorienting someone so you can get away. Its not for kicking in doors

Played paintball in a pretty dark building against someone with a strobe once and it was pretty disorienting. We ended up asking him not to use it. Tbf though I didn’t play against someone with a normal touch for comparison.

Since you didn’t mention it in this video I feel like I should mention that if you have a weapon light you still need a handheld light because sometimes you shouldn’t point a gun at what you can’t identify

What do you mean the strobe doesnt work? Its essential! How else can I look cool when moving in the dark?

If you're moving laterally with the strobe activated, it would be incredibly hard to pace or lead you

For self defense, unless you are running around with NVG's in your house, you're likely as blind as the bad guy if you aren't using light. The advantage you have, is operating from a defensive position (so you can be stationary), and knowing the layout. Add in any back lighting that may silhouette them, and you can have a decent idea of where they are. You still need to identify the target before you are legally and morally justified in shooting it, and that's where tons of the stories of family members and friends getting shot on accident comes from. If you have them dead to rights, turning on a flashlight, weapon mounted or not, really isn't going to change much, except to positively identify a threat justifying the use of deadly force, or realizing that it's your teenage son sneaking back in the house after getting busy with the girl down the street. If you think he still needs to be shot, I guess that's your call at that point.

I watched your entire video, and you did nothing to convince me. The flashlight still gives away your position, and a perp can simply shoot at the flashlight, even if they cannot see any other thing. Second, if strobe is so stupid, why do special forces (Russian, for example) go an extra mile and put strobes on their assault shileds?

I laugh so much watching your vids. I predict one day you will be offered a TV show.

Special forces in my country use strobe lights on tactical shields as well. Massive multiple sets of lights. I think it does the job FOR THEM if they are using it.

Great vid as always. Carry a handheld light because it’s highly likely that you’ll want to investigate something with the assistance of a light prior to knowing it’s time to get the gun out. Not every noise or movement warrants drawing and using a weapon light. This isn’t an argument against having a light on your gun, but a reason to carry a handheld light in addition to a weapon light. Olight makes great stuff, so get both. I have a Valkyrie and a little S1R Baton that I EDC. PS: Great way to carry the baton is to keep it clipped on the brim of a ball cap. Easy mode! Cheers!

Okay, you could at least let me pretend to be Sam Fisher, and, uh, well, Big Boss never had a light as he crawled through the jungles. Ha! I got you this time!

The advantage of a strobe light is you can show it off or annoy your friends with it. (If you take it off of the gun first obviously) For the average person, this perk will be used much more often than the actual functionality.

Dude you have opened my eyes to some wild theories (Always love your videos)! But I actually have a few more things I'd like to bounce off you. I am a fan of WML on HD guns but not necessarily CCW because 1) If you truly have to draw your CCW in an emergency, you probably won't need a light to identify a threat. The threat is imminent and right in front of you. In fact, I've seen lots of people toss out phrases like "You aren't a cop going down alleys or clearing buildings- you are a civilian who's one job is to escape danger / defend life. If you need a light to identify your target then you have already "preemptively" drawn your CCW in a way that looks bad to you in court. They may bring up "questionable intentions" by showcasing you have a WML on a (usually) fully-pimped-out pistol, probably a tactical knife, OC spray, and some other "scary" items to non-gun people". 2) My personal issue with WMLs are that they ruin the 100% seal around the trigger guard: They usually leave a 3-5 mm gap on either side of the trigger! For the same reason that you wouldn't recommend a floppy Uncle Mike's holster, or a leather one, or a cloth holster, I would not recommend Kydex with an open WML trigger especially without a manual thumb safety on the gun. I understand the chances of getting a drawstring in there, under your clothing and under your pants is slim to none, but hey the opportunity exists now and that's not cool to me. 3) If you carry anything besides Glock the holster choices out there drop lightning fast. This is a small point that is moot if you just buy the most popular WMLs, which are popular for their success. Anyway I love the explanation you put out there on strobe light. I would probably not even remember to use that feature so I'm glad that you show which light is better.

I really like how streamline that setup is.

“Strobe does nothing” 4:11 “this is disorienting to me” And it wouldn’t be more disorienting to the person the light is pointing at?

My favorite parts sometimes are when you get so flustered and your mind melts . Then you start saying half thoughts back to back out of frustration from others stupidity.

damn, sometimes i forget that mike was a cop

This is a mix from funny and serious information! I like it. Thank you

"what is the CCW pistol light for?" If its 'target id' the question becomes - if you didn't know this person was a threat, how did you draw your weapon and use your CCW light to ID them? Now for a nightstand light its a different story

The strobe light does nothing, Unless you're prone to seizures 😂

5:08 that's truly something to be scared of

Thank you for all your analysis and advice.

