Tag Archives | IWC

Initial Impressions: Streamlight ProTac Rail Mount 1

I have been working with both the new ProTac Rail Mount lights from Streamlight for a couple of weeks now. I have spent more time with the Rail Mount 1 in particular. This post should not be considered a full review given the short time they have been in my hands. Consider it something like my initial impressions and perhaps an answer to some common inquiries that I receive here often at JTT – AA battery powered weapon light availability and a more general question about affordable lighting set ups .

These lights were sent to me by Impact Weapons Components (IWC) for the express purpose of testing them with a variety of IWC mounts of which I own several. That article will come later and will have plenty of pictures of the lights on various IWC mounts and impressions of the combinations.

Initially, I have had the Protac Rail Mount 1 mounted in an IWC SMC Light Mount on an Arsenal SGL-21 with Magpul MOE AK Hand Guards and also on an AR-15 with Magpul MOE SL Hand Guards. This setup has proven to be very useful in both cases.

protac rail mount 1 on IWC SMC

AA Battery Compatibility

I commonly receive questions regarding the availability of AA weapon lights. While alkaline AA batteries are generally less suitable for weapon lights than lithium CR123A batteries, I do understand that gun guys also tend to have a prepper streak. The perceived long term availability of AA batteries makes a weapon light powered by them attractive. I am happy to report that the ProTac Rail Mount 1 can be powered by a single AA battery without modification (the documentation specifically mentions alkaline and lithium chemistries).

The output is reduced to 150 lumens on high for the lower voltage AA batteries but, according to Streamlight, the light will provide regulated output for 1.5 hours on an alkaline AA and an impressive 4.5 hours on a lithium AA. Compare those numbers to 350 lumens for 1.75 hours with a CR123A. That 150 lumen performance for 4.5 hours with a lithium AA may actually be very appealing to those who prefer a light in the 120-150 lumen range (though lumens don’t tell the whole story of what makes a light bright enough or too bright).

Remember that it wasn’t that long ago that 120 lumen LED weapon lights were the bleeding edge. 150 lumens from a single AA battery is impressive especially considering this is one of the very few dedicated weapon lights that can be powered from a AA battery.

Affordable Options

Questions about affordable versions of this or affordable versions of that are some of the most common questions received here at JTT with weapon lights being a frequent topic. I like to point out that you must also consider the price of not only the light but the mount and hand guard in that discussion. Additionally, your weapon light must be useful regardless of how affordable it is or isn’t. If you find a cheap hand guard but it requires a jerry-rigged mounting solution to work with a light, that isn’t a good value. If you have a high end hand guard but you are limited by your light’s integral mount (or lack their of), the usefulness of the total package can suffer.

This is where I believe these lights can really stand out due to their use of the Scout Light mounting system. The lights themselves are affordable and are compatible with a variety of affordable, high-quality mounts that can be mounted to affordable, high quality hand guards.

You could add Magpul MOE Hand Guards to you rifle (AR or AK), use an SMC Light Mount, and a ProTac Rail Mount light. Add a vertical grip or IWC hand stop if you are so inclined. All of these items are quite affordable but this isn’t just an affordable light mounting option. It’s a very good option. The light falls right where it should for easy operation. It is relatively lightweight. The hand guard is cleared for establishing a good grip. This is just a solid front end set up for your AK or AR that is all made possible by the compatibly of the ProTac Rail Mounts with existing light mounts.

This is a functional front end for any rifle. The SMC Light Mount makes the light easy to operate and leaves plenty of room for a sling mount, even on a short hand guard.

This is a functional front end for any AK or AR. The SMC Light Mount makes the light easy to operate and leaves plenty of room for a sling mount, even on a short hand guard.

Other Impressions

In general, I have been impressed with these lights over my short time with them. There is certainly no replacement for time and repetitions over a large sample size when it comes to establishing the reliability of something like a flashlight so these impressions are very preliminary. On the other hand, the Streamlight ProTac handheld lights are fairly well vetted at this point.

The Rail Mount Lights use a large collimating lens in order to shape the lumens that are pushed out the front. The lens itself is quite large compared the reflectors found on the ProTac handheld lights (about the size of the lens found in the Streamlight TRL-1 HL). The beam shape is very good with a nice hotspot for good throw and a wide corona for taking in a wide view of your surroundings.

I am impressed with the value that these represent much like the Streamlight TLR-1. These lights come with an integral mount, a tape switch, a tail cap, and various other items for mounting and routing the tape switch. The Rail Mount 1 comes with both a CR123A and AA battery. The quality is on par with what I have come to expect from the ProTac line (I own several of the hand held lights). Part of the value is also Streamlight’s customer service which in my experience has always been excellent with quick responses and satisfying outcomes.

I will continue testing and trying different mounts. In the mean time, you can check out the ProTac Rail Mount lights and various IWC light mounts at Impact Weapons Components. They will be offering combo deals on these lights with their mounts soon so stay tuned. Remember to use code TRIGGERJERK at checkout to save 5%.

IWC QD End Plate RL

Impact Weapons Components has upgraded their QD End Plate RL a few times now. They recently changed their machining processes slightly to further improve the finish. The changes will be difficult to see unless you are a machinist yourself but it is always cool to see a company improve their products – even in small ways.

iwc qd end plate improvements

I use these end plates extensively and I prefer them to others because of their thicker steel construction that is easy to stake. They are also one of the few rotation limited QD end plates on the market. With most sling swivels, the receiver extension (buffer tube) will prevent full rotation. However, smaller “D” shaped QD swivels will spin freely unless your end plate is rotation limited like this one.

