Surefire tapeswitch mounting solutions?

[DDadams]

I finally caved and bought a surefire turbo light, which I still feel dirty doing given $400 for a flashlight will never make sense to me.

Anyways I wanted a pressure pad like the streamlight pro tac ones I use on other rifles and wound up with the surefire switch + tailcap to go with it. What I did not realize when getting it was that the pic 'mount' for the pressure pad is the pad itself with a rubberized outside that simply bends over the rail edges.

I'm sure this is fine for many people but I really want to find a way to secure this better.

The only thing I've come up with so far is using a rail wrap such as the Lunar Concepts one and just using the cords over the top of it to secure it.

Are there any other options I'm not seeing for this? I'd really rather use railscales over a rail wrap but if that's the only decent solution then I'll go with that instead.

Picture for reference

 

[masterdekoy]

I cut bicycle innertubes down into 1” sections, makes a pseudo Ranger band. One on each end and it’s never going anywhere. I got the 2” from Walmart for $5, you will have enough for the rest of your life.

That or zip ties

 

[Tryin']

Zip ties. Low profile and cheap insurance for a clamp that probably is good enough on its own. I had one melt a little after a several hundred-round afternoon class, but it's still holding. I'm trying to see how long they will go. It's on a duty use Sig 516 that lives in a rifle rack and sees a couple thousand rounds per year.

 

[DDadams]

Zip ties. Low profile and cheap insurance for a clamp that probably is good enough on its own. I had one melt a little after a several hundred-round afternoon class, but it's still holding. I'm trying to see how long they will go. It's on a duty use Sig 516 that lives in a rifle rack and sees a couple thousand rounds per year.

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I was going to do this obvious solution but the tapeswitch is basically right on top of the gas block so I really don't think they'll hold up this close.

 

[turnerdye1]

I've got a Cloud Defensive tape switch mount for the more standard style Surefire tape switch. I'm not sure if anyone really makes a dedicated mount for the tape switch that you have. But it may be worth looking into the other switch so that you can use a bolt on style tape switch mount if you wanted something more durable.

 

[NyleRN]

I finally caved and bought a surefire turbo light, which I still feel dirty doing given $400 for a flashlight will never make sense to me.

Anyways I wanted a pressure pad like the streamlight pro tac ones I use on other rifles and wound up with the surefire switch + tailcap to go with it. What I did not realize when getting it was that the pic 'mount' for the pressure pad is the pad itself with a rubberized outside that simply bends over the rail edges.

I'm sure this is fine for many people but I really want to find a way to secure this better.

The only thing I've come up with so far is using a rail wrap such as the Lunar Concepts one and just using the cords over the top of it to secure it.

Are there any other options I'm not seeing for this? I'd really rather use railscales over a rail wrap but if that's the only decent solution then I'll go with that instead.

Picture for reference

View attachment 305141

Can you post another pic of the other side?

 

[NyleRN]

My tape switches are over the top of the gas block and don't have any issues

 

[DDadams]

Can you post another pic of the other side?

When I get home tonight sure, but it's the exact same.

It's a rubberized material that just goes right over the pic rail on both sides.

 

[DDadams]

My tape switches are over the top of the gas block and don't have any issues
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I was specifically talking about using the zip ties right over the gas block.

I have other rifles with tapeswitches over gas blocks with no issue, but they're in mounts similar to the one you posted.

This one is it's own mount, but it's just rubber material and I've tried bumping it around to simulate any number of things that could happen and I've managed to knock one side halfway off the much easier than I thought I would - which really upset me

If using zip ties makes them melt then I guess my only real option may be either the Lunar Concepts hot pocket wrap or just switching the switch to something else.

I just didn't like the other switch options I saw but I'm sure there's something similar to the streamlight ones I'm used to. They're basically the exact same as this surefire but without the rubber edges. Just a flat polymer rectangle that could slide in a mount. That's what I wished this was before I got it.

 

[NyleRN]

When I get home tonight sure, but it's the exact same.

It's a rubberized material that just goes right over the pic rail on both sides.

