rival879

+1 on the Daves Metal Works speed bar. Quality part and exceptional service. And it installs as quickly as you can change hand guards. +1 on Benelli C-stock (and heckler&kochp2000). I've had a ProMag on order since March. No return emails, no return phone calls. I'm considering the SOCOMguy magazine tube and CarrierComp follower.

bm4sbs, it seems you are well on your way. I can't wait to see those switch ideas realized. Is there a reason you're going to de-solder switches instead of sourcing new ones from somewhere like digikey or mouser? I'm sure de-soldering will be fine, but why not use new parts? I suppose if you have another assembly laying around you wouldn't have to wait for new ones to come in...

Those are great solutions and that sammich looks delicious. It certainly gives you the closest switch placement using a stock assembly. How thick is the board material in relation to the traces? It "might" be possible to score the back of the top board to encourage three-button clusters for StrangerDanger's idea of laser/both/light functionality. Although reading your description again, it seems too thin. Just throwing ideas off the wall... Those buttons look like low-profile tact switches. Depending on how industrious you want to be, you could do some creative things with them. For example, if you are handy with epoxy and a soldering iron, you could epoxy buttons (in VERY close proximity) to a thin, flexible, plastic "board". You could then run small wires off of the switch legs to act as traces. I was thinking, just because the parts are surface-mount doesn't mean they have to be mounted to copper or FR4, provided you can access the contacts.

Nice find! Those are nice and slim. You're right about a prototype board and tact switch being thicker. The only way to match that profile would be a pain as you'd have to convert a though-hole board to function with surface mount parts (or etch your own traces on a SMT board), and then place those switches yourself. Good call about the keypad switches, SD. That does seem like the way to go as far as maintaining the low profile. If that's the case, you might be able to find a keypad with buttons closer together and modify that board. But that hunt could be tedious. If you do find one, it's pretty easy to cut traces and use small wires to form new ones. If you do use something to bridge the buttons, double check the wiring of the switch. Some switches use the case for a contact, so a metal bridge might cause problems. Just something to think about.

I’m a little surprised you haven’t tackled this yourself yet. You seem to have the knowledge and know-how, and it seems that the solution can be rather simple. I would use a couple of cut-down prototype boards, some small gauge wire, a few tact switches, and go to town.

Hey SD, That second switch seems much more usable. As bm4sbs mentioned, one concern is the size of the circuit board if you want to separate the switches. I also can’t tell if the pushbutton is mechanically maintained or if it has a chip for that. For the momentary, you could use a tact switch (or another solution entirely) for a smaller footprint. The packaged functionality of a tape switch is nice, it just depends on your goals. Another idea for constant-on or negligent light discharges is a mechanical solution, such as a maintained pushbutton (tall), a toggle (prickly), slider (could compliment your bolt release), or a rocker somewhere novel. I mention these solutions not as my first picks, but because you never know what someone might like to go with. Why crimp connections? There are pros and cons to different methods, I’m just curious about your thoughts. Edit: apparently I left the bold on too long...

I agree, the correct way to do this would be to use a relay. The idea is to isolate the power supplies (batteries) or switch a circuit indirectly. However, if you really wanted the functionality without a relay, you could use pairs of 2 tact switches (1 wired to each device) and connect the buttons with a bar; be it rubber, plastic, etc. You could mimic the same strip of buttons, but the strip would be 2 buttons "thick" instead of one. Just some food for thought.

How much is a replacement tape switch assembly? If modifying the switch or cable is something you're considering, it might be worth your while to cut one open. There may be two wires depending on the design. It's also possible that they have power, ground, maybe a shield, and signal wire(s). The wires should be colored so a cut-to-length scenario should be "relatively easy". I say that with caution because the careful person will still have an unsightly bulge at some point in the cable, and would need to be comfortable with small wires, a good soldering iron, small tips, and shrink wrap. If the wires are not colored, a meter, patience, and familiarity with the flashlight functions would identify the wires. About the switch portion itself, the complexity depends upon where the flashlight's functionality chip is. If it's in the tail-cap, I'd expect a circuit board with a chip and switch in the tape switch. However, if it's on the LED board or in the body, the tape switch might be just a switch mounted on something for rigidity and ease of mounting. With some planning and soldering prowess, both scenarios can be modified.

Hey StrangerDanger, I read that you don't like how far the Mesa QD mount sticks out from the stock. Have you seen this part? Troy QD Swivel w/TRX Cooling Hole Low-Pro Mount, P/N: SRAI-TRX-HERP-00 (check the cobra tactical site for better angles) The mounting face is slightly curved, but nothing some epoxy and OCD couldn't flatten out. It appears that the top could be used with Mesa block and opposite retaining screw. Although it isn't exactly what you're looking for, it might be less bothersome until you find your flush mount solution.