A tactical light or weapon light is a flashlight used in conjunction with a firearm to aid low-light target identification, allowing the user to simultaneously aim a weapon and illuminate the target. Tactical lights can be handheld or mounted to the weapon with the light beam parallel to the bore. Tactical lights can also serve as a non-lethal weapon, used to temporarily blind and disorient targets or, in the case of a large handheld flashlight, to be used as a blunt weapon.
A tactical light mounted to the bottom rail of a rifle
Tactical light and a target in a low-light environment
Alert (top) and Ready (bottom) positions of two different flashlight holds for use with handguns, from MCRP 3-01B section 10
A Heckler & Koch USP with a SureFire flashlight mounted below its barrel
A flashlight (US) or electric torch (CE), usually shortened to torch, is a portable hand-held electric lamp. Formerly, the light source typically was a miniature incandescent light bulb, but these have been displaced by light-emitting diodes (LEDs) since the early 2000s. A typical flashlight consists of the light source mounted in a reflector, a transparent cover to protect the light source and reflector, a battery, and a switch, all enclosed in a case.
A set of LED flashlights
The angle-head flashlight (Fulton MX-991U) on the left uses an incandescent bulb, while the adjustable angle-head flashlight (Streamlight Sidewinder) on the right uses LEDs to give white, red, blue, and infrared light
The 1899 flashlight was a fiber tube with brass end caps and bulls-eye glass lens at one end.
January 1899 Ever-Ready flashlight ad mentioning the proceedings against the alleged patent-infringing rival companies.
