Looking for a light to mount on a rifle

I’m looking for a light with a pressure switch to mount on a rifle. I was looking at either the ultrafire 501b, 504b, or picking up a solarforce host and putting one together. Looking to spend around $20-30. I already have a set of 18650 battery and charger. Let me know what else you recommend. Light will be mounted on a ar15 shooting .223/5.56. For the setup up I doing this time, I actually need more flood then throw. Only need to go about 10 meter. Wont be looking for a 50 + meter till next year.

The Solarforce will be 10X the light a Ultrafire will be.

I figured, any recommendation on what drop in to use?

Also it depends on what dropin you use. My dropin from IO failed on me a month after purchase.

Drop in aside, the SF host may look the same as the clones but the quality is much higher. I have a Ultrafire 502b and several Solarforce lights including two L2Ps and everything about the SF is better. The threads, the lens, the switch, the anodizing etc. It is really no contest as far as quality.

That being said, I wouldn’t really recommend any SF or clone as a rifle light. They are not great throwers which I assume you would want on a rifle. You should be looking for a compact thrower like a C8 but not the Ultrafire version.

For the setup up I doing this time, I actually need more flood then throw. Only need to go about 10 meter. Wont be looking for a 50 + meter till next year.

I mean I really like it. And ya prolly know if I really like something I buy it in bulk which I’m about to do.

Anyway, this little guy is just one amazing compact lightweight package of blazingly beautiful beam throw power, clean lines, crisp sound engineering, machining/QC quality, and overall torch simplicity in design, that I almost can’t say enough good things about it. And it nestles into 1” rings with the slab sides at horizontal just aces. One mode. Which is what a true rifle light must be.

No crenalations, no extra weight or gee-gaws where it isn’t needed, and it’s dehorned so it won’t snag up or help cut your tail cord or any other such gizmatchee. This is the definition of a dedicated rifle light. This light is a true rifle light. And no drop-in involved here. Screw in pill. I don’t like drop-ins anyway. They remind me of dinky emergency spare tires. I’d rather have the real thing.

Suffice to say, try one. Just one. Thank me later. They’re that good. What a bargain. And I especially really like bargains that are superb quality.

Btw, a C8-style pressure switch will work with it.

http://www.manafont.com/product_info.php/sky-ray-1jc8-q4-led-flashlight-118650-p-5495

or from here….

http://dx.com/p/skyray-1jc8-cree-q5-wc-230-lumen-white-led-flashlight-with-strap-black-1-18650-44487?item=1

or……from one other source I’m currently working on. I’ll reveal that source after I’ve bought 14 more units. :cowboy_hat_face:

G’day and welcome wisefire. :slight_smile: What kind of rifle mate? Calibre? Distance from targets?

Ar15 shooting .223/5.56, only need for about 10m so more flood then throw

For a low recoil weapon like a 5.56 AR you don’t need to spend a fortune.

For maximum flood I would use a single mode XML with a Orange Peel reflector.

Here is one of my favorite budget single mode XML drop ins it will handle all the recoil you can through at it and with a 3v-18v range you have a variety of battery choices.

http://kaidomain.com/product/details.S009985

I am not a big remote pad fan but I do have a bunch. There are some major variations of the operation and quality of the remote pads and it can be hard to find a good one.

I prefer the Solarforce L2M because of the easy to access forward clicky the fact I can use a variety of drop ins or batteries CR123/16340/18350/18650 . Remeber a lighter weight setup like a single Cr123 or 16340 light has less mass to hurl around from the recoil so lighter is better for a weapon light.

L2m

Quick release barrel mount
http://dx.com/p/2-75-inch-flashlight-and-laser-universal-gun-mount-5819

A 501A is another of my favorites with a quality forward clicky and a single mode drop in they work great on pistol or rifle. Here is one with an offset mount for easy access to the button. No remote switch I like to keep this one simple it’s one more thing that can fail and pushing 3 amps through a remote pad can be a problem.

