LIGHTS FOR HUNTING

[watchmaker]

VERY INTERESTING ARTICLE BY JAMES MAURER
ON THE BRIGHTEST LIGHTS IN THE WORLD
THAT YOU CAN GET OVER THE COUNTER.

THEY ARE ALL THERE
THE TORCH, THE POLARION, THE BOREALIS,
THE SUNFORCE, ETC.

READ IT IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN LIGHTS

http://www.jamesmaurer.com/worlds-brightest-flashlight.asp

CHEERS

[watchmaker]

REMOTE SWITCHES
WITH PRESSURE PAD

Hi guys,
I have been using remote switches in my tactical lights that are mounted in rifles,  shotguns, and bows, for quite a few years now.
The most effective of them are the ones with a direct connection to the solder pad that touch the battery (no spring), like the ones in the TACM III tactical lights.
The reason that they are more effective is that they don’t rob the system of any voltage (in the way of internal resistance) as do the ones with heavy springs.

Internal resistance is the name of the game, some of them, for example the TAC STAR pressure switch, can really make a bright lamp like the P-60, looks dim and murky, due to too much internal resistance in the design of the tail cap.

THE TAC STAR REMOTE SWITCH



A good one that I have used for years in mounting lights on my friends’ bows and rifles, is the G&P tail cap with remote.  Its design is quite good and the internal resistance is low, but it is not designed for pump shotguns as the cord is just straight and not curly.

THE G&P REMOTE SWITCH



A very good one that I discovered recently is the Aimshot curly cord remote, the spring is copper and quite light and it seems to have very low internal resistance.
I discovered the Aimshot in Cheaper Than Dirt catalogue and at a very good price ($14.97) and it has become my favorite.
I just used one in a Pelican M-6 tactical light and mounted it using a UTG Tri rail mount in an AK rifle, it does the job well.

THE AIMSHOT REMOTE SWITCH



Cheers

[watchmaker]

THE 200 LUMENS BATTLE

There are now a number of aftermarket lamps for the popular series of Surefire lights.
They will fit the Surefires series: 6P, C, Z, D, G, and maybe others.

I just received a new one that claims 290 lumens and is called a Cree R-2 (it’s supposed to be even more powerful than the Cree Q-5).
I decided to do a shoot out with an assortment of lights that I have in the 200 plus lumens class. That way the members can see how they perform against each other.

Run time was not measured for lack of time and because I am running short on 123’s batteries. The bigger lights, namely the Surefire M-4 with the MN60 lamp (225 lumens for 60 minutes on four 123’s disposable batteries) and the Bear Cub from Black Bear Flashlights (220 lumens for 90 minutes on rechargeable Li Ion batteries) are big throwers and with them you can see clearly objects 120 and 150 yards away.

On the other hand the small reflectors of the Surefires G-2, Centurion 2 and Fenix T-1 are dispersing all those lumens close by, creating a great flood.
Those pocket lights will be great to use as tactical lights by law enforcement personnel, and especially good at clearing houses, while the Surefire M-4 and the Bear Cub will make great lights for car, truck and the open spaces.

The literature of the Fenix states that it’s good for 200 yards, it will probably make a reflective target like a stop sign glow at that distance, but it would hardly  illuminate any other object. My perception from trials I made, is that this light as well as the others LED’s can’t be count to illuminate (poorly) objects beyond 60/70 yards.


In any case, a lamp upgrade if you own a Surefire pocket light, is a good idea as any of them are more powerful than the stock incandescent lamp of 65 lumens or the stock LED lamp of 80 lumens.


The lights as they appear in the picture are, from left to right:


Surefire M-4 MN60 lamp 225 lumens for 1 hour (running on four 123’s batteries)
Bear Cub 220 lumens for 90 minutes, rechargeable
Surefire G-2 in yellow. It is 65 lumens for one hour with the stock P-60 lamp
Surefire G-2 in black, Lumen Factory lamp incandescent of 160 lumens
Surefire G-2 in green, Cree Q-5 by Deal Xtreme, 200 lumens
Surefire Centurion 2 in Jungle Camo, 290 lumens (claimed) with the Cree R-2 lamp
Fenix T-1, 225 lumens using a Cree Q-5 lamp




And now the pictures, target is 20 yards away, watch also the amount of side spill as well as the throw.

