Barrel Mount Flashlight For 22 Rifle – And What I Use It For
Lets talk about a barrel light. That is, a barrel mounted flashlight for a 22 rifle, or… a shotgun…whatever.
I would like to share with you a simple and inexpensive way to attach a barrel light to a 22 rifle, or almost any rifle or shotgun, if so desired.
There are some really nice barrel lights out there, and many choices compared to years ago. Their specifications have improved dramatically too (lumens-brightness output).
.22 Rifle Barrel Mount For Weapons Light
One of my 22 rifles (an old Marlin 880 bolt action, pictured above) is designated for coyote guard duty during nighttime “potty time” for my little 14-pound mini-Dachshund.
I have attached a weapons light to the rifle barrel using a simple and inexpensive universal barrel mount. The mount provides a short 2-slot Picatinny rail to attach a weapons light. It will “light up” any coyote looking for a nighttime snack, here in the woods. And if it doesn’t run off when lit up, well, …
In the picture below, you can see the mount clamped to the rifle barrel with four screws (2 on each side). And a TLR-1 attached to it.
Here’s the barrel mount:
UTG Universal Single-rail Rifle Barrel Mount, 2 Slots
(view on amzn)
Note: The UTG universal barrel mount linked above will fit any barrel diameter ranging from .51 to.78 inches.
Here’s a unique barrel mount with dual sides, “Both Sides Weaver Picatinny Rail”. Maybe a scope on one side and a flashlight on the other?
Weapons Light Price Breakdown
If I had to separate the weapons light choices into three price categories, it would be the following:
The most expensive and one of the best is the SureFire X300.
SureFire X300 Ultra LED (600 Lumens)
The most popular and a great choice for most is the Streamlight TLR-1.
Streamlight 69260 TLR-1 HL (1000 Lumens)
A great value from ‘UTG’ is their Compact LED Weapon Light.
UTG Compact LED Weapon Light (400 Lumens)
The Weapons Light Advantage
The primary advantage is of course, to see a potential target when it’s dim or dark! A weapon light not only lights up the target area but allows the sights to be used. Remember though, they can see you too (the bright light!).
[ Read: Nighttime Security Night Vision Devices | A Force Multiplier ]
A secondary tactical advantage is to blind and disorient the target with bright (or even strobing) light, enabling target acquisition during those critical seconds.
I currently have a weapons light mounted on several platforms, one being a .22 rifle.
Good to know that such items are available for night time hands free approach for checking out unwanted visitors. While looking at the lights, I checked out the batteries recommended for these units.
The video is worth listening to as it is rather informative about different batteries, and found these come in rechargeable. Maybe gifts for those in the family who live in the wilds of suburbia😉
these would be great for predator control or an ad on for other things. but in a tactical situation a light of any kind at night would become a target. for me at least. easy pickings and a clean up the next morning.
Yes indeed. That’s exactly my use-case… 4-legged predator control. For the other use-case, a helmet mounted PVS-14 is nice (grin).
I use lights on my .22 and mossy 500. Where I live you never know what you can run into at night. .22 is for skunks as I don’t worry about my pit with possum or racoons . The mossy is because if I hear a noise it can be mountain lion or bear and I need stopping power. Bears in my area have become way to used to humans. In the lake Tahoe region they actually have walked into grocery stores and mini marts looking for food and will walk down the beach in the middle of the day with people all around
I hesitate to say this, since most people will think it’s common sense, but I’m sure there are some who could use the reminder…Having a light like this for going after four-legged predators is perfect. Do NOT, however, use a light on a gun as a flashlight for instances such as when you’re trying to figure out what the strange sound in your house is. You don’t want to have the light land on your teenager who is up in the middle of the night, because that means your gun is pointed at your child!
Wendy
Not such a bad post.
Kinda goes along with using a rifle scope as a pair of binoculars.
Same concept.
So what if you do ? Don’t end up pulling the trigger just because you lit up your kid.
