TangoDown SureFire Helmet Light Rail Mount

1/1/08 - New from TangoDown is the SureFire Helmet Light Rail Mount. This allows the SureFire Helmet light to be used as a navigation light on a weapon, similar to the nav lights on the SureFire M900 vertical grip weapons light. When a tactical weapons mounted light is just too bright for some circumstances, the helmet light mounted on the weapon with its three levels of intensity might come in handy. The TangoDown mount consists of a rail with an adapter for the SF Helmet light attached to it. Two cross bolts tighten the mount to any 1913 rail. The mount does not have to be slid onto the rail - loosening up the bolts opens the locking plate enough to slip it over the rail. The mount is position where the Helmet light toggle switches can be activated by whichever hand you're using. The SF Helmet light is then slid onto the mount until the locking tab clicks and locks. For a right hander, the recommended position is on the left rail. It can be mounted on the bottom rail as well to allow for a side-mounted main light.

 

I'm a leftie, and found that mounting it on the top rail worked for me, as illustrated below. I use the thumb of my right (support) hand to activate the switch on the right side-mounted X300 weapons light. I can reach the Helmet light toggle switch with my thumb without changing my grip. The LEDs on the Helmet light clear the folded-down front sight without a problem.

SureFire Classic and Nitrolon Lights

2/17/05 - The 'Classic' 6P handhelds with L60 lamp modules were my first weapon lights when they first came out. Robust, lightweight, and simple, they were the first compact high-output weapons lights I had seen. The 1" body diameter meant that they could easily be mounted in a variety of mounts. I first used the KAC flashlight mount, but in my experience, the light kept loosening in the clamp, even with loctite, and it wasn't quick-detachable. Plus it wasn't cheap. I then bought a set of Leupold QRW low rings, which I like as they're easy to detach and low profile. They worked very well (never loosening, and less expensive). My 6P's have the P61 bulbs in them for higher output, but at the cost of shorter battery life. Mounted on the side of the rail, my short thumb found it awkward to reach. Enter the Yankee-hill offset angle mount, which places the tail cap in exactly the right position for me. I like the thumb activation better than a pressure switch, but if I'm using a pressure switch, the TangoDown vertical grip already has a switch pocket on its side.
Also shown is the G2 Nitrolon light with Abrams scout mount (currently under re-design from Vltor). A lower-cost alternative to the Scout light setup. They make them to fit 1" diameter bodies like the 6P and G2 and the smaller L4, E2E and E2D lights.

 

SureFire Scout Lights

2/17/05 - SureFire's Scout light is their latest ultra-compact and lightweight 6V. The Scout Light (M600A) has an integral rail mount with a single thumbscrew, and comes with a KL4 LED head and Z68 pushbutton tailcap. The KL4 head is bright (65 lumens) and produces a brilliant white, wider beam. The UE07 tape switch can be used with the Scout, for momentary activation.
A pre-configured kit (M600-KT01) includes the M600A, plus an incandescent head module and IR filter, plus tape switch for might vision use. Without the filter, the incandescent head can be used for more focused lighting for greater distances.
Shown below are both lights mounted on various weapons. The GG&G offset light mount works best with the ARMS SIR, as I found that on regular rail systems, it was still too far out for my thumb to reach comfortably (hence the switch to the YHM angle mount).
The Scout light is just awesome - the most compact 6V system you can get.

 

SureFire Millennium Universal Light

2/17/05 - The 'MU' system comprises of a series of 6, 9 and 12V lights with integral rail clamps (throw-lever or doual thumbscrews). Light bodies, shock-isolated bezels, lamps, tailcaps are interchangeable to configure the lights in a multitude of ways. Shown below is the far-reaching 9V M961XM. It uses a LU10 bezel with a MN10 (125 lumens) or MN11 (225 lumens) lamp. This is the dual thumbscrew model, with XM tailcap. The XM tailcap module has a push button switch, and a removable tail pressure switch. The tail switch plug socket has a cover when not in use. The push button is momentary or constant click on. The plastic portion of the tailcap can be rotated to place the pushbutton in the optimum position, and it also has a lockout feature (by rotating the entire endcap - not just the plastic portion)

 

