Flashlight mount

Looking for a good ar15 flashlight mount. I have a magpul mid length m-lok forend. Maybe not top of the line, but a good one.

OK, the M-lok affects the type of rail you attach. Mag-Pul sells rail sections in various lengths, ~ 2 inch works with most lights and doesn't really affect usable fore end length much.

GG&G makes a couple different flashlight mounts that would attach to the rail. One mount is for lights with 1" diameter (metal body), the other is slightly over 1" for plastic body lights like the Surefire G2 series. Either were around $20.

There are also weapon lights that have the mount integral with the light like the Streamlight TLR series.

Due to the expense of the tape type switches, I've learned to avoid them. I have one light with that type of switch and while it lasted a long time, replacing it was $70.

This is a slippery slope. Most lights don't state their diameter, at least so you can understand it. And most mounts are for 1" lights.

I have found the best solution (for me), is to use the streamlight pro tac 2 or HLX rail mount light with an Arisaka scout mount. This gives you a very secure mount, and it is very close to the rail. You can get the mount in either keymod or mlok and the light will mount to either of these. The light is available from 800 to 1000 lumens and works great for my use.

Good luck with your search.

Rick

OK as already stated MLok helps.

Once you have a rail section the sky real is the limit.

I like this Streamlight because it comes with several options right out of the box.
Brightest Tactical Gun Light | ProTac(R) Rail Mount HL-X

I went with a Streamlight TLR-1s which uses a 1913 rail mount. It's small and easy to operate. I can operate it with either hand. It's plenty bright for any real use. Brighter is not always better.

I believe 2 of the latest products for long throws are the Acebeam K70 that retails for about $190. Plenty of lumens and shoots a beam roughly 1300 meters. The Thrunite Tn42 has a beam distance of about 1500 meters and retails for about $200. Because of the size of the heads on both of these , about 2/1/2 " mounting on an AR may or may not be an issue. Either of these lights will give you plenty of throw. The Trunite Tn 40 is also a possibility and will give you a bit more flood than the Tn 42 but also a very nice light. If the 3 I mentioned are a bit heady the Nitecore MH40GT is a nice light for a bit less money and has 1000 lumens and a throw of about 800 meters. Perhaps one of the seniors can chime in about the mounting aspects.

GUNMIKE asked:
Looking for a good ar15 flashlight mount.

Click to expand...

The first question to ask is why you want an AR-15 flashlight mount in the first place.

It disturbs balance of the weapon.

White light destroys your night vision.

Look to other ways of acquiring/illuminating your target.

Lots of different mounts out there that will work. On the cheap, I have used a spare 1 inch scope ring to attaché a flashlight to a picatinny / weaver type section of rail. It works.

Larry

I buy $20 flashlights for mounting on my guns. Get one with a CREE bulb and a 18650 type battery and you will have all the light you need. You can get flashlights that are adjustable focus (spot or flood) or you can get them fixed as flood lights. The lights are bright enough that unless you're hunting hogs at night a flood light will work just fine. There are countless mounts for these lights either for a rail or in the case of a shotgun to mount to a barrel. The vast majority of them work with 1" flashlights and there are a lot of that size flashlights around. Like you will need a rail adapter for your setup. They are much more common and much cheaper to use since there are many mounts that go on a rail.

I've used setups like this on 12 ga. shotguns for quite a while. They are plenty durable in my experience. If I was going to a war zone in the jungle I might think differently but I find the cheap ones to be plenty good enough. They have never failed me yet.

I don't use the momentary switches that either mount with adhesive or inside grips designed for them. You might surprise your target using a switch that comes on only when you push a remote button but in my experience it takes a while for your eyes to adjust to the light when you turn it on. I'd rather turn it on and leave it on. Just don't carry it where your position will be given away. These lights will blind anything you point them at anyway.

I like 45 degree offset mounts for flashlights so they are out of the way. I use a vertical grip so balance issues are pretty much moot. You have enough leverage to keep the gun level with a vertical grip.

Others will want an expensive light for this kind of job. I don't believe it is needed. Maybe 6 or 7 years ago it was needed but flashlights have come a long way and the price has dropped considerably for a quality light. I've bought both flashlights and mounts from Amazon with no problems at all.