SUREFIRE M-4 DESVASTATOR 225 LUMENS



BEAR CUB RECHARGEABLE 220 LUMENS



SUREFIRE G-2 YELLOW 65 LUMENS



SUREFIRE G-2 BLACK LUMENS FACTORY 160 LUMENS LAMP



SUREFIRE G-2 GREEN, DEAL XTREME LAMP CREE Q-5 200 LUMENS



SUREFIRE CENTURION 2, CREE R-2  290 LUMENS (CLAIMED)



FENIX T-1 CREE Q-5  225 LUMENS





One word of caution with high intensity LED lights: most are not thermally regulated and they will suffer from their own heat if used for an extended period. They will get very hot and the tint will change. Short use of 5 minutes or less is recommended, especially in lights like the G-2 that has a plastic body and head.

All metal flashlights like the Surefire 6P are better at dissipating the heat, and in them a few more minutes of constant use can be achieved before the heat will damage the module.
The big heavy head of the Fenix acts as a heat sink, and this light can manage to run much longer without the heat affecting the module.

Besides, the Fenix has a second setting that will run the light at 60 lumens for 10 hours.
So, if you already have a Surefire you want to upgrade, the aftermarkets lamps are great.
If you need a new light look at the Fenix line.

If you need a truck, open spaces light, the Bear Cub is a great value as it is rechargeable and very bright as well as a 150 yards thrower.

Cheers
Watchmaker

[watchmaker]

TERRALUX LIGHTSTAR 220
FLASHLIGHT

For the last two months, I have been using one of the Terralux Lightstar 220 lumens flashlights, which runs on two AA batteries.
This light has two settings on the click-tail cap; the first setting clicks on the light and emits 220 lumens for 1.5 hours.
The second setting of 100 lumens for 6 hours is accessed by softly pressing the rubber button switch.

The LED is a Cree RXE Q-4 and is controlled by a microprocessor for a constant light output.  When battery juice is running low, the LED will flicker to let you know that is time for new batteries.
The unit comes with two Energizer AA batteries, a lanyard and a soft nylon holster.  At an even six inches long, the light is quite portable and also features a clip to attach it to your belt or waistband.




It is very similar to the popular 3 watt 80 lumens Ray-O-Vac Sportsman Xtreme (but is slightly longer as the click tail cap needs more room for the mechanism), and the head is smaller with a small orange peel reflector.

Due to the small reflector the beam throws quite a flood despite the 220 lumens figure.  Small reflectors don’t really have much throw no matter how many lumens you make the light puts out. However, it is quite adequate for most chores inside a house and practical, too, for walking the dog or a walk in the woods.

LIGHTSTAR AT 20 YARDS WITH THE 220 LUMENS




LIGHTSTAR WITH THE 100 LUMENS SETTING






The really nice thing about these lights are that they are very inexpensive to feed as they use common AA batteries. As I use rechargeable AA batteries in all my lights, it is even more inexpensive to use.
The dark green anodized body is quite resistant to scratches as the light is still like new even after a couple months of sharing my pocket with keys and coins.

Cost of the light varies depending where you buy it, but it is around $35 to $40 USD; your best bet is to Google it to see who has a special on it.
I like this light to the point of recommending it to anybody that is looking for a light with these characteristics.  The light is as good as the Ray-O-Vac Sportsman with the added power of the 220 lumen setting.
Cheers.

Watchmaker

[rickt300]

Wow, what a series of posts.  I have a couple Led flashlights (cheap 2 for $16.) that hold 6 AA batteries. they are fine for walking around in the woods and have adequate definition if you are looking at the beam thru a 3x rifle scope at 30 yards.  I generally use the Brinkman pistol grip style flashlight, the one built with an Led and a brighter halogen light on top of that.  I find these lights to be poorly built and somewhat fragile along with short run times.  Next up are the very cheap spotlights using 6 volt square batteries. These lights have a pretty good run time and a light usable up to at least 60 yards thru scopes set at 3-6x. What I would like to see is a quality version of this light using the best bulbs and rechargeable 6volt wet cell batteries.  Actually the Brinkman light design is very usable for night hunting but quality is so low I really don't like them, the pistol grip design also limits you to rifles with low recoil because you can't grip your rifle's forearm. I have an optronics light set up and it really makes your rifle bulky, I would rather have a seperate from the rifle light myself.

