quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
DID YOU CHANGE THE FOLLOWERS?

I mean- Did you change the followers?

lol, sorry for the huge picture. The followers from MGW will be in tomorrow and I will swap them out

Mounting a WML will help keep the muzzle down. A Surefire X-300 would be dandy.

Have you ever removed a floorplate from a Glock magazine?

WML sounds good. How about a Streamlight TRL-1 since it’s a truck/backpack gun? Handle the recoil? I do want it to work even if I forget about it for months.

I have never removed a Glock magazine floor plate. Tricky?

quote:

I have never removed a Glock magazine floor plate. Tricky?

Save yourself the headache and pick up a Glock floor plate removal tool. It will push the retainer plate and the tabs. They are a bit of a PITA otherwise.

The Streamlight WMLs are plenty rugged and based upon my observations, are used by more police agencies than the Surefire. IMO, the Surefire is top of the heap, but the Streamlights should be considered a best-buy, although their switch system I find less intuitive than the Surefire.

You will need a tool to remove Glock floorplates. Some people can do it without a specialized tool. I am not one of them and I've been handling Glocks for thirty years.

I'm going to give you a bit of advice. You will find Glock floorplate removal tools that simply manpower the floorplate off the magazine body by leverage. Avoid these. The reason being, there are two floorplate retainer tabs on either side of the magazine body, externally. When you use a tool that forces the floorplate past these tabs, you round off the tabs. You don't want that. You don't want a fully loaded Glock magazine hitting hard ground with compromised locking tabs. You might be just fine. Then again, you might not. There is a floorplate retainer that locks into the bottom of the floorplate. You'll see it when you remove the floorplate. This part probably will keep the floorplate in place without the two tabs, but ask yourself- why does Glock incorporate those two external locking tabs? They're not there needlessly. Therefore, don't deform them.

You need a tool that allows you to slightly compress the sides of the magazine body at the base before you use a punch or something else to pull the floorplate off. This is what I use:

GTUL & Mag Brush Combo 9MM/40S&W

This is how it works: https://mygtul.com/instructions/

If you leverage the floorplate off of the magazine body again and again (to change mag springs, clean the mag, whatever) without compressing the sides of the magazine body, you will end up with magazines you cannot trust completely.

Got the GTUL and brush combo coming. Man… feel like I should be getting college credits for all this schooling. Thanks Para and all!

I do want to explore the Surefire X300. I have 3 or 4 of the streamlights and they have served me well but Surefire seems to be calling my name.

The X300 series of lights are helluva good lights at the top of their peer group. That said running a TLR-1 series is not a penalty box and frankly the TLR7 series is better than its Surefire contemporaries.

You will not be disappointed with an X300, that said I am not sure it’s worth the up charge for all but the most demanding customer/shooter/team etc. I run have run them on pistols and a rifle and am very satisfied but I am also quite a flashlight geek. The practical side of me is just as happy with the TLR-1HL and TLR7 and I own far more of those.

Thanks cslinger! What’s the battery life compared between the Surefire and Streamlights? I keep
My streamlights changed out quite frequently and it looks like I can get rechargeable for the Surefires (I think)

Thoughts?

quote:

Originally posted by D4Heavy:
Thanks cslinger! What’s the battery life compared between the Surefire and Streamlights? I keep
My streamlights changed out quite frequently and it looks like I can get rechargeable for the Surefires (I think)

Thoughts?

Realistically they are both going to run roughly in the following manner using primary CR123A batteries.

FULL brightness for a couple of minutes
A Drop down to around 60% brightness after that (Thermal throttling)
They will hold around that 60ish% for around an hour and then start to trail off and have a fairly long tail so to speak.

Both have more then enough runtime for their intended use IMO. You aren't going to be using them as a utility light if they are mounted to a weapon.

As for batteries, I personally, would only run primary CR123A batteries for a couple reasons.

-They have the best shelf life and we are talking about lights that are really going to sit un-used most of the time.
-They have the best energy density so good runtimes and a useable tail in an emergency.

As far as rechargeable batteries go its sort of an open secret most of Surefire's 1 cell lights will run on a 16340 3.7 volt but it is not sanctioned and I would NEVER run two of them so they are out for the X300. Same goes for the TLR1 NEVER run 16340 rechargeables.

Now Surefire and a few others like KeepPower make 3 volt rechargeable lifepo4 (Lithium Phosphate) chemistry batteries that will work just fine but have a really low MAH in comparison to primary CR123A cells. Think like 400ish MAH vs Like 1500MAH cell for cell. So again in my opinion, its not worth it over the primaries.

