Hey guys - I have an AK-V with the MOE handguard. I have an armadillo problem and decided I’m going to use my AK-V to hunt them. I have a red dot mounted on the AK-V. Since they’re nocturnal, I was thinking of getting a light to mount on the AK-V also.
I don’t know a lot about gun accessories so please help me out:
will the combination of light and red dot work well together? I have the Sig Romeo 5 red dot.
Can you guys recommend an inexpensive but decent quality light setup? I don’t need anything battle-tested of course. Something that will be bright enough for outdoor use. And do I need anything to mount the light to the MOE handguard?
You will need an mlok pic rail to mount it. Magpul makes those. I recommend a Streamight protac as it is a proven weapons light with the pressure pad for $100. Can you get a cheaper light? Sure, but streamlights are made to take the recoil without being a $2-300 light.
I’m a big fan of Inforce WML lights for their ergo on a rifle or other shoulder-fired weapon. Same need for a mlok mounted pic rail, but magpul poly rails are cheap and adequate.
If your in a pinch….and you need a light immediately….you can easily use a Velcro strap….or use tape to “temporarily” attached your light to your AKV. Put a small piece of foam between the light and your stock and it will work perfectly for 2AM Armadillo Pest Control.
I had an Armadillo problem when I first moved into my home. I tried all kinds of traps….none of them worked for me. In the end I bought a cheap wireless motion detector / door alarm at harbor freight…$12 and I duc-taped the sensor to a stake in the ground aimed at the hole that the armadillos were using. When it detected motion……the alarm sitting next to my bed would wake me. I had a 22 rifle with a flashlight taped to the stock. It worked perfectly and I was able to exterminate all of my nuisance armadillos and many other critters that were destroying my property.
That is not a substitute for a proper weapon light….for working and positively identifying what you are aiming at in the darkness……but it is more than adequate for armadillo eradication.
Another similar option is a single cheap 1" scope ring, an appropriate diameter flash light, and maybe some electrical tape for a snug fit and not marred flashlight.
My brother and I shot many hogs with that and when I finally upgraded to a dedicated weapon mounted green light, I had a really nice flashlight to keep in my truck.
Edit: not real familiar with the AKV and saw that you probably don’t have a quad rail like I was able to use. Your red dot would be useless but using the center of the flash light would probably get you close enough for armadillo work at close range.
If you’re on a less than 100 dollar budget try surefire g2x with a one inch ring. Is it a “weapon light”… no… will it most likely work perfectly for you… yes
I second the Inforce WML’s . I have one on my GF3 and the AKV. No need to run a cable/pressure switch. I have mine mounted to where, with my natural grip, my thumb rests right at the light button.
For future readers of this thread, the Streamlight Protac series of lights has never let me down. I put a Protac 1 on my Ak-V with a Thorntail offset mount. I agree to steer clear of pressure pads, the thumb technique is perfectly adequate.
No, just go with streamlight. The point of a weaponlight is not only to see what you are shooting, but to reliably activate, blind and overwhelm whoever you’re pointing it at and survive being treated poorly if needed. Anything less than about 50$ is garbage for that purpose. Personally, I sucked it up and saved for a Modlite, then later got an Arasaka. The Arasaka has a clicky cap and is mounted on a Trex arms lite bar. It’s worth the money to get something quality, neither of those lights have ever let me down. If you are going to be using it for anything serious, don’t cheap out, at the very least get a streamlite protac. If you get that Chinese crap, you will end up getting something better and spend the amount it costs anyways. Don’t recommend surefire as the intensity is not there on anything but their double expensive turbo series, but great lights if you don’t need to overwhelm or see anything at distance.
Seriously, don’t bet your life on a 40$ flashlight not meant for actual rifle use, let alone a direct blowback PCC.
@ Thatguy
Not sure what point that your trying to make here.
You obviously did not read the OP’s initial post……and my reply.
Iam going to help you out here…
The OP (Rusty-Shackleford) wanted an INEXPENSIVE light to simply use to illuminate & kill Armadillos that are problematic on his property.
The OP did not want to invest in a Formal “Weapon light”.
The OP was given several good suggestions by contributors that met his need.
I ended my post to him with a reminder: That a cheap light is not a substitute for a proper weapon light….for working and positively identifying what you are aiming at in the darkness……but it is more than adequate for armadillo eradication.
