Billmanweh
Member
let's say you had a ~$300 budget, which dedicated Surefire set-up would you put on an M4 style carbine with rails?
which AR dedicated Surefire set-up?
- Thread starter Billmanweh
- Start date
- Status
Billmanweh
Member
yeah, assume it's a railed handguard
Billmanweh
Member
Can you get into either of those for $300?
Chris Rhines
Member
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
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
Member
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.
Correct Terminology
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.
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.
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.
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.
Gordon
Member
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
Member
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 .
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.
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
Member
which Surefire is this? (I found the picture on brownell's website but can't find the model #)
RRTX
Member
That is an M900 Bill.
Billmanweh
Member
ok, that's just bad ass
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.
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
Member
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
Andrew
Mute
Member
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 MS or MD series lights. Good lights at a decent price.
rbernie
Contributing Member
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
Moderator Emeritus
TechBrute has that one Bill. You should play with it sometime.
Very nice.
ocabj
Member
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.
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
Member
I would spend the money on ammo, and not waste it on a flashlight for a rifle.
Bartholomew Roberts
Member
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.
- Status
