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Benelli M4 - Modlite Weapon Lights


StrangerDanger

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Finally got around to upgrading my Benelli's and rifles to the new Modlite weapon lights. This has been an massive increase in output compared to the M600IB lights I was using. I had looked at doing the M600DF models, but I wasn't very impressed with the output. For the Benelli's, I went with the PLHv2 lamp heads since they have a little more spill.

With this upgrade I had to move over to the IWC weapon light mounts. I machined the tailcaps on the Benelli's to remove the shroud around the button. I'll get them Cerakoted eventually.

 

nuy1eZu.jpg?1

p85gJ9F.jpg?1

 

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I can machine the caps, normally I have them on hand that are already Cerakoted, but at the moment they're all in the white.

 

No issues with the carbon fiber magazine tube. I've only fired them a few hundred rounds since their installation this summer. The carbon builds up on the magazine tube like all mag tubes, but it wipes off easily. This mainly occurs beneath the handguards around the ARGO system.

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  • 2 weeks later...

How much is everyone tightening the IWC screws to these light bodies?  I don't want to strip the aluminum threads in the body.

I know most go by hand but I historically have a bad habit of over tightening stuff.  So I've been known to get obsessed with torque specs or at least a ballpark number etc.

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9 hours ago, Milspec said:

TY sir.  That gives me a point of measurement.  I plan on using the thread locker as well.

As StrangerDanger posted. It’s a general rule of thumb. Not sure it’s the perfect idea, but it’s worked for me.

I would guess I applied about 25 inch pounds, I’d you need a number. And that is with the thread locker,  if threads were dry, torque would be about 10% higher. 

A torque spec chart I have lists 2.48 n*m for that size fastener. 
that works out to be 21.9 inch pounds

Edited by M2_shootr
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4 hours ago, M2_shootr said:

As StrangerDanger posted. It’s a general rule of thumb. Not sure it’s the perfect idea, but it’s worked for me.

I would guess I applied about 25 inch pounds, I’d you need a number. And that is with the thread locker,  if threads were dry, torque would be about 10% higher. 

A torque spec chart I have lists 2.48 n*m for that size fastener. 
that works out to be 21.9 inch pounds

That's what I was initially thinking.  25 inlbs no more than 30.  However, I felt 30 was pushing it with the aluminum light body.  I don't think there are heli-coils in there.  If anyone has ever had an older Aimpoint Micro you know the concern.

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No helicoils present. 
 

Ifyou degrease the screws and threads with acetone, the Loctite will perform better. For steel to aluminum, you’d want blueLoctite 243. There are several different number grades for each color Loctite. Each is blended for a specific application. Would regular old 242 work? Sure. 
 

You can use a silver Sharpie to mark your screws to give a visual indicator to check if a screw is backing out. Just mark part of the screw so that the marker applies ink to the body of the mount as well. If you see the strip out of alignment, you’ll know it’s moving and needs attention. 

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25 inlbs felt about right.  I could feel the force it took to remove them because I goofed and had the light mounted on the wrong side. 

I've been doing the decreasing thing.  I have acetone but I've been using alcohol lately on fasteners.  Also used the loctite 243.

36 inlbs for the IWC mount felt right at the upper end of the torque limit.  The IWC instructions call for a max of 40 inlbs but I figured I'd back it down a bit since I used loctite. 

I've used the sharpie trick on a couple of rifles.  Silver/Gold depending on the color of your work piece.  I replaced the screws in one rifle so I wanted to monitor them just in case.

 

Edited by Milspec
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  • 1 month later...

The IWC setup is the lightest and it is hard to beat the ergonomics of the oem handguard. Now, if you are set on a rail, I’d use the 13” Briley rail so that you can mount the light as far forward as possible to eliminate the barrel shadowing issue. You’d be stuck using a tape switch which sucks. Most switches are damage prone garbage which have poor tactile control. Even expensive ones like the Taps switches were meh.

 
I am trying a Unity Tactical pad right now which works pretty well. They can be hard to find in stock though. 

I’m moving into a new realm right now for the M4. I just bought. White phosphorous L3 Harris M914A PVS14 monocular to hunt samsquanches in the dark. I think I’m going to set one of the M4’s up with an IR light/laser. 

Edited by StrangerDanger
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On 12/22/2020 at 10:18 PM, StrangerDanger said:

Finally got around to upgrading my Benelli's and rifles to the new Modlite weapon lights. This has been an massive increase in output compared to the M600IB lights I was using. I had looked at doing the M600DF models, but I wasn't very impressed with the output. For the Benelli's, I went with the PLHv2 lamp heads since they have a little more spill.

With this upgrade I had to move over to the IWC weapon light mounts. I machined the tailcaps on the Benelli's to remove the shroud around the button. I'll get them Cerakoted eventually.

 

nuy1eZu.jpg?1

p85gJ9F.jpg?1

 

Any concern tightening the weapon light mount to the carbon tube? Could the tube be crushed or damaged from this mount? Did you install a rubber shim under the mount to avoid damaging the carbon fiber?

 

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40 minutes ago, fatbiker852 said:

Any concern tightening the weapon light mount to the carbon tube? Could the tube be crushed or damaged from this mount? Did you install a rubber shim under the mount to avoid damaging the carbon fiber?

 

The IWC light mount clamps onto the the steel barrel ring where the sling plate used to reside, not onto the mag tubes.

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Check....it's a thoughtful design in that you really would never have to remove it once installed, unless you wanted to swap out for a new flashlight. The old AVA light mount was the same way except that it attached to the barrel ring behind where the IWC mount does.

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2 hours ago, fatbiker852 said:

How does the light attach to the mount? I don't see the ring for sale on either IWC or ModLite's site. 

The ModLight has two bosses. These allow hardware to affix the light to the mount with screws from the inner side of the mount

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32 minutes ago, M2_shootr said:

The ModLight has two bosses. These allow hardware to affix the light to the mount with screws from the inner side of the mount

I figured but didn’t see any pics of the holes in the light on their site. I appreciate the clarification. 

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