Adding a light to my Ruger GSR

[ECVMatt]

First off, this is not meant to be a Scout Rifle debate. I have read others thoughts on the idea and realize that we are not dealing with a pure scout here. I am just a person who needed a quick way to mount a light to his rifle.

While there are a few ways to do this (Scott Hill over at Hill People Gear has a very nice set up), time prevents me from exploring these at this time. I decided to use a picatiny offset mount, mounted under the scope. I realize that I am not the first to think of this, but I had a hard time finding photos of the GSR set up this way, so I thought I would do a short write up.

I ordered a Daniel Defense offset mount. I know that I could have gotten something similar for 5 bucks off of ebay/china, but I like to support US jobs and the quality is superb!



I removed my scope and positioned the mount where I could activate it with my front hand. The mount is very small and hardly noticeable when no light is attached. The mount sticks out about as much as my QD levers on my scope rings.

Here are some pictures with just the mount and with the light attached:

Side view of the mount:


Side view with light:


Rear view with mount:


Rear view with light:


From the muzzle:


Overall I am very happy with how simple this was to set up (Under five minutes), how unobtrusive the mount is, and how the light and scope's center-line are almost parallel.

This is the first piece of picatiny rail accessory that I have ever bought. I like to keep my rifles very simple and clean. I feel this fits well with that theme, but add the benefit of a light. There might be a slight shadow from mounting the light on the side of the scope, but I like being able to active it with my front hand.

Hope some folks find this info useful,

Matt

[jcourson]

For curiosity's sake, why would you mount a light on a bolt action? Night hunting?

[200Apples]

.

First off, this is not meant to be a Scout Rifle debate.

Too late. lol. It's a scout rifle thread.

Jeff Cooper, December, 1994

The Scout rifle project has aroused a good deal of interest, but there is still a bit of misunderstanding about the concept. Fundamentally, no one can appreciate the merits of a Scout rifle until he has used it under field conditions. One cannot make assumptions about it based upon theoretical speculation, because a Scout rifle when properly set up constitutes an accretion of increments which together constitute an object which is greater than the sum of its parts - a synergism

...why would you mount a light on a bolt action?

Why does anyone mount a light on any rifle?


The "Fat Uncle Scout" sold by Ruger (I own one!) is a short, handy, hot rod of a rifle... it can be used to good effect in several ways, not entirely unlike the semi-auto "poodle shooters" that most gadgetry is found upon.

Matt, I dig the setup! although, personally, at this point I find even the scope rings! to be too heavy (I've the same scope and rings).


:-)

[ECVMatt]

I needed to mount a light pretty quickly because I have some property on the very bottom of Kern County. We are totally off the grid and have no power or street lights. It takes the police about two hours to get there under normal circumstances. We have had some problems with break-ins up there and my property finally got hit. I am unable to get up there during the day because of work/school/kids, so it occurred to me that a light might be a needed addition to my rifle. While I do not anticipate any problems, I just want to be able to see if I need to. I am going to make the midnight run up there on Saturday to clean up and secure the place.