[watchmaker]

Wow, what a series of posts.  I have a couple Led flashlights (cheap 2 for $16.) that hold 6 AA batteries. they are fine for walking around in the woods and have adequate definition if you are looking at the beam thru a 3x rifle scope at 30 yards.  I generally use the Brinkman pistol grip style flashlight, the one built with an Led and a brighter halogen light on top of that.  I find these lights to be poorly built and somewhat fragile along with short run times.  Next up are the very cheap spotlights using 6 volt square batteries. These lights have a pretty good run time and a light usable up to at least 60 yards thru scopes set at 3-6x. What I would like to see is a quality version of this light using the best bulbs and rechargeable 6volt wet cell batteries.  Actually the Brinkman light design is very usable for night hunting but quality is so low I really don't like them, the pistol grip design also limits you to rifles with low recoil because you can't grip your rifle's forearm. I have an optronics light set up and it really makes your rifle bulky, I would rather have a seperate from the rifle light myself.

Rick,
If your range is about 60 yards, you can mount in your rifle a Fenix TK-11 and It will be great.
The light also have an optional pressure pad remote switch and an optional red filter.
It is 225 lumens for 1.5 hours or 60 lumens for 10 hours.
It uses two 123's batteries or can use a rechargeable 18650 battery
It will take a split horizontally 1" Weaver style ring or it can use a Fenix mount.



Cheers

Watchmaker

[watchmaker]

WHEN A LUMEN IS NOT A LUMEN

A lumen is not a lumen when somebody intends to throw a big bunch of them out of a small reflector the size of a dime or nickel. At least it seems to be that way.

It used to be easy to tell the power of a light by the lumens figure, not anymore. You could be an experience user of lights, say a policeman that had used for years a 200 lumens Magchager and is well acquainted with its capabilities. Now he reads about this small light the size of a thumb that also outputs 200 lumens and is all excited to get the new marvel.

He does and is promptly disappointed because the small light seems to throw a good amount of light, but all close by, and is nothing that can compare with his duty Magcharger that can illuminate objects at 100 yards.

Besides emitters in the 200 lumens bracket can kill themselves with the heat that they produce when they are used in small lights with poor heat sinking. It is mostly a novelty thing and it should be used with caution. Some of them come in lights with multiple settings, and that is fine when the literature advice you to use the 200 lumens sparingly, and you follow that advice.

To illustrate the point, here are a couple of pictures of beam shots at 20 yards, you can clearly see the superiority of the Bear Cub (reflector size 2”) over the Lightstar 220, (reflector the size of a dime)  even when both lights are rated at 220 lumens.

LIGHTSTAR 220 LUMENS AT 20 YARDS



BEAR CUB 220 LUMENS AT 20 YARDS


   

Some manufacturers wishing to quote big numbers are now putting clusters of these small reflectors on duty size flashlights. Mind you these clusters that are from three to four are still all small reflectors with limited throw.

So, somebody putting a cluster of four reflectors in a big head can claim 800 lumens, but you know better now, knowing that those 200 lumens for each reflector are not really behaving like real lumens!

Unfortunately I don’t have one of those lights to prove the point. But I can get my own cluster of lights in the 200 lumens bracket, and demonstrate by picture what can you expect.
I have here two of the Lightstar220 lumens, plus a Fenix P3D of 205 lumens and an Ultra Fire with Rebel emitter of 200 lumens, all of which together in a cluster will throw the figure of 845 lumens.
The opposite number is a Black Bear 720 lumens flashlight, a light that is 10” long and weights 24 oz. and uses a 2” reflector that can throw several hundred of yards with a strong white light.

HERE IS THE PICTURE OF THE CONTENDERS



The distance for both beam shots is in this case 35 yards to the target (The no trespassing sign tacked in the tree). The camera is 20 yards from the target.

CLUSTER OF REFLECTORS 845 LUMENS




BLACK BEAR 720 LUMENS ONE REFLECTOR 2”



Observe how the beam of the 720 lumens light travels beyond the range of the cluster lights, illuminating objects that the cluster lights are not capable of showing.
So, if you are in the market for a new light, this use of small reflectors in clusters to boost lumens figures is something you should be aware off.

Cheers

 Watchmaker

[rickt300]

Home Depot's Husky brand has come out with a pistol grip style spotlight in 3 watt LED.  I bought one ($20.) and have been playing with it a bit. Comparing it to a rechargeable Brinkman pistol grip spotlight it seems to have bettter definition at the far reach of the beam and you could easily use this Husky spotlight for night hunting. Run time is not listed of course but you can also use this light plugged into your truck while riding around.  If run time is anywhere near an hour it will trump the Brinkman big time.

[watchmaker]

NEW BULB FOR THE BOREALIS FLASHLIGHT
750 LUMENS FOR 75 MINUTES

As you may know the Borealis 1050 lumens flashlight is the most powerful military/police flashlight in use today.
The Borealis will make 1050 lumens for 50 minutes on rechargeable batteries. Now a new bulb is available which will run the light for 75 minutes with a drop of only 300 lumens.

