Budget Picatinny Tactical Light System

So I been looking for a cheap, yet solid tactical light system for a while now. I am happy to report that I finally found one :)

More After the Jump!

The system is composed of three parts:

1. Ultrafire Wf-502b Flashlight Torch: amazon
2. 2x Ultrafire 18650 Rechargeable Li-ion Batteries + Charger (or any other 18650 Li-ion battery): Amazon
3. 1" Diameter Picatinny Tactical Light Mount: amazon

The entire build will cost you $24.25 without tax and shipping. If you have Amazon Prime, you can get all three items with free 2 day shipping. A quick tip is to select legitimate sources when purchasing from amazon. For example, buy the Picatinny mount directly from Amazon, as people have reported less quality goods of the same item from other sources.

Here are the pros and cons of this system from my experience.

Pros:

• Relatively cheap
• Very solid, full metal build
• Multiple modes
• High 1000 rated lumens output

Cons:

• Requires a Picatinny to Nerf adapter to work on Nerf rails: SlyDev
• A bit bulky (this may be a plus on large, rifle type blasters)
• ~200-300 true lumens output
• Overheats at maximum setting after 20 minutes

When mounted on Picatinny rails directly, as demonstrated in the above picture with my JT Splatmaster z100 pistol, the system is very rigid. It does not move or wobble at all; it feels like it can break through drywall or chip board wood, but don't quote me on this (FYI, apparently they have things that mounts on Picatinny rails that are designed to breakdown doors and stuff, for real guns of course).

The light itself is one of those Chinese knockoff torches, but works almost wonderfully. It is rated at a 1000 lumens output, but even with a proper battery, it will only produce an approximately 200-300 lumens output (based on personal comparison of known brightness flashlights, supported by an Amazon review). In addition, it has five modes: high, medium, low, strobe, and S.O.S.. A huge flaw to this light is that it will overheat after 20 minutes of continuous use on the high setting. However, this light will work without a problem on medium and strobe (which is pulsing light at maximum brightness) settings, which eliminates the prior issue as a huge problem. I think a good operating procedure is to use the medium setting for normal use, and then switch to high during an intensive "air" exchange or when fending off a zombie wave. 20 minutes should be long enough for you to not be overly concerned about having to check the light for heat issues during the action.

As a note, the side mount properties of the system makes pushing the light button extremely convenient on the z100 pistol.

In addition, the light can mount to the left or right. Furthermore, the Picatinny light mount can mount any flashlight that has an appropriate 1" diameter section on the light's body.

Here is a picture of the light in somewhat action:

Despite its drawbacks (mainly of which are the torch's), this system is well worth the cost if you are looking for a budget, but functional tactical light. Comparing to a high quality tactical light system, such as the Surefire weapon light, Nerfers will get 90% of what they want out of such system from this much cheaper alternative. This system is also far better than any airsoft tactical light that you can find for even near its price. Airsoft lights that cost twice as much is less rigid as well as much dimmer than this system.

I hope this finding fits your needs and is a solution to your lighting problems. Happy Nerfing!