Anybody have experience with one of these mounted on an AR15?
I was able to pick one up at recently and like the 125/225 output on it. Using it as a hand held light at the moment.
THinking about mounting it as a dedicated weapon light on the planned M&P15
I’ve been using one for a long time on my Home defense gun. I run the GG&G light rail on standard handguards in the 10 oclock position.
There are some better options for lights on a carbine out there, but there are also much worse choices too.
I’m pretty sure the only difference between the M3 and the M96x series of lights is the main body (which has a rail mounting system on the M96x series). It should work fine.
Be advised that SF is currently working on a LED head (the KL9) for the M3/M96x lights that is currently being billed as putting out 350 lumens.
That is good news Thx . . . . .I like the LED option . . have the 6P LED as well and the light output is very nice. When the LED option gets released, I would then just have to purchase the head/lamp unit
I’ve used and M3 and the 96x series and they are good lights. Plenty bright. My only complaint is that absolutely destroy batteries. I was changing them out weekly on my duty light. The LED conversion should be a good thing.
I have had no issues with a plain G2, but I did add a shock bezel just in case.
Is it possible to buy a M96x body alone or does it make more sense to use another mount?
Holy mother o’ wow!
I’ll trade you straight across. My M961 body with thumb screws for your M3 body if you wish. I also have the LT-170 mount that I’d throw in for a few extra $. I like the LaRue offset mount, but they don’t make it anymore for the M96x/M95x series of lights. The M3 body would allow me to use the LT-606 with the M3.
If I were you, I’d just go with the LT-606. Especially if you’re using a VFG.
I would not use the M3 for continuous heavy-duty use. As an HD light, it will probably be fine though.
How come? Isn’t that what it was designed for?
I think it is fine as a hand-held, but not as a dedicated mounted light.
The ones I have mounted broke rather rapidly. The glass broke on hard impact with bezel.
I prefer the M95/96 to the M3 as a hard use dedicated weapon mounted light attached to an issued RAS handguard during operations.
The M3 would be fine for most other applications that did not involve playing too hard.
Just my experience with “testing” a few M3s a couple of years ago. YMMV.
FYI- my definition of testing means “beating the shit out of an item in gradual, duty related incriments until failure occurs. May involve high round counts, heights, drops, slams, and poundings.”
I like the way you test things, sounds like fun.
Interesting! I just figured the M3 used the same bezel as the M96x. I knew the body was different because the M96x is machined to take an integral mount. I’m wondering if the M3 body doesn’t have the battery retention lip the way the M96x body does? Maybe the batteries were slamming against the bulb and bezel causing the breakage.