Surefire guys, which weapon light- the 6p, 6p LED or G2 ?

[maxicon]

Maxicon,
EXCELLENT post full of good information. Question; what mount[s] would you suggest if I wanted to go with the Fenix TK11 ? I'd be mounting it on an AR/ rail and would just as soon not spend a fortune on the mount. Would the Viking Tactics VTAC work ?
And what's the difference between the TK11 and the TK10 ?

Thanks - just trying to give back a little!

I really like the VTAC offset mount. Some people don't care for it because it's made out of plastic, but there are lots of good reviews, and mine's held up well on my shotgun. If you're not sure which way to go, it's a great one to start with due to the low price and high quality.

I also have a couple of VLTOR Scout aluminum inline mounts, which are light, compact, and inexpensive, but it uses the same screw to hold the light and clamp the rail, so if either is a little out of spec, it can be loose on either the light or the rail. I fixed this on my shotgun rail by filing the clamp a bit. This is a good mount to try if you want to check out an inline mount inexpensively.

The TK10 doesn't take 18650 rechargable batteries, while the TK11 does. If you're going to use standard CR123, either one will do fine.

You can get the TK10 for $57 shipped or the TK11 for $65 shipped, which are pretty great prices:

http://www.amazon.com/Fenix-Level-High-Performance-Flashlight/dp/B001GAOOIC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1243442320&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Fenix-TK11-Flashlight-Black-Aluminum/dp/B001C3XFQK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1243442269&sr=8-1

I'm a pretty big Fenix fan. I have multiple G2s and a 6P, but the TK11 is what lives on my HD shotgun.

Here's the VTAC and TK11 on my 1300 Defender:


Here's a VLTOR Scout for the G2 (slightly bigger than the 6P/TK series):

[maxicon]

I upgraded my G2 with a Q5 Cree LED module from Dealextreme.com for a little over 10 bucks and the overall package is extremely impressive for the money. It's significantly brighter than the G2L, and though it has less runtime, it's more suitable as a combat light. Plus, it runs cool enough to leave on indefinitely without fear of damage.

I was worried about the QC of the DX drop-ins (the basic QC is done by the consumer), but I put a few hundred rounds of 12 gauge under a G2 with an inexpensive Q5 drop-in, and it held up just fine. It's too bright for me to use indoors, so I switched to the TK11 for the best of both worlds, but the DX drop-ins are decent for the money.

Like with any inexpensive Chinese gear, you want to test it hard before you rely on it for Serious Business.

i don't have a railed handguard on the rifle i want to mount a light on. i have a midwest industries sight tower railed accessory adapter that i mount a streamlight m3 to. the light is mounted at the 3 o'clock position. i was hoping to keep using the same mount since i don't want to spend the money on a new handguard yet.

if i do mount a more traditional flashlight, how would i activate the switch? thumb, knuckle or ?

You'd have to try different techniques to see what works for you and your grip. I prefer the thumb at 9:00, but on my shotgun, the light interfered with the sling, so I moved it to 3:00, put a sling mount at 9:00, and use my finger for the light. Recoil's a problem on the shotgun, as it can jam your finger pretty badly if it's resting on the switch when you fire, but it's not a big deal with an AR.

[aplinker]

I can't say enough good things about the VTAC mount. It really is tough, cheap and durable.

If you can afford the extra scratch, the VTAC scout light is an excellent choice. You can't beat its quality and it's in the best of leagues for brightness. It's also very affordable for what it is - the SureFire scout light at about 60% off.

[maxicon]

Here's a great review by bobfried with lots of pics of the VTAC and other mounts, and a good bit of discussion about the pros and cons of the various mounts:

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=20&t=428750

[scott.cr]

FWIW - I'm not wild about the P60L assembly due to the poor heatsinking. The LED it uses (SSC) is fairly efficient, but after 10-20 minutes of run the output drops off considerably due to heat buildup, but it still draws the same current from the battery, depending on the voltage drop.

For me, the 6P and G2 will remain "classic" incandescent lights.