ARC+P on a pistol rail

Mounted an ARC premium on the rail of a H&K USP (.40 S&W), using a Tacstar mount meant for a laser pointer, had to shim just a bit. Anyone done this or have any thoughts on it? Have not shot it yet, can the ARC take the punishment????!!!!!

I wonder is there any practical use with an Arc mounted on a gun? Besides making the holder of the gun a bluish dot that is an easier target.

frym said:

Anyone done this or have any thoughts on it?

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I'll get back to you in a minute. I'm busy attaching a bayonet to my Walther PPK. Just got done mounting a scope on my P32.

Now you children calm down now. I was just messing about with some gear. Am fully aware that any tac light, or laser for that matter, has the drawback of making the gun holder a more visible target at night, same was true of some old style night sights. Fact is some people do like them. I am undecided. I was just surprised by how usable it was in the dark, and it was less bulky than the Insight M3 varients or Surefire stuff, and a whole lot cheaper. But of course not as bright, most likely not as durable, but only slightly harder to turn on (excluding the use of a remote).

The Arc will probably be fine after the first few shots. It's just a 5mm LED nothing that can break comes to mind.

InfidelCastro said:

I'll get back to you in a minute. I'm busy attaching a bayonet to my Walther PPK. Just got done mounting a scope on my P32.

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Se~nor Castro,

With Ruger Alaskan handcannons around and Kel-Tec high velocity semi-auto pistols, .22 keychain guns, S&W .500 revolvers, etc., etc., that PPK/bayonet combo might just sell. Get a good patent lawyer! Hurry!

Not to take away from any CPF combat veteran or ballistic expert . It isn't what the product was intended for. But, short term, at least, the Arc should be fine. I'm NOT being judgemental here, but what brought this idea on? It sounds like a fun, inane idea actually. I've seen worse choices, very early on in weapons mounted illumination devices.

*

i tried it a few years ago using a basic Weaver 1" ring after wrapping some "duck" tape around the LS to bring it up to a full inch.

fired it on an AR. worked fine.

then tried it on a 45 auto (Springfield Operator). again, no problems except getting to the Kroll which was in front of the trigger guard.

then tried it on a Beretta Vertec 92. again, no problem except being able to access the Kroll.

thus, best use was on the AR mounted at 10 o'clock on the handguard. this allowed instant access to kroll with my right thumb while holding the forend.

at this went by the wayside when i finally purchased some streamlight rail lights.

1. Handguns and experimental light improvisations don't go well toguether.
2. Arc-P brightness levels are useless for any tactical aplication of this sort.

When it comes to guns, do not skip on the money to make it a safe, reliable and efficient system. Choose the best gun/ammo/holster/light you can afford. The chain will break by the weakest link. You would be a lot better served for this purpose if you just get a SF G2 and practice holding it and firing. Comes cheaper, too.

Good luck

reguarding crocodilo's comment #2:

no doubt that the Arc (either the old LS or newer AAA-P which appear about as equally bright) isn't bright enough to stun an attacker. but not all weapon-mounted lights need to be "tactical" (ie: blinding an enemy). for example, it doesn't require a super-bright-super-tough light for shooting a rattlesnake hiding under the front porch or a packrat in the barn. sometimes all that's needed is enough light to navigate a dark space and identify the subject.

but your point is well taken! in general, you're correct.

Honestly, I would think that a light as dim as an ARC AAA would be more dangerous in combination with a handgun than no light at all. The point is taken concerning the rattlesnake, but even being a gun owner, I'd be concerned with someone hearing 'a bump in the night' and with only an ARC AAA,would just light up a moving mass and firing without identifying said mass.

well cratz2, taking the other side of that for the fun of it (playing the devil's avocate), living in the "wilds" i've found that really bright lights blind ME when turned on. yet using an Arc AAA on a dark night, i can identifying which of our horses is standing by the barn 50 yards away.

i realize how much light one needs to be effective when trying to overpower enviromental light polution, like car lights, streetlights, city glow... in that case, the more the better.

every situation is different.

and more important than all these tools & toys is training and knowledge. a friendly monkey with a handgun is dangerous to his own family. hopefully trained shooters don't shoot at bumps in the nights.