4:07 is totally my favorite point lol I could watch this part in a loop

Digging this channel lately. Lots of food for thought

The strobe light may have been a key factor in the Adam Toledo shooting. @ 4:00 the presenter talks about wanting the most information from the constant light and not intermittent information from the strobe. Having a constant view, rather than an intermittent view, may have better allowed the officer to see the teen drop the gun the split second before the teen raised his hands. Perhaps this is an example of why strobe should not be used.

"I don't want to play _House of the Dead,_ I'm trying to do real work here." Yeah, but the kinds of guys who say dumb shit like that _do_ want -- and fully expect -- to be the hero in their own video game.

My best argument, if I bought everything I wanted to have, I'd be broke. Being broke is more dangerous than not having a light on my pistol.

I appreciate your channel as the work you do. Lol buff and debuff.

Nice vid bro. I agree with the strobe light not being great

I need to eat popcorn with my other hand. That part got me.

3 years later and this vid made my day

Interesting that you bring it up. For years I had lights on pistols but not on revolvers because there weren't any good options. Now it looks like there are. Thanks for the nudge. Strobe? I'm not sold on it yet.

your imitation of video game bad guys patrolling is fucking gold

4:15 I love the fact that someone knows about this classic arcade rail shooter. I feel like HOTD is criminally underrated, I love you even more sir. No homo

No argument, just doesn’t fit on my Bullpup and conceal-ability is more important for my CCW than a light.

First of all there were no lights when l owned my first gun, my uncle bought me a shotgun, ready for this from a Hardware store. I am many moons old, l am going to get a Glock 20, 10mm pistol, l will put a light on it for the woods Upstate in case l get caught out too late, looks like you younger guys love these things.

Cannot think as to why you wouldnt want a flashlight on your gun but I would like to point out that strobe mode is good for putting flash points on your enemies retinas as the light flicks on and off the opponent will look away trying to shield there eyes and because there moving there head and trying to see the light ends up hitting different parts if the retina and when you run away they can't follow cause there half-blinded I have had to flash my 1500 lumens flash light in a few attackers eyes and they can't give chase cause they can't see very well

MUH TACTICLE STROKE LIGHT! HAHAHA. GOT ME BALLED LAUGHING.

Great video, loved it.

If anything a strobe light would hinder the person using it, it would be harder to hit a target lol

This same guy (hard2hurt) has a video out about how great the strobe light is. What the fuck. Which is it?

What are your thoughts on appendix carry? I went to appendix and never went back but I know some people are super against it or don’t want to buy a holster on the chance they may not like it. Also what’s you iwb holster material preference?

If its your only light and you want to light anything up you may have to point the gun at somebody. And for strobe as a LEO (what I am not) yes you may want to get some calm into the situation so strobe can be counterproductive. As an unarmed defender its the opposite.

I like the firearm training videos you should do more of them

Great point about strobes. I’m a former LEO and can confirm that serious people (“operators”) 😎 all carry lights on guns for a reason. The biggest Hangup for most civilians is finding good CWP holsters that fit

Do strobe functions serve a purpose for tactical operations. It depends on certain situations and what type of environment your in. For instance anyone who's ever had a flash camera go off in a darkened room won't be able to see anything for a few moments. And everytime he blinks his eye's he'll see nothing but a bright flashes. And anyone who has experienced it can attest to it. And I'll admit it has a limited use and will only work on a single individual. It serves a purpose. As a retired federal law enforcement officer and a firearms intructor. It serves a limited purpose. And in a darkened environment the iris opens in darkness to absorb light in a attempt to see. And when a strob light or bright light is shined into a persons eyes it temporarily blinds them. So it does have a useful application under certain circumstances. And i understand that some find that a strobe function to be completely wortless. It gives the person a edge and a few seconds advantage. And it could be the difference in your survival. And the brighter the light the more effective it will be. My 450 lumens pocket light will give me a slight edge. And my 3200 lumens light is completely devastating. And my 500 lumens light works well also. And my 1000 lumens light will temporarily blind a person caught in front of it. And it has worked in darkened areas for me on several occasions as a federal law enforcement officer. And I relise it's a controversial subject. And a study might be needed to clear up the effectiveness of useing strobe functions on wespin mounted lights.

In the military I was pretty anti-gunlights, I think for that it's still iffy, but for personal defence and law enforcement you've swayed my opinion.

But what if you’re in a mirror maze on a Kung Fu death match island?!?

This is so underrated. This video is priceless

Thanks Mike

You: Get on the Ground now! Bad Guy: No my only weakness a StroBE LIGHT aaahhhhhhh!

strobe mode on torch is one of the most evil thing human ever created.... if anyone ever had it flash in your face in a dark environment you would agree too, its annoying af on both end XD

One test you didn't do is moving to one side with turbo and then with strobe. The reason I mention that is from others who experimented with this found that with strobe, the 'subject' seeing the light found it harder to detect side movement with strobe. So, if that is true, I'd rather use strobe since it is harder to detect my side movement. Also, modern lights also have a variable strobe, no rhythm. I would tend to think that makes it worse for the person looking at the light.

