Mounting a light to a break-barrel air gun

Hey fellow candlepower fans!
I picked up a Beeman RS2 series 1073 airgun from wally world today. I want to mount a flashlight to it but it's a "break barrel" and I'm not sure how to mount a light to this. It's a great little airgun, pretty heavy though, and has a noticeable recoil.

My point is, I >REALLY< want to put a light on this air rifle. I've got a scope, but I can't see any good place to attach a light. It's got to be sturdy, and I plan on using a small LED light (they're so cheap AND sturdy now LOVIN' it!). I'll be using it at night if at all possible, but I can't see in the dark.

Does it have rails?

Seems like a safe bet (re: the scope) but they could either be airgun/.22 rails, or something like standard Picatinny rails. If you can tell which, it'll make suggesting a solution much easier.

Gamo sells one air rifle that includes a BSA 1" scope and a clamp mount that fits on the scope and holds both a light and a laser. Don't have any idea if you can buy that "Y" mount, but you should be able to find a figure "8" mount that would clamp on the scope and also a light. The mount I'm talking about is the type that usually clamps on the barrel.

That Gamo system looks clumsy but it would probably work if you didn't have to carry the rifle around much.

I'm not sure whether they are a standard size. It does indeed have rails but I'm not knowledgeable on what picatinny rails are. The ones on this air rifle are grooves cut in the top where "pincers" from the rings that hold the scope grab on to.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picatinny_rail

The one I'm guessing you have is a standard 3/8" rail, an old standard that's still popular on .22s and airguns.

You can probably find a 3/8 to Picatinny adapter, and you *will* find Picatinny adapters out the whazoo - I suggest a 3-way riser. You can mount the scope on top of the riser, the light on the left, and that leaves open a right-side rail for something else. You'll need new scope rings, however, since your old ones won't fit the Picatinny rail.

Mind you, this is all if you don't already have Picatinny rails.

I also have a similar Beeman air gun...you'll just have to do a temp mount under the barrel...since the scope is on it. Make a small thin wood block- and round it to fit both ways.

If on the barrel is going to be inconvenient because of the reloading action of the barrel, How about mounting the light to the scope.
Ive done it before with SF and .22 rifle. Worked perfectly.

You may want to look over at the Pyramyd Air Report by B.B. Pelletier for some airgun specific advice.

http://www.pyramydair.com/blog/

with this on the barrel
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.10761

This one looks as if it would mount on the scope or reddot. For a flashlight, you're not so concerned about it being extremely stable and retaining "zero" as you would be with a laser.


http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12000

The nylon might have a benefit of being more forgiving during the reverse recoil of the spring action rifle. The recoil does not come from expelling the pellet as a firearm does but from the movement of the spring and piston.

For a couple of bucks I'd happily give Bigiron's suggestion a try. There may however, be a problem with the recoil of a springer knocking the torch too far off alignment. If that's the case you might want to try a more rigid figure 8 pair of 1" rings like the ones here:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....121732&tGUID=5795cee61190a074ff46d2a6fffd1704

HTH

Dave

Another thing I should note, I don't have the scopes on the air rifles yet (got a little Daisy pump dealie, my g/f will shoot at the targets w/ me). I tried adjusting the scopes and the little knobs came right off! Was that supposed to happen? LOL Anyway, whatever method I mount the lights on with is goint to have to not interfere with the scope or the iron sights. I'm DEFINITELY going to have to use an LED light with this, this thing blows a .22 caliber pellet right through the big piece of sub flooring I use as a backstop, and these sping powered air guns have a kick both forward and backwards apparently...I know it's more recoil than I'd expected!

Best to avoid the cheap scopes on air rifles due to the reverse recoil, also good to avoid expensive ones that don't specifically state they're shockproof and will back up the claim. Weavers are good as are some leuopolds, avoid tasco and the like.

Nothing wrong with the Tascos, BSAs, etc IF they are airgun specific. No reason to buy a $400 scope for what you want to do. You pinpointed the scope problem by mentioning the two phase recoil. Firearm scopes are designed for rearward recoil, while airgun scopes are supposedly designed for both forward and rearward recoil.

The knobs came off? Sure it wasn't just covers. Some scopes have screw on covers over the adjustment knobs.

Several of the larger outfitters, Cabelas, Sportsmans Guide, CheaperThanDirt, all carry some type of $20-$30 red dot. That would probably work better than a scope for you.

Yeah, but the cheap garden variety tasco "airgun" scopes are junk, I'm sure they make some that are able to handle springer recoil but I'd rather not cheap out on the optics. I've heard good things about the BSA scopes, but don't have any real experience with them. I agree completely with the red-dot idea, if you're shooting in really dim light that requires a flashlight then a red-dot would probably serve you better than a scope at air-rifle ranges.