By Max Avery
Van Buren, AR -(Ammoland.com)- There are a lot of factors that can go into choosing quality weapon lights for your carbine – this article is written with the assumption that whatever firearm you’re choosing weapon lights for has a MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny Rail System to provide the appropriate area to mount one of the units below.
Generally speaking, the best weapon lights are bright enough to properly illuminate your surroundings and target, however, too powerful of a beam, especially in close quarters situations, can result in light reflection that could distract or impair your eyes ability to properly adjust.
It’s important to choose weapon lights with a beam pattern capable of providing a solid throw on your target. Too wide of a beam pattern will illuminate your surroundings, but can be less effective in longer range engagements.
5) Inforce WML Weapon Light
First we have the Inforce WML Weapon Lights – this is a great compact weapon light that provides a 125 lumen output for approximately 2 hours with a single CR123 battery. The unit is very lightweight and takes up a small footprint on the rail system, making it ideal for SBRs with limited rail space.
The WML is a fairly wide beam pattern but does intensify in the center to provide forward throw capable of moderate distance. The on/off switch is unique and sits at a 45 degree angle from the rail system with a button that seems to provide a fairly natural operation with any standard firing position. The unit is water resistant and has a very rigid, durable housing. The best thing about this unit is the price – clocking in with a MSRP of $150, it’s very affordable and a great addition to any collection.
4) Surefire M900V Vertical Foregrip Weapon Lights
No carbine weapon light list would be complete without mentioning the Surefire M900V Vertical Foregrip Weapon Lights – the M900V is the an enhanced, LED configuration that features a number of improvements over the standard M900. The M910A weighs just 1.2lbs and takes 3 standard CR123 batteries. It features a 150 lumen white light or 120 mW infrared beam and is integrated to a very rugged broomstick foregrip with Surefire’s integrated pressure switch.
In addition to the pressure pad, the light features a constant on rotary switch and a system disable switch to lock the light in the OFF position, effectively disabling the pressure pads. As Surefire weapon lights go, this is a high strength aluminum housing that features weatherproof O-ring and gasket seals. A number of accessories are available including a red, blue or infrared filter and also a standard light diffuser cap.
3) Streamlight TLR-2s Weapon Lights
The Streamlight TLR-2s Weapon Lights is a compact 160 lumen weapon lights with strobe function. I love strobes as much as the next guy and this is a guy, and one big benefit of this unit is that it will fit on most handguns with a full size rail as well, giving you the opportunity to mount it to most full size handguns (most Glocks, Beretta M9 / M92A1, XD, HK45CT, etc.,) in addition to your standard carbine rail system. The unit boasts a 50,000 hour lifetime C4 LED and also features factory serialization to properly identify the unit. The TLR-2s will operate at 2.5 hrs with two CR123 batteries in the standard “on” setting”
2) Insight VBL III/WMX-200 Weapon Light
The Insight Weapon Lights VBL III/WMX-200 or “Visible Bright Light” is a more traditional looking torch, but packs some amazing power. The 5.2 inch unit unit features a robust 200 lumen output and full infrared capability with a simple bezel twist (Settings of All Off, Visible Light-Low Power, Visible Light-High Power, and Infrared). The anodized weapon lights bezel is marked clearly to ensure proper indexing and viewing. The integrated mount also allows full 180 degree swivel. Highly water resistant construction (up to 20 meters deep for two hours). Runs on two CR123 batteries and has an approximate runtime of 120 minutes on the “high” setting.
1) Surefire M720V RAID Weapon Light
Our top pick for the Best Carbine weapon lights is the Surefire M720V RAID weapon light. This top notch unit is a bit pricey, but definitely worth the value; it features a number of useful functions in a compact, modular platform. The unit itself has multiple output settings, including a standard High (150 lumen) Medium (75 lumen) and Low (15 lumen) white light setting, as well as the same three settings for Infrared (240mW, 100mW and 6mW, respectively) – Additionally, a strobe function is available in the white light settings. Battery life can be anticipated to run at 1.8 hours which grants the user an acceptable amount of time in the field without neglecting the need of a high output weapon lights system.
The M720V comes with Surefire’s SR07-M720V pressure-activated tape switch that integrates into any side position picatinny rail – cabling can reach up to 7” from the parent unit to allow for a custom-length position on the rifle. This unit also allows usage of Surefire 1.37” filters (IR, Diffuser, Red and Blue).
This unit attaches directly with the Surefire Swing-Lever clamp that will adjust for out-of-spec or damaged rail systems and ensures a very tight fit. The unit itself is available in either a slick looking anodized black or “desert sand” finish. The tan anodizing looks great on platforms such as the Bushmaster ACR or FN SCAR 17S.
We’re extremely pleased with this weapon lights unit and anticipate seeing a lot more of them in use in the coming months despite the hefty pricetag.
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Max Avery: Vice President at Knesek Guns, Inc.:
Max Avery is the Vice President of Knesek Guns, Inc. He is an avid shooter and conducts a variety of training courses including the Arkansas Concealed Carry course. Max’s role at KGI is largely based upon business development strategy and implementation including direct representation of the company within currently held and potential markets to establish solidly founded working relationships in the global firearms and defense industry.
KGI was founded in April of 2003 by Mr. Larry R. Knesek, to serve clients as a premier international distributor of fine firearms. Mr. Knesek owns, operates, and consults several companies in various fields worldwide. Visit: www.knesekguns.com