A year or two back Para started a thread about having a weapon-mounted light on your primary defensive firearm used at night.

Based on the discussion and an opportunity to do a barter transaction with another forumite, I have a Streamlight TLR-1 on my P320.

I just got a bonus from work and want to add a WML for the AR-15 SBR and/or my 12 ga 870 tactical.

I want several features:

- Brighter than a supernova,
- Can be used as an illuminator for the NV scope I am contemplating buying,
- AA or AAA battery (not CR123 or some equally hard to find battery),
- Remote switch I can mount either at the forward grip or the rear grip,
- Able to take the pounding of an unsuppressed 5.56x45mm or .308 WIN rifle or 12 ga slug shotgun,
- Whatever else the forum thinks important, and
- Under $200.00, if at all possible (sub $200 lets me get one for the rifle and another for the shotgun)

So my fellow SIGforumites, what say you?

Don't think that exists so I'll be excited to see what might be proposed by others. But I use the surefire scout and/or X300 since they are all I trust that have true IR switching (the most key item to me).

http://www.surefire.com/m600va...-bk-scout-light.html

About as close as you can get to meeting all the features.

The AA or AAA keeps you away from the really bright lights.

The IR illuminator also adds to the price and is also a feature not usually found on high output lights.

If you want an affordable AA and forgo the nova hot and IR the dual fuel Streamlight Protac Rail mount.

Another possibility if you don't mind going CR123, you could look at the Fenix TK25IR and mount it. It's bright, affordable and IR capable but I don't know how it will stand up to the recoil energy of a .308 or 12 gauge.

Another option in the CR 123s is the Inforce white/IR WML gen2 link.It's 400 lumnes plus IR, under $200 with integrated mount, but no tape switch and it takes CR123s.

The closest to your requirements is the $450 surefire above.

I've never seen an IR illuminator on a shotgun. I'd also ask what generation of NOD you are looking at buying and what you are planning to do with it?

I second the Protac kit as a good long gun solution, but as mentioned it lacks a few of your wants. These are what we are putting on our carbines at work.

Streamlight 88059 ProTac Railmount 2L Dedicated Fixed-Mount Long Gun Light, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A...cp_api_v0D9zbKSCFKWN

The under $200 killed your requirements.

Aside from that, there are lots of choices in the Surefire brand that fit what you want. I only use Surefire on stuff that is a lifesaving tool.

Definitely does not meet your requirements, but at work, all we did is take our old TLR1s (because we went to the HL version for our duty guns) and stuck them on our rifles. All it cost us was some front sight base mounts which we all bought with our own money. Better to have a light and not need it than need it and not have it.

I guess our needs are different, we just turn the light on and leave it on. No momentary, no strobe, just light them and go. For my two HD rifles, I had old OLight M10s sitting around so I bought the rifle mounts for it. I tried the tape switch and hated it. I set it up for turn on or off like we do at work. Simplifies things.

CR123A batteries are easy for me since I buy them 50 at a time for $50. They work in all our WMLs and small handheld flashlights.

Yeah, ditch the IR and AA requirements and just get a good weapon light. If you do get NV later, buy a dedicated IR illuminator for that gun.

I haven't changed the CR123 batteries in my weapon lights in years. On my HD rifle, I check it and that the dot is on weekly. Just shot it yesterday and used the light. They typically have a 60 min run time and each burst of light is only a few seconds. I have a box of CR123s that will probably hit their shelf life before I use them all in my various lights.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
The under $200 killed your requirements.

Aside from that, there are lots of choices in the Surefire brand that fit what you want. I only use Surefire on stuff that is a lifesaving tool.

That narrows the field.

Other comments are a help too, especially Chowser's. I hadn't considered a better light for the pistol and moving the current pistol light to the rifle.

Thanks all.

I don't use a weapon professionally, but I have a Surefire X300 with a tape switch on my rifle. I have the option to change out the tailcap to the regular one if I want. The 123 battery is not hard to find at all, I would not rule out lights that use them.

Ive been very happy with this Streamlight setup on my BCM thats sbr’d.

http://streamlight.com/en/prod...otac-rail-mount-hl-x

You don't say what you need the light for? But I find the super bright lights (like the above) to be useless in numerous situations, especially indoors. And the hi/lo settings are often too much and too little. I've found the Surefire Scout output to be a pretty good compromise. In addition I use the IR output. In actual practice the IR output may be a bit much but nothing is perfect. The surefire ones will survive better than the rest.
money you need for sure to get them.

Yeah, suck it up and get a X300 and CR123s.

Buy them in bulk and then forget it.

I have an X300u on an 870 and a TLR 1 HL on the bedside handgun. Different lights for different guns/situations.

As close are you are gonna get at your price range I think:

https://olightworld.com/led-fl...ht-m20sx-javelot-kit

For the 870: CDM gear mod c light mount and a Surefire P2X Fury Tactical light. Or Malkoff MD2 light. Or Elzetta Bones light.

AR15- IWC or Arisaka light mount, Surefire Scout light.

https://arisakadefense.com
http://www.impactweaponscompon...-n-slot/light-mount/
http://www.cdmgear.com/lightmounts.html
https://malkoff-devices.myshop...ey-ha-flashlight-md2
https://www.elzetta.com/product/bones/
https://www.amazon.com/Streaml...keywords=123+battery

Forget the nonsense about not using 123 batteries. 10 year shelf life, lithium, they are THE tactical battery for good reason. Plus you already need to stock them for your TLR1. Buy a 12 pack of Streamlight/Surefire/Battery Station (all identical, all made in USA by the same battery manufacturer) 123 batteries for $20 and they will last you 5 or 6 years. I assume that you (and everyone else) can afford $20 every 5 years to have good lithium 123 batteries in your defensive lights.

I'm far from a wml expert, but you will want a dedicated IR illuminator for NV.

quote:

Originally posted by bubbatime:
Forget the nonsense about not using 123 batteries. 10 year shelf life, lithium, they are THE tactical battery for good reason. Plus you already need to stock them for your TLR1. Buy a 12 pack of Streamlight/Surefire/Battery Station (all identical, all made in USA by the same battery manufacturer) 123 batteries for $20 and they will last you 5 or 6 years. I assume that you (and everyone else) can afford $20 every 5 years to have good lithium 123 batteries in your defensive lights.

Yup. I buy 2 x 12 packs of CR123s when one of the usual places has them on sale, typically for Black Friday or some such event you can get a dozen for $15 or so. I have 3 main weapon lights (X300U/Vs x 3) and I replace all 6 batteries semi-annually. The "used" batteries go into the flashlight battery bin, to be used up as needed in non-critical flashlights. I do this with all WML / optics batteries except Aimpoints, which get replaced yearly.

$20-30 of batteries a year (CR123s, AAAs, and CR3032s) is cheap insurance to know that if I need to use them up, they are pretty much topped off.

quote:

I'm far from a wml expert, but you will want a dedicated IR illuminator for NV

I can't imagine why there is already a lot of stuff hung on the gun for NV, maybe you could elaborate.
I find the switchable surefires just about the best option with the caveat of my comment that they can be too much in some circumstances.