Lights in use by police today are the Magcharger, the Stingers, the SL 20 up to 200 lumens, the Ultra Stinger-295 lumens, the Pelican 7060-135 lumens, and the Fenix TK series up to 240 lumens.
Military forces use a variety of Surefires as weapon lights with 120 lumens and hand held like the Surefire M-4, 350 lumens and the Surefire M-6 at 500 lumens.

So, the above statement of the Borealis been the most powerful is not an exaggeration, many are been used daily by police and many are doing tour of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq.

What the new bulb does is extend the run time to 75 minutes without reducing drastically the output.
As no other duty flashlight with the same lumens is available, I decided to conduct a shoot out against a big two million candlepower spotlight, the one at hand was an almost new Brikmann Q beam Max million II (two million candlepower) with a reflector of five inches wide and a big bulb of 75 watt.

All this in competition to a bean sized 30 watt bulb and two inch reflector of the Borealis.

DAVID AND GOLIATH




FIVE INCH VERSUS TWO INCH




This particular Borealis has a Light Stippled reflector, a reflector designed to give a good balance between flood and throw, but given the semi custom character of the Borealis three other reflectors are available, smooth for maximum throw, orange peel for just a little less throw but more flood (also called side spill) and a medium stippled reflector designed for a big flood but with the range limited to 100 yards.

As the night was bitterly cold I decided to take the pictures and shoot the beams right out of my second story kitchen window, with the short tripod legs resting in the kitchen sink.

The target is the white and blue cabana which is the second building in the picture after the fence.
The target is 74 yards from my window, with back trees as much as 85 yards (they are still visible with both lights).
Due to the big reflector in the spot light, the beam is concentrated in the center of the picture and illumination from the side spill is not as great as it is with the Borealis 750 lumens bulb.
Observe both pictures and you will see more area illuminated by the Borealis 750 lumens bulb, than is illuminated by the two million candlepower spotlight.

Still the intensity of both beams is similar at the center of the target area.

Q-BEAM MAX TWO MILLION



BOREALIS 750 LUMENS 75 MINUTES BULB




In conclusion the new Borealis bulb of 750 lumens is worthy for those that will want a run time of 75 minutes. Even after loosing 300 lumens the Borealis still is the most powerful flashlight used by the police and the military.

The light can be ordered with the 1050 lumens bulb installed and the spare as the 750 lumens or vice-versa.  You can also order the reflector most appropriate for you work, the only light in the Industry that offers you a choice of four reflectors.

Cheers.
Watchmaker

[Oldshooter]

Have you heard of pelican lights, they are waterproof (suitable for diving) and are led but like a led on steroids for lack of better description. They have a very good spot and I know for a fact that they will spot out to 60 yards

I have been using them for years now they use 3 c cell batteries and will last for days/nights with a lot of use.

Would be interested in seeing how they stack up.

Oh and I almost forgot thanks for the post and the time it took to make it!

[watchmaker]

The Pelican lights that runs on alkaline batteries are NOT hot at all (usually below 80 lumens) the one that is making a name is the rechargeable LAPD light (Pelican 7060) designed with input from the LAPD.

Unfortunately it is not very hot at 135 lumens, but a good police flashlight none the less, with a plastic casing to avoid the bad press that metal lights got after been used as batons by the LAPD.

The police/military lights with high lumens output has been traditionally the Streamlight Stinger, Ultra Stinger and the Magcharger (all rechargeables) with a 200 to 295 lumens top.

The Military use mostly Surefires non rechageables, they don't care about paying high bills for the especial 123's batteries because the tax payers foot the bill.
The most powerful of the military non rechargeables is the Surefire M-6 (500 lumens for 20 minutes on six 123's batteries ~at $12 for 20 minutes run time~)

The new Borealis 1050 lumens flashlight is rechargeable and with a 50 minutes run time. It is being seeing mostly in Iraq and Afghanistan as used by military forces.
In the south frontier in the USA is used by certain border patrol individuals and by police in many states.

Pelican civilian lights are not designed for the rugged duty of combat or use by police.
A good Pelican I have is the Pelican M-6, but is only 72 lumens and uses two of the 123's batteries in one hour.



Cheers
Watchmaker

[Oldshooter]

This is the one that I had in mind but it may not fit the bill:

http://www.pelican.com/lights_detail.php?recordID=8060


**The 8060 LED can be used with 4C alkaline batteries (not included). When using this type of battery the peak light output is 190 lumens and the burn time is eleven hours.