SureFire SR Rail Mount Tape Switch

4/20/07 - The SRxx Rail Mount Tape Switch is a plug-in tape switch with rail clip that fits the Scout Light, Millennium Universal Weaponlights (or any XM dual tailcap), and the X200 Tape Switch tailcap. The 'xx' stands for the length of the cable and plug - the 7" SR07 is shown below. The SRxx consists of an XM-type metal plug that plugs into the socket in the flashlight tailcap, a length of cable, and the rail clip with switches. The rail clip is made of flexible material and snaps onto any 1913 rail. I think the compound could be hardened up a bit so it's a bit more secure on the rail.
The SRxx offers the user two switching options - momentary and constant on. There is a pressure/tape switch molded into the recess in the rail clip, and a click-on/click-off button near the cable end. This button is recessed, and protected by a raised ring against accidental activation. Click the button and the flashlight remains on until the button is clicked off.
The SRxx can be mounted anywhere it'll fit on a rail, with the cable coming out the front or rear. On carbines, I generally use the push button tailcap on a light mounted on the weak side, and activate it with my thumb. I wouldn't typically have use for an SRxx tape switch on a carbine, but have illustrated it here for those who may.
The SRxx is more useful, in my opinion, for activating lights that are mounted at the ends of the longer rails and out of reach of the support hand in its normal position. I've illustrated it on a rifle-length rail, in conjunction with a M961XM. I'm left-handed, so with the support hand at the rear of the handguard, I'm able to easily activate either the momentary tape switch or constant on button with my thumb.
Check with your SureFire dealer for SRxx switch availability.

 

SureFire XT07 Rail Switch Tailcap

6/24/08 - The XTxx Rail Switch Tailcap is a replacement tailcap for the X Series Weapon lights (X200, X300, X400) that combines a push/toggle function with a remote rail mount tail switch. The 'xx' stands for the length of the cable and plug - the XT07 includes the 7" SR07 rail mount tape switch shown below.

The XT07 retains the rotary toggle switch function on the X Series tailcap - press on it for momentary on and rotate it for constant on. In addition, there is a lockout toggle switch which is used to activate or turn off the system. By turning it off, no switches will work and the light cannot be accidentally activated. The lockout toggle switch itself is protected by a 'tail' protruding from the cap. Above the toggle switch is a socket for the SR07 remote rail mount switch.

XT07

Tailcap

Tailcap installed on X300

SR07 rail mount tape switch plugged in

The SR07 consists of an XM-type metal plug that plugs into the socket in the flashlight tailcap, a length of cable, and the rail clip with switches. The rail clip is made of flexible material and snaps onto any 1913 rail. There are two tie-wrap areas on the rail clip for further securing the clip to the rail; one aft and one forward.
The SRxx offers the user two switching options - momentary and constant on. There is a pressure/tape switch molded into the recess in the rail clip, and a click-on/click-off button near the cable end. This button is recessed, and protected by a raised ring against accidental activation. Click the button and the remains on until the button is clicked off.
The SRxx can be mounted anywhere it'll fit on a rail, with the cable coming out the front or rear. The rotary toggle switch on the XT tailcap still functions with the SR07 plugged in.

On carbines, I generally use the push button tailcap on a light mounted on the weak side, and activate it with my thumb. I wouldn't typically have use for an SRxx tape switch on a carbine, but have illustrated it here for those who may want to mount the X300 on the opposite side, and use the SR07 switch to activate it. The SR07 switch can always be unplugged and the XT tailcap used instead of the standard one, for the additional lockout toggle switch function.
The XT07 is more useful, in my opinion, for activating lights that are mounted at the ends of the longer rails and out of reach of the support hand in its normal position. I've illustrated it on the LaRue Stealth Sniper upper below, with the X300 mounted out at the front of the rail. I'm left-handed, so with the support hand at the rear of the handguard, I'm able to easily activate either the momentary tape switch or constant on button with my thumb.

LaRue Tactical Scout and MU Series Upgrade Mounts

7/7/07 - I was recently out on the shooting range with a group of buddies, going through some carbine drills with my LMT MRP and it had my M600A Scout light mounted on it. The single thumbscrew was tight when I had checked it earlier. After the drill, which required some running around, we were walking back to the line when someone said 'hey, did anyone lose a Scout light?', holding my light up that they had picked off the ground. The thumbscrew had loosened and my light had fallen off my weapon, unknown to me. That's a $375 light that I could have lost! Luckily, I was on a range where it was easily found, and it was during a non life threatening situation. But what about the people who lay their lives on the line in places that aren't as convenient as a shooting range? No wonder I've seen so many weapons lights and other items dummy corded or zip tied to weapons - they fall off!

I've always been a bit unsure of how secure the thumbscrews on SureFire mounts are as I've had them loosen up a bit before, but not before I caught it and snugged them back up again. The thumbscrews also get in the way of TangoDown rail panels, so I wasn't too happy with them. After the near loss of my Scout, I remembered that Mark LaRue made replacement mounts for the Scout and MU Series lights, with his familiar and proven quick-detach locking lever system. I've got LaRue Tactical mounts on all my optics and they are SECURE and will NOT loosen when correctly adjusted (follow the link for a more detailed description of the LaRue system if you're not familiar with it). It was time to replace the SureFire thumbscrews with something better.

LaRue Tactical makes two replacement mounts that replace the integral thumbscrew mounts on the SureFire lights - the LT-172 for the Scout lights, and the LT-170 for MU-series lights like the M900, M951 and M961weapons lights. Both are direct replacements for the stock mounts and require only a couple of minutes to install. They come with all the necessary hardware and tools, plus a little vial of blue Loctite. All you do is unbolt the thumbscrew mounts, then bolt on the LaRue ones. Like the other LaRue mounts, they're type III hard anozided with a matte black finish, with steel locking levers. The LT-172 has the lever safety lock, which prevents the locking lever from being opened unless the safety lock is slid open. It's a redundant feature if the locking lever is correctly adjusted.

iThe mounts can be attached to the lights with the locking lever pointing forward or backward, and either above or below the rail, depending on where you mount the light on the weapon. It really doesn't matter - just attach the mount to the light in the orientation that's most convenient and provides access to the lever.

The LaRue mounts place the lights slightly further aways from the rail than the thumbscrew mounts. I found this to be better, as the thumbscrew mounts placed the light bodies so close to the rail that the head/bezel had to be forward of the rail. The LaRue mounts provide more head clearance if you choose to place the light further back. The locking lever is less obtrusive than the thumbscrews, but most importantly, provides the assurance that the mount isn't coming off when you don't want it to. That assurance is cheap, considering the price of the host lights. If you have any of these lights, I consider the LaRue Tactical upgrade mounts a 'must', not just a 'nice to have'.

LaRue Tactical LT-171 Upgrade Mount

6/3/11 - The LaRue Tactical LT-171 is an upgrade to the A.R.M.S. #17S Short Single Throw Lever mount, by providing an adjustable lever which the A.R.M.S. product does not.

The LT-171 has a standard STANAG width channel and is designed for small pocket scopes or laser attachments. In this case, I'm using it to replace the mount on a Laser Devices DBAL A2. The A.R.M.S. #17S that came with the DBAL has a non-adjustable lever, so the tension varies from platform to platform. The LT-171, with its infinitely adjustable speed lever allows me to adjust the tension to ensure that the mount does not shift and the zero does not change.

As with all LaRue mounts, the LT-171 is hard anodized with a matte black finish. It has a single adjustable LaRue locking lever. The bottom of the LT-171 has a single recoil lug - it's as solid as a mount can get. The LT-171 can be installed so that the locking lever is on the left or right side of the rifle. The LT-171 comes with an adjustment wrench, but no additional hardware. The original hardware off the unit is used.

The LT-171 is a direct swap-out for the A.R.M.S. mount on the DBAL, and took only a minute or two. No modification is necessary with this particular DBAL model - I'm not sure about previous or later variants. Note that when the mount is installed to the unit, the lever adjustment screw cannot be adjusted with the supplied wrench since there's no clearance between the bottom of the unit and the screw to allow a wrench to slip over the nut. I just pre-adjusted the lever tension on the rail before attaching the unit to it. I recommend you do this as well. Since I'm a lefty, and the DBAL is currently mounted on the SCAR 16S, I installed the mount with the lever on the left, so that it doesn't interfere with the charging handle knob on the right. If you're having issues with the A.R.M.S. mount tension, the LT-171 will fix it.

 

LaRue Tactical Offset Light Mounts

8/15/08 - LaRue Tactical offers two offset flashlight mounts; the LT-606 single light mount and the LT-607 double stack light mount.
The LT-606 single light mount consists of a base with two rings that sit in channels and are attached to it with screws. The rings move down in their channels when the screws are tightened, and clamp the light body to the base. The rings are available in three diameters to fit a variety of lights and lasers body diameters - 1.040", 0.830" and 0.760".

The LT-607 double stack light mount has four rings to mount two devices, like a light and laser. It can be ordered with different combinations of the three ring sizes so different diameter bodies can be accomodated at the top or bottom.

Like the other LaRue mounts, they're type III hard anozided with a matte black finish, with steel locking levers. Both have the lever safety lock, which prevents the locking lever from being opened unless the safety lock is slid open. It's a redundant feature if the locking lever is correctly adjusted. They come with all the necessary hardware and tools, plus a little vial of blue Loctite. LaRue's redesigned lever adjustment tool is a great improvement over the original one.

 

iThe mounts can be attached to the lights with the locking lever pointing forward or backward, with the light either above (high) or below the rail (low), depending on how you activate the light on the weapon or prefer it placed.

For a wrap-around hold on the vertical grip, the single light mount places the light at just the right position for push-button activation with your thumb. With the double stack mount, you can activate the lower light with your thumb, but the upper one will require a tape switch unless you have a freakishly long thumb.

I don't use a wrap-around hold on the vertical grip, and run the support thumb along the support side. So, being a left hander, my right hand thumb points forward and can activate a light mounted on the right side of the rail. I've illustrated the double stack mount on a para FAL, set up for lefty use. I don't have a suitable laser, so I've mounted two lights in the double mount for illustration in the 'high' position, above the rail instead of below. I can activate both tailcaps easily with my right thumb. Something like a SureFire laser would work well in this setup.

 

Vltor Scout Mount

4/4/05 - Never satisfied to rest on their laurels, Vltor has improved their Scout mount. Newly redesigned, the Vltor Scout mount addresses the issues that some had with the original version. The original one was of ring design, with the same clamp providing tension on the mounting rail and the flashlight. Due to manufacturing tolerance buildup on both lights and rails, you could end up with a loose light, or a loose mount on the rail. Later versions addressed the issue of a loose light by adding a setscrew, which marred the finish of the light. It worked, but wasn't optimal as it didn't address an undersize rail, which meant a tight light, but loose mount. It also meant that you had to mount the light to the rail then use a hex wrench to tighten the set screw - defeating the quick on-off capability.
Eric Kincel, designer extraordinaire, came up with an ingenious solution to equalize the tension on the light and the rail, while accomodating dimensional variances (within reason, of course) in either one. By making one side of the rail clamp a separate piece from the rest of the mount, free to move along the clamp screw, oversized or undersized rails are accomodate with the rail clamp and ring are always under the same tension. A nifty thumb nut is large enough to tighten the mount onto a rail securely, but small enough to prevent overtightening. That's all that's needed - no tools. The clamp screw is held in place with a roll pin. I found the prototype mounts secure on the rail, and the light held tight. The Vltor Scout mount will be available in 3 sizes - E-series, G-series SureFire, and any 1" diameter body lights, and come in black or tan. I like it! A job well done, Eric.

Vltor SM-OCG Light Mount

3/1/08 - The Vltor SM-OCG (Scout Mount - Offset Classic G-series) light mount debuted at the '08 SHOT Show at the beginning of February. This neat little offset light mount is able to accomodate both 1" diameter lights and the larger G2 Nitrolon (approx 1.040"). Like he did for the Scout mount, Eric Kincel came up with an innovative clamping system (patent pending) that tightens down on both the rail and the light body at the same time, even if the light body diameter changes. This elminates the need for two mount sizes. The SM-OCG has two thumbscrews, and the rail clamp is 1.75" long. It's made of aluminum and has a Type III hard anodize coating. The mount drops the light down below the side rail, and also brings it in closer to the handguard, so it's easier to reach and doesn't stick out as far on the side. Mounting it on the 'strong' hand side (right side for right handers) puts the push button tail cap within easy reach of the thumb, if you hold the vertical grip by wrapping the thumb around it.

Vltor SMQ-OCG Light Mount

7/24/09 - Vltor has introduced the quick-detachable version of their SM-OCG (Scout Mount - Offset Classic G-series) light mount, the SMQ-OCG. It features an ADM locking lever mechanism instead of the dual thumb knobs, which enables the easy attachment and removal of the light from a rail.

The SMQ-OCG light mounting ring is a separate piece from the base mount. When the ADM locking lever is tightened, it tightens both the ring around the light body, and the clamp to the rail. The ADM mechanism consists of a lock lever with a lock button on it, attached to a square profile cross bar threaded on the end. The cross bar serves as the recoil lug as it fits into the rail's cross slot, preventing any fore or aft movement. A hexagonal head slotted screw fits into a recess in the light mounting ring and is threaded onto the cross bar. The clamp is spring loaded by two small springs in the mount. To unlock the lock lever, the lock button is pushed and the lever opened. Opening it loosens the clamp and the mount can then be removed from the rail by rocking it off. The clamp tension is adjusted by pressing on the lock lever when it's in the open position, compressing the two small springs and letting the hex screw protrude out of its recess. The screw can then be turned. Releasing the tension lets the screw return to its recess where it is prevented from rotating. The lock lever assembly can be removed and reversed so that it opens from the front or rear.

Both the SM-OCG and SMQ-OCG are shown below in the three right photos for comparison. The base of the SMQ-OCG is only about .050" thicker, and the rest of the envelope is the same, save for the locking lever. In the first photo on the left and third photo from the right (side view), the ring looks uneven relative to the base. This is because it's under spring tension and without a light body in there, may not be pushed unevenly. When a light is mounted in the ring, it evens out, as seen in the 2nd and 3rd photos.

TNVC Cree Q5 LED Drop-in Lamp

9/17/08 - The Cree Q5 LED Drop-in Lamp from TNVC (Tactical Night Vision Company) is an LED replacement lamp for most flashlights that uses SureFire P60 or P61 lamp modules. It drops in without any alteration or spacer needed, and provides 256 lumens of intense white light. This drop-in lamp triples or quadruples the output from any 6P-type flashlight.

I've been holding off from getting an LED drop-in lamp for my SureFire 6P-type lights, simply because there are so many out there that the choices can be confusing. Some of the conversions require spacers; some require removing an outer spring; some create a gap between the body and the head. All I wanted was a simple drop-in conversion that is a direct replacement for P60 and P61 lamps. I have a P60L lamp, which provides 80 lumens and is a nice replacement for a P60. However, I wanted more output than that of the P61 (120 lumens, incandescent) but it had to be an LED.

When Victor at TNVC started offering his Cree Q5 LED drop-in lamps, I picked up a few with high expectations. These lamps are a direct replacement for the SureFire lamp modules and run on 4-15 V with an output of 256 lumens. Runtime with a 6V flashlight is 2+ hours. I tested them in a variety of lights shown below: 6P with shock-resistant bezels, G2 Nitrolon, C2 Centurion, Scout light, Digilight USA, and a Vitalgear F2. The lamps functioned perfectly in all the lights I installed them in, no gaps, no alterations or fitting, no problems.

I was really impressed with the amount of light these lamps put out. Even with half-dead batteries, which produced yellow incandescent light, the LEDs were blinding. The orange peel reflector produces a very bright and focused hot spot with a usable side spill. I compared it to my MN11 225 lumen incandescent bulb in my SureFire M961 9V weapons light, which was my most powerful light so far. The throw of the Q5 LED drop-in lamp was as good as or better than the MN11. The MN11 has a wider beam and lit up a larger area at a distance of about 50 yards but I preferred the white light of the Q5.
There was no comparing the P60 (60 lumen) and P61 (120 lumen) incandescent lamps - they looked yellow and weak next to the Q5. The SureFire P60L LED with 80 lumens produces a nice white light, but just doesn't have the reach that the Q5 has. In a handheld light, the Q5 is blinding at close distances, and very distracting in strobe mode.

The TNVC Q5 exceeds the performance of the larger, heavy 9V incandescent weapons lights in a lightweight 6V package - with longer run times and no filament to break. At 256 lumens, and costing about the same price as the SureFire 6PL lamp at 80 lumens, these are a no brainer. Note that the TNVC Q5 may not fit some lights, even though they use P60 bulbs, like the M951. It will fit the following SureFire models - G2, G3, 6P, 6PD, 9P, Z2, G2Z, C2, C3, Scout (with incan head) and M2.