AK47 tactical light?

[BudS]

Out of curiosity, and for tactical/defensive reasons, is there a good tactical light worth installing on an AK47?

Just something of longer range to supplement my Defender at times- thanks!

 

[TacticalSquirrel]

I'd say the TacStar offerings (I believe the company that owns Lyman has these) has an inexpensive lithium powered light that clamps onto the barrel. I have one that I used for patrol for a long time on the CAR-15 and just put on the AK104 I have to see how it would do. I like it so far and I use a slice of bike innertube to band the switch to the foreend. One thing I do when I mount a light is I have it at the 9 o'clock position (or 3 o'clock if a leftie) as it helps to illumunate the front sight better and it slims the profile of the rifle up by not having it hang underneath.

 

[TechBrute]

Does anyone make any sort of rail mounts for an AK? If so, any of the rail-mounted lights should do the trick. Surefire is the most expensive, but you get what you pay for. As a Surefire rep once told me, "We've never tried to make cheap flashlights. We make the best flashlights, and so they cost what they cost.

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

is there a market for rail mounts for an AK?

 

[TechBrute]

Andrew,

I've been curious of that myself. It doesn't seem to be in the ARMS lineup.

There's certainly a lot of rail stuff for ARs. I'm sure there's a way to mount generic Picatinny rail to the forearm. I've never even handled an AK for extended periods of time, so I couldn't tell you.

 

[jthuang]

There is the UltiMAK system for putting a rail on the AK. It replaces the gas tube unit and features a top-mounted rail. It's around $90 retail.

Problem is that it was designed for scope use. Mounting a light on top of the gas tube would obscure the sights.

I would look into the Surefire Model 651, which is listed as a weaponlight for the "Mitchell AK47". AKs tend to be pretty interchangeable.

Justin

 

[TechBrute]

The 600 series weaponlights are the "classic" series, and a lot of them are barrel mounted. I suspect that's what that model is, although I've never seen it before.

 

[Variable1]

LDI offers a under the barrel rail mount for the AK47. WIll work with any picatinny mount. I can post more info when I get home if anyone needs it.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Given the shape of the AK don't you think it would be possible to mount a light in front of the gas tube on top of the barrel behind the front sight?

The effect would be that the front sight casts a shadow at short range but at longer range is diffused.

Just a thought?

 

[TacticalSquirrel]

Visualizing the light BEHIND the front sight makes me wonder how one lines up the front and rear sights with the light in the way? I do something similar except at about the 9-10 o'clock position and usually as much alongside the frontsight as I can get. There isn't any shadowing then either. I don't know how much of a shadow you observe with your method, but even at close range I don't want anything hindering my view of a person to determine if he has a weapon or not and is a threat or not.