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Thread: Help with HD weapon light

  1. #1
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    Help with HD weapon light

    I'm looking for the right weapon light to add to my 11.5" BCM pistol that is slated for home defense and general all around utility. I'm trying to get the most useful performance while still keeping the light simple (clicky tailcap while mounted at 1 oclock) and lightweight. Inside the home, I feel like most any light will do. Outside, my property is semi-rural with most realistic scenarios resulting in shots 75 yards or less. Thus far I've tried the following and had the corresponding observations...

    Streamlight rail mount 2 - Fairly bright and reliable so far while on another rifle, good throw and decent spill. Prefer the Surefires tailcap (more protected from ADs).

    Surefire m300 scout - Slightly less bright than the Streamlight RM2. Decent spill, lacking in throw comparitively. Love the size/weight, and the smoother beam pattern (no noticeable cutoff) is nice when indoors.

    Surefire m600DF - Brightest with great spill decent throw but tends to 'wash out' at distance, especially with fog or light rain. Had trouble with the operation of this light being finnicky. Sometimes would flicker when tailcap depressed and only light up at about 3-400 lumens. Also have to unscrew the head a half turn with the 18650 installed or its constant on (not sure if it's supposed to be like this?).

    Tlr1 HL - Slightly brighter than the Streamlight RM2, less so than the m600DF. Good spill, decent throw, doesn't seem as rugged as the others.

    Have considered the Modlites with the PLHv2 head, but the 18350 option while output and size/form factor would be excellent, run time seems less than ideal. The 18650 version is definitely in the running, just not sure if it's needed.

    Also looked at the Arisaka lights however I like a bit more spill for situational awareness when outside.

    Any thoughts? Any of these lights seem to be able to make PID at the 75 yard range with what little testing I've done. How much light is REALLY necessary? I get that more is generally better, but I seem to see a ton of SBRs with m300 Scouts.

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by campfire View Post
    Have considered the Modlites with the PLHv2 head, but the 18350 option while output and size/form factor would be excellent, run time seems less than ideal.
    I think this is the perfect setup for a HD pistol, SBR or carbine where weight and footprint size are a primary concern. I wish Reptilia would come out a 18350 Torch body.

    Another you may want to consider is the Cloud Defensive OWL, it is a bit of a heavy chunk but is an awesome light. I posted some weights here...https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread...20#post2826720

    I have a OWL, SF DF and Modlite OKW 18350, am in the market for at least one possibly two more lights, it'll be Modlite PLHv2.
    Last edited by titsonritz; 06-10-20 at 20:36.
    Gettin' down innagrass.
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  3. #3
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    I’ll echo that a PLH V2 18350 or a Cloud OWL would be optimal for what you’ve described. I have a wide variety of duty grade rifle lights, and my 11.3” wears an OWL, although it will be getting a PLHv2 once Unity’s switch becomes available, so that I can put my OWL on my 12.3”.

    The two-cell/16650 Arisaka/Malkoff Scout works better than you might expect, and is very light for what it does. I have the 16650/E2HT on my 16” GP gun. I wouldn’t rule it out until you try one, but the Modlight and Cloud lights do beat it in power.
    RLTW

    Former Action Guy
    Disclosure: I am affiliated PRN with a tactical training center, but I speak only for myself. I have no idea what we sell, other than CLP and training. I receive no income from sale of hard goods.

  4. #4
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    I'm in the process of moving to 18650 and 18350 lights nearly exclusively for high-output lights, and very recently purchased a Modlite handheld (18650) with a PLH Gen 1 head off of a forum member here. To say that I've been impressed with the Modlite's performance is an understatement. Head-to-head with Surefire M300s and M600s, I prefer the Modlite's spill, and think that they did a great job in the design and form factor -even in 18650- and I prefer M300-sized scout lights. More and more, I am moving away from Surefire and Streamlight weaponlights towards Modlite's offerings because they are nearly turnkey solutions which outperform Surefire and Streamlight's comparable options.