Thank you sir. Now go tell some gun store owners that. Because they think they know everything.

Great Vid and Shirt WOW, Its like Christmas

My best argument for no weapon light...I don't want to buy a new holster lol

It is used to disorient your attacker If your out doors not so good but close quarters It’s a great tool

The problem is that you shouldn't be pointing your gun at someone that isn't a threat, but with the pistol mounted light you have to point the gun at them to see IF they're a threat. Try walking down the street at night pointing a pistol mounted light at every person you meet and see how long it takes for the cops to show up. I like a pistol mounted light for the nightstand gun and I can illuminate the hallway by pointing at the floor. But I'm carrying a pocket light for EDC.

I already have 3 holsters and none of them take a weapon light. That's my reason

I guess it’s personal preference then and it’s not a bad thing. But from what I know from a buddy who cleared hundreds of houses while deployed said that’s all him and his guys ran was strobe lights especially while moving and now I run strobe. It is annoying and I understand both arguments but I guess with training you can adjust to something new or unusual. Great video!

„...must be the wind“ 😂

I really likes his videos. I am a light guy. The truth is, flashlights are very nice for Real-World training. I would love to go into why it is. Good video.

I was smitten with Eggsy's "Flash" stun watch in Kingsman 2 and the Stun light that Tony gave Harley in Iron Man 2. Seems like the smartest long range weapon/gadget you can own. Instant flashblinding is very effective! Wish there were more options on flashblinder/dazzlers on the commercial market. I have been looking into tactical lasers in the meantime.

So do you recommend the light or not lol Im planning on getting a strobe for my shot gun for home defense and or just a loght to blind them form my position Idk good advice will help out a lot

personally had to use my strobe attatchment on a person and a dog who was sicced on me . strobe light actually caused them to pin themselves to nearest wall while i threatened to shoot if they moved further . just my personal experience we are all different

Tactical doctrine of high-lumen, weapon mounted strobe lights does not include the deployment of the light to “disorient” in the manner you describe. They were developed for Close Quarters Battle to allow the shooter to close on the target quickly, taking advantage of saccadic masking. Because of saccadic masking, the target cannot properly judge the distance between them and the shooter. In theory, this allows the shooter to close the gap or retrograde in a linear direction parallel to the orientation of the target. A good example of saccadic masking in a combat sports context is the video of Michael Jai White demonstrating the slow, linear punch to Kimbo Slice.

It does it confuses people to be less sure ware light source is coming from

Wow this video is great 😁 subscribed!

I'm ex-Navy, and I learned how to clear rooms with the Army and Marines, but I didn't think to ask them about this. Was ALWAYS curious, and thought it doesn't seem very good because they can see where the light's coming from, but it can be disorienting too.

only reason i can think of that the light might give you away when off is due to the lens flare, but like you say, in most real world situations that's not going to be an issue. might matter maybe on a battle field or in a james bond movie

This biggest detractor of the weapon mounted light is people who misuse it. Searching an area with one, which people think you can do, is grounds for a felony. Like it or not you are pointing a loaded weapon at something and you are liable for who that gets on the other end if you do not have a good reason for it. It's best to have both a weapon mounted one and a pocket flashlight and to utilize each safely and correctly.

lol I’m watching this ten minutes after installing a SLR-7 sub (with strobe) on my EDC.

The only reason not to have a weapon light would be to allow the object to have better concealment. And there's also the certain factor of not messing with classics

I'm with you, I love my flashlights, I use them on my EDC weapons along with a stungun flashlight on my belt as well.

I have a Pelican 7600 flash light. Bought it in my first year of security work and let me tell you I've grown very attached. I pretty much take it everywhere with me clipped to the inside of my pocket, like your ones there Mike it's also a compact design with a thumb push button on the butt end and 900 luman blinding light. It's saved my ass and made my work so much more comfortable knowing its there all the time. The strobe has never come in useful for anything other than a joke or to use in a dance floor for fun. At first I thought the purchase was recklessly expensive, "more than $20 for a torch!?" I scoffed - naïve me. Yes, it was worth the $180 I paid for it. Now that I've had it and gotten so used to it it's now like an extension of myself, like it's part of my nervous system. I've never clubbed anyone with it, but I've torched plenty of people down, some from a rage with intent to physically attack me and the combination with clear voice command and the blinding light straight in their eyes is both very effective and oddly revealing, because in that moment you're shining 900 lumans of energy light into that persons eyes and they're coming at you, you're getting what feels like the clearest impression of that persons soul. They're scared, maybe hurt and afraid ..like little children which has some beautiful innocence to it. Could just be my way to cope, but this is what keeps me professional.

The reason you don't want a light on your gun is it draws energy and therefore makes your bullets slower

First time watcher enjoyed the video and the video game references.

Why I wouldn’t want it -Desire to take on the bad guys on legend difficulty -I am really cheap

Anyone know of a ~600 lumen pistol light that fits on a P365 XL? Preferably with an on/off appropriately located?