A good tactical light allows you to evaluate and locate possible threats, and most importantly, identify your target. In order to be useful in a tactical or defensive situation, you need a light that you can turn on and off without sacrificing your ability to hold or employ your weapon.

If you wish to own the night, there are two excellent choices: The SUREFIRE Weapon Mounted Light for the Heckler & Koch USP, or the SUREFIRE 6P/6Z hand held tactical lights. Both provide a incredibly bright, high quality beam and both are designed for use with a firearm. The weapon mounted light, however, is the best solution. It allows you to control both light and weapon with one hand, and allows for clearing malfunctions, speed/tactical reloads, or simply keeping a suspect at gunpoint while you make a call to the police.

The SUREFIRE Weapon Mounted Light for the USP consists of a dedicated aircraft aluminum housing which holds the battery, lamp housing, and switching system. This system attaches and detaches via the accessory rails of the USP, or can be permanently mounted to the USP by additionally securing it to the forward portion of the trigger guard. The lamp module is available in 3 or 6 volt options and produces a very high intensity, well focused beam with no dark spots. The lamp module is shock isolated for enhanced reliability.

The light is controlled via the patented SLIMLINE switching system, which allows fully ambidextrous control without compromising shooting grip. To activate, simply depress the switch which is located just beneath where your middle finger of your shooting hand rests while gripping the gun. To deactivate, simply release pressure on that finger. The mechanism allows for independent light and weapon control. The entire switching system clips onto the grip of the USP and does not interfere with holstering or drawing of the weapon. Holster options are available from Safariland.

The entire unit is water resistant and submersible. Options such as laser modules easily screw on in place of the lamp module. Why use a laser sight? The advantage of a laser sight is that it allows you to accurately aim your weapon without bringing it into your field of view. This is useful when the operator is wearing night vision or protective goggles, a gas mask, etc., Just as important, it allows you to observe your target's actions and surroundings while knowing exactly where that bullet is going to hit. Remember that a laser sighting system is not meant to replace your weapon's iron sights, but rather, it exists to augment them. There is absolutely no substitute for training with your iron sights. Period.

How does the SUREFIRE light compare with HK's UTL? For starters, the SUREFIRE unit is simply more rugged. It is submersible, is fully ambidextrous, and can be fitted with 3 volt, 6 volt, and laser aiming options. The UTL can do none of these. Beam quality is comparable between the two, though the SUREFIRE module is shock isolated while the UTL is not. As both carry about the same street price of $250, I think the choice is obvious.

Handheld Lights

Slightly shorter than Mag Industries' Mini Mag Light, the SureFire 6P is brighter than a 5 D-cell flashlight. Two 6V Lithium batteries power the light and provides 65 Lumens of brightness (as compared to the 45 Lumen 5 D-cell flashlight.) The switch at the base of the light allows one-handed operation, both for a momentary and constant-on. For momentary switching, simply press the switch on the tailcap. For constant switching, turn the basecap relative to the body. This physical separation of momentary and constant switching is critical in a tactical flashlight. The last thing you want to happen is the light to stay on when you meant to quickly flash the light but inadvertently pressed the button too hard, something that is likely to happen under stress.

The 6P comes in one factory focus setting (an additional beam adjustment accessory is available,) that provides a uniform and even beam that "adjustable" flashlights cannot achieve. This is because there is only one ideal focal point relative to the reflector. Moving the lamp away from this point may adjust the size of the beam, but will leave rings and dark spots.

My Impressions of the SureFire 6P

My very first impression of the 6P was, "wow, this is bright!" At 65 lumens, the spot is intensely bright. It can easily blind someone adjusted to night vision. The construction is rugged, moreso than the Scorpion, it's competitor.

Operation is simple. Press and hold the button at the end of the tail cap for momentary switching. The light will stay on for as long as the button is held down. For constant-on, turn the tail cap clockwise and light will stay on until you turn it counter-clockwise.

The Sure-Fire completely eclipsed the combined beams of my Mini MagLite and 3 D-cell Maglite. The 6P runs on two 3 volt lithium camera batteries available at any major camera/electronics store for about 1 hour continously. These batteries are about six dollars each, so it can get quite expensive. For an additional $70 or so, one may opt to get the recharge kit which will allow you to use nickel cadmium batteries.

Shooting with the flashlight requires some training. Using the Harries system, the flashlight is held in the support hand with the thumb on the basecap. The weapon hand is then positioned on top of the support arm at the wrist, and both flashlight and weapon should be aligned to point of aim. With some training, this system can be a very effective tool for low light defense.