[Billmanweh]

let's say you had a ~$300 budget, which dedicated Surefire set-up would you put on an M4 style carbine with rails?

[MrMurphy]

I like vertical foregrips and the weight is not an issue, so the M900/M910.

The M500 Millenium I think it's called is good.

The newer Scout model (M952?) is one of the better high-output low-weight models.

[KW]

Do you have a railed handguard? That will make a big difference in what options are available.

[Billmanweh]

yeah, assume it's a railed handguard

[Billmanweh]

I like vertical foregrips and the weight is not an issue, so the M900/M910.

The M500 Millenium I think it's called is good.


Can you get into either of those for $300?

[Chris Rhines]

While Surefire makes the best lights out there, their mounting setups are less than adequate. Unless I won the lottery, I wouldn't pay the asking price for one. Probably not even then...

Instead: 1 Surefire 6P ($50), 1 Surefire Z49 click-on-off tailcap for 6P ($33), 1 First Samco FAS2 flashlight mount ($20). Glue the flashlight into the flashlight mount with a bit of J-B Weld, and bingo! For just over a C-note, you've got yourself a rugged, reliable, easy-to-use lighting system. Since your budget is $300, you can outfit all three of your ARs with lights this way. Or spend the extra $200 on ammo and magazines.

- Chris

[8830]

I had a M500A which is a nice bright light but sold it and replaced it for a less expensive but still bright Streamlight M3 with a front sight mount.

[444]

Yeah, I know, who cares ?
But, I always thought the definition of a "dedicated weapons light" was a light that was designed and built from the ground up as a weapons light. In other words, I don't think that term applies to a flashlight attached to a firearm. :confused:
As far as I am concerned Surefire makes two dedicated weapons lights appropriate for the AR15: the 900 series and the 500 series.
I have owned both.
The 900 is obviously the way to go.

[Dbl0Kevin]

1 First Samco FAS2 flashlight mount

Ok I found this on gunbroker, and found the company's website, but neither had a picture of this mount actually on the gun. So I gotta ask how the hell does this thing work???

[Dbl0Kevin]

Disregard......gunbroker had the wrong picture.....imagine that. :rolleyes:

[Gordon]

Me and my bro's had good luck with a Scorpion Streamlight in a first Samco mount on a Samco handguard with a Tango down vertical fore grip so you can use your knuckle of the support hand to activate switch. This is a less than $300 set up that hasn't shown any weaknesses yet. Also it is a very LIGHTWEIGHT way to go. ;)

[SapperLeader]

While I do have a rigged flashlight system on my ar(g2 with first samco etc...) I would like to one day have a acutal weaponslight on the gun. What are the differences between the 500 and 900, and why would you prefer the 900 over the other. Do either have the led running lights? That always seemed like a nice feature to me for some reason .

[NMshooter]

Look at the 95x series lights. Very nice. The X200 works well for indoor distances too.

For those who want aluminium rails without major assembly (like removing the barrel) might want to look at SureFire's M73 foreend. It is a well constructed unit. Price is not bad, either.

If you do not want rails but still want a dedicated weaponlight, SureFire still makes the mount that clamps to the front sight base.

Or you can try the GG&G mount for 6P and similar lights that fits in the front sight base.

Lots of options for rail foreends, AR-15.com describes them. The LaRue 7.0 is very nice on a carbine.

[Billmanweh]

which Surefire is this? (I found the picture on brownell's website but can't find the model #)


http://www.brownells.com/Images/Products/152015500d.jpg

[RRTX]

That is an M900 Bill.

[Billmanweh]

ok, that's just bad ass

[444]

The 900 has a couple advantages over the 500.
If you shoot with a vertical foregrip, obviously the 900 IS a vertical grip. Second, the 900 is easily removable if desired. For example, when I am taking a gun skool class, I usually don't leave the light on the gun until we do the night shoot. Third is that if you are using a 900 series light, you have a rail system.

I think they both have LED navigation lights. I don't remember for sure if the 500 does, but I think it does. The 900 definitely does: and you can choose the color of the LEDs.

