Weighing The Odds

I’m working on a curriculum for a low-light class (more on that at a later date), and I’m reviewing some of the flashlight techniques I’ve learned. One thing a lot of the more advanced techniques have in common is modifying your flashlight so it can be used with the “syringe” or “cigar” hold, where you hold a tactical flashlight in your support hand as if it were a syringe in order to get a two-handed grip on your pistol. 

The problem I saw with this idea is that many times, it requires you to modify your flashlight in some way that may make it less useful when you use it without your pistol. This doesn’t make sense to me. The number of times I’ve had to use the flashlight I’m carrying FAR outstrips the number of times I’ve had to use my flashlight and my sidearm. Therefore, it behooves me to optimize my flashlight to work as a flashlight first, and then work with my pistol comes second. 

But there is a problem with that argument. If I don’t have my flashlight with me, the worst I could run into is a potentially hazardous darkened staircase or a fruitless search for something I’ve misplaced.The chances of me needing a flashlight are rather high, and if I don’t have one, though, the impact on my life is pretty minimal.

However, this is not true of my sidearm. In fact, it’s reversed. The chances of me needing to use my pistol are really, really slim. However, if I don’t have one when I need one, my life and the lives of those in my care could end at that very moment. I believe it was Tom Givens who said that the odds of using your pistol are slim, but the stakes are literally mortal. 

And no, walking away from the table is NOT an option. You gotta play the hand you’re dealt, and play it at that very moment. 

The question is, what are your hole cards, and do you know how to play them? 

If your answer is “I don’t have any, and I wouldn’t know how to play them if I did,” then let’s talk about how you can join the ranks of the quietly armed.