just how durable is a AA maglite?

[walking arsenal]

Do to a tight budget the only light i can put on my shotgun right now is a AA mag light.

question is though, will the poor little thing stand up to shotgun blasts?

eventually it'll wear an actual "meant for a gun" weapons light but this will have to do for now.

anybodt know or have any theories?

 

[igor]

It doesn't seem like a good idea at all. I'm going thru my second AA Maglite just as a pocket carry thing and already I'm getting sporadic bad contact. The first one started malfunctioning the same way after a couple of years. (No, I'm not repeating action A expecting outcome B... this one was a gift ).

More accurately than that, there are two specific things that definitely rule against using that thing on a weapon. First, the twist-on feature instead of a momentary switch. Secondly, the bulb relies on friction for staying put. Recoil will shake it out.

I'm getting a Znich 4xAA halogen light for my long guns this winter. The current model will require a remote momentary switch built but it's easily done.

 

[Okiecruffler]

Not sure how one would work on a SG, but I have one I've been using at work now for about 5 years. It gets used as a flashlight, a chest tube stripper, and a pill crusher, not only by myself, but by everyone else who has decided "why get your own if you can borrow John's". It's been knocked about, dropped, and once thrown across the room. The only things I've done with it is replace batteries from time to time and replaced the bulb once (after the throwing incident). Looks like hell tho'. Even had it atached to my SKS for a little while. But I haven't tried it on a SG, and that's a whole new world.

 

[Mulliga]

Not very durable.

I accidentally dropped my first Mini-Mag on my dorm floor two years ago. Just a 3-1/2 foot drop onto a hard surface - but it knocked the light out and had to be repaired.

 

[walking arsenal]

I've had a whole binch of them for several years now and have had no problems other than the bulbs burning out.

but thats just normal carry.

i dont drop, kick, throw etc etc them.


thats why i ask

 

[possenti]

I don't think the bulb would last long. I tried this once, and the bulbs blew after 3 shots max from my 18" bbl. Mossberg.

Bro, I've been there (still am) on the tight budget thang, and I know where you're coming from. It seems pretty damn expensive to me just to mount a light on a weapon. Good lights alone are pricey enough, not to mention the mounting hardware.

I ended up buying a Surefire (forgot what model #) for $30 bucks, and recently mounted it to the forend of my MAK-90 using improvised parts. How I did it is simple but hard to explain. I don't have a digi-cam now, but if you're interested, I'll heft the thing over to my scanner and get a shot of it for you.

 

[DWS1117]

Can't say for a SG, but one of the employees at the gun store that I frequent has on an AK.

Oh yeah, I have seen one dropped from about 90 feet onto a hard wood floor. It still worked much to the amazement of all around.

 

[2nd Amendment]

Love those little Maglites. Have seen them on AK's and had one on an AR. They will take a world of hurt, but a SG might be a *bit* much due to the way the bulb is held in. The twist "on" is a definite negative, also. Especially since this alters the size/focus of the beam as well. I'm not certain but I could swear I remember seeing a push-button adapter that replaces the end-cap that would solve this problem, but I'd guess that would screw the price benefits.

 

[Kevlarman]

You can get pushbutton tailcaps for the AA Minimag. Do a Google search for "Kroll tailcap" and you'll see what I mean.

Personally, I use a Brinkman(n?) AA because I like the rubber coated body and tailcap switch. I've also replaced the incandescant bulb with a 1W Luxeon star "sandwich." The sandwich cost much more than the light, but I get a lot brighter lamp output and I don't have to worry about blown bulbs.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ub...=669169&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

 

[First Person Shooter]

Try something with LED's (Light Emitting Diode) in the light instead of a traditional bulb. LED are much tougher, and have a normal life of like 11 YEARS.

LED lights

 

[eatatjoes]

I'm getting a Znich 4xAA halogen light for my long guns this winter. The current model will require a remote momentary switch built but it's easily done.

why? it's pretty expensive and the runtime isn't great, is it a lot brighter than other comparitively priced weapon lights?

 

[walking arsenal]

I don't think the bulb would last long. I tried this once, and the bulbs blew after 3 shots max from my 18" bbl. Mossberg.

well thats that idea i guess cause thats exactly what i want to mount it on.

 

[Jonathan]

http://usapolicesupply.com/DisplayDetail.aspx?which=501

The big downside would be the size/weight, since it takes 4AA batteries. However, it is considerably brighter than the 2AA Maglights, it is FAR more durable, and the battery life pretty much ensures that it will function when you need it to.

