With a bright enough light, just pointing your gun toward the ground, or even to the side in a ready position held at the chest, will usually light up the area enough to determine if the sound you heard was one of your kids or not.
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With a bright enough light, just pointing your gun toward the ground, or even to the side in a ready position held at the chest, will usually light up the area enough to determine if the sound you heard was one of your kids or not.
Had a similar situation... I was probably 14 or so, the house on the corner of the block (we were in the middle) blew up, something about a gas leak. Dad said he felt the ground shake, sirens, etc. Slept right through it. Checked it out later in the day and half the house was strewn in little pieces all over, the other part was burnt to a crisp, apparently a couple people were in the house at the time and... well, weren't anymore.
Always wake up when my dog barks at something though.
For me, having a light is more important on a nightstand gun than anything else. I have a night stand shotgun too...
remember if you shine a light at an armed intruder, the point of light becomes a target, hold it to the side of the body out as far as possible, aim the light with 1 hand, gun with the other, if you know where your gun shoots, sights are not a necessity across a room, or down the average hall, just my 2cents
I've slept through emergency sirens, and house fires in my neighborhood, but if a hand touches the doorknob to my room, I'm up in a flash. Had a roommate almost piss himself when he tried to sneak in my room to "borrow" a condom. When the light hit him, he immediately thought about the fact that I had a light on my Taurus pt1911. He told me later, his first thought was, "I just got shot for trying to get laid without getting the bitch pregnant!" Made me laugh. [ROFL1]
I have the green glow in the dark Trijicon’s (I think). The gun came with them. But I'm not sure that helps. At night when holding it up, all you'll see are the green dots. I think it's better without them. IMO
I prefer an Aimpoint H1 with a surefire M300a. [Coffee]
My bedside guns have rail mounted lights on them. I've never really seen the need to have more than a front illuminated sight; at interior room distances, I just want to know where my front sight is, without having to worry consciously or subconsciously about my front-to-rear sight alignment.
Having said the above, two of the four handguns that may see bedside duty came with night sights already installed. One is Meprolight, the other Trijicon. The Meprolights have definitely dimmed over the last decade, but that is the nature of Tritium, I suppose.