Torches!

[J.Carr]

New to the game, I'm interested to see what torches people are using. I'm thinking open minded in terms of fixing it to a weapon rail etc.

Something bright, not too heavy and not too deadly for the bank account!

 

[Esoterick]

I use one of these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Element-M600c-Scout-Flashlight-Tactical-Torch-Airsoft-Weapon-Light-Black-UK-/131273699398

Mounts to a rail and has a pressure pad and switch options. Seems sturdy enough and it's fairly bright, lighter than a full size torch and apparently the front cover won't smash if shot.

It's a clone of the Surefire M600C, which whilst being much better quality is also getting on for £400

 

[J.Carr]

Cheers for the reply mate, il check it out!

 

[TheGrover]

I use that very torch. Plenty bright enough to blind enemies when you're in the dark.

It might also be worth getting a little picket torch. I use a 5.11 l1 thingy which has a strobe as well, easy to hold round a corner and look to see if any bbs come your way while you're safely in cover.

But whatever you buy, make sure it runs on 123A betteries coz those little bastards make powerful torches

 

[Antt570]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eagle-Flashlight-Laser-Picatinny-Switch/dp/B00A6MAC4Q/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=0N4DNFW1H8W84M92NTPT

I bought one of these as a even cheaper version of the one above!

Doesn't come with batteries mind, but you can pick them up from Tesco/Sainsburys for less than £5

 

[MikeMarden]

This is was I opted for, worked a treat at a recent night event, I wasn't too keen on a pressure pad etc.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TrustFire-G02-600LM-CREE-LED-Flashlight-Torch-Tactical-Gun-Pistol-Handgun-Black-/181712586347

Very bright - Comes with two modes on & strobe, battery not included though!

Mike

 

[Antt570]

This is was I opted for, worked a treat at a recent night event, I wasn't too keen on a pressure pad etc.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TrustFire-G02-600LM-CREE-LED-Flashlight-Torch-Tactical-Gun-Pistol-Handgun-Black-/181712586347

Very bright - Comes with two modes on & strobe, battery not included though!

Mike

Out of interest buddy, can you get the torch to stay on at all times? Or the strobe to stay on? Or do you have to constantly keep the pad button pressed?

 

[MikeMarden]

Out of interest buddy, can you get the torch to stay on at all times? Or the strobe to stay on? Or do you have to constantly keep the pad button pressed?

Hi mate - It's one click & the light is on permanently & a second click for the strobe that then is on permanently, third click & it turns off

 

[iBrowniee x]

If you want one that looks good look at the PEQ boxes I have one on my m416 and it looks amazing with my holo sight

 

[TheGrover]

Hi mate - It's one click & the light is on permanently & a second click for the strobe that then is on permanently, third click & it turns off

I just got mine now, and damn if it's not bloody bright.

Five minutes after "testing" it and I still have a big blind spot burned into my retina

 

[MikeMarden]

I just got mine now, and damn if it's not bloody bright.

Five minutes after "testing" it and I still have a big blind spot burned into my retina

Haha! - Made that mistake myself!

 

[djben9]

interesting read, all good for future purchases!

years ago, Surefirre were the buzzword from memory, how so much has changed in the last few or so years

liking the Surefire M600C clone

 

[TheFull9]

SureFire hasn't 'gone away', far from it they've significantly updated their entire line and come out with some really good new models over the past year or two. They're just really bloody expensive and you can get a pretty bright LED light that's fine for airsoft use with a picatinny mount for £20 or less. In the current economic climate (combined with the availability of cheap stuff from china) the real deal stuff is never going to see much popularity amongst the average skirmishers.

 

[djben9]

agree there, they make some really nice stuff and id love a few of them, but yeah for airsoft and the chance of me damaging it, I'm with you on looking at alternatives!, a lot has changed, well ive seen, over the years

 

[ImTriggerHappy]

agree there, they make some really nice stuff and id love a few of them, but yeah for airsoft and the chance of me damaging it, I'm with you on looking at alternatives!, a lot has changed, well ive seen, over the years

I have a surefire tac light and it got the front shot out first time I used it. They are really good but the one I have is a glass lens so not really airsoft friendly. Have tried a few clones but gave up using a weapon light because it just makes you an easy target. Now I just use a couple of welco torches 180 lumen with a strobe. £12 each doesn't matter if I lose it or it gets broken. Have chucked them 20ft down corridors to light up a doorway and they still work perfectly.

 

[MrMcG]

I have two of these

Great bits of kit

Has both constant and strobe settings too

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131325023255?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

[TheFull9]

agree there, they make some really nice stuff and id love a few of them, but yeah for airsoft and the chance of me damaging it, I'm with you on looking at alternatives!, a lot has changed, well ive seen, over the years

I wasn't actually saying I prefer alternatives; if you're worried about damage to a SureFire you just put in a sacrificial lens, the metal body of the light's never going to be damaged by a BB. Various ways of covering up the actual light emitting head. But I'm quite conscious of the fact they're excessively built for most airsoft usage and to be honest, I'm pretty wary of reverse-snobs these days after various things I've had said to me.

But anyway, right now I have a few SF lights of various models because I tried some Insight clones initially and they quite literally fell apart on me the first game I tried to use them. That made me purchase a Streamlight TLR-1 and once I saw how much higher the RS quality actually is (even at the 'lower end' with the TLR) I never looked at a clone again. The clones have generally gotten quite a bit better since then, long as you're careful what you pick (from what I've seen), but personally I don't trust them any more. Plus I like the fact I can get a wide variety of mounts and other things for the SF lights and know they'll all fit together and work. But as with anything, it all depends what you want in this great game of ours.

 

[shortman]

I kinda go the other way and have a 75lumen pistol torch fitted to my m4 as it is bright enough to see by and pick out wnimies in the dark but not so bright that an i xan be seen from space.

Rule nuber 1 of a torch if you can see, you can be seen!

The brighter th torch the further away people notice the light moving arond from.

 

[Raggedy_man]

Just don't use head torches... ever! They just beg to be shot at and I'm more than happy to oblige.

 

[TheFull9]

I think there's a lot of misunderstandings regarding the tactics of light employment in this thread. Nobody who has even the faintest clue what they're doing ever walks around with a 300-500 lumen light set to constant on; or indeed turns on their light for any more than about half a second when there's any chance there might be enemy presence close by (and only then if it's really necessary).

All my weapon lights are equipped with momentary-only switches/remote pads. When you need light to navigate, you have something small in the range of sub-50 lumens using red, green or blue and obviously use it as sparingly as possible but just as much as is necessary to not break your face on something. The light on your pistol or rifle will depend on your environment as if you're outside you want something brighter than if you're indoors (especially with white walls) but will generally be white and 200+ lumens. You use it in short, controlled bursts to highlight your target once you're actually engaged with said target, then fire and move inbetween firing the light to keep an eye on the enemy. If it's a strong light and they've been in the dark for even a minute or so it'll be disorienting to the enemy. Regardless of how much their eyes have adjusted the source of the light they're seeing won't be small enough to give an accurate aiming point; often quite the opposite and they'll likely see a very large cone of light. When combined with the fact you should be moving and they're trying to fire back while taking fire themselves, they shouldn't be able to get a proper bead on you at all, whereas you will have seen them clearly through proper employment of your light and will be able to get a precise aim on them.

Not having a dig at anyone, but I think there will be lurkers who aren't familiar with this sort of thing as it's rarely mentioned in airsoft.