Chaosmagnet got it right - if you've got a light on your weapon, you better have a 'free' light to use as well. Back in the '70s - '80s I had an acquaintance who had done some extensive training with the RCMP on low-light shooting. His observation was weapons lights alone were a big problem and it was better to have a simple flashlight for the vast majority of tasks requiring a light. This was also in the day when using muzzle flash to see for night shooting was a technique...

An additional insight was that in most urban or built up areas there is usually quite a bit of ambient light - street lights, business lighting, parking lots, yard light etc. When you get into really rural areas like the boonies where RCMP may be and much like I was in out in the county there is often no light (think cloudy night, no moon and it's 2AM) You don't want to be looking for a lost kid with a light tied to your weapon and you sure don't want to be looking for a wounded animal without a light.

I still carry around a couple of flashlights daily even retired and when I was doing Corrections training the only other 'tool' used more than my flashlight were gloves... I always expected the rookies I worked with these last years to get and have a good light on them at all times.

To sum up: Get a good light to carry and a secondary one for a weapon (don't go cheap), carry it, practice with it, and get some practical training too.

Paul -