Good solid light for a rifle barrel

[yoyoyo109]

Howdy everyone, I've been looking for a nice solid flashlight to go on the end of a rifle and to use in nightly tasks. I've found the Hellfighter X-21 but compared to other offerings on the market, it's pretty expensive. I like the fact that it is waterproof, accepts rechargeable batteries, has a good battery life(so they say) and is decently bright at 450 lumens. I also saw the surefire P2X and while reviews made it look very solid, i'm not overly excited about the lack of lithium/rechargeable batteries. I'm planning on this light lasting me many years so price wise i ideally want to spend no more than 200 but if it requires no compromise i could go to 300$ i suppose. does anyone have any suggestions? thanks a ton for the help everyone

 

[Robert_M]

A Malkoff MD3 with a M61SHO will run off of two 18500 rechargeable batteries (103 minutes) or three CR123A cells. You could also use the MD2 but the runtime is "short" on two 16340 batteries at 35 minutes or you can use two CR123A batteries. The M61SHO is conservatively rated at 385 Lumens OTF.

I also like EDC+ P60 drop ins, but you'll need a SureFire 6P (for example) or Solar Force host. I haven't tested these on any of my rifles yet. It looks just a solid as a Malkoff drop in but is made out of aluminum instead of brass. The U2 version puts out nearly 500 Lumens OTF.

Right now I use an MD2-M61 and one 18650 on my AR-10 with no problems when firing it. The M61 puts out about 230 Lumens. Several law enforcement agencies use Malkoff products.

The SureFire Fury which you mention can use rechargeable batteries such as the LFP123 batteries sold on SureFire's website. But you'll only get about 30 minutes of run time. If you don't mind potentially voiding the warranty you can also use one 17670 cell but you'll get less regulated run time but more overall run time (about 45+ minutes). I've posted some run time graphs in several different threads.

 

[yoyoyo109]

that malkoff looks pretty good i'll have to watch some demos later. the main function of the light will be to help with hog hunting at night. do you or anyone else have positive experience with eagle tac lights? i found the GSX25L2 and it seems like a pretty solid light. 1060 lumens for about 2 hours with the included rechargable batteries and its the perfect size to mount to a rail for arouns 120$. have you ever had a problem with one of your lights not being able to withstand the shock? this would be for an AR-15 so it would be slightly less than your rifle. how well does that M61 work for you? output wise at night

 

[snakyjake]

Check out the Eagletac G25C2 MKII.
http://eagletac.com/html/g25c2/index.html

 

[yoyoyo109]

Have you personally tried out that light? Its in the same family as the gsx25l2 except feature wise it seems inferior(output runtime rechargeable)

 

[weez82]

Maelstrom G5 or X7. By the way, that 1000+ lumens on the eagletac is just marketing. Go look up reviews for real numbers. Also, lumens doesnt = throw. So if thats what you want G5 all the way

EDIT: the maelstroms will be about 6oz with battery. Weight is very important and something you should be looking at

 

[yoyoyo109]

i've never really thought as weight as an issue. i guess being on the barrel of the rifle it could easily affect maneuverability now that i think about it. that X7(now designated MM-X http://www.foursevens.com/product_info.php?products_id=2872) seems solid. do you personally use one of the maelstroms?

i took the 1000+ with a grain of salt when i saw it, however the G25 (in the G family) has been reported in the review section here to realistically put out about 50% marketed power (508 lumens). seems like it would be safe to conclude the GSX puts out around the same, unfortunately no one has reviewed one yet on here. the reported weight with a battery installed is around 10oz as well. the closest i've been to wielding a gun with a light was when i was younger and a friend had duct taped a flashlight to a 410 shotgun so i'm honestly not too sure how much weight would affect handling of the rifle

 

[snakyjake]

Have you personally tried out that light? Its in the same family as the gsx25l2 except feature wise it seems inferior(output runtime rechargeable)

I haven't tried the light. I like the selector head so I can preset the output, or change the output in either directions (more output, less output). With a button, I have to cycle through the modes; if I miss the mode, I have to recycel. I also like the ability to have a diffuser for bright light, close quarters.

 

[weez82]

i've never really thought as weight as an issue. i guess being on the barrel of the rifle it could easily affect maneuverability now that i think about it. that X7(now designated MM-X http://www.foursevens.com/product_info.php?products_id=2872) seems solid. do you personally use one of the maelstroms?

i took the 1000+ with a grain of salt when i saw it, however the G25 (in the G family) has been reported in the review section here to realistically put out about 50% marketed power (508 lumens). seems like it would be safe to conclude the GSX puts out around the same, unfortunately no one has reviewed one yet on here. the reported weight with a battery installed is around 10oz as well. the closest i've been to wielding a gun with a light was when i was younger and a friend had duct taped a flashlight to a 410 shotgun so i'm honestly not too sure how much weight would affect handling of the rifle

I have the G5 and like it very much. Very well constructed and the UI is great. And it's about as heavy as I would go for a weapon mounted light. Too much weight on the rifle isnt good, lighter the better :). If you're looking at the X7 go check out goinggear. about $67 shipped. Hard to beat the G5 ($58 shipped) or X7 at those prices.

 

[yoyoyo109]

wow, for $67 shipped that may just be worth getting. do you know if maelstrom sells the neutral white LED or where to find it as a drop in? I've read that makes using it in a forest a lot easier to see. if the cool white looks just as good though, feel free to correct me. i've always bought those cheap 6v lanterns so i don't know any better

 

[weez82]

wow, for $67 shipped that may just be worth getting. do you know if maelstrom sells the neutral white LED or where to find it as a drop in? I've read that makes using it in a forest a lot easier to see. if the cool white looks just as good though, feel free to correct me. i've always bought those cheap 6v lanterns so i don't know any better

Ive tried CW, NW, WW, and HighCRI in the woods. To be honest, they all work just as well. The only time one would be better then the other is photography or filmography when you would need accurate color rendering. Thats just an opinion from a backpacker though and I dont hunt so I cant comment on that. Though I do think you'll be very happy with the CW :)

 

[yoyoyo109]

great, i'll order it by the end of the week. additionally, what charger would you recommend? earlier i saw one on amazon but it is supposedly prone to melting

 

[weez82]

great, i'll order it by the end of the week. additionally, what charger would you recommend? earlier i saw one on amazon but it is supposedly prone to melting

I use the 4Sevens charger but there's others to chose from. I dont know enough to recommend a charger. I just like 47's products, affordable and backed with great customer service. If you use the cpf google search top left you'll find loads of threads and posts about Li-Ion batteries and chargers. CPF is a really great place to learn about batteries :) Here is a thread on what others are using http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?345571-Poll-What-Li-Ion-charger-do-you-use

 

[yoyoyo109]

might as well keep the charger in the same family haha. thanks for all the help weez and others. i'll post an update when my order arrives

 

[HaileStorm]

Check out the klarus xt11 or the armytek lights. Both are very solid.