Ok, didn't know if there was a screw on the other side. Also didn't realize it was rubberized. What a crap design and quite frankly pitiful coming from surefire on a $400 product. Unity makes switches that are surefire compatible but then you'll end up with $600 in your setup. You could've just bought a cloud defensive for cheaper and been done with it. Couple weeks ago CD has their REIN micro with switch for $199 and Bereli has the REIN 3.0 with switch on sale for $275 right now

 

[DDadams]

Ok, didn't know if there was a screw on the other side. Also didn't realize it was rubberized. What a crap design and quite frankly pitiful coming from surefire on a $400 product. Unity makes switches that are surefire compatible but then you'll end up with $600 in your setup. You could've just bought a cloud defensive for cheaper and been done with it. Couple weeks ago CD has their REIN micro with switch for $199 and Bereli has the REIN 3.0 with switch on sale for $275 right now

I was considering the Rein but wanted the surefire pro for the articulating feature + aftermarket support for everything made for these.

Had I known this switch was this pathetic I'd probably have not gotten it though. Just on the outside it looked like everything I needed.

I think the rail wrap is my best bet now. I just don't know how well the cloth they're made out of will take spray paint.

Only one way to find out though...

 

[RSindy]

If nothing is working for you, try the Modlite Mod Button. It’s low profile and it works great.

 

[Tryin']

You will need to dress the edges, but if you are worried about melting there are a lot of stainless cable ties available.

 

[Tomahawkman]

I used that same tape switch for several years. I never tied it down and it never came off under firing or in and out of a patrol car. Sample size of 1 though. There are certainly better mounting designs out there though. Ive used most of them, but this was always my favorite because of the constant on and momentary switches.

 

[BravoOneFour]

I finally caved and bought a surefire turbo light, which I still feel dirty doing given $400 for a flashlight will never make sense to me.

Anyways I wanted a pressure pad like the streamlight pro tac ones I use on other rifles and wound up with the surefire switch + tailcap to go with it. What I did not realize when getting it was that the pic 'mount' for the pressure pad is the pad itself with a rubberized outside that simply bends over the rail edges.

I'm sure this is fine for many people but I really want to find a way to secure this better.

The only thing I've come up with so far is using a rail wrap such as the Lunar Concepts one and just using the cords over the top of it to secure it.

Are there any other options I'm not seeing for this? I'd really rather use railscales over a rail wrap but if that's the only decent solution then I'll go with that instead.

Picture for reference

View attachment 305141

Just throw a small zip tie in front of the button if you're really that worried about it. But it's very unlikely that you're gonna knock it off.

 

[DDadams]

I used that same tape switch for several years. I never tied it down and it never came off under firing or in and out of a patrol car. Sample size of 1 though. There are certainly better mounting designs out there though. Ive used most of them, but this was always my favorite because of the constant on and momentary switches.

I really like this style and don't understand so many people's need for all sorts of strange solutions when this just works, and works well

Cloud Defensive has a similar switch but with an even worse mount than this. Their mount (for the rein 1.0 at least) I'd a few pieces of very cheap feeling plastic held together on the rail by just a few threads on the screws.

Sounds fine but if you saw it in person you'd really question their thought process - thinking that was a good option for near $400 flashlights.

The streamlight factory mount is the best cheap tapeswitch mount I've tried. But I haven't tried very many so my opinion is a fairly moot point to make in this all.

 

[Tomahawkman]

I really like this style and don't understand so many people's need for all sorts of strange solutions when this just works, and works well

Cloud Defensive has a similar switch but with an even worse mount than this. Their mount (for the rein 1.0 at least) I'd a few pieces of very cheap feeling plastic held together on the rail by just a few threads on the screws.

Sounds fine but if you saw it in person you'd really question their thought process - thinking that was a good option for near $400 flashlights.

The streamlight factory mount is the best cheap tapeswitch mount I've tried. But I haven't tried very many so my opinion is a fairly moot point to make in this all.

I have a cloud 1.0 on my main patrol rifle at the moment and while the actual buttons are nice the mount is trash. If they would just make it better it would be the perfect light. Color temp and throw/spill are all excellent.

I have not had good luck with stream lights pressure pad offerings. They always seem like they were an afterthought and more times than not I have had faulty pads out of the box where they either didn't work or the rubber covering the cord was pulled out of the pad housing and the red/black wires were exposed. Which is a shame because stream light has several excellent budget friendly weapon lights that have good output and performance but I often skip over them due to the pressure pads being garbage.