Optimized for 12 o’clock mounting on rifles with top rails, ROSCH Works SL1’s 250+ lumen lighthead was designed “in collaboration with LED lighting industry legend Gene Malkoff,” Wait. The LED lighting industry has a legendary designer? Yes, wherever LED industry folks gather—whether it’s a dingy hotel bar near a poorly lit conference center or a small cubicle with lumen-appropriate task lighting—the name Malkoff is uttered with quasi-religious reverence. At some point someone intones the sacred words: ”I Love God, My Family, and My Country. It is my Belief that Traditional Family Values and Honest Work are the Pathway to Happiness.” Where was I? “The combined light & sight saves rail space and weighs only 3.2 ounces with a CR123 battery and is less than 3.5” long, making it the lightest and smallest solution for providing both a light and front sight! The twisty style tailcap provides quick, momentary activation that is ideal for quick bursts of light on the target in between moving between shooting positions.” Nick’s all over it.
I like the concept, but a twist-type activation seems horribly out of place here. Also, that front sight looks awful.
Ditto
I don’t think its a “twist” type on-off. It looks like a rubber button pad on the back. I think their marketing language is a bit garbled..?
“Twisty” is the term used by many flashlight makers and consumers to refer to a tailcap that you twist to different settings for constant on, button-operated momentary on/off, and always off.
$235.00
Why not just go with an MBUS and InFroce WML. Save some dough for ammo….
But that’s going to free up way too much rail space on most AR-15s. What is the tacticool crowd going to do with that extra real estate? Wait maybe I don’t want to know…
Geardos… I see geardos everywhere.
1 is none and 2 is a good start.
That works great until you have to hump it. Anybody willing to put an extra 5 lbs of “backup” garbage on their rifle has never had to do a twenty mile hump in full gear.
Ultamit tactikool
I think “tactical” it Latin for “pays way too much for flashlights”.
$250? Really?
The worst part is how low the output is.
250 lumen is so pathetic, ZebraLight makes $80 headlamps which are 1020 lumens.
Seems like a completely unnatural place to put a light. Your front sight should be as far down your rifle as possible to maximize accuracy, whereas a tactical light (which you don’t really need anyway) should be right next to your support hand. I love a light that’s integrated into a foregrip because it’s a natural combination of roles. This? to me, DOA.
Please explain why I do not need a tactical light.
Also, the thing about sights needing to be as low as possible; sights for the AR-15 tend to be a pretty uniform height. as long as this thing is in spec with, say, the standard carry-handle sights, I don’t see how it would be a problem.
I like the idea, if it came as a 1″ mount instead of with a built in light, I would get one. Above the barrel seems like the perfect place for a light, as it would be far more out of the way than a side or bottom mounted one.
Hmm… I think a pressure switch would be better than a push button or a twist cap. Like I have on my Stag Model 3. Pressure cord taped to the forearm of the rifle. While gripping, just a slight pressure of my thumb activates the light. No need to move my whole dang arm and/or lose sight picture.
Meh….looks too airsofty to me.
Thoughts..
1) We are all in agreement, if it is in fact it is a ‘twisty-type’ activation’, it would suck. Should be push-type and/or pressure switch.
2) I’d have to try it out to see if I like a light in that spot. Something about that spot kind of weirds me out a little with possibly changing my site picture/balance of the rifle, etc. But never know, it could be awesome. Will look for Nick’s review and his take.
3) Can’t get the light off the gun, as most times I run my rifle without a light (at the range, etc) and like to keep every ounce off the gun if I’m not using it.
4) In fact, thinking about it further, I run flip up BUIS because I like a clean site pic for whatever Optic I’m running, so thinking about it more and….. nevermind. Not interested.
I don’t need a light since I shoot with my eyes closed 😉
Hello beautiful… who makes that rail? Is that a next generation arms?
Well looks like the good idea fairy strikes again…
The iron sight is (imho) your last line of aim. It is the one piece of a rifle you do not want to fail in terms of getting a shot where you want it. Putting a light or laser under it is bad enough, but seeing how it mounts adds another variable in accuracy (imagine driving a formula 1 car with a wheel base that’s out of square). This is a novelty at best, and could get you killed at worst.
OK, lemme see if I understand how this works:
Position expensive thingy down the end of the front ramp.
Wait for it to get dark.
Line up (approximately)
[Damn, it’s dark!]
Let forend wave around while you twist, punch, and curse the end of the non-nifty device.
Non-nifty device paints a swath of feeble light and immediately goes dark.
Frantically try to stabilize forend and regain sight picture.
Get shot by the adversary with iron sights.
Realize you p1ssed away over $200 on a cool toy strobe light.
Thanks, I’ll pass.
I can totally see how this would appeal to someone who has run out of space on the rails of their AR. For the entire world of serious people who could never fill up the rails they have this is merely another solution looking for a problem. It cost’s too much, it is feeble, it looks cheap, it reportedly has an operating system that makes it completely useless and it may actually be adverse to use of the iron sights.
The only way I can see this being any worse is if it actually shined the light back into the users eyes.
Because the use of optics requires fold flat sights one could just assume this is going on rifles without much in the way of attachments, meaning it solves a non existent problem. It also looks to me like it would make damage to the front sight more likely, another strike. Add that it costs more than $200 too much for what it (almost) accomplishes and it’s a complete non starter.
Just because it can be attached to an AR doesn’t mean it should be.
Ridiculously overpriced…
I’m the designer and own the small company that makes the SL1. I’d like to hit a few of your criticisms and maybe start a discussion here.
250+ lumens seems low compared to 1000 lumens but there are no single-battery lights in the 500-1000 lumen category. They are all larger, longer and heavier. Although it is true that a brighter light is preferred for long-range outdoor work, the SL1 is ideal for typical civilian and LE work which is within 50 yards. The goal for the SL1 was to be the lightest, smallest and toughest 12 o’clock mounting solution for the front sight and light. Future products in this product line will have more lumens (and more weight and be bigger) but I’ll still run an SL1 on my own home defense carbine.
The activation is pushbutton momentary on. For many shooters, the support thumb is in the ideal position for this device. For those who want to put the switch in different spots, we have an adapter nearly ready for sale that supports any E-series SureFire tailcap including pressure pad models.
We make all the hardware ourselves and Gene Malkoff makes sure that the lighthead is as indestructible as possible. If you add up the cost for a comparable set of quality front sight, light and mount, the SL1 is in range.
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