SureFire Light for Bushmaster AR

[Jeff Thomas]

Interested in finally taking the plunge, and buying a Millennium Forend from Surefire for a Bushmaster Shorty. I am impressed ... no, amazed ... at the price. Looks like around $500. Gulp.

I know they are supposed to be the best, but how can a weapon light cost this much? Are these units so new we're seeing a little skimming here, and the price is headed down?

Another question ... anyone have a suggestion as to model? A, AB or B? Likely usage is home / rural defense, but I like to keep my options open. The B model has longer life for the light ... although intended (apparently) for longer range.

Last question ... any suggestions on vendor? Need a trustworthy source, and reasonable price.

Don't ever tell my wife I'm considering this purchase ...

Thanks.

Regards from TX

 

[Onslaught]

I've never liked the concept of a permanent flashlight forend on the AR when so many modular options exist, and at almost 1/2 the price. I mean, it's just a flashlight. Why replace the entire forend?

What if you got another upper? What if you decided you like a mid-length better?

Surefire - yes... forend model no...

but thats just my personal take.

 

[444]

First of all, there is nothing even close to a Surefire weaponlight. It is the best by a long shot.
The problems that Onslaught brings up are real. One of the most beautiful things about the AR15 family of wepons is their modularity (sp?). You can change uppers, you can change the configuration of the upper you have, you can use a rail system to add or remove accessories at will.
I agree, don't lock yourself in.
It sounds like you are considering a 500 series light. I had one, it is a very nice light. Super refined, very well done.
To me, the better way to go is the 900 series light. The vertical foregrip light. This fits in with the whole scheme of the 21st century AR15. It mounts on a rail. You can mount it or dismount it in seconds. You can put it on any of your uppers or any of your AR15s in seconds. I sold my 500 series light and bought a 900 series light. This is the way to go in the year 2004.

 

[SteelyDan]

I have a gut-level dislike of SureFire because they charge, at least for their "regular" flashlights, five or ten times as much as other companies whose flashlights are almost (but admittedly not quite) as good. I suspect the only reason they can continue to charge such prices is because of military and law enforcement contracts, which ultimately come out of our pockets.

Having said this, if I wanted to mount a light on my AR I'd probably get a SureFire, and I don't begrudge our forces for getting the best. I just think the company is price gouging, and it bugs me, and I can't seem to get over it. I wish some other company would step in with comparable products for half the price, but it hasn't happened, so maybe it's not possible... I don't know.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

One thing to consider with the 500 series is that I've heard people report that they build up an immense amount of heat during sustained shooting.

 

[ddc]

With respect to the direction Surefire prices are taking....

They seem to be going up; not down. I don't have any hard numbers but my perception is that there have been some fairly significant increases over the last couple years; above and beyond what you might expect from inflation, etc.

I'd imagine any competitive price you find today will be about as good as it gets....

 

[fix]

The value of the high end Surefire products is relative to your role in life. I used to put myself in harm's way for a living. At that point, I wouldn't have even blinked at the high price tag. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I NEEDED the best. Now, I'm a cake eating civilian and have no intention of going into harm's way (I'll wait for harm to get in my way ). As a certified cake eater, I just can't justify the cost anymore. I use a 6P weapon light mounted in a GGG mount at 6 O'Clock. I prefer the tailcap switch to avoid ND but once I turn that light on, it's most likely staying on for the duration of the encounter.

 

[DMK]

I'm considering one of the small M3 lights mounted on a little 2" rail attached to the side of the handguard. It's compact, lightweight and can easily be "snapped off" to put on other guns, even a handgun. You have to think about how much light do you really need?

 

[Jeff Thomas]

Friends, you're helping me out a great deal ... thank you.

With due respect to LEO's, it is somewhat telling that SureFire can get away with these prices ... governments can afford this stuff, because they tax us sufficiently to afford the best.

I'll have to study the options more carefully ... really appreciate the ideas.

Regards from TX

 

[Redlg155]

I'm interested on getting a surefire on my AR.

Can you use the standard Surefire lights on a mount or does one really need a special model for shooting? I vaguely remember one model having a specially designed lamp assemble cushioned to deal with recoil.

Good Shooting
Red

 

[mpthole]

I think I've got the 6P also, mounted to the barrel at 6:00 on my Bushmaster shorty (16" no muzzle brake). I've got the pressure switch on it, taped to the handguard. It got me through 5 days of Urban Rifle at Thunder Ranch. I'd love to upgrade someday, but for now it meets all of my weapon mounted light needs.

 

[Onslaught]

Red's right, there is a special "cushioned" surefire lamp assembly that isolates the lamp from shock... But there's still an economical way around it. I almost mentioned this yesterday, but I didn't wanna come off TOO cheap.

There's a guy on AR15.com goes by "BrightFlashlights" www.ar15.com/forums/forum.html?b=2&f=142
who sells just the surefire "Z32" lamp assembly by itself, as well as a non-SF tail switch if you like. They both fit any Surefire flashlight, like the inexpensive G2 Nitrolon, and if you use the "packed" batteries, you're doing well I'd think, better than without anyway.

He sells an ENTIRE RIG, G2 Nitrolon, Lamp Assembly, and Fobus light mount for $85 delivered... Not being LEO, I'm going to do that myself eventually.

As far as light mounts go though, you guys might wanna check out THESE guys. www.tdi-arms.com . They appear to be very similar to FOBUS, but "upped" a notch in quality.

They've also got quite a few picatinny rail mounts for various weapons as well...

For that matter, and if you were so inclined to make that big-a change to your rifle, you could go with the brand new Yankee Hill lightweight forarm (7 ounces in carbine) for around $125 and some combination of light from BF for half the price of that 500A. Otherwise, just a bolt on rail would be in the $20 - $50 range, plus the light.

Hey, this way, you can still appease the wife! "But honey, I SAVED $400 this way"!

ONE last thing on this long winded post...

It probably doesn't apply in your case, BUT... Surefire IS top of the line. Inside, and close to medium range illumination is unbeatable, and the beam is flawless. BUT, outside, longer range, the Streamlight Scorpion and others with adjustable beams are FAR better illuminators. I've swapped my G2 that was my "truck light" for the Scorpion I kept in my wife's pistol safe... You can use the Scorpion like a spotlight. I used mine to "shine" an armadillo across a 3 acre field. The beam looks like a light sabre out there in the darkness.

Good luck... let us know how it turns out.

 

[Robertesq1]

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=7&f=121&t=196212

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I run the Surefire G2 ($28) in a single low-mount 1" Millet scope ring ($20 for 2) on my rifle. No shock-isloated bezel, no packaged batteries, no special lamp. It gives me a 65 lumen weaponlight for $48 (or two of them for $76).

I have it mounted as far forward on my RAS as possible and it has survived a little less than a thousand rounds (mostly SB SS109) and still works fine. Should the G2 one day up and die on me, I can buy an entirely new G2 with new batteries cheaper than I can a replacement lamp and I have two G2s on reserve that can serve as handheld lights as well as being spares for the AR light.

If you need a budget solution, the G2 is a very effective one. The main problem with the G2 is that the spongy polymer body keeps wanting to fall out of the mount. It needs to be wrabbed in skateboard tape or something else to give it some grab or it tends to pop out of the mount, even after you have cinched the mount down tight.

 

[fix]

Recoil shouldn't be too much of a problem on a 5.56 AR, so I wouldn't worry about that. On a pistol or shotgun, it's a big deal though.