I want to set up some ARs with lights. The primary role will be for checking for intruders (two-legged or four-legged).

Question:
High-intensity (like a Surefire) or standard intensity (like a MagLight)?

Choices:
High-intensity
Standard

Question:
What type of bulb?

Choices:
Xenon or other HID
LED (including CREE)

Question:
How many lumens?

Choices:
80
100 to 200
200 to 300
>300

Question:
With laser or without?

Choices:
Laser
No laser

Question:
Where did you mount it/them?

Choices:
Rail
Barrel clamp
fore-grip

 

Have a look at the Wold Eyes lights.

And the 18XXX (I think) battery - cheap, rechargeable and readily available.

.

I like to have 2 lights on an AR.
One a long running LED like a SureFire Scout Light, or a P60/Nitrolon with the SF LED bulb.
They are long running and not too bright for u close/indoor use.

A Streamlight TLR or TLR 2 [with lazer] will work as well.

The second light I want to be much brighter, with an incandescent bulb. A SureFire with Three lithium 123 batteries.
The second light is for outdoor use.

The four battery SureFire is especially bright.

I like the lights to be on QD mounts so I can remove them if I want to, except for the Streamlight TLR 2 with the lazer.

Once I get it zeroed I leave it on the gun.

If your AR has a 16" barrel about the lowest cost, but still highquality light set up would be to get the rail system that bolts to the front sight triangle.

Then using one inch Weaver rings attach 2 SureFire Nitrolons, one with the LED and one with the P61 bulb.
You would have a light on both sides of the front sight, and with the 16" barreled guns you can operate them with your front hand.
You have push button for on off, and twist for cinstant on, and you can back off the tail cap to lock out any accidental light comming on.


The P61 bulb only lasts 20 minutes but it is bright.

The 60 bulb burns for 60 minutes.

You could also use the 3 battery Nitrolons.

You want 120ish lumens. More can be blinding, especially indoors. Figure one yard of range for every two lumens. I use the Surefire X300 and M600C.

If you get one like the R5 Cree lights they will be 280 lumens but not a bright spot, a wall of light. At 50-75 yards it will light up the whole yard. I have several lights, and some are the $25 Chinese ones and have held up to 1000 rounds on a 7.62x39 Ak or 5.56 Ar. The front sight base light is really the handiest mount for me. I use the Elzetta one on my aR's.

I have a Surefire 950 series light on my full size Armalite. I use the P61 bulb because I want to blind/stun any two legged critters. I use the p60 lamp in my E2 light to shoot Armadillos in the yard with a shotgun. The cost of a new in plastic M900 series light on E-Bay is around $125-150. Am considering buying a Surefire M2/m3 or M4 light but the cost is way out of line. OTOH putting light on the subject can take on a whole new meaning.

After much research I settled on a Streamlight TLR 1.

130 lumens, very light weight with a slim profile, upgraded with a tape switch mounted to the VFG of my BCM light weight AR.

Reasons:

Designed as a weapon light (Built from the ground up to take weapon recoil as opposed to a standard tactical light which is not).

Long and positive track record for durability based on everything I could find written about them at the various "door kicker" forums.

Beam has a nice "Hot Spot" with a good throw around the perimeter. Allows you to use the light for target identification and as a rough aiming device if needed.

And finally...Price: At $125 it isn't cheep, but it is half the price of the competing product made by Surefire (The Surefire X300)

Is the X300 a better product? I couldn't honestly say since I haven't used one. For an extra $125 it should be.
Is it $125 dollars better or are you paying extra for the name "Surefire"?
Again, I don't know but it didn't seem to have any additional features that mattered to my intended use.

Understanding....I'm not a SF operative going deep into Indian country. I'm a home owner in need of a reliable product to check out things that go bump in the night.

Good luck