Gun-mounted or “tactical” flashlights were originally designed to be used by highly trained Navy SEALs, but are increasingly available in the civilian law enforcement market. Most police departments do not have the personnel required to train their officers in the proper use of these attachments.

Gene Maloney, a retired firearms instructor with the New York City Police Department, claimed that gun-mounted flashlights are inherently unsafe because “it increases the likelihood of someone pointing a loaded firearm at someone when a threat of deadly force does not exist.”

Steve Ijames, a retired police chief, agreed, telling the Post, “I’ve seen officers use a flashlight-mounted gun to help a person search their wallet for a driver’s license. I’ve literally seen that on a traffic stop.”

via Gun-mounted flashlights implicated in increase of accidental police shootings across U.S..

Let’s begin by saying that the SEALs comment in first paragraph is a load of BS on a dry toast.

I don’t have a Gun-mounted light in a handgun (haven’t got around to do it yet) or trained for it but I do have one in a rifle.  I have shot low-light/no-light scenarios with a handheld light and they are a bear unless you have trained enough with a light.

Now, are Gun Mounted Lights a bad idea? Nope, I don’t see it that way. However, you need to establish both a doctrine and discipline on how you are going to use that light. The doctrine is simple: A Gun Mounted Light is for the detection and identification of Friend/Foe and nothing else. You don’t search for kitty on top of a tree or look for your car keys in the bedroom with the lights off because you don’t wanna wake up the missus. If that light is on is because your weapon is out and if your weapon is out, there better be a very good excuse for it such a non-authorized/cleared bump in the dark.

The discipline is also simple: Practice with the light till it is part of your drawing routine and you don’t  confuse the on-off switch with the bang-stick. Remember that with the powerful lights we have now, you don’t need to aim the gun at a subject since you will probably have enough “splash” to illuminate the whole room by aiming it at the floor or a wall. And, of course, get another light for regular illumination work. Don’t be a cheap bastard and make sure it is a good one and not one you got at the register bins in the Home Depot. If your gun light goes Tango Uniform, you will need a good back up!

Tactics with a gun mounted light? Not here, go find somebody with experience. Now git!