Click here to download the catalog as a PDF file. To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. Clint Smith REALITYCHECK TM FIRST-PERSON THOUGHTS ON SURVIVING IN THE REAL WORLD light Deviation s Clint keeps the SureFire X300 light in his pocket and carries the Operator in a Milt Sparks Summer Special. He often uses the light for general “flashlight” work. tarting in the 1980s handguns started to have rails for Clint’s Operator lights. Some were good comes with a light rails fitting lots built-in rail. See of different lights. Some what he has to say rails were/are silly because about lights. they only fit their light, and that led to their holster — although most of that silliness is over nowadays. Many of the first holsters were just nylon pouches that were pretty much junk and not at all like today’s high quality carry platforms made by the likes of BLACKHAWK! or Safariland and others. In the beginning, amost all of these rigs were geared for the SWAT or military environment and that trend pretty much holds true today. Bluntly, the private sector has some issues with simply carrying guns, so the idea of a light-mounted system on a concealed handgun being drawn from a concealed holster is a bit much for most regular humans. Although it’s discussed on the information highway by “forum experts” that the private sector will most often use a firearm on the “street” — in reality most of us may actually need our guns at home. Since there is a strong probability the gun will be more for the home and not the street, a wise consideration may be for a handgun built with a light mount. The bottom line is the handgun for home defense, equipped with a light rail, may in fact do nothing harmful. In reality, a light mounted on the rail may be very helpful in the protection of home and hearth. Rail-Tech M light mounted up as it is placed at the night-ready mode. Some may find it odd but I in fact y personal deviation is a railcarry this pistol pretty regularly in a equipped 1911 made by Dave Sparks Summer Special, and I carry Williams from Springfield a SureFire X300 in my pocket. I’ve Armory’s Custom Shop. The Operator never had to draw the pistol and mount pistol is a full size 5" 1911 made with the light under duress, but I have used the 1913 version rail allowing for any just the light to look for something of the best lights (SureFire, Streamlight I dropped under the car seat. I have or Insights Tech Gear as examples) to often mounted the light to the pistol for mount right up to the pistol on the rail. training work in the Terminator here. My street carry 1911s are sans-rails so The Springfield 1911 has night this was my first integral rail 1911. I sights that mostly help me locate use also use this Springfield pistol for the pistol at night in the dark. This carry and for daily work, and at the end Operator model built by the Springof the day the pistol is checked and the field Shop works without a hitch, and wears a flat mainspring housing and a lanyard ring, reflecting an archaic idiosyncrasy of mine. Front and rear grip checkering on the pistol is excellent as always out of the SA shop, and the stocks are the gray-colored G10 high-level abrasion type. Along with forward slide serrations, the pistol is pretty much a non-slip piece of gear. This handgun The light rail is a strong piece of gear, adds versatility made by competent people, to a 5" 1911 and I spent my money defensive pistol. wisely on this gun. i have seen some handguns with lights mounted on them not operate correctly in the hands of some shooters. If you mount a light to a handgun make sure you test the combination of equipment for fit. You want to make sure it doesn’t fall off while firing, check the function — does the thing actually work? Also it’s a good idea to practice handheld light techniques should there be a catastrophic weapons-light failure. Batteries burn out, switches don’t switch, and rails let go. I see it all the time in class. I think carrying a handgun for personal protection is a smart move. And having a firearm for home defense? Well — it might be even smarter. Add to those two concepts an illumination capability and you may just set yourself up to win, in case your problem has one of those pesky deviations. Caveat Deviation? * For more info: Springfield Armory, www.springfield-armory.com, (309) 944-5631; Milt Sparks, www.miltsparks.com. 35 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM