The under-barrel lamp for a smooth-bore gun is an indispensable attribute for hunting at night. Let's see what qualities a good lighting fixture should have.
Appointment
Under-barrel hunting lights are designed to be used with weapons. These are mainly tactical devices that meet special standards.
The diameter of the case here should be about 1 inch, which helps to install the product on the bracket. There are also restrictions on the diameter of the head of the lamp. This indicator should not exceed 42 mm. Only in this case, the product will not come into contact with the gun barrel when installed on a standard mount.
Today on the market there are under-barrel lights for guns, which have a built-in battery and a remote button for turning on / off, changing operating modes. However, such models are not widespread, because they cannot be used as a manual, removable lighting device.
Equipment
Standard under-barrel lights for hunting contain directly a lighting device, as well as a universal mount for weapons of any diameter. To optimize the operation of individual products, consumers are often offered additional accessories:
- The remote on / off button is located in any convenient, most accessible place for the user.
- The cover provides the flashlight with maximum protection against mechanical damage and moisture.
- Diffusers (filters) allow you to change the hue of the outgoing light flux.
Dimensions
Only an under-barrel flashlight for a smooth-bore gun, which has a small size and low weight, can become convenient in operation. As noted above, the diameter of the lighting should be minimal. Otherwise, difficulties will necessarily arise with the choice of a suitable mount if it is not in the factory assembly.
It is desirable that the under-barrel flashlight for a smooth-bore gun in a complete set weighed no more than 250-300 g. Otherwise, the design will pull the barrel down, which will affect the accuracy of the shot.
Reliability
When choosing a barrel-mounted flashlight for a smooth-bore gun, it is worth considering the fact that when firing and transporting weapons, the device will be regularly subjected to mechanical stress. Therefore, it is worthwhile to give preference to impact-resistant products made of high-quality materials (for example, a light and stable aviation aluminum alloy). Only in this case, the lens and the lamp housing will retain their original appearance for as long as possible.
Duration of work
This indicator depends primarily on the technical characteristics of the product and battery power. A worthy choice is a flashlight that can continuously work for at least 1.5 hours. To ensure ease of use of the lighting in hunting, it is desirable to have several charged batteries in stock.
Weather resistant
A mandatory requirement for specialized gun lights is waterproof housing. This quality is considered important, because the hunter never knows in what conditions and for how long it will take to track the prey.
Lighting quality
A special role in choosing a flashlight for a hunting rifle is played by the range of the light beam, as well as its brightness. It is worth paying attention to the following design features:
- the presence of a smooth and deep reflector, which will provide the maximum range of the light flux;
- the use of focusing lenses, which will allow for fine adjustment of the beam focus.
Finally
The use of an underbarrel flashlight always provoked lively discussions among hunters. Inveterate lovers of this industry continue to argue about the advantages of xenon lighting elements over LEDs, optimal range indicators, the influence of the weight and dimensions of individual products on fire accuracy.
How much is it necessary to purchase an expensive underbarrel gun light? As practice shows, the selection of a suitable device, subject to proper operation, pretty soon justifies the money spent on its purchase.