Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns To add a light..

What to do? Forgive me, but I thought of epoxy and a Savage 99 rear Weaver style base ground to fit underneath on the frame, rather than drill and tap. You guys have it figured out already, so what should I do?

http://www.crimsontrace.com/01-7100

This is one way

Epoxying a base to that pistol is a great way to ruin it. Your light will drop off under recoil, even screw fastened mounts are weak due to the thin metal of the dust cover.

They make integral rail 1911s for a reason.

Crimson Trace just e-mailed me a notice that they are now making a triggerguard mounted GREEN lazer for 1911 pistols. I have hinted not so subtley that this is what Safariman wants for either his upcoming birthday or Fathers day.

Not being able to easily add a light plus a lazer all coming on with one switch or button is why my first "go to" gun in the bedroom is our SU-16 with a Surefire Zenon bulb light and lazer combo that come on together with one switch flip, and are sighted in to the rifle. That light and lazer with 31 rounds of 62gr HP 223 ammo is a much better solution, to my mind, than any handgun can be.

That said, if I get the green lazer onto my RIA 10mm, that will make it a far more effective piece than it was before for late hours work. Daytime too, as green lazers are far more visible in daylight hours than are the red ones.

That unit, with one of the CT lazergrips, would be pretty skookum.

There is also an isreali grip "overgrip" that slides over your drame and incorporates a pic rail

I'm not normally this guy but I'm going to have to suggest selling it and buying one that already has a rail. Or better yet, keeping it and buying one with a rail....

Link to that adapter

1912 rail adapter

Add some technique training to your pistol shooting. I am not sure which is in vogue these days...



or:

Here is another option:

Surefire MR07 Integral Rail Light Mount for Colt 1911 Gov't Model



Or this:

LTG-701 LIGHTGUARD� FOR KIMBER, RUGER AND SMITH & WESSON 1911 PISTOLS

WOW, this has been a VERY informative thread to me as well as the OP. Many more options for lighting up a non rail 1911 than I had imagined.

I am guessing that there are many, many folks who are like me in that they really like the 1911 they have, don't want to try another one, (my RIA Tac 10 is a 1 inch at 25 yards shooter and with its ramped barrel etc. handles my stout handloads easily) but want to light things up a bit. Make a very nice gun more universally useful and easier to hit with in low light.

I just thought of another idea. There used to be a few companies who made a grip which had as a part of it an extension, a raised platform with a picatinny rail that rode just above the slide of the pistol, but since it was atatched to the grip frame, it was not battered to pieces (nor the scope or light atop it) by the slide banging around on each and every shot.

Something to think about when adding a light, or light rail:

1 - Holster options just narrowed down to just a couple; none of which I like at all (but you may). Options for an un-mounted light gun with an accessory rail are a little better, but still much less than non-rail 1911's.

2 - When you have a light mounted on your pistol, whatever you shine the light on, you're pointing your gun at. So if you're searching your house and you have family in there, then you may end up pointing a loaded firearm at one of your loved ones.

Just a couple of things to think about.

That is why a weapon mounted white light is not a replacement for having a handheld light. To many people think slapping a white light onto a rail is the solution to all low light tactics but it is just the tip of the iceberg.

...and you are showing your adversary EXACTLY where you are and likely where your 10 ring is.

Kevin how do you change your name? I want to change mine as well!

Do you have a link?

Awesome! Thanks.

Same here. Last I checked into the possibility, options were few and all involved lots of work and alteration. Such great innovations.

IME weapon mounted lights are most useful for AFTER you've found the bad guy, not while you're looking for him.

Unless one is using a lit up rifle, away from ones body, as the leading of the snooping piece. While sitting here in my La Z Boy, that is my 'plan'.... to keep the gun away from me and let the rifle and light be the point man in the search and (maybe) destroy. Admitedly, not every well thought out plan concieved in comfort comes to fruition in the heat of the situation, but the other issue, pointing one's gun at family is not a problem here as it is now just the two of us, people-wise.

Most likley, our early warning system of a Dachsund and a Lab and a Coyote Dog Mix will have any perpetrator somewhat pinned or at least largely located for us. Milo the 4 lb Wiener dog will already have him about half et up by the time I get around to putting him out of his misery with whatever firearm I manage to grab