I have a 16" RRA HBAR with 7" free floated DD Omega rail and am using the standard FSB. This is my SHTF rig. I've tried a few different light setups over the past year, and none have really worked for me for one reason or another. I'm now toying with the idea of mounting a light to the FSB. I'm thinking of mounting the light in a Larue QD mount off the FSB at the 11 O'clock position. My thought process is, if it's night time or I'm entering a building, I can snap the light onto the FSB. If I'm at the range for the day and/or hiking with the rifle during the day, the light can be detached and stashed away somewhere, shaving some weight off the rifle (same for my 3X flip-to-side EOTech magnifier). Additionally, the light can still be utilized as a regular flashlight when not mounted to the rifle.
Aside from welcoming other suggestions, my primary question is regarding POI shift when the light is mounted. The total weight of the mounted light should come to around 8 oz. give or take (I'm presently considering a
4Sevens Maelstrom). I thought I would zero the sights without the light mounted, and accept the POI shift as a penalty when the light is mounted, given that shooting distances in dark environments are likely to be shorter, making any POI shift less of an issue.
Any thoughts on how much of a shift I might expect from with my FF HBAR? Am I thinking about this the wrong way or am I over thinking it?
I'd consider leaving a light mounted all the time (and regardless of the solution, it will be stored with the light mounted), but I'm admittedly still pretty shaky when shooting off-hand, and the weight savings seems to help. The ability to keep the rifle light weight and tack on toys as the situation warrants also seems advantageous. I know I could go with a lighter profile barrel, but I'm not willing to go there quite yet. I could also look at a smaller, lighter weight light that I could mount permanently (I tried my TLR-2s already), but the switching controls didn't work well for me with my thumb-break grip, and a light with more throw seems prudent given my environment (a wide open rural neighborhood).
Thanks for your thoughts in advance!