I think that an attached light would be better because one would be able to use both hands in shooting.  However, the lack of holsters for pistols with attached lights makes me think that other people may see something different.  I have not taken a low light CQC class yet, but I plan on taking one within a few months.   What do ya'll recommend, a flashlight attached to the pistol, or a flashlight as a separate tool?  Thanks.

Quoted: I have several of both. Depending on the gun and the role, I do like an attached light for some situations, but would still want one of my non=attachable SureFires along for many reasons. Short version? Get a good small light like the C2 or E2 first, then add a light for the rail later if you want one. JMO

It will be for a full size Glock for every day (or should I say night) carry.

I don't like pistol mounted lights at all.  Sometimes you might want to shine a light on something that you don't want to point your weapon at.

Like everything else there are times when I want to have the gun pointed at something that comes up in view right away too....  I use a Glock with a Insight M6 as my primary HD pistol.  I keep this pistol loaded with the 6M sitting next to the bed along with a small 6-volt light that is not attached to the glock.  

If the alarm was to go off at night and I could account for all the kids I would likely use the weapon light on the Glock to clear the house and figure out what is going on.  If one of the kids was missing, I would still carry the glock but use the other light to check the house as odds are better that the kids managed to set the system off and at a minimum I don't want to point a gun at one of my kids.

My oppinion is that as long as I know where everybody else is that is supposed to be in the house then the person that is inside the house is a threat and I have no problem pointing a loaded gun their way (or killing them) as they may already have a loaded gun pointed at you waiting to see if you spot them hiding in a dark corner.

Detached lights are cheap compared to a good weaon light...  do the ARFCOM thing and GET BOTH and develope a plan that you can use BEFORE you are a victim and you need to use them to defend yourself and your family!

Quoted: Remember that two is one and one is NONE! Get two lights folks. C4

I'd agree with that, but there comes a point when you need load bearing equipment just to go to the grocery store!

I don't have a weapon light with me when I am out and I don't carry a light with me either...  perhaps if I ever get in trouble because of this I would be sorry and perhaps I should evaluate this potential gap.  I do however have a lasermax laser in my CCW Glock and I am quite confident that at short self defence range I can use the laser to my advantage.

Do those that carry CCW also bring a light?  I like the light for home use as it is my domain and if I am likely to have trouble it will be at night.  When I am out, I tend to be cautious about darkness and shadows so I don't tend to carry a light with me everywhere.

And my wife thinks I am paranoid already....

Quoted: Do those that carry CCW also bring a light?

I have carried a light for longer than I have carried a gun.  You'll use the light way more than you'll use the gun.

Try firing at a target any distance away using your normal two hand hold with a weapon mounted light and then try it "one handed"  with a handheld light. If you watch your hits or shoot metal you will see the weapon mounted light is a way ,way more accurate way to shoot. If you need more proof , try to do a timed qualifying drill you did during the day with an attatched weapon light and without. You'll probably get 70% more hits with the weapon light due to the ability to fire from your normal grip. How fast are mag changes or malfunction clearances when you are holding a flashlight if your off hand ??

If you do choose to use a non weapon mounted light, you need to practice the mag changes, etc even more. But the problem is, you are again relying on your fine motor skills (holding a light in  the same hand you are grabbing/inserting another  mag with. Under stress, fine motor skills usually go to hell, and something is likely to get dropped. Training can mitigate this to some extent. You are still not going to shoot as well with the handheld light because no matter what type of hold (some work better than others) , you are essentially shooting one handed - notice how much more recoil you get and time it takes to get the gun back on target? I practice both types of light use, but as far as accuracy and speed goes, there is no comparison.

Get both, but make sure you can activate the weapon-mounted light with the firing hand only -- ie get a X200B with a DG switch.

Then get a Blade-Tech or SideArmor holster for the gun with the light attached.

