Tactical Light vs. Flashlight

Flashlights and tactical lights have several distinct differences.

Flashlights and tactical lights are similar in that both are types of handheld lights that run off of batteries. While everyday flashlights are useful around the house, tactical lights are designed for heavy duty and person defense. Tactical lights are often brighter and more durable than most traditional flashlights and are often designed to mount directly onto tactical weapons such as rifles and handguns. Tactical lights are also generally much more expensive than most household lights.

Grip

The grips on tactical flashlights are one of the easiest ways to differentiate the light as being designed for tactical applications. Tactical lights will often have a small rubber ring around the middle of the light, between the tail button and the lamp. This ring is designed to be held with two middle fingers while your thumb rests on the tail switch. This keeps the light pointed in a forward position with a firm grip, as tactical lights are supposed to illuminate potential threats in the dark. Traditional flashlights do not contain these rings, as they are designed to be held in a wide variety of positions.

Lumens

Tactical lights are generally more powerful than everyday flashlights. Tactical lights require more light than other flashlights because they have to illuminate entire rooms to identify threats or targets in the dark.The lighting rating for flashlights is known as lumens. Lumens measure the amount of light output of the flashlight on its maximum setting. Most tactical lights are designed to produce100 to 400 lumens of light, while most household flashlights produce only 20 to 100 lumens. Flashlights of all types usually contain lumen ratings that are stamped on the box. A Surefire E2D LED Defender, for example, is a tactical light that outputs about 200 lumens.

Strobe

Many tactical lights have a function by which the light will strobe on and off rapidly. This light pattern is designed to temporarily blind assailants or targets during a tactical situation. The strobe is activated by s second push of the tail switch. The strobe is deactivated by a third press of the tail switch. Normal flashlights do not contain built-in strobe functions, as they are designed to provide a steady illumination.

Adjustable Beam

Tactical flashlights generally do not contain adjustable beams or brightness settings. That's because tactical lights are used in high stress situation where adjusting the beam setting takes large amounts of time. However, many regular flashlights contain both adjustable beams and brightness settings. Maglight flashlights, for example, pioneered the use of a head that rotates to adjust the width and brightness of a beam of light. These are useful for home or business use where the amount of light needed can vary widely.

References

• Surefire: Flashlights
• Surefire: Tactical Combat Rings
• Maglight: History