Pistol weapon lights and target shooting

[Lumber_Jack]

So I just picked up my first weapon mounted light for a pistol. It's a Surefire X300 on a G21. I went to the range today and ran a couple mags through the gun. As you can imagine the lens was covered in gun powder residue. Now it wipes right of with a little elbow grease, bit is it common practice to remove weapon lights when just doing standard target shooting. The 500 lumens would have still been bright but if in a real multiple-mag shooting that thing could get pretty cloudy. Sent from my iPad using Voodoo magic

[c.a.willard]

There are several options available to you.

 

Preventing build up

 

take the light off, cover with tape, cover with a rubber cap, coat with grease, or coat with silicone  

 

easier cleaning

 

Disassemble light and scrape with razor, use pencil eraser for cleaning the glass, green scotch brite pad,  polish the glass (smoother surface means less for carbon to stick to)

[molonlabetn]

I usually remove my M3X when I shoot my G21 at the range. 

[TNMTBik3r]

I just recently purchased my first pistol light, and my plan is to shoot with the light on there because this is my bedside weapon. I want to make sure the light is going to stay on, and also be comfortable with the extra weight and how it affects recoil. I may try to tape the light to prevent the build-up, but I dumped 150 rounds through over the weekend and there was almost no buildup on the light. 

 

My light sticks out a couple inches past the barrel, wonder if that affects the powder buildup?

[Stegall Law Firm]

I usually remove my M3X when I shoot my G21 at the range. 

 

Dang where have YOU been?  I miss a day here and there but that's the first post I've seen from you in years.  :wave:

If my light's mounted that particular day I'll shoot with it on, more than anything just too lazy to change holsters.  I don't worry about it getting obscured by residue, in fact I just realized I had a little film on there from yesterday.

[molonlabetn]

I know right?! Took a bit of a hiatus, but the internets beckoned, and here I am again. Good to see a bunch of the original crew is still around.

Dang where have YOU been? I miss a day here and there but that's the first post I've seen from you in years. :wave:
If my light's mounted that particular day I'll shoot with it on, more than anything just too lazy to change holsters. I don't worry about it getting obscured by residue, in fact I just realized I had a little film on there from yesterday.

Edited April 1, 2014 by molonlabetn

[Patton]

There is a lot of reports of weapon malfunctions while wearing a tactical light, even though 90% of the reports are Glocks in 40S&W. I would say that if you had 100 flawless rounds with the light on you may as well take it off to target practice every now and then. Weak magazine springs tend to be the biggest culprit.

[frankmako]

we changed over to the glock 22 from the glock 17 many mango season ago (1998/99/00). the new glock 22 had the rail system on it. so we all went out and got pistol lights.  then we found out that we were having feed and stove piping problems at the range.   the next thing a bunch of new glock mag springs showed up at the office with instructions to change them out.  we changed out the mag springs and all is well.  so the older glock mag springs can cause a problem with your glock if you have a light on it.   if i remember the new mag springs have one or two more coils to them which makes the a little longer/stronger.  i do not know how to tell the different except to open the mag and count the coils and/or compare springs against a new mag spring.   i might have a old mag spring in my desk that i can count the coils to give a base line for the older mag springs. 

[Lumber_Jack]

My light sticks out a couple inches past the barrel, wonder if that affects the powder buildup?

As does mine. I was using Winchester White Box, which In my experience is pretty dirty, especially in .45.

[TNMTBik3r]

As does mine. I was using Winchester White Box, which In my experience is pretty dirty, especially in .45.

 

Yeah, I used to shoot that in my Ruger P90 before I traded it. 1 mag was like shooting 100 rounds of any other ammo. Absolutely filthy but it was cheap.