I THINK Streamlight is releasing some of their pistol lights setup for rechargeable cells and Surefire has some newer offerings in this vein but not the X300.

Long story less long.
-Both are comparable in runtime and how they will produce light over time.
-Both should be used with primary CR123A batteries.

Now keep in mind I am NOT law enforcement or a door kicker of any kind so my uses are simply armed homeowner/repel boarders so to speak. I am not clearing warehouses etc. So take my info for what it is worth, not much. I do, however, hope it helps a little.

Chris

One other thing in terms of the X300.

There is "turbo" variant that puts out around 100,000 candela and will REALLY reach out. That said unless you are running it on a rifle I, personally think, you are better off with the standard ultra/non turbo.

Not that the turbo doesn't have a useful enough spill but it really is meant as a long throwing tight beam. It will however really hurt if you get hit with it in the face, not that a TLR-1HL or X300 ultra is all that pleasant to get flashed with.

I'm a big fan of the TLR-7, but it's not optimal for a G31.

First, I suggested a WML (aside from its obvious purpose) as a way to tame muzzle rise a bit. A Surefire X300, being a full-size WML housing two CR123 batteries, weighs more than a compact TLR-7 housing one CR123 battery. I doubt the TLR-7 would have much effect in this regard, being so compact, but I can tell you that a Surefire X300 on a G17 firing +P loads makes a noticeable difference. The same would be true with the same pistol in 357 SIG.

Furthermore, the TLR-7 is intended for pistols with approximately four inch or shorter barrels, and on a four inch G19, the TLR-7 extends ever so slightly beyond the dust cover of the pistol, but on a full-size G17, G31, G22, the dust cover and slide extends about a half inch beyond the front of the TLR-7. The result is that the upper portion of the side spill of the light is partially blocked. It may be considered a minor thing, but in a room with an eight or ten foot ceiling, a portion of the light which illuminates your surroundings is blocked.

I've tried this setup- a G17 with a TLR-7 and I find the large shadow on the ceiling a distraction. Outdoors, no difference. Indoors, I think there are better choices for the OP's G31 than the TLR-7.

Here endeth the nitpickery

I was using a Fenix on my issued 31.

On a full size gun ala G17/31/34 etc. I absolutely agree an X300/TLR-1 is the way to go.

Also one of the reasons I like a light on my guns is exactly what you said it add just a tad bit of muzzle weight to help with muzzle rise.

I have never tried a TLR7 on longer gun the dead spot/shadow thing makes sense and I never thought of that.

I am one of the flashlight weirdos that has never had good luck with Fenix. Everybody else does but for some reason I either get the bad QC or I just end up not liking the light.

I didn't think it would work well but I did a once day 1500 rd class with it and the 357sig didn't kill it. So I replaced my TLR-1HL with the Fenix. I just sent back two TLR-1HLs for broken battery doors.

I've never owned a Fenix light of any kind, so I can't really speak to their quality. For WMLs, I trust Surefire and Streamlight only. Perhaps a Fenix WML is Hell for stout, but I'll never know it.

229 12+1 kind of hangs out in my truck.
357 or 40 if in the mood to change the barrel.
TLR-1 for light.
If I can't do it with whats' there, more mags!

You might consider the TACOPS version of P226...if you can find one. I see them every once in a while but mostly in 9mm. There are 357SIG/40 (15 round mags) out there though. I have a 9mm but would like to get my hands on a 357SIG.

ordered a Surefire 300UA. Chris, any specific battery you recommend? I usually buy whatever is available but curious if you have had better life out of one brand? Hoping to get to the range this weekend. Been a while since I have shot 357sig and it’s my first Glock. I suspect I will be smitten.

What’s a good holster that will fit with the WML? Nothing fancy but practical OWB that can throw on when not in backpack or truck?

For CR123, I recommend and use Surefire brand batteries only, no second choice.

For holsters, there are lots of kydex options for that combo, but that's a lot of hardware to hang off of a belt.

If you would consider a Wilderness Safepacker, you can carry your pistol and WML plus a spare magazine, and if the 22 round .40/357 mag is no longer than the 24 round 9mm extended mag, you can fit one of those in the spare mag slot of this holster.

Shown is my Wilderness Safepacker Government +1"-size with my gen5 G17 (with an OEM +2 mag extension), Surefire X300U-A and a 24 round spare mag. All of this fits perfectly in this holster.

You can carry this holster in your hand for a fast draw, you can wear it with a shoulder strap, and you can attach it to your seat belt for when your carjacking friends show up. You can even wear it on your belt and there's a Hiker/Mountain Biker Pack to which you can attach this holster. Very versatile.