Hahahhahaha I know the feeling way to well.. and I hate scattergats
Lets talk WML (Weapon Mounted Lights) all encompassing
- Thread starter Edwardteach72
- Start date
Hahahhahaha I know the feeling way to well.. and I hate scattergats
Xae289
.223 Rem
Amazing timing. I just finished putting together my new Glock 23 and think I want a light for it. Knowing nothing about weapon lights, I have a couple questions.
1) Is there an online resource (videos and/or articles) you guys like and can recommend me to learn about the proper tactical usage of a WML? Is it for blinding an adversary, an aiming tool, purely for ID, etc.?
2) What do holsters for weapons with lights retain on, since on bare guns it's usually the trigger guard? Also, any recommendations for holsters for a pistol with a WML?
1) Is there an online resource (videos and/or articles) you guys like and can recommend me to learn about the proper tactical usage of a WML? Is it for blinding an adversary, an aiming tool, purely for ID, etc.?
2) What do holsters for weapons with lights retain on, since on bare guns it's usually the trigger guard? Also, any recommendations for holsters for a pistol with a WML?
For proper usage, you can look up videos and they kind of give you an idea of what to expect but your best bet is to get some actual training in low-light classes. @OnSight Firearms Training is hosting a course for that coming up on Friday July 15th, 2022 located at Hudson Valley Shooting sports. https://oftllc.us/event/defensive-pistol-low-light-techniques/
With that being said, I would suggest you practice the basics first if you don’t feel quite up to par yet. You can always take other pistol courses as well before getting to a low-light shooting course which usually are not be
Lights have multiple uses including what you mentioned prior of them being a tool to obscure vision, PID’ing, assist in maneuvering around unknown locations…
As for holsters, it depends on what style holster you’re looking for. Are you looking for a holster that you’re going to use for edc, are you talking about a duty style holster, maybe both?
ArmedCorgi
.475 A&M Magnum
@Edwardteach72 @Will556 where does the Streamlight ProTac fall? Garbage? Midrange?
The HLX? 1,000 lumen..... G2G
The way I look at it is its the best bang for your buck to get, it's budget price (you can get the whole package for sometimes as low as $99)
With that said you now have a light that from all my anecdotal evidence has been extremely rugged, I've heard of some flickering under recoil, but I also know people that have them and run them hard and zero issues. Hell I know Ben from @OnSight Firearms Training has HLXs and he hasn't killed one so that's saying something for sure.
I will say from looking around the one real weak link to the whole kit, is the pressure pad. But this is just a minor inconvenience because there are solutions..
1) tape that bish to your tail and call it a day.
2) Cloud Defensive (spoiler this company will probably be a theme in this thread) makes an upgraded pressure pad mount that is rock solid
3) Arisaka makes an adapter so you can run surefire plugs and any pressure pad or button that is for a surefire.
I would also probably upgrade the factory mount to any of the bazillion options on the market because Streamlight like many others was smart and the HLX uses the Surefire Scout style mounts
All great options and not a large investment and can be upgraded as you want or need.. this means you can get a really decent light with pretty good (better than surefire) Output for very little money, and then there are options to upgrade as you see the need or want. Instead of having to make a very large purchase all at once
ArmedCorgi
.475 A&M Magnum
Having some light (from a quality light) is better than no light
ArmedCorgi
.475 A&M Magnum
I'm gonna assume the 350 is still a decent light. It's a Streamlight. What is killing me now, is the 1000 lumen one isn't all that much more than what I bought. I'm thinking an upgrade is coming.
Yea the only complaint I'd have about the 350 is the very very low end of output. But again it isn't something that you need to throw away tonight and order the 1,000 lumen asap.. I would say sooner than later but the one you have can serve a purpose
I usually say to people that the price difference between the Protac Rail Mount 1 or Rail Mount 2’s to the HLX is negligible, they might as well get the HLX to begin with. It’s barely more expensive but you get a better performing light. I use the HLX as a baseline of a long gun wml. Streamlight is a good company and the HLX gets you a light that’s very usable and performs well, especially for the price. Like mentioned before, there are slight possible downsides to it which some people have had issues with of slight flickering, and the durability of the pressure switch. Since there is an adapter by Arisaka that allows the end user to run Surefire pressure switches that alleviates that issue. My main problem with that is final cost. By the time you’re done buying an HLX Rail Mount, buying the Arisaka adapter, then still buying a Surefire pressure switch, you’d be pretty close to the cost of purchasing a Cloud Defensive REIN to begin with. Then you would have a better performing light that is undoubtedly more rugged, outperforms the HLX, and pretty much everything else out on the market. With all that said I have had the handheld version of the HLX for years and it still gets the job done when I use it.
**Edit: I forgot to mention before don’t buy the newer HLX version with the laser, there’s really no need for it. Visible lasers are pretty gimmicky and look cool in 90’s movies. Visible lasers are mainly used now in conjunction with IR devices and aid in zeroing them. Since you can’t see an IR laser with the naked eye, most IR devices have a vis-laser built in that is slaved to the IR laser. So it gives the end user the ability to zero the IR laser during daytime and/or without nods (night vision) just by zeroing the vis-laser. Also since lasers are almost never directly in line with the bore and are off to the side somewhere, you now open up a whole new type of zeroing for them. You have to choose if you want to use a converging zero or a parallel zero…but like I said, that gets more in depth and really should only be needed for IR devices and night vision setups**
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Currently I am running a Surefire X300 on one pistol, Modlite on another and a handheld Modlite.
