Help picking a carbine light

[dperdue]

I’ve never actually had a carbine mounted light. Just curious what everyone is using and why. Any advantages to tail cap activated switch over the tape switch? How many lumens do I want? It will be going on an upper with an 11.5” barrel and a 10” Geissele mk4 rail with fixed BUIS.

Thanks

[themonk]

What's your intended purpose of the light? Home defence? If so do you live in an apartment or a home? Is it urban or rural with land? SHTF / truck gun? Or is the upper for duty use?

[richief]

I Had a tlr1, non strobe, the battery door hinges let go while shooting a few tripple taps on targets. They don’t even answer the phone at streamlight, I won’t be buying another. I’ll be watching this thread too. Gl.

[dperdue]

What's your intended purpose of the light? Home defence? If so do you live in an apartment or a home? Is it urban or rural with land? SHTF / truck gun? Or is the upper for duty use?

It’s going to be my home defense rifle. I live in a rural area. It’s 302 yards from my front door, to my nearest neighbor’s front door. I also live a short drive from the Alliance PD range, and I’d love to do one of the shoot house classes there, which is going to require a carbine light.

I Had a tlr1, non strobe, the battery door hinges let go while shooting a few tripple taps on targets. They don’t even answer the phone at streamlight, I won’t be buying another. I’ll be watching this thread too. Gl.

I currently have a TLR1 on the Glock 17 I keep in my nightstand.

[D.O.A.F.S.]

It’s going to be my home defense rifle. I live in a rural area. It’s 302 yards from my front door, to my nearest neighbor’s front door. I also live a short drive from the Alliance PD range, and I’d love to do one of the shoot house classes there, which is going to require a carbine light.



I currently have a TLR1 on the Glock 17 I keep in my nightstand.

Do the shoot class at Alliance with Joe Weyer, his low light lecture will answer all your questions. Get the best light your budget will allow, I would recommend the Surefire DF Scout. I'll be traveling back to Alliance for a couple more times this year, the first of which is next weekend. If a date you pick for a class lines up with one of mine I'll give you my spare to use for the class, PM me. Guys will say and make all kinds of claims of how many lumens you need or this light is better then that, and I know I'm just some guy...right. Make your decision off of facts and "your" experience. "Doing work" with the light and "moving through your home" are 2 different animals. I can promise you if you take a FoF class at Alliance and have 2 lights available to use, use the DF Scout on your first run then the 600-1000 lumen light on your second, I promise you will only use the DF Scout the rest of the class. My first trip/class at Alliance I had a Surefire X300U mounted on my carbine, that changed as soon as I returned home. 2nd piece of advice, don't waste money on a pressure pad to activate the light, mount the light so it can be activated with your thumb from your normal firing grip.

[GTF425]

don't waste money on a pressure pad to activate the light, mount the light so it can be activated with your thumb from your normal firing grip.

Why is that?

[D.O.A.F.S.]

Why is that?

Because they will fail, no matter who the manufacture is. And fail at an inconvenient time, ask me how I know. Again my experience of guys that continue to run them always carry spares.

[GTF425]

Again my experience of guys that continue to run them always carry spares.

I thought you had a TTP picked up, like holding someone under light being easier with a tailcap switch vs tapeswitch, that made that your preferred method.

[dperdue]

I’m a big fan of Surefire lights. I carry an older E2e in my pocket every day when I’m not at work. My employer provided me with an older 6p for work (maintenance in an industrial facility). I keep a Surefire M3 on my nightstand.

[zombiescometh]

Cheapest
Surefire g2x tactical and light mount $75-85

streamlined in front of front iron sight
Streamlight tlr1 $120
Streamlight tlr1-hL $142
Surefire x300u $270
Streamlight tlr1 series tape switch $60
Surefire x300 series tape switch $160

Battery versatility
Streamlight protac rail mount 1 AA or 1 cr123
With regular clicky tailcap and tape switch $100
Streamlight protac rail mount hlx 2 cr123 or 18650 rechargeable with clicky tailcap and tape switch $126
Surefire m600df 2 cr123 or 18650 rechargeable just clicky tailcap $270
Surefire tape switch $80-150

Some are brighter, some have better throw, and some have a wider beam.

I have all these lights except for the sf tape switches and the sf m600df but have heard good things.

Some might say that the tlr1 and protac 1 aren’t bright enough at 300 lumens but I still find them to be solid lights.

I don’t shoot a lot but every light in one form or another has worked great on both my ar15 556 & ar10 308 as I wasn’t sure what type of light I would like the best and they would find homes on other guns. With my limited experience if the light has 300+ lumens I’m happy and I find myself enjoying the lights with tape switches the best as it just makes things easier in my opinion.

If possible find friends, shooting range or lgs that would has some of these lights so you can see what type of activation and placement you like best or just buy a lot of different lights like me


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