[Douglas]

So an incident this evening left me wanting to mount a portable sun on my old Colt with a skinny 16" bbl. I have wanted to do this for the longest time but thought I would never need it... This rifle runs and eats everything, which is good. I have seen no end to options, and all I have is the simple round handguards. I would ask for some personal testimony in this regards from members.

As for the incident, they got my point but I don't think they ever saw the S&W 629 4" I had in my hand behind my back while explaining things to them. Sad but true. With a good set up on my Colt, I would see clearly, blind them and they would never see me or what was pointed -ahem- "in their direction". I had to make do with a porch light and a street light. GI4 Stay safe fellow members!DISHOUT

Doug

 

[2336USMC]

Absolutely, whatever gun you have ready to grab in the night should have a light on it. You need to light up your target to be sure of what it is before you pull the trigger... GI8

Insight Technology M6X. Compact, very bright light with a laser built right into the housing. A bright flashlight beam combined with a red laser dot might help solve many social problems before they get out of hand.

If you don't want to rip apart your Colt to install all sorts of tacti-rails, there are a few manufacturers that make short sections of Picatinny rail that are designed to bolt right thru the vent holes on a standard AR handguard. Get a short one, 6" or less, and bolt it onto the upper handguard at the front. Then add an adapter that adds a short section of rail at a 45 degree angle. Not hard to find. You want that rail 45 degrees off to the right side of your front sight. Attach the M6X to that, and run the tape switch back to where your off-hand fingers normally grab the handguards.

M6X is what I run on my "yard gun" which is an FN Mauser 98 .30-'06 carbine set up as a scout rifle. The M6X never lets me down when things go bump in the night.

 

[C473]

http://www.surefire.com/M500A-Millennium-Carbine-Forend

I picked up one of these on ebay for $125. There are several versions, the one linked, LED, turbo head, and a 9v turbo head. They also have them full size. Solid construction. Just the thing for anyone who does not want a railed forend.

 

[Col. Colt]

I took care of the need for rails relatively cheaply and yet very satisfactorily on the same model Colt AR - love that pencil barrel - ARs really should be lightweight, close to 5lb carbines, if you need more range and power, get an M14/M1A!

Surefire makes a very nice carbine length rail forend that is tensioned with allen screws, seems quite secure and is a quality product for well under $200. I have tried it with both a Knight pistol grip and a Surefire 910 light/grip and it has remained rock solid, and accuracy is unchanged (which is already excellent) or better with the rail forend. I put standard rail covers over the unused rails and it is both comfortable and attractive looking. Surefire is pretty good at this stuff by now. CC

 

[M1AallTheWay]

Would something like THIS on the barrel with THIS on top of it work for you? If the barrel diameter is right, the mount goes ahead of the sight tower and the light tops out just below the sight.

 

[M14sRock]

I bought a set of two short polymer Pic rails from Brownells. They mount through the vent holes. Used one on each of two M4's and they work great. Real cheap, too.

 

[M1A's r BEST]

My little rifle has one of those front sight clamp mounts. Its two piece and designed to clamp through/to the front sight base. One side has the light the other side has the laser with the curly cords going back to the pistol grip (light) and verticle front grip (laser).

They also make mounts than clamp to the bayonet lug (useful unless you plan on sticking a bayonet on it.

 

[ArmyCPT]

All good suggestions...but hey - follow my advice and ignore everyone else, okay? :kidding:

Toss your standard Colt handguards in the old equipment pile and mount a set of Magpul MOE handguards (LINK).

Now, add a piece or two of Picatinny rail (LINK).

Finally, add light and mount. I recommend the new SureFire G2X (LINK) and a Gear Sector offset mount (LINK).

And if you want a VFG, here's something solid to put on there: (LINK)

All totaled up - for around $150-160, you get a 200 lumen (LED) mounted weapon light and a forward grip, all with less weight than a rail system. Pretty wild when the most expensive thing on the menu is a light mount, but from my experience, it's one place where you don't want to pinch pennies. HTH.

 

[ArmyCPT]

And here's a link to some pics from a guy that did something similar:

Click HERE