Rifles have Surefire Scouts (1500 Lumens) and my DMR has an Atiball on it. If you have not seen Atiball.....
So what you could do is change the forend on it. Agency Arms sells handguards that fit the M2 and in the product description it states that “Modular Mlok rail for the Benelli M2 Some fitting may be required for Performance models and M1 Super 90 models”. So if I were you I would call or email Agency Arms and speak with someone about having one of their handguards fit your M1. They obviously do work because they have a section on their site where you can have Agency upgrade your M1 completely, and part of the upgrades is adding one of the handguards…the only handguards they have that they would use on the M1’s are their M2 handguards. So they obviously are able to make it work.
Benelli M2 Compatible MLOK® Handguard
Modular MLOK® rail for the Benelli M2 Some fitting may be required for Performance models and M1 Super 90 models
If you don’t want to go the Agency route there are others like the one from Briley.
Briley MFG - Briley 3Gun M-LOK Handguard - Benelli M2 (Pre 2023)
Briley 3Gun M-LOK Handguard - Benelli M2 (Pre 2023)
www.briley.com
Upgrading the handguard to something like these definitely gives you much better options for attaching lights and accessories like handstops to your M1 and it all mounts directly to the rail, so you don’t run the risk of damaging or scuffing up your barrel or tube from having clamping adapters to them.
LEP (Laser Excited Phosphor) tech is interesting, definitely extremely focused high candela lights and definitely geared towards long range work. I’ve heard from Danny Zhang (Weltool) and he has confirmed that the Atibal Ai-1 lights are in fact just slightly athletically changed heads that they are contracted to manufacture for Atibal. They are the exact same as the Weltool LH3 heads. So if you’re looking at picking up another head for another 18350/18650 body, you can buy a Weltool LH3 head and get the exact same performance for less money.
carpediem
.338 Win Mag
A lot of good info here. I have one question. Any light/mount combo suggestions for a Glock 30s? An aside to that is what to use for a concealed holster. I carry it in a Galco Jackass rig now, but i do not see that as being light compatible.
Any input would be appreciated.
Any input would be appreciated.
The 30S is one of those almost in between sizes with how the designed the frame. They call it a “Sub-Compact” but it’s really not. The slide is almost the same length as a Glock 19. The rail slot on the frame is all the way at the very front edge. I don’t personally own a Glock 30S but from what I’ve seen some have said they can get a Streamlight TLR-1 HL, or an Surefire X300U but it requires pushing the tan from the front with a screwdriver to bend the tan into the rail slot (which I’m not a fan of forcing a piece of gear to fit if it really doesn’t). Also with those two larger options the front edge of the mounting body still overhangs a bit which I don’t like much either. So it seems like you are kind stuck with the Streamlight TLR-7 or Streamlight TLR-7 Sub. I prefer lights that perform better than those but sometimes you have to work with what you got.
As for holsters most people don’t carry in over shoulder rigs anymore since they’re outdated and gone are the days of 90’s cop shows. They’re definitely slower to draw from, you always need a cover garment to conceal it, technically muzzling anyone that stands behind you (though that is kind of a training issue). Most holsters nowadays are all mounted to the belt, be it duty holsters, 4o’clock carry, or appendix. You also have to choose between OWB (Outside the WaistBand) vs IWB (Inside the WaistBand), but it mainly should be IWB. OWB does not conceal very well at all, people stick out like sore thumbs when they mount holsters and guns on themselves that go on the outside of their silhouette, especially on warmer or even hot days when they have less garments to aid in concealing. I myself prefer appendix carry and I use a Tier 1 Axis Elite. There are companies out there that make quality holsters like Tier 1, LAS Concealment, Tenicor, Phlster, Dark Star Gear…to name a few.
Can always go with a Surefire x300u or Streamlight TLR-1 or Modlite PL350 and get a Phlster Floodlight, or Tier 1 Concealed "MSP Pro Series"
Both holsters allow you to carry almost any gun in the same holster as long as its attached to the correct (above mentioned) wml
Parzival
.357 mag
Will is spot on, I had to go with a TRL7 on my 29.
Speaking of WML..
Remember always have a capable handheld with you as well
Remember always have a capable handheld with you as well
Yea. -_- I actually don't understand what's going on with the P2 supply.
Aimpoint just released their "Duty" aka a budget version of the T2. And like a week after they announced it, it's been in stock everywhere no issues..
But the P2 was announced fall of last year?? Shit actually it may have been summer.. and they can't get stock anywhere.
Like it's killing me lmfao. I have the cash burning a hole in my savings account just waiting to give it to someone
Just don't run it behind a 16" 308 with a muzzle break.
carpediem
.338 Win Mag
The TLR 8 is an LED version of the 7?
Edit - I now see that it isn't.
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carpediem
.338 Win Mag
Thanks for the information guys. I went with the TLR-7A Flex. I am trying to decide on an appropriate holster now. Not really sure which i want to go with.
