Review of Hyskore light for j-frame

[oldtexan]

I recently bought a Hyskore revolver light and wanted to share my impressions of it. Pardon the lack of photos; I am a Luddite.

Here's a review (from someone else) with numerous pics of the light: A Gun Light for a Revolver? ? GunsAmerica Digest

This thing replaces the grip and is intended for use on round-butt S&W j-frames. It uses a single CR2 battery (not a CR123 as indicated in the linked GunsAmerica post), has a momentary push-button switch on the front of the grip, and a master on/off switch on the bottom of the grip.

The manufacturer says that the light generates 100 lumens. I compared this light to my Surefires with 80 lumen LED heads and the Surefires are noticeably brighter. More brightness would be better, but I have no idea if this is achievable. There is some shadowing noticeable at about the 7-8 clock position, but less than I expected. The light illuminates the front sight on the 2.125" barreled 640 very well.

As can be seen in the images in the linked article, the grip leaves a portion of the rear of the triggerguard exposed. For me, this resulted in discomfort after shooting 65 rds of Blazer .38 +P 158 FMJ through my wife's 640-1. It's a shame that the maker didn't fill in the area behind the triggerguard a little more completely. It is noticeably less comfortable to shoot than a Crimson Trace LG-305, a Hogue rubber grip, or even the extended grip S&W puts on its j-frames. Filling this area in would likely require relocating the momentary switch about a quarter or three eighths of an inch lower on the front face of the grip.

I noticed that the left side of the grip interferes with ejection of one or more empties on almost every cylinder full, even with a vigorous whack on the end of the extractor rod and the muzzle held vertically. The interfering material appears to be aluminum and could likely be removed without affecting function, solving the problem.

The location of the light interferes with the 640 fitting in an unmodified Raven Phantom.

I think that this thing could be useful even as is,for people using a j-frame revolver for home defense, vehicle defense, off-body carry, and who want to be able to use both hands on the revolver while firing. If the maker could correct the shortcomings mentioned above, and assuming the light proves durable and reliable over an extended period of use, this thing could be a very good piece of kit.

[Old cop]

Thanks for posting. Generally I don't like lights on guns, they can direct opponents fire directly at you. We were trained to hold the light in our off hand, high and away from our body. While a lot has changed since I retired in '97 this still makes sense to me.

[oldtexan]

Originally Posted by Old cop

Thanks for posting. Generally I don't like lights on guns, they can direct opponents fire directly at you. We were trained to hold the light in our off hand, high and away from our body. While a lot has changed since I retired in '97 this still makes sense to me.

Old cop, the handheld does some things better and the weapon-mounted light does other things better. Each has its own peculiar set of capabilities and limitations. I use a handheld for searching spaces and IDing people, but if/when I make the decision to shoot, I want both hands on the gun, which is where the weapon-mounted light comes into its own.

Different folks can arrive at different equipment choices based on differing perspectives and personal situations.

[savit260]

Interesting , but IMO it defeats the main purpose of a J frame which is compactness for carry.

I could possibly see this concept being more useful on a full sized revolver.

A J frame as a dedicated home defense gun just doesn't make much sense to me.

If it's to be a multi purpose tool ie car/belt holster/home defense/pocket gun... sticking a light on it makes a few of those options fairly difficult.