Good Flashlight/laser combo.

Please help me out, I am looking for a good reliable flashlight/laser combo to attach to my Ruger SR 556 with keymod.
I have read about the Streamlight Protac Mount HL-X Laser model, with 1000 lumens & Red Laser, but many
have said it is HUGE & heavy..... Surefire price is out of reach for me.
also, what does the community say about flashlights on long guns, dont they kind of make You
a target to the bad guys too??

James K. said:

Please help me out, I am looking for a good reliable flashlight/laser combo to attach to my Ruger SR 556 with keymod.
I have read about the Streamlight Protac Mount HL-X Laser model, with 1000 lumens & Red Laser, but many
have said it is HUGE & heavy..... Surefire price is out of reach for me.
also, what does the community say about flashlights on long guns, dont they kind of make You
a target to the bad guys too??View attachment 584036

Click to expand...

We use Barska Light & Green Laser on Pistols and ARs. They are on sale now and not much weight.
For personal Protection on Pistols the Green Laser is nice and the Light will blind someone.
On our AR for night hunting would use the Light & Laser to find a shot animal.

Your comment about making you a target for the Bad guys. Unless you are sneaking up on someone the Bad Guy already knows where you are at.

anytime you light up yourself in the dark it will make you the target and might be by someone you know? they might see you as an intruder/trespasser? White light might not be the way to go regardless of lumens, but might go green or red for predators? a lumen like @Coyote Shadow Tracker posted would work.

I have a couple Olights because you can recharge them. And they are lightweight IMO. I have about 5 of them from pistols, handheld flashlight (Warrior X, 500 to 2100 lumen) & rifle. I have learned brighter is not always better. In a home it can work against you. Beware, they are made in China. But I have used my handheld light daily for over 3 years now. And all has been good. I have spotted deer across fields out to 400 yards easily with the small handheld. Original battery still going strong in all of them after 4 years on some. Just be sure to re charge the battery every so often. Pistols have laser & light. And can be run in any configuration you choose. Hardly notice their presence. Followup shots with the laser is a little slow IMO. Takes a bit on the recoil. But I have not used any high end stuff to compare to. For the money I don't think you can go wrong. Especially for rodent control.

I mounted the Fenix GL22 on a shockwave and it has been surprisingly effective. 750 lumen light and a selectable red laser sight combined with rechargeable 16340 batteries and fairly easy front end battery changes is a pretty good package for about $120 at the moment. Aftermarket batteries add to performance. It's a bit large for smaller handguns I would say, but I have never run a handgun with a light.

I do like my streamlight and surefure lights— they do not quit-

I run a Streamlight TLR-8AG on my nightstand Glock 19X in conjunctionwith a Holosun 507C. And a TLR-7 (not all the time) on my EDC G19 w. Holosun 507C.

Hard to go wrong with a Streamlight.

James K. said:

Please help me out, I am looking for a good reliable flashlight/laser combo to attach to my Ruger SR 556 with keymod.
I have read about the Streamlight Protac Mount HL-X Laser model, with 1000 lumens & Red Laser, but many
have said it is HUGE & heavy..... Surefire price is out of reach for me.
also, what does the community say about flashlights on long guns, dont they kind of make You
a target to the bad guys too??View attachment 584036

Click to expand...

CHECK THIS ONE OUT.

The HLX is a good light for the money. Little bulky, but workable for sure. If you don't want the bulk, pay for surefire.
I wouldn't spend money on a vis laser. IR lasers are good for NV. Use your optic for daylight aiming.

2nd the Olight suggestion. I have several of them and though made in China, they are top notch in my opinion. I have a small Javelot that will light up a county road sign a mile away. Have killed a coyote at a little over 500 yards with it. I have another that I have used for over 2 years when I put the dogs in their kennel at night. Has never failed.

Honestly just forgo the visible laser and put the money towards a better flashlight. They might look cool in movies but are really not that practical, even in a close quarters/room clearing type of scenario. Learning to shoot properly with your red dot will be 1000x more valuable.

As far as visible light, for me they are a requirement on defensive guns for positive target identification (ie bad guy). In regards to drawing attention to yourself, the brain trust for that idea also thought that 10mm was a good service pistol caliber for their entire department and that people were dumb enough to believe a certain incriminating laptop didn't exist. Your visible light is a tool, but shouldn't be left on constantly or used as a search light. Bright lights in people's eyes do tend to make it harder for them to assault you.

Streamlight makes good and affordable lights. Surefire and Modlight make better ones that cost more, and can be more modular with bodies and heads appropriate for your specific application. If you are concerned about adapting to your keymod, companies like Arisaka make quite a few adapters.

Coyote Shadow Tracker said:

We use Barska Light & Green Laser on Pistols and ARs. They are on sale now and not much weight.
For personal Protection on Pistols the Green Laser is nice and the Light will blind someone.
On our AR for night hunting would use the Light & Laser to find a shot animal.

Your comment about making you a target for the Bad guys. Unless you are sneaking up on someone the Bad Guy already knows where you are at.

Green Laser with 200 Lumen Flashlight | AU12716

The Barska 5mW Green Laser Sight/Flashlight Combo is a laser/flashlight combo that features a 200 lumen intense bright light and 5mW high power green laser sight. Both the targeting laser and the illuminating flashlight have been integrated into one compact unit with an innovative built-in...

shop.barska.com

Click to expand...

But disagree about the bad guy already knowing where you are. Your gun light does make you a target in the dark. It also tends to blind them a bit. Not a good idea to turn it on and leave it on. Use it intermittently, when you want light, turn it off otherwise. A quick convenient on-off switch is vital. A policeman taught me a trick: he uses a Surefire pistol light that has a bright central cone, about 1 ft in diameter at 25 feet. If you practice with it, it is an effective sight - you just need to establish where in that central cone your bullet strikes.

As for a light/ laser combo you cannot beat the x400 buts it's pricey. The other options given are good options but have their drawbacks. For a rifle I don't find the need for a laser unless under night vision. The best rifle light I have used for fighting rifles have been the Cloud rein and OWL. Both throw light on targets at rifle distances. If you're looking to get the best for the money save up the money and buy once, cry once. The cheaper lights tend to fail at the worst possible times.

James K. said:

Please help me out, I am looking for a good reliable flashlight/laser combo to attach to my Ruger SR 556 with keymod.
I have read about the Streamlight Protac Mount HL-X Laser model, with 1000 lumens & Red Laser, but many
have said it is HUGE & heavy..... Surefire price is out of reach for me.
also, what does the community say about flashlights on long guns, dont they kind of make You
a target to the bad guys too??View attachment 584036

Click to expand...

You might look at Steiner, which I've used and had great success with my SR556. The early design belonged to Burris, they picked it up from them. Cheers