How do you keep your weapon light clean?

[gunnutery]

So after reading an article by Pat Rogers last month in SWAT magazine about weapon mounted lights (WML), I came away annoyed and left out.

I've only owned WMLs for a couple years now, but I've found that clear packing tape works wonders for allowing all light through. Once it's dirty, you just have to wipe it off and the soot comes off and the tape is still in place.

Mr Rogers only half-heartedly mentions this method by people that used scotch tape (I think he was actually meaning the opaque, half clear stuff) and that it fell off because of muzzle blast. I've always cut my tape to fit right onto the lens with a little point sticking out on the bottom so I can remove it when I want to. I know he can't cover all the methods in an article, but I found the tape method was very weak in the article, and he devoted much time to things that had to be re-applied after wiping off the soot.

The other methods aren't bad by any means, so I'm not trying to knock it if you use chapstick or vasiline or what not.

So I've been curious, how do you at THR keep your WML clean on your pistol, rifle or shotgun?

 

[herrwalther]

I use a light/laser device on my carry pistol. It does not see much abuse so it is very easy to keep clean. I use a Q-tip to clean the lenses and a nylon brush to clean the housing from dust and other grime.

 

[Outlaw Man]

I didn't read the article, and I haven't tried it myself, but it just came to mind that those static-cling screen protectors for phones would probably work about like your tape suggestion. I'm not sure it would be enough better to justify the added expense, though.

 

[Scrubber3]

Put a very light coating of lube on the lense. Wipe it off when done shooting.... Easy and you don't need any tape. Not to mention the fact that you don't have to worry about the tape residue or the dimming of your light due to some tapes, and for some lights, the tape may melt to the lense. Froglube, militech, Fireclean all work great for this. Even CLP, but it doesn't stick like the prior.

 

[gunnutery]

I often forget about the non-LED bulb models out there. I have two TLR-1s on two pistols and a Pelican 6P LED flashlight that's going on my AR build. So yes, in the case of people owning non-LED WML, they can and will cause melting/fires if the wrong material is too close to the lens. In that case I wouldn't use tape.

I guess I've just been curious about all the different methods or materials people use to protect or more easily clean the lens after shooting lots of rounds. I hadn't thought about the static cling films, but I wonder if muzzle blast would tear them off without adhesive.

 

[MistWolf]

I found a 1" Storm Queen scope cap
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