[watchmaker]

The 8060 can be added to the other police flashlights in the 200 lumens bracket, but been an LED the throw will be vastly inferior to the Magcharger or SL-20 and the definition of details at a distance will also be inferior to the incandescents.

Watchmaker

[watchmaker]

Hi guys,
I am still around, just busy trying to make a living.

I wish everybody a MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[rickt300]

Well I have been playing with some of the new on the market $20. or so lights. These Led 70-80 lumen lights are very useful. I have been using the Coleman led light and have two of the focusable Stanley Led lights. These run on three triple A batteries and have lots of run time. I have been hose clamping them to a one piece scope base and putting a "High" quadlok ring on my scope to attach these lights. I put a piece of inner tube rubber between the light and the base. So far I have not put any fancy switches on the lights, I just push the button. Way lighter and less bulky than the Optronics nite blaster lights they have effective ranges of around 90 yards which is plenty for my style of night hunting. Lots of runtime but I don't know just how much and they don't seem to overheat. They have metal bodies and so far have held up to the recoil of my 20 gauge shotgun and my 35 Whelen. We'll see though.

[watchmaker]

SOLARFORCE L-2 LED FLASHLIGHT
5 FUNCTION MODULE

I have lately been using some components of Solarforce flashlights to make me a couple of tactical lights (to use in a Remington 1100 shotgun and in a Kalashnikov rifle).
I bought a couple of loose bodies, heads, and modules, and for the remote cable switch I used a couple of Aimshot tail caps with pressure pads.
The modules are simple one function 200 lumen (or so) R-2’s, and have enough throw to make 50 yard shots possible.  As the shotgun and rifle are intended for home defense, 50 yards are all I needed.
The bodies were intended for CR123 batteries and I loaded them with red Surefire batteries before mounting them on a Weaver 1” ring and clamping it to Picattiny’s rails in the long guns.





More recently I received a Solarforce L-2 five function flashlight. It also uses the R-2 module and sports a reverse clicky tail cap, which, when activated, goes to the last function (or level) that was stored in the memory.
The levels are full power (about 200 lumens), medium power (about 100 lumens) low power (about 40 lumens), strobe in the 200 lumen level, and SOS also in the 200 lumen level.
To activate each level, you just press softly on the tail cap.




The claims that I have seen advertised for the lumen output are much higher than the ones I am estimating here, but these estimates are based on my vast use of lights and in direct comparison with my Fenix TK-11 Q-5 flashlight that is billed as a 225 lumen light.

This wild throw of numbers of lumens is because the emitters are measured in Integrated Sphere Spectotometers without the reflector, head or lens, and are of course much higher than when the flashlight is used with these in place.
The true out-the-front numbers are much lower due to losses from the reflector and reflection from the lens.

The Solarforce model I have comes with the larger internal diameter body that will accept 18650 Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries, as well as the RC123’s and the rechargeable RCR123’s.
Having several 18650 batteries and a charger, I prefer to use the large Lithium Ion rechargeable battery.
Fortunately for those that will want to use the light on a rifle or shotgun, the Weaver 1” ring clamps to the 18650 body without a problem.

Prices of body components or entire lights vary depending where you purchase them.  Your best bet is to Google the Solarforce name and see what is available and where at the time of your search.
I have been using the Solarforce L-2 for the last two weeks in my pocket and I don’t care for the sharp crenellated bezel that is very rough in my pocket’s liner. It was bothering me so much that I finally removed it in favor of a Z-32 Surefire bezel that I had in my spare parts box.

The strobe function is used in tactical lights with the hope it will bother the opponent more than the straight beam.  To me it is of no value as a deterrent, but it is a good function to have if you ever are in need to attract attention and are unable to call for help.

I wanted to take some beam shots but the snow here has been so bothersome lately (we had 26 inches on the ground) and prevented me from doing so. In any case, the beam is so close to the beam shots I have made with other 200 lumen R-2’s that you can see them in the post titled “The 200 lumens battle,” and you can imagine the beams to be the same.
Cheers
Watchmaker

[watchmaker]

THE BEAR CUB
SMALL LIGHT BIG PERFORMANCE

Not long ago to get magnum illumination out of a flashlight, I had to drop down the tube, six of the big D batteries on a Maglite 6 D size.
That the light weights three pounds one ounce and measures 19 ½ inches was just incidental to the use if I wanted to get a really good, powerful beam.

