Shotgun mounted light

[BFT]

Please help me find a good light to mount on a Mossberg 500 shotgun. I will be purchasing an Elzetta flashlight mount as I like the design. It will hold a flashlight From .70" to 1.05" Diameter. Things that are important to me. I would like to go 18650 powered as I already have many of them for my other lights. I would like to stay at $100 or less if possible. The light doesn't have to fit any other roles other than being reliable. I have a couple of lights in mind so far.


Streamlight 88850 Pollytac - Cheap, under $40. Runs on CR123A batteries (maybe better than using an 18650 as it will be an SHTF light)

Klarus XT11 - 18650 powered, more expensive at $75.

I don't need a remote switch as the mount will locate the light right in front of the foregrip so a tail cap switch will be optimum.
I welcome any new suggestions or comments on the two lights I am considering so far.

Thanks

 

[SoCalDep]

I just got one of the new Streamlight Polytac lights...the 275 lumen programmable version, and I'm really happy with it. I checked a couple places that show it listed right at $41.00, and I'd take that over the older version.

I was using a Surefire e2e body with LX2 head (for single-mode 200 lumen clickie) in a VTAC light mount on my Benelli, but after some slugs the "e" (small light body) adaptor broke and the light shifted. I switched to a Surefire 6P LED (old 80 lumen version) and it stayed in place but doesn't have clickie capability and that's unacceptable. In fact, that reminds me, I need to try the Polytac in the VTAC mount....

I get what you are saying re: 18650, but I'm ok with CR123s because they don't get used nearly as often as other lights, and can be left in the light for years maintaining their charge. I shoot a lot and train a lot in low light and still rarely have to change out the batteries...Of course I get most of my CR123s supplied to me.

 

[BFT]

I will check out the Streamlight you are mentioning. They seem to be a great bargain and will fit the intended use nicely it seems.

Thanks

 

[SoCalDep]

Cool! I put the Polytac on my Benelli last night...I'm going to shoot the hell out of it with buck and slugs (all full power) and see how it does. The VTAC didn't fit the light perfectly (just a bit loose) but with one wrap of of black duct-tape it fits great...But we'll see what happens with use! I expect the mount to fail before the light. Without firing it I'm really happy with how it works. I set it to high-only.

 

[SoCalDep]

Just a quick update... I've put 100 rounds of full-power 1oz 1600fps Winchester slugs, 50 rounds of Federal Tactical LE127 00 full-power 00 Buck, and 15 rounds of Winchester AA target loads and both light and mount are still kicking. I managed to shoot the rear sight on my shotgun loose and had to re-sight, tighten the allen screws, and locktite... Now that the sight is fixed everything seems to be holding fine right now.

The light is working great and it's not coming off. I'm very happy. I will try to update as I put more rounds through the setup.

In other news, my support-hand index finger is still in pain as I type this. I tried the new Surefire 600 Lumen forend (DSF?) on our 870s with Knoxx stocks...and it's a big goose-egg. I don't really know what they were thinking with this setup but it's bad on many levels. If you or anyone else decides to go with a dedicated forend I'd recommend the older Surefire variants (great units) or a picatinny mount/light. The new Surefire and Eotech offerings are great ideas done really wrong.

 

[BFT]

That sounds like the light is working good. Do you remember the model number of that light?

Thanks

 

[SoCalDep]

I looked it up and it's the model # 88850.

Here's a Streamlight link:

http://www.streamlight.com/en-us/product/product.html?pid=159

It's their 2014 model but it's available at several on-line retailers. I put a few more rounds of buck through it over the past week and it's still going. I haven't shot it at night, and I've found some reports of flickering since it's not dual spring. I don't work a night shift again until next week, so I'll have to try it then to see. Too bad as I could have tested it earlier tonight. Oh well. I'll see what happens.

 

[BFT]

I think I might end up ordering this light. If you do shoot it at night I'm interested to hear if it does flicker. I'm sure if the light was ever needed for home defense, a flicker after shooting would be my last concern.

 

[Tmack]

Something like this?

I just recently got the black aces full quad rail for the 590.
So much easier to accessorize.
Now has a nitecore mh25, laser, all the bells and whistles.
Some good lights for the elzetta are the convoy m1 (cheap durable)
The s200c(nice and throwy for longer range)
V25c (infinitely variable)
Nitecore mh25 ( nice beam profile, usb charging)

All take 18650, and provide more than enough light.

 

[Tmack]

Btw, all of those lights have survived trips to the range

I prefer the nitecore mh25. Has a nice all around beam, and I can just plug it in if convenient, or remove the cell to charge.

 

[SoCalDep]

Update regarding the Polytac...I shot the Benelli last night with the light activated. 25 full power buckshot rounds and 10 full power slugs. No flickering at all. The light worked perfectly and I'm completely happy with it.

 

[SoCalDep]

Another update...

In mid-September I attended a shotgun course put on at our facility where we shot probably 50 slugs, 100-200 buck, and 100-200 AA shot shells. I drove the Benelli, and the light HARD. During barricade shooting (with slugs) I bent the clip in half (I pulled it off the light) and even significantly bent the mount, which I bent back into place. There was a bunch of paint from the barricade stuck on the Polytac and it still works as good as the day I put it on the gun! The light shifted slightly in the mount due to the forces involved, but not enough to be concerned, and it hasn't moved since.

I've done a bunch of dry low-light movement with the light and I'm very happy with how it works, but I've not done as much live-fire as I'd like... Hopefully that will change soon when it really gets dark earlier.

 

[cleans up]

sweet! this has been a good read. I'm looking for a new weapons light, and from the descriptions this will hold up to more than I'm likely to dish out. Now off to the web to see what one of these will set me back