Tip 1: Get the right size light

There’s nothing more frustrating (and potentially dangerous) than having a bulky accessory on your firearm that gets in your way or limits your normal movements. Taking a few moments to figure out what your needs really are before you buy can save you a major headache down the road. And in that vein, the first place to start is with the size of the flashlight itself.

In general, there are 2 basic types of lights you can mount on your weapon. For pistols and handguns, you’ll want to look at products marketed specifically as pistol lights like the Olight PL-MINI and PL-MINI 2. These are compact lights designed specifically for pistol mounting and can be easily installed on most rails thanks to a quick-release lever.

If you’re looking for a rifle or shotgun mounted flashlight, your options get a little more involved. For this setup, you’ll need a mount accessory like an offset or scope mount, perhaps a pressure switch, and of course a flashlight that can handle the recoil of gunfire. Because your options are really wide open here, paying attention to how big (or not) your flashlight is will ensure that you don’t end up with a setup that is more cumbersome than beneficial which leads us nicely to our next tip …

Tip 2: Bright & focused is best

Some flashlights are described as having a “floody” output for their ability to create an evenly-lit, wide angle beam that’s really great for reading and up close. Other flashlights, like the NITECORE P30 and Olight Warrior X, boast incredibly bright and focused beams that we find are ideal for weapon mounting. Why? Not only do these tend to be the brightest options around, but the hot center of the beam is perfect for scanning for targets and identifying potential threats. And because they’re optimized for throw distance, you can maintain a safe distance from the real action.

Tip 3: Make it accessible for you

Now that you have the right flashlight picked out for your set up, you’ll want to make it accessible with a pressure switch. One of the nice things about flashlights with a tactical-style tail cap is they give you the option of using the tail cap switch to activate your light or many manufacturers make a pressure switch you can attach instead of the regular tail cap and get remote access to your flashlight. This will let you keep your hands in a natural shooting position and make it much easier to maintain control in stressful situations.