Review: Impact Weapons Components’s TMC (Top Mount Cantilevered) Scout Light MOUNT-N-SLOT for Surefire weapon light
Background:
I have a BCM 12.5” Kino upper that has gradually reverted to a fairly simple setup: Cavalry Arms Midlength C8 Handguard (the skinnier tapered style, as opposed to the fat, double-shielded M4 style), folding BCM/Troy rear sight, and alternating Trijicon MRO/Vortex PST 1-4x optics on QD mounts. The VCAS is connected to the upper by way of their ULoop (https://www.blueforcegear.com/uloop) through the traditional sling swivel. Side note: I love the ULoop in general, particularly in this use. Second side note: In the pictures, you will see the CavArms handguard is ~OD Green, moderately close to Magpul’s furniture. This was my spray painting, not CavArms “OD Green,” which actually looked close to coyote brown with a hint of green, closer in color to the WWII tank at the local park.
If Magpul and BCM could play nice and provide us with a Magpul SL handguard that would somehow fit the triangle handguard endcap, I would have just gotten that and been happy. But they don’t...so I had to figure out a way to attach a weapon light to my go-to weapon.
What I did previously:
I purchased a used ArmsUnlimited FSB mount (https://www.armsunlimited.com/AU-Dua...p/dsrm-fsb.htm) in the Equipment Exchange. Frankly, it was good. Solid. Nothing wrong with it. But here’s the negative: The Surefire M300 sat high (this was good) but added to the height was that the regular Scout 1913 mount has that twist knob...and this raised the visuals in either optic to “crowded.” I get it, I’m sure when you have a laser/illuminated mounted, this has the same effect. But I don’t have that, and I wanted to see if there were a better option.
This shows the four screws that secure the AU mount.
This gives a fair idea of the impact on visuals.
Also, as reference the weight, then the weight of the Surefire 1913 adaptor.
Details on the TMC:
This is actually what I should have bought initially, but figured $15 to try out one thing was better than nearly $40 for something that might not be any better. Plus, this was actually coming from an M600 with pressure pad, so it’s not like the bulky AU mount was going to be a big deal when considering weight. So, to echo the above, I didn’t, nor do I, dislike the AU mount; I’ll probably keep it or give to a friend with a FSB upper.
But, I do prefer the TMC quite a bit.
Installation is very straightforward. There are internal mounts pieces that receive two screws that pass through the TMC body into the handguard. Basic stuff, and it seems secure. The M300 mounted easily and securely to TMC itself.
The negatives:
A) The pictures on the website (https://www.impactweaponscomponents....-mount-n-slot/) do not accurately show what is included in the package. In the pictures, you will see two “double sided” mount pieces as well as two Allen keys. However, what is included are two “one sided” and one “double sided” mount piece for the internal side of the handguard, and no Allen keys. As far as the mounts, it isn’t a big deal; I used one single with the double-sided mount piece and am completely comfortable with its security. For me, it also wasn’t a big deal not to have the Allen keys, because I have a set of my own that worked just fine. But, this could be a problem for someone without a stack of tools.
B) For my handguard choice, the mount actually points the flashlight downward a few degrees. Why? Well, the C8 is based on the old skinny carbine handguards, which have a taper, getting narrower toward the FSB. So, when using the TMC, which mounts correctly and perfectly flat...a downward angle is presented. Frankly, I should have thought of this before ordering. Numbskull move on my part. How big of a difference does this make? I paced off the straightest line I could in my house, about 45 ft, and eyeballed that my crosshairs were about a foot or so high above the “center” of the flashlight beam. What does that mean? It makes no difference out to, and I’m guessing here, about 70+ feet. Beyond that, I imagine that my crosshair/red dot will be well into the penumbra, though still illuminating a target. So for my purposes, I’m good with this. A flashlight on my rifle is going to be used indoors or in a backyard (even that won’t happen) or alley. I’m not shooting down a block at night in an unlit area. Never going to happen. I have a longer barrel with M600 if I see a need for longer range illumination and shooting. And to emphasize, this whole “issue” is due to my handguard choice, not the TMC itself.
The positives:
First, the weight difference is actually noticeable.
This picture includes two extra screws and the extra locking piece, so you could knock a few fractions of an ounce off, but regardless...
The TMC shaves over 2 oz off the muzzle end of the weapon compared to the AU FSB mount. Not too bad.
Second, the height is considerably lower. It is noticeable when looking looking through the optic after the change. Very nice. Worth the purchase just for that.
Third, the lower mounting height has the added benefit of making the weaponlight’s activation button closer to my thumb. Another functional positive.
All in all, I am pleased. The mount has already achieved exactly what I wanted, with two bonuses. The one area I am curious about is heat transfer through the metal mount to my thumb, since normally my thumb placement would be right on top of the middle of the mount. Wether heat transfer is an issue remains to be seen, but ultimately, I can slide my hand back slightly without any true negative effect, and though I have been using the thumb-over-bore extended grip more frequently, I do tend to end up with a palm-heel-against-the-magwell grip since that’s how I was trained. Also, if I’m shooting enough to heat up the mount, I imagine I’m already wearing gloves.
Two thumbs up, I’m happy with it.
On the rifle (ignore the mess)
Originally Posted by 1168
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