Side-switch flashlights

Off-topic Chatter
26

This.

It’s not rocket science.

For sideswitch lights hold them switch up with your palm gripping the body tube and your thumb on the button. The head of the light faces forward near the top of your hand. Like you see in pretty much every picture of someone holding a sideswitch light. This gives a secure grip with instant access to the controls with your thumb.

Sure the optimum way to hold a sideswitch light is not a “tactical” grip, but sideswitch lights aren’t “tactical” anyways.

If you want to hold your light head-down in a tactical grip, you’re better off just using a light with a tail switch.

27

Firelight2……

I surmise he’s referring to holding it head high or higher which then makes a side switch awkward to operate with the thumb on top. Rotating the flash 1/4 turn to the left assuming right-handed allows the thumb to easily operate it from the side and as mentioned above rotating again puts the thumb directly under the switch. How a rear switch then somehow comes into play with a pinky IDK.

All this notwithstanding even if ya held the flash just as the manufacturer intended (switch pointing up) and way over your head then your index finger would naturally replace the thumb and the thumb would support it from underneath instead.

Someone thinks this IS rocket science. :laughing: :open_mouth:

28

How a rear switch then somehow comes into play with a pinky IDK.

—- i think he meant using CopCarry with a sideswitch, then your pinky is near the head of the light, where the switch is

wle

29

Why would a cop put his thumb behind a tail cap when there isn’t a switch there to begin with?

30

copcarry w tail switch: thumb on switch

copcarry with side switch: pinky on switch (awkward)

and vice versa

“Why would a cop put his thumb behind a tail cap when there isn’t a switch there to begin with?”
—maybe to hold it better in case he had to bean a Bad Guy with the light (ie not for the switch)

31

ha
what i do is ‘wrong’

i have a tail switch light
but i use it in several UnCopCarry modes

usually i just turn it on and adjust mode, then go to Opposite CopCarry mode, where a side switch would be better, but i don;t have a side switch

or cigar mode, between index and middle finger

32

Seems I intended to post a second reply but didn’t get around to it, or the data vampires ate it mid-send. Oh well.

Using the pinky to press the switch is not very smart. The pinky is made for scratching ears, flagging good tea and pressing Ctrl on the keyboard, not for applying force :stuck_out_tongue: Try using your ring finger next time, it’s much easier.

33

Like a boss

34

We seem to be going round in circles a bit here. We could do with some diagrams and shared terminology.

From what I can tell much of this depends on the preference to hold a light either at waist hight or head hight.

How’s this for naming? What other ones are there?

  • Waist height
    • Remote control grip, thumb, very common (e-switch)
    • Upside down grip, forefinger (e-switch)
    • Cigar grip (tail switch)
    • Awkward pinky grip (tail switch), with heavier lights
  • Head height
    • Ice pick grip (tail switch)
    • High pinky grip (e-switch)
    • Pen grip (e-switch)
35

I like to hold mine like a lightsaber and pretend I’m a jedi so sideswitch all the way for me!

36

Maybe we should get more creative in the naming! :smiling_imp:

  • “Upside-down three-armed monkey grip”
  • “Reverse mutant elephant grip”
  • “Baby duckbilled platypus grip”
37

Those are all good ones. But let’s just keep it simple when it comes to Grip Terminology. :white_check_mark:

  • 1. Handshake
  • 2. Tactical
  • 3. Cigar
38

*4. Unorthodox
*5. Catholic

39

:black_small_square:︎ :+1: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :beer: :black_small_square:︎

40

temptation for you, and me:
FWAA Ti

41

I just hold them in my :raised_hand:. If I ever get crippled things may change…then I’ll come back to this thread for some inspiration.

42

I am right handed, but being ambidextrous I hold with my left and us my second finger to run the switch. I find that my left hand has better dexterity for rapid clicks on most switches. I also carry on my left side as knives are clipped into my right change pocket or normal pocket. Tailswitch lights are also easier to operate with my left hand. Once on, I tend to wrap the whole hand around the light, either left or right. I think this explains my love of larger tube lights 21700 and 26650 format.

43

‘mic style’

44

I hold my side switch lights the proper way. :sunglasses: Any other way is improper. :smiley:

45

I used to carry a rechargeable Maglite for work when I was a teenager (long ago). I rested the main weight of the body on my shoulder, hand partially around the base of the head, with the side switch at the index, middle finger, or ring finger. One mode, so the only time you needed to press the button was for on or off. The head didn’t get that hot with the limited power of the time.

It was very comfortable and intuitive. It felt a little like carrying a short baseball bat rested on your shoulder. At the time, there wasn’t the whole “on-off… on-off… on-off” (momentary) technique taught today (that I’m aware of) so even less need for excessive button usage. The newer Streamlight Protac HL5-X works well with this technique, although it’s too short to rest the weight of the flashlight body on the shoulder.

IMO, with the smaller lights of the last 20 years, the tail switch just seems more ergonomic with the higher hold. Heat accumulation of today’s higher power flashlights is also significant around the head and not so touch friendly. Additionally, with the higher lumen flashlights of today, more lumen can be designed into the spill, which can increase the shadow casting when compared to the tight spot of the old, throwy, incandescent, Maglite style lights/reflectors.

IMO, some of the reasons for the higher “tactical” hold that don’t include defensive/offensive use scenarios might include efficiency of movement (since it is held closer to the body and related pivot), easier to find and actuate the tailswitch in the dark or with gloves, and for shining over things that are above waist height, such as a couch, railing, vehicle, bed of a truck, bushes, etc.

Generally speaking, with current flashlights I hold the flashlight low (handshake?) if I need to shine it for long periods of time, and higher (tactical and sometimes cigar) for shorter, more immediate tasks (if a tailswitch is available). With the old 4D sized Maglite, since the weight was mostly resting on your shoulder one could keep the high hold for long periods of time, even though it was a large and relatively heavy light.