If you attach a light like this to your barrel you need to sight in the rifle in again. This weight will change the harmonics and it will not shoot the same.
Judd is correct for pinpoint shooting at far distances. At night, using artificial light from a weapons mounted system, my effective range is much shorter by at least 50%. This is why many of the AR platform rifles have Piccatinney rails set up with free floated barrels on which to mount lights and optics.
Fortunately, Ken appears to have trouble with coyotes like most chicken growers with the occasional visit from a roving black bear. neither creature shoots back at the light source. Actually, Ken, that rifle looks mighty handy for wayward skunks in your AO.
Calirefugee,
how far is a flashlight going to illuminate something well enough to get a good target acquisition, 25, 50 yards at most. if it effects the point of impact at that range then you need a better rifle or some N.V . or a 300,00 C.P. spotlight. : )
Ken, the rifle/light combo you have made is the ideal weapons system for nocturnal skunks. Skunks can also take out large numbers of poultry as pointed out by Dennis in years past. Skunks are one of the few creatures out there that “shoot back” and their effective range is 15 to 20 yards.
If one is not able to hit a target the size of a baseball at that distance (20 yards) with a rimfire handgun, most everybody is able to hit that size target with a rimfire rifle. Experience has taught me that if you are close enough to ID the animal with your weapons light, you are generally within 20 yards. Do not try to get closer. Take the shot. Final note on skunks, they can spray you even if they are facing you. Watch for the stamping of their feet – that is the final warning prior to them cutting loose.
de – skunking solution: Hydrogen peroxide mixed with lemon scented dish soap in a solution of warm water. Before I owned my own home, I used to use laundramats in town. It was kinda funny to watch the reaction of folks washing their stuff when I rolled in with my load of skunky clothing.
Mounting a light (or anything) on your barrel like that changes the barrel harmonics. No getting around it. The change could negatively affect accuracy.
Response to Whyduh, Judd and nyscout: In regards to mounting tools on the barrel of a rifle affecting accuracy:
#1. It will change the point of impact of the bullet butt not as much as you think. In a mid-weight rifle firing a small cartridge like a 22 long rifle, the point of impact shift will be affected more by: changing brands of ammo or changing location of the clamp and light from far back on the barrel to close to the muzzle crown. Is your barrel thin and light or is it a thick, heavy bull barrel? There is only one way to find out: Take it to a range and try it out at targets of known distance. ( I already have )
#2. My 22 rifle is the same as Kens except I purchased mine in the late 1980’s. I used CCI Mini Mags to win local turkey shoots and become an A class metallic silhouette shooter in Northern Cal for several years. This rifle was capable of grouping within 4 inches at 100 yards with a 50 yard zero. I also hunted tree squirrels with it during season from Sept through December. Point being, the rifle is accurate. Now it is up to the shooter.
#3 My back yard is small so most of the weapons I have with lights mounted are autoloading handguns with extended dust covers and picatinney rail cuts. My years of trapping and police work got me in the habit of moving through rooms, hallways and doors with strong hand holding pistol and weak hand using flashlight. I was also competing in pistol competitions so I am still able to hit skunks with my 22 handgun at 20+ yards ( with a flashlight at night using Ruger Single Six with 5.5 inch barrel – no barrel mounted light on this old revolver.)
Most people cannot shoot well with a pistol Most pick up the rifle much faster. Thus my statement that Ken’s package may be a good anti-skunk tool for the chicken farmer out there.
post script: CCI Mini Mags from my Marlin rifle will drop 6 – 8 inches at 100 yards and can be blown off course by 6 inches during a cross wind of 8-10 MPH.
Those who say you should not use a light in a tactical situation really need to rethink things, and get some competent training on how to properly use a light. If you can’t positively identify your target AND what is around it you have absolutely no business pointing a weapon at or pulling the trigger (Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy, know your target and what is around it are 2 of the 4 fundamental rules of fire arms safety, those rules don’t suddenly go away because you are in a tactical situation)!