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Old 02-25-2011, 07:18 PM
WilliamG WilliamG is offline
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Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser?  
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Default Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser?

Pics would be good, cause I've got no idea where a smart/easy place to put them is.
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Old 02-26-2011, 09:39 AM
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TwistedCreations TwistedCreations is offline
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Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser?  
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I will snap a pic here shortly for you, as to where I mounted mine last night
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Old 02-26-2011, 09:51 AM
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ChattanoogaPhil ChattanoogaPhil is offline
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Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser?  
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I put the pressure pad between rails 9 & 12 so I could use my left thumb to activate.
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Old 02-26-2011, 09:56 AM
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TwistedCreations TwistedCreations is offline
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Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser?  
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i put it lower on the grip, so the wife wouldn't always be activating it..Where i have it going up through the Magpul rails, I notched the back out to allow the cord to go through..




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Old 02-26-2011, 11:16 AM
Foxtrot Foxtrot is offline
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Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser?  
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I look at things from a real life tactical perspective. I use pressure switches on my duty weapons, and used them in the military as well. There is nothing like having a light or laser come on before your ready for it to do so and giving your position away.

I know that your using this on a 15-22 and probably not that likely to use it in a real life-n-death situtation, but you never know.

I know a lot of people mount the switch on the hand grip and think its looks cool, but mounting it so the full hand covers it in a shooting grip mode is actually the worse place to put it. The best place to mount it is so it takes an intentional movement of a finger (or thumb) to activate it without changing your grip (much), and where its not activated accidently just because you gripped too hard in an "exciting" moment. One thing you learn in the real life tactical world real fast is that cool looking does not translate to reliability and dependability in a critical moment. Aside from this factor, you can also prolong the switch life in the pressure switch by not gripping it every time you grab that hand grip - the less times there is pressure on the switch the longer it will last (generally).

Another thing about the cord for the pressure switch, a lot of people "dress" them up to be nice and tight. You don't want to do that, you want a little slack. The reason is that if you get it too tight, the slighest snagging against clothing or anything else may damage it at the device end or at the switch end by pulling physical electrical connections internal to the device or switch loose which may not be evident from an outside visual inspection.

Another thing you don't want to do is to have the cord "tight" against a weapon part corner or edge. Repeated movement or pressure or snagging, with it rubbing against the weapon part, can damage the cable internally. You also do not want the cord "trapped" between any edges or parts, the cord at these points should be able to move freely and not be "held in place" by a clamping action of some point from sandwiching between parts.

You want the cord a little loose but not some large loop of cord just flopping around, about 1/4 inch maximum of looseness at any point on the cord and around weapon parts.

Oh, one more thing, don't use rubber bands on the cord to secure it, and for goodness sakes do not use cable ties. These put a narrow single point pressure on the cord that over time under the right circumstances can cause the cord internal wiring to be damaged and broken, and the ridigness of a cable tie corner edge also acts almost like a knife edge fulcrum against the cord which can also cause the cord to be damaged internally quickly with repeated movement. Use a wide piece (about a half inch wide minumum) of bycycle inner tube and make your own for those flat surfaces the cord crosses where you need to hold it in place, make sure the inner tube is used on areas which would not curl the edges of it up or fold it back as you want the full surface of the inner tube on the cord.

One tip to route the cord and hold it in place if you have multi-railed forearms is to flood the area between the rails where the cord is routed with that silicon sealant stuff, you can get it in black. You flood the area where the cord passes between the rails with the stuff, and then embed the cord about the middle of the silicon and let it cure at least 24 hours. Don't need all that much of the stuff, flood it in so it catches the rails on the bottom of the rail above the flooded part and the top of the rail below the flooded part and is on the underside of the rail part. If you need to, trim the silicone a little after it cures, or to remove the silicon from the cross bolt sections in a rail. This keeps the cord stable, allows for some flexability and shock relief, is removed eaisly if you need to replace the cord (do the silicon again if you do replace the cord), and does not interfer with attaching another rail mounted device over the cord. Of course this assumes your going to put the device on the rail and leave it in place.

Avoid the use of curled cords, use straight cords. Small diameter curled cords are more prone to internal wiring damage, or small outside cover cracks which allow moisture ingress or exposure of the internal wiring, when stressed repeatdly over time.

The switch? If you really have to put it on a hand grip, do not rely on any adhesive backing that comes with it, and don't stick it on with double sided tape or other adhesives, it will not outlast your use or abuse of it. Instead, the bycycle inner tube comes to the rescue. Cut a piece 1 inch longer then the switch and use that to attach it to the hand grip, put the switch against the hand grip (without using the adhesive) and work your home made pressure switch "condom" over it so that at least 1/2 inch extends beyond each end of the switch body and forms up against the surface the switch is mounted on. You can also do this on hand guards. Not only will the bycycle tube trick secure it in place but it will also provide some further "mechanical strenghtening" protection for the switch. The reason you do not want to use any adhesive to attach the switch is ... if you change your mind later about where you have it mounted or want to re-position the switch a little to fit your use in reaching it, when you go to peel it off you will probably damage the switch, plus adhesives loosen over time and you end up with a switch dangling and flopping around, with the bycycle inner tube trick you don't have that problem.

That pressure switch was never intended to be mounted on a hand grip believe it or not. Its a standard switch design that permeates the market and supplied with just about everything. It was designed to be mounted on forarms length wise horizontally along the same axis as the device and activated via finger/thumb pressure, with the cord running in the same axis straight from device to switch. Yes, I know a lot of people use them and thats what everyone supplies, and its marketed as being mountable on the grip. When tactical accessories got "cool" to have in the commercial market, that switch became part of the "culture" and everyone in the world started to swear by them, cords got longer, and all sorts of mounting schemes came forward, and its just about all you can get, but that doesn't mean you can't use it effectively or reliably if your smart about it. Generally, the ones that come with a device are "more" cheaply made, especially if the device is a "budget" device, if you can replace it then get an actual mil-spec grade cord and switch.

Ever heard the phrase "for the want of a nickle cost part a battle was lost." ...or maybe "You have the finest equipment in the world but always remember it was made by the lowest bidder"? Thats the case with these cords that come with these "budget devices" and not providing conditions where it has the best chance of survival. In a critical moment you briefly wonder just why that laser or light did not come on when it worked fine yesterday or even a few minutes ago, in the real life tactical world this might be your last thought ever. I can't even begin to tell you of the number of times when failures were investigated that the cords were found to have been damaged due to the above.

Last edited by Foxtrot; 02-27-2011 at 12:56 PM.
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Old 02-26-2011, 02:56 PM
WilliamG WilliamG is offline
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Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser? Where do you guys mount your pressure switches for flashlight/laser?  
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Thank you for the pictures and information. Really good stuff. Much appreciated!
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