Mako products

[Gasitman]

Are these cheap items or good quality stuff. I am looking at a light/laser foregrip combo on ebay for around $180. I wish I could afford the surefire system, but it is not going to happen.

Anyone have experience with Mako products?

[BLK08ROCKERC]

I have the bi-pod/light/fore grip and I love it. It is not as heavy as you would think and I have had zero issues with it.

[GNXII]

UGGGHHH...Save your money. Mako=fail. Wait and save for enough green for a Surefire you will not be disappointed!

[Gasitman]

UGGGHHH...Save your money. Mako=fail. Wait and save for enough green for a Surefire you will not be disappointed!

I can not justify $600 for a frikken flashlight unless I was to use it on a daily basis.

[JonnyVain]

I can not justify $600 for a frikken flashlight unless I was to use it on a daily basis.

Why can't you just get an LED flashlight with a push button on the back and put it in a mount? Even a Surefire without the whole weapon mount system is under $100, then you pay another $50 or so for a mount. Gear Sector has some nice lo pro mounts for lights.

[GNXII]

Why can't you just get an LED flashlight with a push button on the back and put it in a mount? Even a Surefire without the whole weapon mount system is under $100, then you pay another $50 or so for a mount. Gear Sector has some nice lo pro mounts for lights.

Good point JonnyVain...There it is! No one said spend $600 on a light but ,if you end buying two Mako products after your first one breaks, you could have saved up for a Vltor, Gear Sector, Daniel Defense mount with a G-2 light or something along those lines and a quality product(s) that would have lasted you and worked quite well. CAA, Mako etc just part you from your cash quicker and sometimes multiple times. I just dont get why shooters will buy stuff that is all over 'net as being crappy when with a little patience and perserverance they can find what they want in a quality product at a price point that they can afford. Good luck!

[Marty916]

I agree completely with GNX11. My friend PRGGodfather has drilled into me that in the case of gun parts a little research and knowledgeable input before buying is well worth the effort. Good parts bought once is much more desirable than buying crap multiple times. Fortunately this forum is well populated with knowledge and experience to lean on.

[ssorg]

If I "learnt" one thing from this forum it was this:

buy once, cry once

Think about it.

[PRGGodfather]

For a serviceable light for most users, you may wish to look at the Surefire G2 with the Viking Tactics mount combination for well under $80:

www.vikingtactics.com

FWIW, VFG/Light/Laser combos look pretty good on paper, but once you've taken a few classes -- most of us shy away from that format. The vertical grip tends to be too long (the VFG of the month is a stubby, if not a handstop), and the integration usually means getting rid of BOTH elements when one part fails or breaks. I had a Surefire 910A (9 volts!) and while it was an excellent light, it weighed quite a bit and placed much weight at the front of the gun. So, aside from being $$$$$$, the 910 had performance drawbacks that were not evident on paper, and the imbalance made the carbine seem even heavier than it really was. The good news was, as a quality Surefire product, I was able to resell it and get all of my money back!

These days, I am running a Colt lightweight carbine with .625" diameter 16" barrel and carbine gas system (H buffer and FA BCG) with a Magpul AFG, Surefire X300 at 3 o'clock and an XT07 tape switch at the 12 o'clock position -- the result of having completed the Magpul Dynamics Hyper Violent Weapons Manipulation Course in San Bernardino just this last Friday.

A trend apparent to me at least, is most of us on this forum prefer lighter carbines.

Prior to that, I was running the same carbine, but dressed with an LT stubby with the X300 at 9 o'clock on the rail. While this system proved adequate for the course, the current paradigm is supining the support wrist, and the AFG works very effectively for that purpose. Many of us (including me) were driving 6 rounds into 3-inch groups in under 2 seconds at 15 yards -- so simply, my current AFG and light combo is not just more comfortable -- it performs better as to the ergonomic principles relative to balancing speed and accuracy. (Special thanks to M4C Member Rob "Capt." Kirk for hosting and Chris Costa, Dr. Drake and Kerry Davis for a heckuva class, a great time and showing me a system that performs very well. Is it the only way? No. Does it work? Yes!)

For a cost-effective light and railed tape switch system for just under $150, try the Streamlight TLR-1 with tape switch for about $140 at Botach Tactical:

www.botachtactical.com

IMHO, a Magpul AFG (retail $35) with the Streamlight TLR-1 and tape switch ($140) will work better for the same $180 pricepoint you're looking at for the Mako product on eBay, but of course, YMMV -- and my $.02 is about all it's worth. Also, you could use this very serviceable system every day, or just once in a blue moon, SHTF or TEOTWAWKI...

Good luck, and be safe!