Quoted: If you do choose to use a non weapon mounted light, you need to practice the mag changes, etc even more. But the problem is, you are again relying on your fine motor skills (holding a light in  the same hand you are grabbing/inserting another  mag with. Under stress, fine motor skills usually go to hell, and something is likely to get dropped. Training can mitigate this to some extent. You are still not going to shoot as well with the handheld light because no matter what type of hold (some work better than others) , you are essentially shooting one handed - notice how much more recoil you get and time it takes to get the gun back on target? I practice both types of light use, but as far as accuracy and speed goes, there is no comparison.

I used to think that, in fact I remember making a post almost verbatim to yours. Then I started doing most my practice one-handed, standardized on 9mm and shoot nearly as well with one hand now at realistic ranges (15yd & under). One-hand shooting is much more versatile as well. Malfunction clearing is still a problem of course, but with 18 rounds in the gun I think magazine changes would be unlikely (except as part of malfunction clearing in which case you're pretty screwed anyway).  If you're shooting a 1911 or larger caliber, recoil control is more of a problem.

I like the attached light because you never know what you will need your off hand for, mag changes are more simple, you can hold the gun with 2 hands, etc. But the fact that you may want to light something up that you don't want to shoot is also a good point. There are good holster companies that make holsters to accomidate the light, especially if it is a glock with a surefire.

Quoted: Quoted: If you do choose to use a non weapon mounted light, you need to practice the mag changes, etc even more. But the problem is, you are again relying on your fine motor skills (holding a light in  the same hand you are grabbing/inserting another  mag with. Under stress, fine motor skills usually go to hell, and something is likely to get dropped. Training can mitigate this to some extent. You are still not going to shoot as well with the handheld light because no matter what type of hold (some work better than others) , you are essentially shooting one handed - notice how much more recoil you get and time it takes to get the gun back on target? I practice both types of light use, but as far as accuracy and speed goes, there is no comparison. I used to think that, in fact I remember making a post almost verbatim to yours. Then I started doing most my practice one-handed, standardized on 9mm and shoot nearly as well with one hand now at realistic ranges (15yd & under). One-hand shooting is much more versatile as well. Malfunction clearing is still a problem of course, but with 18 rounds in the gun I think magazine changes would be unlikely (except as part of malfunction clearing in which case you're pretty screwed anyway).  If you're shooting a 1911 or larger caliber, recoil control is more of a problem.

True, if you pratice enought at any technique you will get good at it, one handed shooting included. There is a true advantage to being able to move the light around in your free hand with it not attatched to the pistol - like when you need to shine the light around corners, above high objects, or back by your teammate (who you don't want to cover with your weapon!). So as a carry weapon or search tool it may be what you choose, for a combat pistol it may be different. One handed shooting is a skill not practiced as much as it should be, and it sounds like you have it down well, so you get the advantages of both the free light and good shooting.  For those who don't  practice with it enough however, the use of the weapon mounted light keeps the two handed grip, shooting and reload/clearing fuctions the same as they are in daylight. The accuracy at longer ranges is very improved with the light attatched. However, it does depends on what you are training for, because you are right, <15 yds is statistically where most of the action occurs. It is personal preference. I use a handheld in addition to my weapon mounted light sometimes. For me, I know I can shoot a multi target moving combat course and equal my day performance  in accuracy and time with the weapon mounted light, and I personally can't do that when I hold it in my off hand.  

The other issue to consider is you usually need a different holster to carry a light mounted vrs non light mounted pistol. (there are some that work for both, which is what I recommend, but they tend to be larger, so concealibility can be an issue). This can lead to having 2 different "types" of holster draw, which is not good either.

It also matters if ccw type, duty, or more of a combat rig.

YMMV

If you have infants or toddlers, having a mounted light makes al ot of sense, especially if your spouse isn't in the home.  You aren't going to clear your home with you kid in your arm, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to grab your kid, and lock yourself in your room if you knew that there was somebody in the house.  It would also be a good idea to have the gun out just in case they came upstairs, or down the hall while you were getting your child, or moving back to your safe room.

Having both is best but if you can have only one, get the detached.

Whichever way you go, train with it (them) a lot. Any kind of low-light shooting is a lot more difficult than just drilling holes at the range. And even an on-board light requires a lot more fine-motor manipulation than just pulling a trigger.