Check out the QD End Plate RL at Impact Weapons Components. Remember to use code “triggerjerk” to save 5%.

IWC and HSP Introduce Thorntail BACKBONE Scout Light Bodies and Thorntail INLINE Mount

The partnership of Impact Weapons Components and Haley Strategic Partners has been a fruitful one. Their latest creations build on the original concept of the Thorntail Light Mount and bring a new level of lateral adjustment. Their new Thorntail BACKBONE Scout Light Bodies and Thorntail INLINE Mount are now available.

backbone bodies IWC

The Thorntail BACKBONE Light Bodies are available for the single CR123A 300 Series Scout Lights and for the two CR123A 600 Series Scout Lights. These light bodies are fully compatible with all Scout series accessories and feature a unique threaded hole pattern that allows nearly 1/4″ of lateral adjustment for light placement with any Scout compatible mount. This allows the user to fine tune the placement of the light to their liking. In addition, these light bodies are slimmer and lighter than the original Scout light bodies.

iwc thorntail inline

When the Thorntail BACKBONE Light Bodies are used with the new Thorntail INLINE Adaptive Light Mount, the user has even greater ability to fine tune the light placement. The Thorntail INLINE has its own unique mounting hole pattern that, when coupled with the Thorntail BACKBONE, provide almost 1/2″ of lateral adjustment.

Don’t forget to use code “triggerjerk” at Impact Weapons Components to save 5% on IWC products.

iwc backbone and inline options

IWC Expands SMC Light Mount Line in a Big Way

Impact Weapons Components (IWC) quietly rolled out three new additions to their excellent SMC Light Mount line. The original SMC Light Mount was, and still is, the ideal light mount for use with the pre-MLOK MOE Hand Guards from Magpul. It’s design allowed it to bolt easily to the MOE slots and cantilever the light forward and up, freeing up space on the hand guard and placing the light in the ideal solution for the support hand thumb.

When you look at the SMC, which predates the IWC/HSP Thorntail series of light mounts, you can see the lineage of the IWC/HSP Light Mounts. This ability to extend the light forward has become a signature of IWC’s light mounting products.

On to the new products…

SMCXL – The SMC XL is basically just a longer version of the original SML. It places the light at the same height as the original but extends it forward further. This is especially useful on the new MOE SL Hand Guards and shorter versions of Magpul’s MOE AK Hand Guards. Like the original, it accepts Surefire Scout lights directly and can be used with IWC’s flashlight rings in various sizes. It also accepts the new 45 Offset 1913 for the SMC/SMCXL.

It is available separately for use with the Surefire Scout lights, bundled with various sizes of flashlight rings, or bundled with the new 45 Offset 1913 rail.

IWC SMCXL

45 Offset 1913 for the SMC/SMCXL – The new 45 Offset 1913 is a bolt on part for the SMC and SMCXL. It mounts to the same threaded holes used by IWC’s flashlight rings. This rail features 4 cross slots which makes it the perfect length for mounting lights like Surefire’s X300 series or the INFORCE WML. This not only extends the light up and forward but cants it at 45 degrees to make operating the switch more ergonomic.

It is available separately as an addition to your existing SMC/SMCXL, or bundled with either the SMC or SMCXL.

IWC 45 1913 Offset 1913

SMC M-LOK Adapters – This is the least obvious addition to the line but one that brings the SMC/SMCXL functionality to ALL available MOE Hand Guards. When you purchase an SMC or SMCXL Light Mount, you select which hand guard you will be mounting it to. If you select one that features M-LOK slots, two small spacers are included that simply slip into the SMC mount’s screw holes and fill the space in the larger M-LOK slots. They are very easy to use and they add nothing to the cost of the mount.

IWC SMCXL with MOE Adapters

MOE Adapters Shown Here (the 2 small donut-like objects) along with the 45 Offset 1913 Rail

The release of these items is good news for MOE Hand Guard user but it is especially good news for those using Magpul’s Hand Guards on their AK pattern rifles. The SMC is the perfect solution for placing your light on the shorter MOE AK and AKM Hand Guard. They work especially well when coupled with a hand stop which makes the light easy to reach and operate. I have tried a number of light mounting solutions for my AKs and these are by far the best.

Check out the entire line of SMC Light Mount products at IWC. Don’t forget to use code triggerjerk to save 5% on your order.

IWC SMLXL on MOE AK

SMCXL shown on Arsenal SGL-21 with Magpul MOE AK Hand Guards

IWC Installing QD Micro Flush Sling Mounts in Magpul MOE SL and MOE M-LOK Hand Guards

Impact Weapons Components makes a ton of handy widgets and the QD Micro Flush Sling Mount is likely their handiest. I have sung their praises on these pages before.

iwc qd micro installed mlok moe SL

They are great solution for adding a sling mount to Magpul’s MOE Hand Guards and they are very easy to install. However, I realize that some of you don’t have the time, tools, or inclination to do it yourself and it is for guys like you that IWC offers MOE Hand Guards with the QD Micro Flush Sling Mounts professionally installed.

Previously, these were only available on the original MOE Hand Guards. Now IWC has expanded the service to include all in-stock MOE Hand Guards including the new MOE SL and M-LOK compatible versions. Check out all the options at IWC and don’t forget to use code “triggerjerk” at checkout to save 5%.

iwc qd micro installed mlok moe

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