Mounting a flashlight on MOE handguard

**luv2pbal** · 07-19-09, 01:58

Just wondering if anyone has done it? I have seen a lot of TLR-1's and X300 lights mounted, but i was looking to mount my Fenix Tk-10 on my MOE handguard. Wondering if anyone has tried it and if so what mount did you use and do/did you like it? Is it too heavy for the handguard?

**dutch308** · 07-19-09, 03:07

I have a Surefire P6 mounted on a Vltor C series scout mount and a Falcon polymer short rail mounted at 2 oclock( I am a lefty) and it has worked very well for me. Not sure about the weight or diminsions of the light you mentioned but if its similar to the surefire it should work. Good Luck.

**rob_s** · 07-19-09, 07:38

I just bought two pieces of rail from Falcon and a Vtac light mount and set about mocking up a whole bunch of solutions. I found none of them to be adequate for me. I think I'm sticking to the Midwest Industries FSB mount on carbine-length guns.

**SoDak** · 07-19-09, 11:30

I originally had a 6p in a weaver scope ring mounted on a 4" falcon aluminum rail mounted at 2 oclock even though I'm right handed. It worked ok, but I didn't like the excess rail being on there. So I took a scope base for a savage 110(flat receiver) and drilled out the mounting holes so the screws would be the same width as the slots in the handguard(to keep the mounted from shifting). Then I got some taper head screws and a couple nuts and bolted that on the 10 oclock side of the moe handguard. So far it works fine, with my only complaint being that it forces my hand a little farther back on the handguard than I like.

**Bigboote** · 07-28-09, 10:07

For a few months, I've been running lights on my Magpul MOE handguards (along with TangoDown stubby grips). I used Midwest Industries short rails (with blue loctite and torque authority) to mount Surefire 6P's (with clicker tailcaps and drop-in LED's) in VLTOR offset scout mounts. The short rails are a notch or two shorter than the offset mounts and stubby grips, but the locking rods (or whatever those rods are called with the twisting locknuts on the offset mounts) still fit inside.

I put the short rails on the front 10 o'clock for the lights (center 6 o'clock for the stubby grips), and the 6P's are all the way forward inside the offset mounts. I'd prefer the lights to be forward another 1/2" or so, but I can still effectively work the lights while in funky positions (urban prone, SBU, supine, etc). I get some barrel shadow with the lights on, but they're plenty bright with good throw and flood, so I'm okay with it for now.

My thumb has to move off the boreline and backwards a bit to engage the clicker tailcap, and I use the thumb joint to activate rather than the thumb tip. Not difficult; just have to be deliberate when I need some light. Control of the gun is still fairly solid since I have my pointer & pissoff fingers on the MOE handguards and my ring & pinky fingers on the stubby grip. When shooting reaction/support/southpaw side, my thumb moves backward and over the top of the MOE handguards to engage the clickie tailcap, and my fingers stay in the same spots mentioned above. No loosening according to the witness marks on the short rails thus far, but I really want a couple thousand more rounds through this setup before it's miller time. If it doesn't prove stable after that, I'll dump a chic or two that I'm dating and use the cash surplus to get Daniel Defense rails.

Previously, I used the MOE handguards with Midwest Industries FSB rails like rob_s is using. I had the 6P's in the VLTOR non-offset scout mounts and no stubby grips at that time. It was a solid, efficient setup for me. Slightly front heavier with the FSB rail since the light setup was further forward, but it did minimize barrel shadow and was a little easier to activate the light (less deliberate motion with the thumb). I decided to go with a vertical grip to get more control of the gun in the y-z plane (i.e., rotation around the barrel axis). With a vertical grip mounted where I prefer, I had to compromise my grip too much to activate the light on the FSB rail, so I switched to the MOE handguard rail setup.

Bottom line: when I was using no vertical grip on my MOE handguards, the FSB rail was a better performing light mount solution for me. Using a vertical grip on my MOE handguards, the rail bolted on the handguards has been a better performing light mount solution for me.

**theJanitor** · 07-28-09, 11:15

Originally Posted by rob_s

I just bought two pieces of rail from Falcon and a Vtac light mount and set about mocking up a whole bunch of solutions. I found none of them to be adequate for me. I think I'm sticking to the Midwest Industries FSB mount on carbine-length guns.

this is the best solution so far for a light on a carbine with stock length handguards, IMO. i just wish someone made a more trim, lighter solution. Or if MI offered a one-sided mount.

**rob_s** · 07-28-09, 11:18

I started mocking up some other solutions last week but never got a chance to photograph them. To date I haven't come up with anything that beats the pistol light on FSB rail. The handguards are just too short.

On my midlength, non MOE, I have a rail attached to the handguards and if they ever produce a midlngth MOE I'll try it with a short rail as well.

**Jerm** · 07-28-09, 14:16

I'm using a G2L on an Ergo rail with SF-QD mount.As far to the front as possible is just right for me(lefty/thumb activation).

Best pic i have handy...