    The OWL is an awesome light, and it performs exceptionally well - it is a big light, and by big, I mean that I didn't appreciate just how burly it was until I used it. You mention that you would prefer an 18350-sized light, and the OWL isn't anywhere near that in form factor, nor in weight, as others have said above. It's performance makes up for the size/weight downsides though- specifically, the spill is floodlight-esque, in a good way. I am looking forward to Cloud Defensive releasing their rail-mounted light (the REIN), and I'll definitely be picking one up. If it's anywhere as good as the OWL, it will be worth the money.

    Another thing worth considering is that the Modlite lights aren't cross compatible between CR123 and 18650/18350. The 18650/18350 cells are rechargeable and perform much better in terms of output comparatively to CR123s. I think that it's also important to consider how you are using your weaponlight when debating 18650 or 18350 sized lights: If you're using the light as a momentary-on/off with an occasional 1-2 minute (or even 10-15 minute) constant activation, you might choose a different solution than if you are going to be running the light for an extended period of time, or have it constantly activated.

    The 18650/18350 batteries allow you not to trade output performance for size/weight, but instead they trade run-time. There's no such thing as a free lunch!

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    Thanks for the input so far, guys. titsonritz, thanks for the link to the weights. The Owl looks nice but bigger and heavier than what I want for this set-up. I hadn't heard of the REIN before but just did some quick research and it looks really promising. The runtimes look impressive as well and are more than double the specs on the Modlite, however it seems they are referring to runtime until the output reaches 10 percent of initial. Does anyone know how Modlite calculates their runtime? I could make the 18650 version of either work as they are the same length as the Surfire 600DF, and I have a few 18650 handheld lights already. The 18350 size just seems to fit the platform better though. As for usage, most likely it would be intermittent use only in a defensive scenario with the occasional extended activation if I were dealing with 4 legged predators on the property.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by titsonritz View Post
    I wish Reptilia would come out a 18350 Torch body.
    A wish come true...

    I knew they were working on it and now they are available, I'm on it.

    https://www.reptiliacorp.com/product...ok-light-body/
    Gettin' down innagrass.
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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by campfire View Post
    Thanks for the input so far, guys. titsonritz, thanks for the link to the weights. The Owl looks nice but bigger and heavier than what I want for this set-up. I hadn't heard of the REIN before but just did some quick research and it looks really promising. The runtimes look impressive as well and are more than double the specs on the Modlite, however it seems they are referring to runtime until the output reaches 10 percent of initial. Does anyone know how Modlite calculates their runtime? I could make the 18650 version of either work as they are the same length as the Surfire 600DF, and I have a few 18650 handheld lights already. The 18350 size just seems to fit the platform better though. As for usage, most likely it would be intermittent use only in a defensive scenario with the occasional extended activation if I were dealing with 4 legged predators on the property.
    I recently picked up 2 modlights PLH V2 for the rifle and one handheld. Even with little to no use, how often do you guys charge their batteries? Given the 75 minute or so runtime, I’d hate to be stranded in a road, or if the home has an extended blackout so I am thinking to get 7 sets of spares that would give me 7 or so hours for light.

    Thoughts and suggestions much appreciated.

    And for those using them for duty periodically using lights, do you charge them every day to ensure you have the light that works when you need it most, or you just carry spares?

  8. #8
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    Simple, is good. InForce WML. I run the WML on my 805 pistol, and WMLx on my 14.7/16" AR's.
    - Either you're part of the problem or you're part of the solution or you're just part of the landscape - Sam (Robert DeNiro) in, "Ronin" -

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    So, I've decided to go with the Modlite PLHv2. Any thoughts on the runtime of the 18350 version? Is 35 minutes enough?

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by campfire View Post
    So, I've decided to go with the Modlite PLHv2. Any thoughts on the runtime of the 18350 version? Is 35 minutes enough?
    On a rifle, yeah, probably. If you’re using it properly, 35 minutes is a pretty long time.
    RLTW

    Former Action Guy
    Disclosure: I am affiliated PRN with a tactical training center, but I speak only for myself. I have no idea what we sell, other than CLP and training. I receive no income from sale of hard goods.

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