Is it any good for AR mounting?
is there a pressure pad you can use with this? where can i find one? (url)
I've got a Mini-Y comp (loud little bastard), will this hurt the flashlight?
Thanks in advance.

Some use the G2 in it's basic form, some add a shock proof bezel. I think there is a pressure switch, but it's in the range of $60 or so, or about twice the value of the flashlight.
I use mine in a 1" low mount scope ring mounted on a handguard rail.
[img]http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-7/188491/newarfrontgrip.jpg[/img]

It seems like people are either using the G2 Nitrolon or the 6P for flashlights mounted onto their rifles.

I would like to add another question to this post: Are all the lights being used all lithium battery powered or is anyone using rechargable battery powered lights?

I currently use the Surefire 8X and 8NX at work. I love them both and their power(lumens) is about doubled to that of the G2 and the 6P.
True, they are longer overall, but the increase in power in a lot more.

Are there any lights out there which can match the 8X or the 8NX in the 110 lumen range with the 50 minute burn time, just in a short lengthed light?

I have been considering using a scope ring as a mount, becase I have found some nice HD tactical rings with a dual ring setup, but most lights are 1.25" diameter and the rings are for 1" scopes......any comments here?>

IMO, if you are using your AR weaponlight  quite frequently, then using a Ni-Cd based battery system probably makes sense (assuming you are good about recharging). But if you use the light infrequently (e.g., private sector training classes, maybe some in-home practice) and mainly keep the AR for home defense, then I'd say the poor Ni-Cd shelf life makes that battery system a bad choice. IMO, for the latter application, the 10-yr shelf life Li DL123A type batteries are the way to go.

BTW, all of the 3-cell, P90-based SureFires are rated for 105 lumens for 60 minutes.

jvn

Actually, the reason most proffessionals use the regular batteries instead of rechargeables is that there is little or no warning as to low power output with the rechargeables.  With the regular batteries, the lights get dimmer and dimmer over relatively long a period of time as the battery drains, letting you know the power is low. With rechargeables, there is little or no warning to the batery being low on power.  For a light that is being used for any life and death situation, especially one mounted on a weapon, always go with the normal batteries.  Fore a G2 that you use to look around the basement, keep in the kitchen, etc., go with rechargeables if cost is any concern.  On a weapon light, saving a few bucks isn't worth it.

The different discharge characteristic of Li primaries vs. Ni-Cd secondaries is a good point. But personally, the fact that this is the reason that the "professionals" favor Li vs. Ni-Cd carries little weight. Their situation is not mine, and mine is not theirs.

I think that everyone would agree the flashlight has to work reliably. Since we are talking about batteries here, reliability means batteries that have sufficient charge. That is the bottom line. The #1 risk for a battery to fail to work is that it is drained (I'll ignore things like defective batteries, battered contacts, etc). Unless you've used the battery too much and have depleted it, the reason a Ni-Cd is drained is because of poor shelf life (self-discharge).

Long shelf life = inherent reliability.

I can compensate for a shorter shelf life by implementing a regular recharging schedule. But I had better be diligent about it. Otherwise, stick with Li cells for reliability reasons (i.e., shelf life), not for discharge rate characteristics.

A slowly fading light is all well and good, but it is useless if your batteries have self-discharged in the first place. Plus, it doesn't address inherent reliability. It is a backup in case you've screwed up and have used less than full-up batteries in your gear. But if you don't carry spare batteries with you, the "warning signal" of a fading light isn't of much use. And if it is a life and death situation, why are you using poorly maintained gear in the first place?

So for something like a rechargeable 8NX that you might use a lot, I would just recharge the battery on a regular basis. The flat discharge curve of the Ni-Cd is a non-issue since the battery life is on the order of an hour and SurreFires are typically used intermittently. I certainly don't use mine as a general purpose light to provide constant illumination. I'm not going to drain the battery in one session. So I simply can recharge the battery weekly and I will be good to go. As stated before, regular recharging addresses my reliability selection criterion. The need to have a slowing fading light to indicate dying batteries never factors into the equation because it is moot.

For lights that I keep for emergencies (or weaponlights for home defense) that are stored for a long time and used little, shelf life is clearly the #1 issue.

Another consideration is environment. If you regularly are outside in very cold weather, I would go with Li batteries (unless you keep the light in your pocket or other warm spot).

jvn

Ni-CD's need to be drained before charging, lest they develop memory and weaken over time.

SureFire Ni-Cds come pre-conditioned.

jvn

Are you saying that lasts?

If I were to drain them down to 75% left, recharge, drain, recharge, etc... that they won't get weaker from the memory effect?

I've heard of pre-conditioning, but I just thought that was like breaking in a barrel - good to do, but you still need proper maintanence, ie:  drain, recharge, drain, recharge.

No, I simply wrote that SureFire Ni-Cds come pre-conditioned. As for supposed Ni-Cd memory, IMO that is a non-issue with the current generation Ni-Cd designs.

http://www.repairfaq.org/ELE/F_NiCd_Memory.html
http://www.repairfaq.org/ELE/F_NiCd_Battery.html#NICDBATTERY_026

jvn