501A
http://www.manafont.com/product_info.php/ultrafire-wf501a-flashlight-tube-cr123-mini-p60-host-no-led-emitter-p-4294

High quality forward clicky
http://www.cnqualitygoods.com/goods.php?id=1482

Offset mount
http://dx.com/p/t2008-aluminum-alloy-gun-barrel-laser-flashlight-mount-with-hex-wrench-33823

This Ultrafire remote pad is one of my favorites it has an instant on button a constant on button and an off button

Decent Ultrafire pressure switch for 501A or 504B
http://www.manafont.com/product_info.php/ultrafire-pressure-switch-tail-part-replacement-55cm-p-4999

Here is a scope mounted Hugsby S3 mounting to the optics cuts down on the recoil to the light. You can substitute a 504B or an L2P just make sure you check the switch and test the drop in thoroughly before you trust your life to it. I use an over driven XRE with an aspherical lens for a tight beam visible at 100 yards plus through the scope.

504B
http://www.manafont.com/product_info.php/ultrafire-wf50x-flashlight-tube-metal-bezel-black-no-led-emitter-p-6064
L2P

Scope/ 1” mount
http://dx.com/p/compact-bicycle-bike-mount-holder-for-led-flashlight-sports-speaker-black-126422

I have a factory Glock light only $75 bucks with the mount built in and no reliability concerns

Here is a Cyclone C88 with a shotgun mount, yes again battery choices are nice AA/18650 or 26650.

Some other good mounts I use, blue Loctite is your friend.

http://dx.com/p/qq06-aluminum-alloy-gun-laser-mount-with-hex-wrench-33818

http://dx.com/p/universal-metal-flashlight-mount-1-1cm-3-9cm-2-pack-10761

I have made 100s of drop ins and a potted drop in is preferred for a weapon mount, but it’s not necessary. I have repaired many Solarforce drop ins they seem to have some of the poorest quality soldering I have seen. That being said here is a video of a stock unpotted Solarfoce drop in with an L2 host mounted to a shotgun taking 100 rounds of 12 gauge recoil with no adverse effect.

I don’t recommend anything I haven’t tested and I spend a lot of time at the range with the lights mounted to see what they can handle. Surprisingly some of the more expensive lights can have poor quality soldering which will cause a recoil related failure. So please test your setup thoroughly no matter what you decide on.

Thanks for all the links and your opinions was going to pm you a d ask these questions. Now i dont have to.
Thanks good info as always.

Another thing is I hate is having an expensive light mounted to a gun sitting in the in the gun safe forever when a cheaper less useful light can perform just as well. Price does not guarantee a good solder joint, good connections or good switches so without at least test firing the setup I don’t trust it ever. The best thing is to take everything apart check all the connections and solder joints than glue/pot it all back together, but at the very least take it to the range and run a couple magazines through the weapon with the light mounted.

ya don’t need an aspherical. It’ll get out there 100 yards with plenty of punch and hotspot. It also has a useable spill. I realize he’s looking for a spiller at the moment. I’m referring when he wants his rifle in throw mode.

It’s a heckuva light.

It does look like it would do the trick as long as it has dual springs one on the driver and one on the tail cap to soak up the recoil of the battery moving. After repairing many broken lights and drivers I am partial to small battery lights on weapon mounts because all of the failures I have seen look like this.

Picture is stolen from Foy but shows a typical failure I see on weapon mounted lights. The movement of the battery after each shot breaks the driver loose causing it to loose ground or short out. Potting and resoldering solves this weakness by holding the driver in place if the solder joints fail. The biggest help is a smaller battery decreasing the force on the driver as it’s ricocheting around after each shot is fired.

Thanks for taking the time to post all of that. I’ll look into the light you’ve posted.

If flashlight has multi mode, will pressure switch make it one mode?

What’s a rilfe?

Hahaha… just had to.

Any another option