Sniper team one is in position, hidden in the dark shadows of the inky night. The target area is bathed in light, further enhancing their concealment, but ruining the stealthful advantage of their night vision scope as the green image blooms-out from the light. For this mission the thousands of dollars worth of night vision is useless. No problem, Plan B is ready. They remove the night scope quickly and easily, twisting open the ARMS quick-detach throw-lever mounts, replacing it with a Leupold Mark IV tactical scope sporting a SureFire WeaponLight™ mounted atop the foreword scope ring. The Leupold snicks silently into place with the ARMS mount. The team has faith in their zero; they have proven these mounts to repeat, every time.

"Command post, Team One up," the spotter whispers into his radio. The sniper glasses the area and sees the suspect in an open window. The entry team is directly below, moving toward the breach point. The spotter identifies the suspect and warns his partner behind the gun, "He has a weapon... I think. It's really hard to make out." The sniper grunts, biting back the rising anger. He must know; he cannot shoot without a positive ID. The man, a suspect in a string of brutal armed robberies, has yet to see the entry team below. The sniper feels the pressure pad of the SureFire tape switch under his fingers as he alerts his spotter to standby. "If he sees the team, I'll light him up," the sniper says. "We've got to confirm if he has a weapon." The entry team is frozen, waiting for the word from the sniper team, their lives in the hands of a 10x scope and a flashlight. Just then the suspect moves closer to the window and, suddenly, spots the team. He jerks an object in his hands aggressively, extending his arms toward the team. The sniper illuminates him with 350 lumens of blinding light, causing him to quickly look at the distraction. "Gun!" hisses the spotter. The sniper squeezes the trigger, launching a 168 gr. jacketed boattail. The would-be cop killer jerks reflexively as his cranial vault expands violently with the hydrostatic shock of the .30 caliber round. Pieces of brain matter spray the wall behind him as he drops his IntraTec 9mm, falling to the floor with his last thought on this mortal coil: what the hell is that bright light?

The Light Choice
White light is an option that only recently has been offered as a tool for snipers. Prior to the development of powerful lights with suitable pressure pad switches, it was impractical for snipers to deploy with white lights. However, the sniper behind the gun needs every option that aids in the accomplishment of his mission. Night vision is still a great tool for low-light sniping. It just doesn't work for every situation. Light in the target area has a tendency to bloom-out the image, causing the device to become unusable. This blooming does not damage the scope, but does make it unusable for shooting into some lighted areas. White light also burns through tinted window glass where night vision cannot see, unless aided with a high-intensity IR laser, which most police agencies cannot use because such a powerful laser is not eye-safe. White light, when used properly, causes a moving person to stop. Just like a deer in the headlights, most animals pause and look up when a high-intensity light is shined on them. People usually have the same reaction; they pause momentarily when startled by a sudden change in their environment. This pause is only momentary, but it's likely to be enough time to take a shot, if necessary. The key is high-intensity; your normal D-cell light won't cut it. For the light to be effective in startling a person at sniper distances, the brightness must be capable of causing that "deer in the headlights" reaction. Only one light has that sort of power - SureFire. SureFire listened to the operators and designed lights for use on sniper rifles. These lights are currently in use by Special Forces operators in the Middle East as well as with some of the more progressive SWAT teams in the nation.

Long Range Lights
The first thing you notice when looking at the long-range WeaponLights that SureFire produces is that they have a larger reflector than standard WeaponLights. SureFire calls this a TurboHead bezel. In order to illuminate and startle a target up to 500 yards downrange, the reflector must be large enough to harness all the light from the powerful Xenon lamp assembly, focusing the beam tightly for better downrange projection. This larger bezel also has shock-isolation for the lamp assembly, protecting the tungsten filament during recoil.

SureFire has several models of lights suitable for sniper applications. The Millennium Universal System is a modular WeaponLight system that runs the gamut from a 65 lumen CQB light all the way up to the M982 version, a 12-volt system that produces 350 lumens for 20 minutes or a 250 lumen lamp that runs for an hour. SureFire's handheld M4 Devastator can be turned into a sniper light that's called the Leopard Light™ by simply adding scope rings and a momentary tape switch, taking the same lamps as the M982 Millennium Universal light.

