TAP-RACK Tactical

I think we can all agree that redundancy in certain systems has been and can be a lifesaver. As good patrol cops most of us carry a second firearm and/or an edged weapon. Hopefully these items are being carried and there placement has been well thought out, rehearsed and practiced to give you a layered or tiered response to a threat.

I recall going to range training while on grave shift years ago. I did the drills or practice that I wanted to do, cleaned my pistol and conducted a function check like I always do. I went back on the street and worked for about another month before I came back to the range to practice. I drew my pistol and pulled a dead trigger. The gun did not work and on closer the inspection, the trigger return spring had broken. The trigger was not flopping around so the spring was intact until I pulled it. That pressure broke it, and it would have been a really crappy way to start to a gunfight. As usual, I was carrying a backup gun and that thought gave me some comfort. My primary pistol was a good quality service weapon with a great reputation for reliability. It simply broke after thousands of rounds, but it drives home the point about having a layered system. Most SWAT guys enter with a rifle and handgun so this is not as important. If you are a shield guy and you are only carrying one pistol, you might think about having a second DUTY pistol assigned to you and then carry it on missions.

Now to the topic of lights. I have an issued flashlight that is rechargeable and it always rides in my patrol car. I have a second small light that I carry on my belt in case the big one fails, or I bail out and don't have time to grab the big light. I am not issued a backup light, so like most guys I have had to buy one. Some of them are very expensive and without sticking to propaganda, they do fail like any other mechanical device. Batteries, bulbs, and switches will go without warning. Regardless of manufacturer, all of them will fail at some point.

I have been field testing a bunch of small lights that were provided by John Moyer at tactical leds. You can get to their website by going to my home page, click the "links" page and then hit their logo. I have been using an Olight M30 as a primary for quite some time. This thing is blazing out 700 LUMENS at it's highest setting. It has a good focused beam that also floods an area and the run time is amazing. The tailcap has a great interface with a "clicky" tailcap and then a secondary switch that activates the light in momentary strobe. There are also brightness settings but I leave it on "retina melt". I have applied the light in a variety of scenarios on street calls and it is impressive. It is ultra impressive when you consider it's running off of 3 CR123 batteries, fits in my cargo pocket and is about one battery longer than another popular brand. The price is considerably less than you would expect to pay for a machined aluminum light of such quality and brightness. There is also a removable strike bezel for those that have strict policies forbidding them, you can simply take it off for duty and put it on for off duty. I leave it on to protect the lens .

The other lights that are truly impressive are the Inova brand. I have an Inforce White on my rifle and a 6V in my active shooter bag. The rifle light is very lightweight and puts out 150 lumens. The pressure switch is unique since you can activate the light in strobe or full on by moving your thumb forward or backward on the tape. The strobing effect on room entries is devastating, people can't help but look away. It also has a tailcap for those that like to run their lights with their thumb on a tailcap. The 6V puts out 115 lumens and is plenty bright enough to be a good patrol backup light, a primary rifle light and certainly an every day carry light. My wife wants one for her purse due to size, weight and brightness.

I carry 3 light sources on SWAT jobs and patrol. Redundancy for a critical piece of equipment, if you can't see you can't engage with the appropriate level of force. At these prices and great quality, you don't have an excuse to not be ready. I am not pimping the stuff at tacticalleds.com, the stuff sells itself. I am pointing out that good quality doesn't have to cost an arm & leg. John is good people and he is a retired copper, so he will work hard to make sure cops are taken care of. Give their site a look, check out the sale items, you can type TAPRACK10 in at checkout for an extra 10% off their lights, but regardless if you buy some of their lights or someone elses, be prepared for the contingency that your light will fail when you need it most. Have a layer ready. Be good, to be safe.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

"If it's predictable, it's prevetable" Gordon Graham