(that said, i do in fact carry the Streamlight TLR-2 on my defense weapons)

I definately hear ya. Actually, I've always found it pretty ironic how most CPFers (myself generally included) long for the latest/greatest/brightest lights when I've spent MANY nights walking in rugged wilderness (as in land that has never been cleared since the last glaciers) and usually the moon is all the light needed.

But we are agreeing on the trained firearm use issues. Problem is, I'd be willing to bet that less than 10% (actually, probably FAR less than 10%) of people with firearms in their homes have ever had any sort of formal training, esp with night use.

One of my other concerns would be that with a low powered light, if someone did actually discharge their weapon, the muzzleflash might be even more blinding, reducing the effectiveness of possible follow-up shots whereas with a 50+ Lumen light, the shooters vision will hopefully have more factors in the shooter's favor.

cratz2, all good insights.

maybe i can shed some additional light (pun intended) on low-light shooting:

i too had thought that muzzleflash would be a problem but i don't find that to be the situation in practice. i have a steel-plate shooting range (ranges from 5 to 1000 yards) and have done a little bit of night work over the last 30 years.

even with low-level flashlights, ammo flash hasn't been a problem with any of the 45s and 9s i've tried. even 16" ARs aren't a problem, though i've been around shorter AR barrels (10") that give off a blinding ball of flame that effects one's shooting. and i suspect a hot revolver (like a full house 44 mag) could be a bit of a problem too.

maybe it's the flash-reducing ingredients they add to modern powders that helps so much (loads flashed much worse years ago).

i actually find the reflections bouncing back from a very bright flashight coming off close targets more blinding than the flashes themselves.

and after personally testing a number of options, i'd rather make a shot using a so-so weapon-mounted system than using the finest handheld light with a separate weapon. i've practiced techinques using numerous flashlight/weapon holds (Harries, Marine Corps, FBI, Chapman, old & new Ayoob, Hargreaves, Keller, Neck-Index and Rogers) but i find every one of them take more thought/energy/time to get in action, and are less accurate, than using an Arc mounted hard to the gun. but that's just my opinion...

fyi - i've done a bit of shooting in total darkness using an ITT Gen 3 PVS-14 night vision device (with both handguns and rifles) and even then i don't find the flash to be a problem while looking though the scope. it does bloom for a split second but i don't lose the target or find it upsets my shooting.

and as you pointed out, training is an absolute necessary. most folks should buy fewer weapons (and useless accessories) and get some real training instead.

and who here isn't looking for the newest & greatest XRE 'light?... that's why we're CPF'ers!

Good info... I use Georgia Arms Gold Dots in my 9s and Golden Sabers in my 45s and both are known to have very little muzzle flash. But I've seen some standard pressure 38s that give off a pretty big flash, esp in 2" barrels. I don't use 38s at all, but I suspect that snub 38s are one of the most popular defensive round and is the only reason I mentioned it.

I would overwhelmingly agree with you on this note:

and after personally testing a number of options, i'd rather make a shot using a so-so weapon-mounted system than using the finest handheld light with a separate weapon.

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yes, i should have mentioned the 38 snubbie: they do flash a lot, pretty much reguardless of load. even my old 125gr Federal Nyclad non-plus-P at under 800 fps are bad. and like you, i prefer to stick to top-rated standard loads.

i can't imagine what a hot 2" 357 would be like!!!

so in that particular case, you're right. using a snubbie in low light with an underpowered flashlight can effect my shooting a bit, but not all that much.

but that's only because i still can't find a good system for attaching a rail-light to one...

Someone should do a Photoshop of a snub 38 with something like an M6 'attached' to it.

done! a S&W 340PD with Streamlight M6X




or how about a .45 ACP snubbie S&W 325PD with one?

Though I'd never carry it, I'd love to have one of those 325s.

But actually, I meant an M6 Guardian.