Light for Shotgun

[DonK]

About 10yrs ago I mounted a light on a shotgun. Things have changed - hopefully improved. The number of lights available now is bewildering - so I now need expert help to make a good choice. My regular lights tend to be Fenix - I like the tough build and they have been very reliable - perhaps a good benchmark.

I recall that last time I looked at shotgun mounted lights it was important to have a spring each end of the battery compartment so that it could withstand the recoil. Lights now may be tougher and not need that.

I have a tri-rail mount on the ammo tube and am going to use a 1" scope ring to mount the light. So, my requirements are:

1" tube diameter
Ideally not too much bigger at the head
1000 lumens or more
White light
Flood beam, I anticipate 25 to 50 yards max range, but would like to illuminate a wide area at 25.
Robust
18650 battery compatible (I have a good supply of rechargeables)
Exposed clicky tail switch for easy on-off with forward movement of hand

I'd prefer to keep it simple, so 2 modes (say 1000 and 500) would suffice, but I could live with more if the interface was not too confusing, and I'd prefer not to have on board charging.

Input appreciated

 

[Lemurian]

Malkoff Wildcats are really nice, floody, and robust. American made. The tube is 1" and the head is 1.83". Double springs and fully potted; built for recoil. Switch between low and high by head rotation. The low might be too low for what you are looking for. I still find it to be pretty practical, though, for being aware of my surroundings in these boonies.

Overready might have something for you as well.

Hope this helps

 

[Lemurian]

p.s. I think some people have mentioned a protection circuit in the battery might be an issue for gun lights. I would contact Malkoff about this. They have really good customer service. Maybe Overready could have some good input, too. If I have to use two cells, they have to be from the same batch (type, company, date) and are married together until death do they part. Mixing could be really bad.

 

[DonK]

Thanks L - I'd not considered Malkoff, I'll check out their site. May be more expensive than I would like

 

[DonK]

Just took a quick look at Malkoff - nice, but $200 and up (more than the gun). Also, the heads are quite large and may necessitate using a high mount - this will make the entire unit quite bulky. The search resumes.

 

[Dicaeopolis]

1000 lumens or more and tough enough for a shotgun. I would recommend Malkoff, Elzetta, or Surefire. All 3 are expensive at the 1000 lumen mark. You could get the single mode Malkoff MD2 and it would be smaller, lighter, and less expensive than the Wildcat, but not 1000 lumens. I think it is 450 real lumens, combination of throw and flood. Awesome light. You could always put different drop ins in it. I think as is, that is a good all around head. I would probably prefer the 200 lumen drop in for indoors and you could put the throw drop in for outdoors. Lots of versatility.

 

[DonK]

Thanks D

You make an interesting point about 'real' lumens. I was digging through a drawer last night and found an old Surefire light rated at 200 lumens. I turned it on and compared it to a Chinese light rated at 500 lumens - Surefire was better.

This gun will be used outdoors only, so no need to worry about the indoor situation (I have a mini Olight on a pistol for that). Brighter is always better outside, but it could be a matter of bright enough is good enough. I suspect that the 450 lumen Malkoff may be adequate - I'll take a look.

This is going on a sub $200 shotgun - back door, truck, car gun. It may be a case of the light being more expensive than the gun - kind of like your rifle scope being more expensive than your rifle.

I've never handled an Elzetta light, but keep hearing good things about them. Friends who have Malkoff swear by them.

 

[DonK]

Just took another look on the Malkoff website - it is a confusing place. When I look at products, and flashlight sub-menu, they have them listed with a starting price of xx, then when I click on the pic the price comes up much higher. Also difficult to compare products when nothing is tabulated - would be nice if I could see output, runtime, weight, length, diameter, all at a glance (I could not even find weights and dimensions). Perhaps a case of good product with poor website.

 

[Lemurian]

I have three Malkoffs, some accessories, and some batteries from from them. All are of high quality. The website can be clunky.

----I got 20% off my first order by signing up on their email list, so that can really help out your calculations.----

Hope this helps!

p.s. I have not used flashlights for firearms, so maybe someone else can chime in. The Malkoff has really good customer service and could direct you to something more specific to your needs. I have emailed them questions and I also spoke with Gene on the phone and he was really helpful. I have read good things about Elzetta products here, too. I emphasize reliability since I live in Bigfoot Country.

