DEAD POINT WEAPON LIGHT
As a firearms instructor and daily concealed weapon
carrier, Trampas is always on the lookout for new
and innovative products to make life safer and better
prepared for unknown circumstances and this time he
illuminates Dead Point Lights!
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Three items I always want on a reliable defensive firearm are
a good trigger, solidly built iron sights (preferably night sights)
and some sort of quality white light. While the trigger and
sights are an easy fix, white lights usually take a bit more effort
to carry. The tactical light market primarily revolves around the
accessory rail of a handgun. Each manufacturer has their own
proprietary shape and size of light which makes model specific
holsters a necessity. When carrying concealed, adding a light only
adds to the overall bulk of an item never meant to be human
body friendly to begin with. Recently, I discovered Dead Point
weapon lights which looked to me the missing link I had been
searching for.
What caught my eye with Dead Point lights was how they
mounted to the firearm. Instead of the traditional accessory
rail, the Dead Point light replaced the factory recoil guide rod
assembly of the pistol. According to the website, the light uses
a 303 stainless steel guide rod paired with a recoil spring from
a company world famous for their aftertmarket products, Wolff
Gunsprings. At the time I ordered a light for my Glock Gen 4
Model 19 9mm pistol, the lights were only available for Gen 3
and 4 Glocks in 17 and 19 frames as well as the newer Glock
model 42.
Approximately 10 days after ordering, my light arrived in the
mail. The package included the steel guide rod with the Wolff
spring already mounted on it, a unique looking 9-volt battery
pack and an extended take down lever. Switching out the factory
parts for the Dead Point products only took about 2 minutes with
no issues at all. (Make sure the take down lever is facing the
correct way during installation.)
Operating the light simply requires pressing inward in either
direction on the ambidextrous take down lever to active the
light. The heart of the unit is a Cree LED bulb that produces about
90 lumens. Considering what its diminutive physical size would
lead you to believe, the Dead Point light actually produces an
impressive high volume of concentrated bright light. The pistol
still retains its same balance, overall feel and ability to index
naturally without any adjustment to grip or stance. The lever
protrudes slightly further outward than a factory take down lever
but does not drag or hang up on any holster or clothing I tested
the gun with. With several holsters, including my custom inside
the waistband holster built by good friend, Doc Burger, if the light
is accidently left on when holster, the lever gets pushed back
to OFF position as it inserts it is re-holstered. I could see where
this would come in handy when in a rush or hyper-focused on
the task at hand.
Working with an unloaded Glock, I worked through my house
room to room at night in low light and no light situations using
the Dead Point light. Using both weak hand and strong hand
supported grips, I was able to activate the light using the index
finger of my support hand. When switching to a one hand only
grip, my trigger finger could activate the light with minimal effort
despite having relatively short fingers. In a complete dark room,
the light illuminated a 10’ x 12’ space with no problems.
This light would work well in conjunction with a primary
handheld light for searching. As with any weapon mounted light,
regardless if it is a handgun or long gun, I regularly carry an
additional light on my belt or in my pocket for searching in dark
environments. My time working as a SWAT operator taught me
the importance of not searching areas using weapon mounted
lights. Not all persons encountered in low light will end up being
threats, so sweeping them with the muzzle of a firearm as you
use the light mounted on it to search is a “NO GO”.
On the range, I was in for a pleasant surprise in how soft my
Glock seemed to feel shooting. The Wolff recoil guide rod spring
made the felt recoil seem noticeably lighter from shot to shot.
When I manually cycled the slide, I could not notice the slide
or spring feeling any stiffer, but it certainly seemed so during live
fire. Over the test period, well over 500 rounds were put through
the Glock 19 with the same soft recoil being felt throughout.
Overall, I enjoyed working with the Dead Point light. I found
the product was very user friendly and built well. If I had to pick
a downside to the weapon light, it would be with the battery.
While the unique little 9-volt battery pack kept the light
running brightly during the entire four month test period, it isn’t
a very common battery. Fortunately, at only US$5 direct from the
company, they are affordable enough to keep several on hand.
I normally tend to prefer products that operate with batteries
I can readily find at my local gas station or worst-case scenario,
Walmart. Due to size the battery is needed to fit into, I don’t
foresee this issue changing any time soon. (Side note: battery
life expectation according to the company is around 45 mins of
continuous run time.)
Retailing for US$149.99, I feel this light is priced on par with
the larger, bulkier lights. Are their lights on the market that are
a bit larger, brighter and have a longer battery life, sure. For me,
the trade off on sheer volume of light and battery life versus
concealability was well worth it to be able to comfortably have
a light on my gun 24/7 and still know I have a quality-built
product.
To learn more about more about the Dead Point, visit their
website at www.DeadPointLights.com to discover a product that
best fits your specific needs.
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