Mounted Tactical LED Lights

[MajorJim]

Ok folks, I need to pick your brains here.

I have been looking for some new options for a detachable weapon mounted LED light. Surefires get all of the press, and have a price to prove it. However, some reports coming back from the sandbox are less than stellar for Surefires (310's and 600 series). Now, I take all of those with a big grain of salt (it is a soldier's RIGHT to *****), but these are pretty regular - light failures, won't take a bump, won't take a dunk, etc.

Rather than forking out $500 or more for a decent system that MAY have issues, I was looking at some of the recent reports here and saw a lot of potential. The JET III M and the Olight Warrior top the list of relatively inexpensive paltforms that throw a lot of light in a mountable package.

Anyone have any experience with these in terms of tactical applications? Will they take a 6 to 10 foot drop and work? Will they take a bath in 10 feet and water and keep shining? Will they hold up under the constant pounding of recoil without fail?

Or are there some better options out there? Surefire does make a fine product, but my personal opinion is that they have been reading too many of their own press clippings.

Any thoughts?

 

[TMedina]

I'm just going to toss out that you likely won't find any light with a flawless record.

That said, you can mount almost any light to a weapon - a lot of it depends on the particulars:

1. Type of weapon
2. Type of mount
3. Location of mount
4. Type of light trigger - remote (pressure pad) or manual (pushing the activation button)

LEDs are supposed to be inherently more resistant to the vibration from recoil than incans, but I don't have a source for that. As long as the electronics are properly secured - the LED itself won't break from vibration like the incan bulb might.

Did you have any thoughts on budget? Activation mode? (I'm guessing manual if you want stand-alone light) Weapon type?

-Trevor

 

[MajorJim]

Thanks for the reply.

Budget under $200 or thereabouts. Activation would ideally include a pressure plate for the grip as an option. This would be used on a rifle (carbine-type).

 

[angelofwar]

Ok folks, I need to pick your brains here.
Surefires get all of the press, and have a price to prove it. However, some reports coming back from the sandbox are less than stellar for Surefires (310's and 600 series). Now, I take all of those with a big grain of salt (it is a soldier's RIGHT to *****), but these are pretty regular - light failures, won't take a bump, won't take a dunk, etc.
Any thoughts?

Just to get ya rethinking, the only reason reports came back about SF's "failing" in the sandbox, was because that was the only light they used. I just got back from a 5 month tour...Of the 3000 Plus "weapon mounted lights" I saw, 2,999 of them were SF's, and I saw one "Phantom Warrior Light Kit". Now, if you don't plan on being in the sandbox, I would go with a different "cheaper" brand, but there's (honestly), not many brands that would be able to stand up to the abuse those lights recieve...being "thrown" in and out of HUMVEES and MRAP's, kicked around the floor of the chow hall, jolted 50 times a day for 18 months...Oh, even the MRAP's and Bradleys had SF Hellfighters on them...I would get an L4 (LED...around $160...or cheaper on CPFMP) and an M78 weapon mount. I'm sure most, if not all, of the light failures were incan's... I just don't want ya to get something that yer gonna rely on, and when it does break, your chances of getting it repaired/replaced are slim to none...hope this helps!

 

[MajorJim]

Angelofwar-

Appreciate your input!

 

[Mercaptan]

I picked up a used SureFire M951 + tape switch for 170 dollars off EBay. It is possible to have a budget light and be a SureFire.

 

[TMedina]

The pressure pad is the tricky part - you can slap just about any 1" flashlight in a mount and bolt it to a rifle. Finding a flashlight that takes a pressure pad is a little harder.

Angelofwar makes an excellent point about availability of replacement parts.

Under $200?

Remote pad for a SF from Bugout Gear for $25
SF 6P host from LA Police Gear for $62
Malkoff M60 drop-in from Mr. Malkoff for $49
Vltor Off-Set Mount from Vltor for $60

Grand total: $196

You'll nudge over $200 with shipping, but everything is replaceable - the hardest part would be catching one of Mr. Malkoff's drop-ins in stock. Otherwise, a SF LED or third-party vendor would work almost as well.

Other options include:

*Inova's Inforce light - plus barrel mount and pressure pad.
*Novatac is supposed to be releasing a remote pressure pad for their lights next year.
*PentagonLight makes LED lights and remote pressure pads which, combined, come in under budget

-Trevor

 

[MajorJim]

Thanks for the advice. I picked up a new in box Surefire M961 (9v) on Ebay for $200 shipped. Not an LED, it'll do the job.

Any ideas of a possible LED lamp that I can try in this thing?

Thanks again!

 

[TMedina]

Sorry boss - without looking at the head assembly, I don't even want to guess. I've never had the opportunity to fiddle with one before, so I don't even know if it would take a standard SF drop-in.

-Trevor

 

[Solscud007]

Thanks for the advice. I picked up a new in box Surefire M961 (9v) on Ebay for $200 shipped. Not an LED, it'll do the job.

Any ideas of a possible LED lamp that I can try in this thing?

Thanks again!

Hmm M951. There are a few options but it will hurt the bank. Depends on what you want out of the M961 (for those not familiar with SF weaponlights, this is the equivalent of a SF M3 handheld)

If you want maximum blindness and lumens output then you will have to buy something custom built. See Milkyspit mods.

For something that you can buy, then you will want the SF KL6 head. Puts out 80-100 lumens but costs about as much as your M961.

Supposedly SF is making a KL9 head but we have yet to see it so dont hold yoru breath.

The KL2 could work as well but they are kinda old and harder to find. Plus the fact that it is just a bunch of small LEDS crammed into a head, and the light output is not that strong.

I would suggest you forget the LED option. Incans are better IMHO. get a KT4 turbo head for long range throw and the apporiate lamp, MN15 I think.


If you REALLY want to go LED but not break the bank you can downgrade the M961 to a M951. You need to get the LU60 head unit. It is a M2 head and a collar/adapter to mate to the Weaponlight body. Then you can get a Malkoff M60 that shoots 200 lumens.

If you can, you can try to find a SF U2 cheap and that head will fit right up to the weaponlight body. The U2 has an adjustable collar/selector ring that adjusts the light output.

if you want to be REALLY fancy, you can get a Kroma or milspec kroma and mate the head on to the weaponlight body. If you go Milspec Kroma you will have IR leds and can shoot insurgents in the dark with NVGs. like this . . .

 

[Solscud007]

Oh wait I completely forgot some more recent mods have been made to the M3 head.

http://lumensfactory.com/products.php?cat_id=3&sub_cat_id=8

Thanks to donn_ for the leg up in sharing his find.


This will most likely be the best option on a tight budget. the only hard part is getting the lens ring off. See member RPM for a ring extraction tool.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=213762

 

[KD5XB]

I did a quick internet search and couldn't find anything about converting the 961 to an LED emitter.

Just curious -- is this for you personally -- to take to the sandbox, or for LE, or just for interest' sake? If military, you might check with your armorer. He/she would possibly know about an LED conversion, or if not, might know someone in another unit who does.

BTW -- lotsa Surefire products have NSN's if you need to supply a unit.

 

[TMedina]

I hope your armorer is better than mine in that respect.

-Trevor