It does run off a tailcap pushbutton, but it's tough to use as a momentary switch: mostly just toggle.

 

[Riphalman]

Hmmmm.... I've had one of the small Maglites mounted on an 18" Mossy for about 10 years. Put lots of dove loads and some slugs and buckshot through it. No problems. Sure, it won't light up the night the way some of the more expensive white lights will, but it stands up well, from my experience....it provides good target illumination at "inside the house" ranges for a much smaller price tag. Also, I am using a pressure switch with a coiled lead which replaces the end cap. Again, no problems.

 

[possenti]

Riphalman

Are you using any type of special bulbs?

Is it mounted solidly to the SG, or do you have some type of shock buffer installed?

I'd really like to know how to make this work...

 

[444]

I guess this isn't adding much to the thread, just more of the same. But, I have carried and relied on flashlights for 20 years at my job. Until the last few years it was always a battle between bulk and performance. I started off with the big three cell magnites and they worked great, but were not really suitable for my job. I went to a two cell maglite and it was a lot better. I tried several times to use a mini-mag lite but it was worthless IMO. EVERY time I dropped the light, the bulb broke. It isn't very bright and it requires you to adjust the beam every time you turn it on. I found it to be worse than nothing. So, I don't have any experience with your acutal application, but I would find it surprising if it would stand up to what you want to do. I know that based on my previous experience with that light, I wouldn't depend on one: especially in what could be a life and death encounter.
I currently have a Surefire dedicated weapon light on one of my shotguns. Compared to a mini-maglite, they are expensive. I know there are people using other lights but IMO they arn't suitable. But, if you can't afford it, there isn't much you can do. There really is no way to use a handheld flashlight with a pump shotgun.

 

[Brian Williams]

Inova X1, cost me $19.95, bought it a month ago and still using the same AA battery
That is what a Maglite and 2 bulbs will cost
I will not buy a maglite again

they are 5/6" in dia and 3.5 " long

 

[smokemaker]

I'm on my third MiniMag AA flashlight so far. The first one rode everywhere I went in the AF, in one of the pockets of my flight suit (mine got used as a pill crusher too, oddly enough) ... Started out camo, but now it's black, with shiny bits showing thru in places... still rides in my hunting gear, and gets used every year. My second dissappeared in Lake Ontario about a year ago while fishing... my fault totally.
My third one, a blue anodized one, got dropped six (yes, 6) stories down a pipe chase, bounced off a few things, and hit the ground. I found it the next day, and popped a new bulb in her, and I still carry it every day at work.

 

[DMF]

I'm not sure about putting it on a shotgun, but my AA Maglite is practically indestructable. I got mine back in the mid 80s, and it's still going strong despite lots of very rough treatment over the last 20 years. All I've ever needed to do was change the bulbs and batteries.

 

[444]

I would be surprised if very many people have destroyed a mini-maglite. All it is, is a cylinder of metal with two threaded caps on the ends. The parts that do the work are the batteries and the bulb. The bulb is where the problems occur.

 

[Schuey2002]

I've also replaced the incandescant bulb with a 1W Luxeon star "sandwich." The sandwich cost much more than the light, but I get a lot brighter lamp output and I don't have to worry about blown bulbs.

Or he could get one of these >>Click Here<< and put that 1 watter to shame!

 

[2nd Amendment]

That thread is 80 pages long in the default view!?

 

[eatatjoes]

Inova X1, cost me $19.95, bought it a month ago and still using the same AA battery
That is what a Maglite and 2 bulbs will cost
I will not buy a maglite again

they are 5/6" in dia and 3.5 " long

point of fact: a AA Maglite and four bulbs will cost you @7$ at the nearest walmart.

p.s. the AA mini-maglite is a lot better than the X1 for pretty much anything.

 

[Redlg155]

I wouldn't trust a AA mini mag light for anything but recreational use and even then you need to carry a backup light.

I can't tell you how many times I've had a bulb fail me when travelling to and from the deer stand. Then comes the fun of trying to replace a bulb in pitch dark. They also seem a bit more prone to failure in 30 degree and colder temperatures.

Good Shooting
Red

 

[Phil in Seattle]

Surefire G2 Nilotron

$34 or less.

There's just not enough light coming out of an AA Maglite.