Some savvy readers could have observed that I’m within the strategy of uprading a few of my weapon-mounted lights. I lately put a Modlite on my AR. After attending Tim Chandler and Ashton Ray’s Shotgun Expertise I made a decision it was time to chew the bullet and put money into THE pump shotgun mild: the Surefire DSF-870 Forend.
This text accommodates affiliate hyperlinks.
I paid for this product out-of-pocket. I’ve no relationship in anyway with Surefire and acquired no incentives, monetary or in any other case, for penning this overview.
The Surefire DSF-870 Forend
Outfitting a pump shotgun is quite a bit like outfitting a revolver. First, there are a pair mainstream producers and fashions that you simply’d higher keep on with if you would like aftermarket assist. These are the Remington 870 and the Mossberg 500/590 in shotguns (and Ruger and S&W in revolvers, typically). Shotguns are decently supported, however nowhere close to in addition to ARs. Second, like revolvers, pump weapons are form of slowed down with the identical equipment that have been obtainable twenty years in the past. Nowhere is that this extra evident to me than weapon-mounted lights.
In the event you purchase a Remington 870 or Mossberg 500/590 you’ll have a pair choices for a WML. One is the Streamlight TL-Racker (Amazon hyperlink) that I reviewed some time again. Whereas not good, it’s fairly good and it may be improved upon. It’s issues are primarily that it’s too fats and doesn’t offer you a lot up entrance to push on with a contemporary, push-pull approach.
The following choice is the Surefire household of lights, probably the most prolific of which is the DSF-870 and DSF-500/590. These lights are those beneficial by almost all critical shotgun guys, however they’ve some points. They’re identified for prime quality, a advantage they arrive with in spades. Additionally they include some issues, although, and these are seldom talked about. Let’s check out the sunshine, then get into my opinions.
Options of the SureFire DSF-870 Mild
The Surefire DSF-870 does have some fairly superior options. First, it’s extremely prime quality. Every part about this product feels good, there’s no query about that. The DSF-870 is a forend and a lightweight, so let’s discuss the way it features as a lightweight. The sunshine head screws into the forend and holds two batteries in place. The batteries are side-by-side somewhat than end-to-end. That is to protects the circuit and to forestall the batteries from deforming beneath heavy recoil.
The sunshine is constructed of mil-spec, arduous anodized aluminum. It’s encased in polymer that makes up a lot of the remainder of the forend. It installs simply on the suitable shotgun, even in the event you aren’t certain learn how to swap out a forend. The sunshine provides of an excellent 600 lumens with good throw and glorious spill. Let’s be sincere: you in all probability don’t want a 300-yard throw on a shotgun mild.
Switching
The sunshine is activated by switches on the aspect of the fore finish. There are two similar switches on either side of the sunshine. The ahead change is a momentary ON. The aft change is a continuing on. These switches might be programmed to be reversed relying on mission requirement or private choice.
The left aspect of the forend had a 3rd change; this one toggles the sunshine to the low, 200-lumen mode. To be sincere I may completely dwell with out the second, reduced-power mode. It might be extra practical for LE/Mil guys throughout post-raid searches, but it surely serves little operate for me.
The DSF-870 and DSF-500/590 have a lockout change. It’s a easy rocker change on the underside of the sunshine. It’s straightforward to find, straightforward to function. The rocker change is fairly shielded from unintentional activation, but it surely’s not arduous to think about it getting bumped onto the mistaken setting. In the event you’re mild don’t mild up, checking this change needs to be your fast motion.
Sturdiness and Water Resistance
The Surefire DSF-870 has an incredible status for sturdiness and I don’t dispute this in any respect; that is really an expert grade mild. I haven’t used and abused to to any nice extent to show this to my very own satisfaction, however contemplating its status I don’t actually really feel I’ve to.
The sunshine is rated at IPX7 for water-resistance. This implies it ought to have the ability to take a dunk in as much as 1 meter of water for half an hour. This needs to be loads for the common dwelling protection shotgun that – within the completely worst case state of affairs – would possibly see a couple of minutes of heavy rain.
C0mplaints
Although I absolutely anticipated to jot down glowing reward, I started this overview on a considerably tepid tone and I stand by it. Boy was I disenchanted after I pulled this factor out of the field and put in it on my shotgun, and for a number of causes. First, the associated fee. This WML value round $350 at Amazon.com costs. That’s a whole lot of scratch for a shotgun mild. If it’s an excellent mild it’s price it, however I’m undecided it’s…
Ergonomics
My greatest grievance is the scale. I complained fairly a bit concerning the TL-Racker’s girth and the problem in making use of a stable push-pull approach. In the event you although the TL-Racker was massive, be ready for this man. Although Surefire calls it a “slender” grip, it’s thick and vast. I had actually hoped the premium greenback would get me a considerably slimmer forend, but it surely didn’t. Although I haven’t shot this forend as a lot as I like, my first couple of vary periods with it confirmed my preliminary disappointment.
I might like to discover a related product that was only a bit slimmer within the hand. Maybe the width is important to accommodate the switches, but it surely appears extreme. However I’m certain some observe will get me acting at a better stage with the DSF-870.
Weight
My subsequent grievance is the load. This unit is a substantial 18+ ounces with batteries put in. That’s an additional pound and two ounces on the tip of your shotgun. This can be a lot of weight so as to add out entrance, and it’s completely noticeable. It impacts how the shotgun factors and balances, and positively makes it more durable to carry on the market on track for lengthy durations.
The Level
This will likely sound like a bunch of pointless complaining, so let me get to the purpose. Pump shotguns are nonetheless completely viable defensive weapons. However they’re like revolvers. They aren’t supported like different weapons programs are. You mainly have two choices for built-in WML/forend options.
In the event you run a semi-auto shotgun, then again, just like the Beretta 1301, the world is your oyster. Then you definately don’t have to purchase a “shotgun mild,” you simply purchase a lightweight. Any outdated Surefire, Modlite, Arisaka, Streamlight, Cloud Defensive, no matter, and also you’ve obtained your mild. That is one thing to significantly think about for these of you simply starting to review the Gospel of the Gauge.
Closing Ideas
If this seems like a considerably combined overview, it’s. Although I’ve by no means learn something however reward for the Surefire DSF-870, it’s not a really spectacular mild. It’s, nonetheless, a really prime quality mild, and it’s constructed extraordinarily nicely, and has some nicely thought-out options. It may very well be designed for significantly better ergonomics, nonetheless. Each different weapon mild line in the marketplace is pushing for smaller, lighter, brighter. I simply don’t suppose there’s the competitors to actually get modern with pump shotgun forend lights.
Within the meantime I’ll use this Surefire and get good with it. And who is aware of, perhaps after just a few extra months of standard use I’ll come round to it. If that’s the case I’ll allow you to guys know. Within the meantime is the Surefire DSF-870 price $350? . Personally I don’t suppose it’s 3 times higher except you’re a cop or navy man who wants completely bombproof gear (lets be sincere – most of us residents don’t). Typically I’d suggest you go along with the lighter, brighter, and 1/3 cheaper Streamlight TL-Racker.
