A Low Light SSD-Academy Short Range Match

Benelli M2 w/ 14-Inch Barrel

We recently completed our first Sensible Self Defense Academy low light Short Range Match for 2025—a good time and a good learning experience for all. For this match, we allowed shooters to use a pistol, shotgun, or pistol caliber carbine (PCC). We had a number of new shooters who, while very well versed in competition and day-time shooting, had never tried to run their firearms under low light conditions. For those who did not have lights on their gun, we provided sufficient light to enable them to engage the targets.

The match had four stages—two were standards stages similar to a Steel Challenge stage and two were home invasion scenario stages. Shooters ran each stage once during daylight and once the sun sets, the shooters ran each stage in low light. The daylight runs allowed shooters to get a feel for the stages and what was required for a successful run. The daylight segment also allowed Safety Officers to identify any shooters who would likely have been out of their depth in low light conditions.

A Daylight Run

Low light environments pose additional challenges. To be successful in low light conditions, you should have solid mastery of your firearm’s manual of arms. At this match, there was no light provided to the shooters for administrative tasks such as making ready, loading, confirming a round was chambered, reloading, etc. This posed a problem for some. Per one of the new shooters: “Did my first ever night match. Went in fully prepared (not) by installing the light in the last minute. It was fun but kind of disorienting with it being so dark out there!” This shooter failed to drop their PCC’s bolt when loading and reloading on several occasions.

One of the Peace Officers attending the match asked if he could practice the tactics he would use on duty during the match. ABSOLUTELY! That is the main goal of the Short Range Match -- I prefer that people use their everyday carry equipment and practice solid tactics rather than gaming the match. The officer used his issued duty equipment which included an older Benelli M2 with a 14-inch barrel that his department purchased in the early 1990’s. It ran fine throughout the match with no hiccups. His department issued shotgun round was the Remington 000 magnum buckshot load. Out of a 14-inch barrel, this load had an impressive muzzle flash under low light conditions (see lead picture above).

A lesson learned: You must practice low light techniques just like any other skill to have any hope of using them under stress as several shooters in the match discovered. Thankfully, you can practice the techniques with live fire during daylight if your range will not allow night shooting.

How do you practice engaging multiple threats with these techniques? If your local range has IDPA matches, shoot the course of fire using your flashlight if the match director will permit it. Your score probably will not win the match; however, you will learn how to shoot and manipulate your light under some stress. Remember to practice turning the light on and off and you move through the stage.

Practicing how to search a structure (like your house when nobody is home) in the dark is important as well. Do this empty handed, with a blue gun, or with an UNLOADED firearm (check it 3 times!). This helps you identify how the various angles and corners in your house make a given technique a better option than the others.

Some might ask why we should learn and practice low light techniques. I suppose the answer to this question depends upon your personal circumstances and perhaps where you live. If you live in a large city where it is literally never dark due to streetlights, lighted parking lots, etc., then learning and practicing low light techniques may not worth the time and effort. However, even though I live in San Antonio, Texas, in my neighborhood there are no streetlights and you can easily find yourself effectively in the dark when outside at night if there is little or no moon.

To my knowledge, no data exists concerning private citizen-involved shootings with criminals under low light conditions; however, since a lot of criminal activity occurs after dark we can assume that there is a likely correlation. There are several reasons to use a flashlight: to observe and detect, to illuminate and navigate, to eliminate anonymity, and to identify and engage threats. Used properly, a flashlight lets you see danger before it can affect you and it can encourage the potential danger waiting in the dark to go elsewhere.

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