I have the cantalever M-lock light mount with a streamlight polytec light. I bought mine as a complete package. The rear activation allows a good grip and easy activation with a simple adjustment of my thumb.....Streamlight PolyTac LED Flashlight with Magpul M-LOK Cantilever Light Mount and V-Block Rings

You can buy the mount and rings from magpul and the light on Amazon in black or brown...

Polytac light...

[ame]https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0026RW530/ref=twister_B002E1AVOS?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1[/ame]

M-LOK(R) Cantilever Rail/Light Mount, Polymer

Light Mount V-Block and Rings

I used the Magpul cantilever mount with an Inforce light on my Mid MOE M-Lok. It's a nice setup for me.

This is what I went with.. accommodates cylindrical flashlights from 0.7 to 1.05 inches in diameter.

ZFH1500 - Elzetta Tactical Lighting

hdwhit said:

The first question to ask is why you want an AR-15 flashlight mount in the first place.

It disturbs balance of the weapon.

White light destroys your night vision.

Look to other ways of acquiring/illuminating your target.

Click to expand...

#1 it doesn’t matter how balanced the weapon is if you can’t identify your target
#2 you don’t need night vision if you have a white light source
#3 a high quality white light on a quality Mount is thousands of dollars less expensive and far easier to train to use than the night vision I assume you must be referring to

Arisaka Defense 45deg mlok scout mount with a streamlight Protac Railmount HL-X (1000 lumen) light. The light and mount can be picked up for less than $150. It’s what I use it’s robust it works. The mount is made to work with the surefire scout series of lights which although pricey are some of the best made.

hdwhit said:

The first question to ask is why you want an AR-15 flashlight mount in the first place.

It disturbs balance of the weapon.

White light destroys your night vision.

Look to other ways of acquiring/illuminating your target.

Click to expand...

I'm assuming he wants a light mounted to his gun so that he can properly use it for home defense. EVERY gun that is used for home defense, should absolutely have a white light mounted to it, if there is a way to mount a light. If its fairly modern, and the aftermarket has made abundant ways to mount a light, then in my professional opinion, you should take the time to research what is available, and then mount a quality light on your gun.

There I said it. If you are using a gun that could readily mount a white light, without one, I would argue that you are doing it wrong. And I have lots of experience, hands on experience in this arena, to back that up.

Next to my bed currently is an AR15, and a M&P 2.0 9MM. And BOTH of them absolutely positively have a white light mounted on them. And I wouldn't have it any other way. And I will scream from the roof tops for anyone that is listening, to put a darn light on your home defense guns if possible.

So that's probably why he wants a light on his home defense guns. Coincidentally, all of the best trainers in the industry advise that its a good idea. And its also the smart and prudent thing to do.

I am very passionate about this, as you can probably tell. I have been there, done that, in the DARK, with an armed assailant, and to say it sucked not being able to see would be an understatement. A light allows your brain to see that is going on, so it can formulate a strategy. Without light, well, you are not able to see as well, and get incomplete data to the brain, which is never good.

bubbatime said:

I'm assuming he wants a light mounted to his gun so that he can properly use it for home defense. EVERY gun that is used for home defense, should absolutely have a white light mounted to it, if there is a way to mount a light. If its fairly modern, and the aftermarket has made abundant ways to mount a light, then in my professional opinion, you should take the time to research what is available, and then mount a quality light on your gun.

There I said it. If you are using a gun that could readily mount a white light, without one, I would argue that you are doing it wrong. And I have lots of experience, hands on experience in this arena, to back that up.

Next to my bed currently is an AR15, and a M&P 2.0 9MM. And BOTH of them absolutely positively have a white light mounted on them. And I wouldn't have it any other way. And I will scream from the roof tops for anyone that is listening, to put a darn light on your home defense guns if possible.

So that's probably why he wants a light on his home defense guns. Coincidentally, all of the best trainers in the industry advise that its a good idea. And its also the smart and prudent thing to do.

I am very passionate about this, as you can probably tell. I have been there, done that, in the DARK, with an armed assailant, and to say it sucked not being able to see would be an understatement. A light allows your brain to see that is going on, so it can formulate a strategy. Without light, well, you are not able to see as well, and get incomplete data to the brain, which is never good.

Click to expand...

I am MistWolf and I endorse this message.

With today's technology, there is no reason to not have a light on your house defense firearm.

bubbatime wrote:
EVERY gun that is used for home defense, should absolutely have a white light mounted to it,...

Click to expand...

Other than personal opinion, where do you get that as a "rule".