So im shopping for a flashlight for my rifles and im gonna go ahead and ask for a bit of help . This is what im looking for :
Light weight
LED
Under a 100 bucks.
Handheld aka not just weapon mounted
Battery type is a non issue with me and it goes without saying that it has to be able to withstand the rigors of being weapon mounted . Id also prefer that itd be made in the USA . So no Fenix lights . Ive been cruising the flashlight review websites (yes those exist) and ive found this http://www.inforce-mil.com/6vx.php and it seems to fit the bill . If anyone knows of something similar that would be great . That way i have options .
Edit: I saw that Rob_s started a similar thread about a month ago that was recently revived . Apologies for starting a similar one.
Recently bought 2 at a gunshow for $45 each. Great lite, 200 lumens. If you use a gear sector mount make sure to get the mount for the 6p not the G2 as the G2X is slightly thinner than the G2. Great for handheld too.
I believe SureFires are designed and assembled in the USA from both domestic and foreign components. They qualify as “American Made” under the Buy American Act. I think some of the LEDS used in them are made else where though because of lack of supply here in the states.
Streamlight polytac all the way. I have 3 of them and have not killed one yet. hech one of them survived a fire I was in and our TIC camera said it was over 600° in there and it still works on the same batteries it came with over 6 months ago. It may set you back about $45. I use one on my DD rifle also in a vtac mount. Trust me you will love it.
Good advice. The Surefire G series is the best budget weapon light I’ve used. I have an older one that’s currently on its third deployment and still going strong. I’ve used it on 5.56 and 7.62X39 weapons. The newer G2X is a good light too. I don’t think you give up any practical capability with the polymer body and the newer ones have what appears to be a stainless steel liner. You can get one for less than $100. Viking Tactics sells a few combos that come with their mount.
+1 on Streamlight PolyTac if it has to be a handheld type light under $100. Mine has been great, I use to carry it in my firefighter pants then I gave it to my wife.
I’ll “third” the PolyTac. I have two, one of which has been mounted on my rifle since about Jan 2010 and have only changed the battery once…although it doesn’t get used THAT much. I got both mine for $33. I don’t think there is another light on the market that gives you more for the price. Obviously though, you can get better lights if you spend more. I’ll be replacing the PolyTac with the VTAC Mini L4 eventually.
I hate the tail cap. I mean… I run a few of them… but just on my toys.
The tail cap/switches are just so cheap. I have one that will turn on if I lay the gun down and the cap gets sideways pressure on it. And I can’t put a G2’d gun in a case, because either the cap or the button can activate the light and kill the batteries… or worse.
No shit? Even when you have the cap backed out far enough to lock it out? Either way it’s still not a good thing, oyu wouldn’t want to bump the tailcap against your kit and have a light AD. I’ll have to check my older style G2 when I get home and see if it has that problem. I’m dicking with one of the newer ones right now and can’t duplicate the problems you describe. Let’s hope they fixed whatever was causing them, the damn things are expensive.
I have seen multiple G2s that do this. It can be exacerbated by the light mount it’s put into if the mount ends up putting a bend in the body of the light. It’s one of the reasons I won’t recommend them as a weaponlight substitute anymore. Surefire just went too cheap on them.
If you’re saying after doing the following it still comes on, you should or should have sent it back. If so, you got a bad one. Occasionally Mercedes Benz produces a lemon too, or Cadillac or Lexus etc.
Have you had problems with other Surefires or is this the only one you’ve had an issue with?
How do I lock out my flashlight tailcap switch?
First make sure your flashlight is functioning. Then unscrew the tailcap until the light will not turn on when you press the tailcap switch, or when you wiggle the tailcap from side to side.
If the flashlight does not turn on, the tailcap switch is locked out. You may wish to unscrew the tailcap another ¾ turn to be absolutely certain it’s locked out. If your tailcap has a small “scoop” mark in the rim, use this for future reference to determine how much the tailcap should be unscrewed to lock out the switch.
NOTE: After locking out your flashlight, always push the tailcap switch to make sure it is truly locked out.
+1 for the polytac. Jr tactical, I too use one attached to my fire helmet as well as my rifle and couldn’t be happier with them. Def the way to go for a light under 50$
Yea ive heard good things about them. I just hate buying chi-com stuff if there is a good american substitute . Hell id rather buy a japanese light than a chinese one. At least they like us. Keep the suggestions coming guys. As far as size goes I dont want much bigger than a Nova-Tac storm. Also to whoever mentioned it i agree that spending a few hundred bucks on a light is silly. The light i first posted is listed on amazon for 77 bucks. I may post on some of the flashlight review forums and see what they say.
switch the tailcap to the clicky one, problem solved… i run a G2 LED with Z59 (Clicky) tail cap on my 870 and a G2X with Z59 tail cap on my AR in a IWC mount, couldn’t be happier. 200 lumens for $60 can’t be beat