[FNHP35]

I bought a M500AB set up and I like it aside from one thing, I can't figure out how to mount a 3 point sling on the rifle. If you use the barrel ring sling mount, it puts stress on the LED housing. If someone just made the actual sling "loop" (the metal loop that the sling attaches to) a little longer, it'd go over the LED housing, but I can't find anything like that. Anyways, not sure if that helped (and if anyone has any solutions for this problem, I'd love to know myself!)

Andrew

[Mute]

The M900s are awesome, but you're not going to find one for $300. You might want to look at the Surefire M95x or M96x series. You might also consider the Pentagon Lights (http://www.pentagonlight.com) MS or MD series lights. Good lights at a decent price.

[rbernie]

At the risk of hijacking Bill's thread - presuming that I'm not a fan of vertical foregrips anyway, why would a dedicated light system be sufficiently mo' better than a 6P mit tailcap in a generic mount to be worth more than three times as much?

[TexasRifleman]

ok, that's just bad ass

TechBrute has that one Bill. You should play with it sometime.

Very nice.

[ocabj]

If you use the 6P, you need to get a new bezel. One configured to handle the shock. Surefire doesn't advertise it on their website, that I could find, but dealers have a replacement shock bezel for the G2 light.

[Correia]

If you have a Surefire 900, be careful with putting pressure side to side on the vertical grip. We've had a few of the 900s in our area break at the point where they mount to the rail system. I've heard that this was being addressed on the newer ones, but I have no further info.

[Mannlicher]

I would spend the money on ammo, and not waste it on a flashlight for a rifle.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

why would a dedicated light system be sufficiently mo' better than a 6P mit tailcap in a generic mount to be worth more than three times as much?

Well, the dedicated weaponlights that are equivalent to a 6P (the M95x series) aren't that much more expensive than a 6P in a generic mount. They also offer two things the 6P doesn't - a shock isolated bezel and a battery system that doesn't slam the lamp from behind every time you pull the trigger.

Having said that, I've run a Surefire G2 that also lacks those items for 5k rounds on an AR15 before the lamp died. Not sure what killed it but since the filament was still intact I would assume it was one of those two things. At less than $40 total mount and flashlight cost and $17 for replacement lamps, they can be a pretty good value if you can tolerate the higher risk of failure.

As for the M900, it has a lot of features beyond the 6P (higher light output, lockout switch, 9v, nav LEDs, vertical grip, shock isolation, etc.) that lead to the higher cost.

[rbernie]

They also offer two things the 6P doesn't - a shock isolated bezel and a battery system that doesn't slam the lamp from behind every time you pull the trigger.Good info - thanks.

As for the M900, it has a lot of features beyond the 6P (higher light output, lockout switch, 9v, nav LEDs, vertical grip, shock isolation, etc.) that lead to the higher cost.What are nav LEDs?


Edited to add:

Well, the dedicated weaponlights that are equivalent to a 6P (the M95x series) aren't that much more expensive than a 6P in a generic mount. Where? I've spent a wee bit o' time Googling the M951, and the cheapest I've seen is $320 for the non-ARMS mounted version.

[Billmanweh]

What are nav LEDs?

low powered LED lights that let you navigate in the dark without using the main light

[Billmanweh]

I forgot all about this thread. I ended up getting a Surefire M500 for my carbine, by the way.

[TexasRifleman]

Thats the one I have. Put that 225 Lumen bulb in and light up the block!

[Billmanweh]

I haven't tried the 225 lumen bulb yet. I wonder if it would almost be too bright to use indoors. For instance, in the middle of the night shining it across the room against a white wall if it wouldn't be blinding to you too.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Where? I've spent a wee bit o' time Googling the M951, and the cheapest I've seen is $320 for the non-ARMS mounted version.

Guess I haven't priced those in awhile. I was thinking they were more in the $200 range. OK, they are three times as much as the 6P set up and eight times as much as a G2. Sorry for the bad info on the price; but they do have the shock isolation and battery system. Whether that is worth the extra price is up to you; but I would probably look at one of the new LED weaponlights like the Pentagon brand before I paid that price myself.

It also looks like almost all of them are offering the tape switch as part of the package which would be another $20-30 to the cost of a 6P.