The main advantage to the Leopard Light is that it is based on a standard one-inch body, so it attaches easily to a scope with a set of figure-8 rings that come with the light. It fits either 30mm or one-inch scope tubes. Filters are available for these TurboHead designs. Although white light is generally preferred for the actual shooting due to the clarity it offers, we have fired many groups for accuracy at 100 yards in the dead of night using one of these lights with an IR filter and a night vision scope. Through the scope, the target appeared as though it were high noon in Tucson in the middle of summer. Even high quality night vision has places it can't see, such as looking into dark shadowed areas, but a little boost from an IR filtered light and those shadows become visible. Even in darkness, moonlight can be seen coming off the large TurboHead reflector, so it's a good practice to keep it covered when not in use.

SureFire makes a reflector cover that also acts as a safety in the even of accidental accidental activation of the light. Momentary pressure switches are the method of choice for activating the light. These can be placed on the stock for activation by either hand. Some find isolating the trigger finger while activating the switch difficult, and prefer to have the support hand activate the light. Another method favored by some Special Forces operators is activating the tape switch with the mouth, by biting it.

This "mandible method" solves the trigger finger isolation problem, although it makes communication with your observer difficult. Placement of the tape switch is an individual decision and can be wherever the sniper needs it. The spotter could even activate the light for the sniper with a long tape swich. Once you have decided on where the switch will be placed, measure the distance and order the length of cable needed. This number is expressed in inches after the model number of light. For example, an M972-SU10 has a 10" cable on the tape switch. A M972-SU18 would have an 18" cable.

Mounting Options
Once you mount the switch, train with it to make sure it does not interfere with your shooting ability. When mounting any light system, make sure you can still get to your windage and elevation knobs so you can still adjust your dope. Make certain it does not interfere with the operation of the rifle, like tying up the bolt knob.

SureFire has various mounts that attach to your rifle. ARMS makes a Picatinny rail extension, available from SureFire, that replaces the front scope ring cap. For the best results, lights should be mounted at the 12 o'clock position on top of the scope. This keeps the light high so you don't illuminate objects around you when shooting from the prone position. Another option is to use Picatinny rings from IOR. This Eastern European company machines its rings from solid steel with massive thickness. The upper ring is cut with Picatinny slots. IOR also makes a ring with two Picatinny slots. This ring simply clamps on the scope, not holding it to the rifle, but serving only to supply a base to add a light or an auxiliary close-range sight, like an Aimpoint. Lastly, there is the Leopard Light with its figure-8 Weaver mounting rings. White light is a new concept in sniping. Most snipers are taught to never give their position away, but one must look at each mission and utilize the tools that allow it to be accomplished. White light can aid the shooter and assist in many ways.

The reality is that most law enforcement snipers are in a secured position, not in a combat zone. A perimeter team and the SWAT team are there working the same problem. The use of white light is on the forfront of a less-lethal option. Furthermore, white light has the ability to be taken on or off your scope. The sniper never has to worry about some clip-on device being zeroed. It takes the liability away from you as a shooter and your department. As with all other tactical equipment, proper initial and recurring training is essential to operational capability. The sniper should train in the different light conditions, keeping the information in a data book for future operational consideration. The sniper should also qualify at night. If the sniper has to testify to his ability, it's all recorded. Making a "lessons learned" book is a good idea so you can keep track of potential problems and pass on the information to other shooters.

Barry Dueck served with a Marine Corps Reserve Sniper Platoon and was a member of the Marine Corps Reserve Shooting Team. A founding instructor of the SureFire Institute, he currently travels world-wide as the manager of SureFire's military sales division, training military and law enforcement entry teams in low-light engagement techniques.

Travis Mitchell served for six years in a Marine Corps sniper platoon and was operationally deployed in Somalia after which he spent five years at 1st Special Operations Training Group where he trained numerous military and police personnel in advanced sniping techniques. He currently serves full-time as a military sales specialist for SureFire.