I recently started using a weapon-mounted light (WML), carrying it on my Bul Armory SAS II Ultralight. I lost it when I took the gun to the range for practice – it fell off while I was shooting. I did not become aware that the light was missing until almost 2 weeks later!
There are some things to remember and prepare for when usually WMLs.
WMLs usually require a holster that keys off the light. If you lose the light, you’ll be unable to properly carry the gun if you only have a holster that requires a WML. I didn’t notice that the light was gone – it still fit into the holster but the fit wasn’t proper. I’ve no idea why I didn’t notice it intially. The only reason I noticed that the light was gone was because I removed the gun from the holster to check the light and it wasn’t on the gun.
If you lose a light, you should be prepared by either having a backup light or a holster that will allow you use without a WML. In my case, I just pivoted back to using the Tenicor Certum 3, but I was irritated that I’d lost a $100 light and irritated that I had to go back to the Certum, as I’d just started using the QVO Tactical holster.
Also, a good thing to do would be to check your lane/booth before leaving, to ensure that you’re not leaving equipment. I always check and I did check that night but didn’t see the light in the booth (it fell forward of the firing line and was lying on the ground), so a good check would be to ensure that your light is still mounted to your gun before you leave the range.
I contacted my range and shared with them that I’d lost the light at the range and provided them the lane I was using, the make and model of the light, and the date/time I was at the range. I also posted about losing the light on Reddit. Someone replied to the Reddit post stating that they saw the light immediately after I’d left the range (it fell forward of the firing line and was lying on the ground). He said he reported it to the range officer and asked the range officer to retrieve it. He told me to contact the range and ask for Andy.
I contacted the range via their web page and they looked at the camera footage and stated that they couldn’t see the light on my gun and didn’t even know if they were looking at the correct lane. I told them what I was wearing and what I was shooting and told them that the light may’ve come off the gun very soon after shooting it and to not rely on the footage. I told them that I’d checked the lane before leaving and that the light almost certainly fell past the firing line. I also told him that another person on Reddit said that he’d seen the light and had reported it to the RSO and that he’d watched the RSO retrieve it. It was actually a bit surprising that I had to tell them that to get them to become more engaged – it was almost as if they weren’t convinced I’d lost the light at their facility.
The next day, I got a call (I was away from the phone, so a voicemail was left). A supervisor said they’ve my light but that the RSO (Andy) had forgotten it in his range pouch and taken it home. Andy is a college student and was working minimal hours, so he wouldn’t be available to work until 3 days later. He told me to come on on Friday after 3 PM and the light would be available for me to pick up.
I went and picked it up yesterday. They said they’d a few lights (this most be a common issue) and asked for the make/model. They gave me what looked like my light but they must’ve had several TLR-7X lights and I think I received the wrong one. Why do I think that? Because, when I got home and was trying to install the light and it wouldn’t fit. With mine, I didn’t have to change the key – the light fit on the gun with the key that was already on the light. When I got this particular light home, it would not fit on the gun at all. The key was the same (the Universal 1 key) but I think the TLR-7s are packaged with different keys and are built for particular gun types/models. Since I had other keys, I tried those and was able to use a 1913 key that fit the gun (I forgot which one I used).
How do you keep your Streamlight TLR-7 from coming off the gun? They come with e-clips. After selecting a key and installing it, you install the e-clip to the retention screw, which keeps the screw from loosening. I’ve heard many guys on Reddit stating that they don’t use the e-clip. That’s a bad decision, as you’re only supposed to hand-tighten the retention screw. The light comes with two e-clips and you’ve to install it once you’ve chosen the correct key to use. I didn’t install the e-clip because I was unaware that it was 100% necessary. The e-clip is on now, though.
I’m not sure if I should’ve just went back to the range and told them that even though they gave me a TLR-7X, they gave me someone else’s. It may’ve taken weeks and I may not have ever gotten the correct light, so I settled for this.
UPDATE:
I’ve pieced together what happened with my light.
When it was returned to me, it wouldn’t fit on my gun. It fit on my gun before I lost it. I had to change out the key before the light would fit on my gun again. This means someone changed it.
As well, I’d never enabled strobing on the light – this is something that you can’t do by accident, as it requires pressing the “on” button consecutively, ten times…that enables strobing. Someone else had to have done that.
Initially, I’d thought that I had the wrong light, which accounted for while the light wouldn’t fit my gun and why strobing was enabled. I found a picture that had captured the light’s serial number. I compared that with the serial number on the light after it was returned to me. The serial numbers match, meaning the light is the one I had before I lost it. This means that whoever had my light while it was lost was actively using it (ie, it didn’t stay lost, but was taken/used after it was found by someone else).
The RSO that retrieved the light may’ve been using it, and that is sad.
By nature, I always am overly trusting. I mean, I learned it this time, and didn’t do anything wrong and didn’t do anything that suggested I was naive. I still feel wronged, though. I grew up less-than-rich, meaning, while I wasn’t poor, I wasn’t far from it. I know the value of money. I make great money now but no matter how much I make, it’s hard-earned. Gun lights aren’t exactly cheap – mine wasn’t top-of-the-line, but it wasn’t cheap either. I’m not a person to just blow off losing a $100 bill and that light was more than $100. I got it back, yes, but not before someone attempted to use and alter it. That’s fucking sad.
I think I’ve to learn to be less trusting.
I talk about all of this in my most recent video:
