Rem. 870 Light Options

[BrokeEnthusiast]

I have been looking for a way to attach a flashlight to my 870. Several of the thing I have looked at do not look sturdy. I like the surefire forend:

Momentary and constant -on switching - 618FA available from SureFire

But that is a steep price to pay compared to some of the $15 clamps I have found that attach to the Mag tube. I just wondered if people have anything they can recommend or post pictures of theirs. Thanks

[Oh Shoot]

That's a ATI adaptor holding the light, which is a cheapie LED I got at Sam's a year ago. It's a rather heavy light, I could certainly replace it with something lighter/smaller.

Also, though, couldn't use the Remmie stock slide/barrel brace (the one that would fit in the groove), as the sling base stuck down too far, so found another brace somewhere with sling base on its side, can't remember where, to replace that, but that may not actually be totally necessary.

First time I shot it, light fell off after 5 rounds or so, socked it down tighter, and it held in there through about 20 rounds of some (very stout) 00 loads.

All kinds of ways to do it, I guess...heck, the simplest would just be lay a light on side in the tube/barrel hollow and use rubber bands/bike inner tube section to hold it. For HD situation, probably as good.

- OS

Edited May 31, 2009 by OhShoot

[56FordGuy]

I'll have to get the pictures later, but the method you use depends on what you want to do with it.

Yes, the SureFire fore end is expensive, compared to a $15.00 clamp. But, it does a lot more. One of the largest issues with shotgun mounted lights is recoil. It's like dropping a flashlight on the ground (though not from too far up) every time you shoot it. That's very, very hard on an incandescent bulb. The bulb assembly in the SureFire version is isolated, for lack of a better term. Likewise with the batteries. Over entended use, the recoil of the weapon can cause two batteries in the tube to move around, to the point that they actually slam into one another, causing a dent in one, if not both batteries, that can prevent the light from working. I'm not sure how the newest versions of the light are designed, but mine has a sealed battery pack with a fier spacer between the batteries. There's also the switch mechanism. One one side of the forearm you have a momentary on pressure switch, and the other side has a continuous on toggle switch. No messing with turning heads to make the light stay on, running a tape switch wire to somewhere else on the gun, etc...

I'm not saying the SureFire unit is the only way to go, or even the best way to go for most people. I just wanted to touch on a few of the reasons, aside from SureFire's usual high quality, that it does cost as much as it does. If you were going into combat, busting into houses with the SWAT Team, etc, SureFire would, in my opinion, be the only way to go.

Most of us, though, aren't doing that. We're putting a light on a shotgun, leaning it up beside the bed, and might take it to the range once a year. In that case, the clamp isn't a bad option. I think one of the simplest ways to get the job done would be an LED Mini MagLite, with a replacement tail cap that had a pressure switch on a cord. Clamp the light to the barrel/ magazine tube, run the switch where you want it, and call it good. Maybe use some blue LocTite on the clamp to keep it tight.

One thing to note if you have a sling on the shotgun, is that you may have to relocate the front mount to the side of the magazine tube instead of the bottom.

[Ropin4gold]

You get what you pay for. I would not use any light besides the surefire integral forend on a shotgun. We issue all of our shotguns at work with this light and I also have one on my personal shotgun. If you shop around you can find a good deal. I have found them used for around $150-200 on another site.

[TripleDigitRide]

My boss has the very same Surfire System, and it seems to be very nice. The only problem is, it's too bulky for my liking. It's not bad, but even with my big hands it seemed a bit bigger than I'd prefer.

The built in switches are a very nice touch, and they were also very easy to use.

I don't have much personal experience with other types of mounts, but I'm sure you can find something much cheaper and just as effective.

[56FordGuy]

Alright, snapped some photos.

Notice that the toggle switch is on the left hand side of the forearm. I believe it was designed for a right handed person, as when held on the right side, your left thumb lines up on the toggle switch, and your middle finger lays on the tape switch. It takes some adapting to get used to operating it left handed, and you need to have large hands to comfortably be able to flip the toggle switch with your fingers.

In the last picture, you can see the bulb assembly has a spring and plastic washer/ cone on the bottom of it. That's part of the shock isolation. You can also see that the battery pack does not have a protruding post on either end. The battery pack is functionally two 123A batteries put together, but you wouldn't want to use two loose batteries in the light. They will fit and work, but the recoil is very hard on them. I tried them once, just because I wanted to see for myself if the packs were really necessary. After about 400 rounds, the two batteries were beginning to dent in slightly where they touched each other.

Anyway, great product. However, I'd say it's probably overkill for what most folks actually need.

[BrokeEnthusiast]

If I can find a used one I will probably pick it up. I REALLY like that setup its just too pricey for me to pick up brand new. Thanks for the pictures, they helped a lot!

Do you notice a big weight difference?

[56FordGuy]

...Do you notice a big weight difference?

That, I can't answer. I've had the light on the gun for almost five years. I don't remember noticing a big difference when I did put it on, but I could have just forgotten. It doesn't seem overly heavy in it's current configuration, if that helps. Heck, I may even go weigh it later, just to see.

[Guest .45Jon]

Mine is sorta like OS's set up...The Surefire system is also to pricey for me to have a light...Whats important is to have a light, however its on there IMO.