 

[DonK]

Thanks L

I just looked over the Elzetta site too - nice website, and they emphasize that their lights are made for gun applications. Malkoff seem to be good lights for gun applications too. With intro discounts they are competitive on price, and I would prefer to by US made products. Malkoff say some parts are foreign sourced, Elzetta say 100% US. Elzetta have plastic lenses, so a little worried that they may scratch and degrade over time (headlight syndrome)

If you live in bigfoot country it may be time to invest in a shotgun too

 

[archimedes]

.... Elzetta have plastic lenses, so a little worried that they may scratch and degrade over time (headlight syndrome)....

FYI, Malkoff use acrylic lenses in their stock offerings. Detailed discussion, here ...

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?371935-Malkoff-s-use-of-Hard-Acrylic-Lenses-why

 

[DonK]

Thanks for the link A

The Chinese offerings all seem to have crystal lenses, but the rest of the light is less robust. Malkoff look like the best deal - for a cheaper unit at least. Nothing worse than having a light not work when you need it (I've had it happen) so it may be worth a few extra stimulus bucks for the peace of mind.

Update
That thread on acrylic lenses is quite old, wonder if it is still valid.

I note that Elzetta (and probably a few others) refer to what we call the lens as the window (I suppose a lens focuses and a window does not ?)

 

[archimedes]

....That thread on acrylic lenses is quite old, wonder if it is still valid.

Both Malkoff and Elzetta websites still list their lenses as acrylic, when I rechecked earlier today.

.... I note that Elzetta (and probably a few others) refer to what we call the lens as the window (I suppose a lens focuses and a window does not ?)

If there is no optical "focus" effect intended, my understanding is that the technical term would be "plano lens"

 

[DonK]

I am pleased that there are quality (superior) US made options out there. I have nothing against Chinese people, but would prefer to support fellow countrymen, even if it costs a little more. Most US 'brands' seem to be made in China, or assembled here from Chinese parts (Surefire ?)

 

[Dicaeopolis]

I notice you want 18650 compatibility. Malkoff MD2 tubes are 18650 compatible, Elzettas are not, except for the Bones version. I don't have a Bones, but have the Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie Elzettas. Another option, is an old Surefire 6P with the Malkoff drop in of your choice. I use CR123 non rechargeables on anything gun mounted. I really like and use any and all of those options.

 

[ampdude]

I would not use rechargeable batteries in a typical weapon light. Primaries always.

 

[DonK]

Is there some reason why you guys don't use rechargeables in a gun mounted light ?

I have a good supply of 123s but rechargeable is always attractive from a cost perspective. The 123s are probably better in a cold environment, and they don't lose charge like an 18650. Things have a habit of letting you down when you need them most.

 

[lightfooted]

Is there some reason why you guys don't use rechargeables in a gun mounted light ?

I have a good supply of 123s but rechargeable is always attractive from a cost perspective. The 123s are probably better in a cold environment, and they don't lose charge like an 18650. Things have a habit of letting you down when you need them most.

It's one of those "Operator" things, where they don't want the light to have any chance at failure and some people like to mount and forget their weapon gear. As in not perform any kind of regular maintenance or check on the stuff but still expect it to operate when they need it. There is a bit of environmental reasons as primaries are less effected by temperature extremes than Li-Ion cells. Keeping a light in 40 degree weather or lower for months at a time will effect the capacity and output. Freezing them has an even bigger impact. High temps also can degrade rechargeable cells but maybe not as much. Unless you toss it into a fire.

Personally I don't have any issue at all with using rechargeables in my weapon lights, but I'm not an Operator. I check mine regularly.

 

[DonK]

Thanks L, I can see it from both sides. I tend to put a gun down and forget about it for X years, so the primaries may be a good bet for me. The rechargeables are very good for daily use - I use lights each day because I live in a dark rural area in a secluded location - shotgun is essential equipment too.

I have a Fenix TK22 that can use 21700 or 18650 - and theoretically 2x123, but they recommend against using those for some reason (I have found Fenix to be v reliable hand held lights BTW; not tried them gun mounted).

 

[Scotty321]

Nothing wrong with a light or scope being more expensive than the gun... as long as the gun works well. Each industry has different standards for different purposes.

IMO, you might not want to use handheld lights as the standard for a shotgun (or any firearm) mounted light. Their might be internal design elements that are meant to take some of that abuse. One reason alone would be for warranty work, which might be another plus in the SF camp (vs trying to get warranty work on something built overseas). The SF firearm mounted lights like the Scout, will all be more expensive than your shotgun. Nothing wrong with that.

I'm sure if you try to contact Malkoff, they might suggest which of their lights would fit your criteria.

I tend to prefer primaries (CR123) for emergency lights that sit for a long time and might see severe temp fluctuations. I might also lean towards one that doesn't fit an 18650, as I don't know if the tube would be too wide to keep the CR123's secure under recoil.