Later Surefire come up with small lights that could take two and three or four small but powerful 123’s camera batteries, some of those lights, come up and surpass the 181 lumens of the big Maglite 6 D.
I am thinking now of the specialty tactical light than Surefire have as the M-4 that uses four of the 123 batteries for 225 lumens for one hour run time. The M-4 was made famous by been used in the CSI Las Vegas series.
Incidentally the M-4 is not precisely inexpensive, costing $330 USD from Surefire or their dealers.

The only problem is that the little 3 volts batteries are quite expensive, and using four of them for one hour run time can cost you $8.00 for that hour.
And that is if you buy them at discount over the Internet, when purchased in the camera stores (such as Wal Mart) the little 3 volts batteries cost as much as $4 each.

So a light of the size of the Surefire M-4 (9 inches long) was highly desired if it could be made to run on rechargeable batteries, to avoid the big battery expense of the M-4.

Enter the Bear Cub, a nine inches light, with a 13 oz. weight that is rechargeable and uses Lithium Ion batteries.
This little light makes 220 lumens for 90 minutes of run time, and then recharges its two batteries with a fast charger that is included, in three and a half hours.
The Lithium Ion batteries can be recharged up to 1,000 times and when they eventually get depleted can be replaced with $30.

HERE IS A PICTURE OF THE  BEAR CUB LIGHT, NEXT TO THE SUREFIRE M-4.



AND HERE NEXT TO THE MAGLITE 6 D



And here a couple of beam shots at 26 yards for comparison.

MAGLITE 6 D



BEAR CUB



Yes the little rechargeable Bear Cub is characterized for an intense white light, and a run time of 90 minutes, all in a small size that can fit in any glove compartment or trench coat pocket.
Best Wishes
Watchmaker

[watchmaker]

SUREFIRE WEAPON LIGHT
RECHARGEABLE CONVERSION
345 LUMENS

Hi guys,
A member of another forum has this idea of boring the inside diameter of a Surefire 6P to accept a laptop computer Li Ion battery.
I did my own version and discover that I can get a 345 lumens lamp (LED new R-5) at close to two hours run time.

You can mount this baby in a 5.56 mm a 50 caliber or a shotgun, it will shrug recoil no matter what caliber you shoot.
How come?

The heavy spring on the lamp act as a shock absorber and prevent lamp battering by the battery. And been an LED is not filament to break down.


The special machined Surefire body is a part of the equation.
The Lamp is a new one by Thru Nite, it is the new Cree R-5 and output and incredible 345 lumens (well more than any Surefire weapon light)

http://www.surefire.com/M961XM07-with-Dual-Thumbscrew-Mount


This lamp is a flood/throw and is ideal to clear rooms with the AR.
For night hunting I am changing to a 300 lumens lamp that have a better throw (different reflector treatment) so those coyotes have to watch out.

The tail cap has a remote cable switch with pressure pad, so I can place it on the stock of my rifle or shotgun, under my thumb. Yes thumb pressure will activate the light.

Usually this type of light uses 123’s batteries, they go fast under the power of 345 lumens, so I opted for a long run time computer battery, rechargeable, that will last you close to 2 hours of run time.

Moreover, when I am unsure of how much battery juice is in the battery, I  just pop it into the charger and you get a full charged battery, ideal if I  practice much night shooting with my AR.
You cannot do that with 123’s primary batteries unless you are willing to dump expensive half used batteries.

Li Ion technology will provide extend use if I don’t use the light, an occasional full top charge every 5 months will keep the battery at full capacity.

I have used a crenellated bezel up front, but I am thinking to put a flat bezel as I think the crenellated is able to catch on brush,
I provided the light with a Weaver ring, but I am thinking to change it to some Quick detach lever mount like the Leupold  style Weaver style for the AR, as I don’t want it on the rifle when hunting Whitetails during the day in the laurel tickets ( I hunt with a mini 30).
Yes the Weaver detaches quick but I will need a coin from my pocket.
BEAMSHOT AT 30 YARDS AT MY USUAL LOCATION
So you can compare with any of my other beam shots from the past, I use the same camera setting for all beam shots.



This is the Quick Detach ring that I will use in my AR; it will fit the Picatinny or the Weaver bases.



I mounted a magazine picatinny mount  in my home defense shotgun, so I will make another light for the Mossberg and I will have this one with a pressure tape curly cord switch, the curly cord have more reach than the straight 9” cable for mounting way out there under the barrel of the shotgun.

Cheers