Preventing/reducing battery movement?

Hi,

I plan to mount a light that is pretty sturdy (Fenix PD20-R5) on a 12 gauge shotgun. I know, I know but I want to try it anyway.

What is the best way to reduce battery movement created by recoil?

PS - I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

Thanks

I don't know if it's safe to mount this light onto a weapon. The recoil can damage the circuit on the head. There is no spring to cushion the recoil.

The way I've made batteries sit tightly is rolling paper around the battery and push it in the tube. It will move but slightly. Just be careful from damaging the light as it has no contact spring on the head.

Tiresius said:

I don't know if it's safe to mount this light onto a weapon. The recoil can damage the circuit on the head. There is no spring to cushion the recoil.

The way I've made batteries sit tightly is rolling paper around the battery and push it in the tube. It will move but slightly. Just be careful from damaging the light as it has no contact spring on the head.

Click to expand...

I was wondering if adding some kind of spacer to the rear spring might be effective in reducing the "pistoning" (for lack of a better term) effect produced by recoil?

Maybe a spacer or two on the rear spring in addition to maybe wrapping newspaper or perhaps tape around the battery would reduce that battery movement that would come with recoil?

What do you guys think?

Thanks.

Simple answer: NO

Surefire has lights specifically designed just for this application.

brianna said:

Simple answer: NO

Surefire has lights specifically designed just for this application.

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Yes, I realize this. But I want to try it and I'm going to try it. Therefore I am looking for the best way(s) to reduce battery movement and any suggestions towards that end will be greatly appreciated.

Now, if you want to send me one of those $300+ Surefire forends and a light I'll happily accept them and forgo this experiment.

Now Mick, don't let money get in the way of your experiment - unless you are like me. My wife once called me a canary. When I asked why she replied, "CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP."

Best,
Jerry

JerryM said:

Now Mick, don't let money get in the way of your experiment - unless you are like me. My wife once called me a canary. When I asked why she replied, "CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP."

Best,
Jerry

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Jerry,

Why would you think money had anything to do with this?
Why, I'm filthy rich, you know. I use Surefires as swizzle sticks in all my oversized beverages. And I only use them once... then I just throw them away.

By the way, thank you for not saying, "You get what you pay for," or "Save your money and get a true weapons light designed for shotguns," or "Buy cheap once and cry, buy cheap twice and you're an idiot," or however the saying goes.

mick53 said:

By the way, thank you for not saying, "You get what you pay for," or "Save your money and get a true weapons light designed for shotguns," or "Buy cheap once and cry, buy cheap twice and you're an idiot," or however the saying goes.

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At least I won't have to say it. Use a swizzle stick, nobody likes nano lube in their drinks!

mick53 said:

Hi,

I plan to mount a light that is pretty sturdy (Fenix PD20-R5) on a 12 gauge shotgun. I know, I know but I want to try it anyway.

What is the best way to reduce battery movement created by recoil?

PS - I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

Thanks

Click to expand...

You could try slivers of pencil rubber lightly wedged between battery and case.

They would hold the battery in place, yet have some give for slight movement and shock absorption.

Just a thought.

Maybe disassemble the light and try soldering a spring onto the positive contact in the battery compartment?

mick53 said:

I was wondering if adding some kind of spacer to the rear spring might be effective in reducing the "pistoning" (for lack of a better term) effect produced by recoil?

Maybe a spacer or two on the rear spring in addition to maybe wrapping newspaper or perhaps tape around the battery would reduce that battery movement that would come with recoil?

What do you guys think?

Thanks.

Click to expand...

The problem isn't on the tailcap of the light. It's on the positive end where the battery connects to the head. There's no contact spring there so when a recoil happens, it'll damage that circuit. You cannot solder a spring onto it since the light is designed to fit tightly into the tube when capped.

Tiresius said:

The problem isn't on the tailcap of the light. It's on the positive end where the battery connects to the head. There's no contact spring there so when a recoil happens, it'll damage that circuit. You cannot solder a spring onto it since the light is designed to fit tightly into the tube when capped.

Click to expand...

Maybe disassemble the light and try soldering a spring onto the positive contact in the battery compartment .... and at the same time snip part of the the spring at the tailcap so there's much less tension at the other end of the battery compartment.

i used to use little foam

DimGR said:

i used to use little foam

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What kind of foam and how did you use it?

A redesign of current contact methods would help, big springs and leaf contacts don't react that well to shock loads.

If the battery was firmly held to the tube then smaller, faster springs could be used as they wouldn't need to be sized to secure the mass of the battery, as really their critical function is only to carry current.

Sprung test probes used in electronic boundary scan jigs make pretty good battery contacts up to a few amps.