Reddit mentions of Streamlight 88059 Pro Tac Rail Mount 2 625 Lumen Professional Tactical Flashlight with High/Low/Strobe w/2x CR123A Batteries - 625 Lumens, Black

Most people will probably recommend an AR-15, a 12-guage pump shotgun, or a 9mm pistol; but I've actually been moving away from those types of guns after I started to learn more about how much permanent damage firearms do to your hearing. If you ever shoot an AR-15 or a shotgun indoors without hearing protection, you'll probably rupture your eardrums and hear an annoying ringing sound for the rest of your life. So, I'd prefer to avoid that if possible. That's why I recently bought a 9mm carbine (a 9mm rifle with a shoulder stock and a 16-inch barrel) as my new primary home defense weapon. Yeah, you lose out on some terminal performance (killing power), but 30-ish rounds of 147-grain 9mm Federal HST should be enough to deal with 99.999% of home invaders.

An AR-15 chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO will create about 167 decibels (anything above 140 decibels will permanently damage your hearing); a rifle chambered in .308 Winchester will create 170+ decibels; a 9mm pistol with a 4-inch barrel will create about 160 decibels; a 9mm carbine with a 10-inch barrel will create about 156 decibels; and a 9mm carbine with a 16-inch barrel will create about 152 decibels. I haven't been able to find reliable information about how many decibels a 12-gauge shotgun creates, but it's probably in the 160s.

152 decibels still isn't hearing safe; but the difference between 152 decibels and 167 decibels is huge since sound doubles in strength every 3 decibels. 152 decibels will still hurt your ears and cause permanent hearing damage if you hear it repeatedly; but it won't completely destroy your ears like a 5.56x45mm rifle or a 12-gauge shotgun will.

And the reason why I went with a 9mm carbine over a 9mm pistol is because carbines are much easier to aim, you get much quicker followup shots, you get a little bit more bullet velocity (and thus foot-pounds of energy and terminal performance), and there's still a large sound difference between 152 decibels and 160 decibels.

As to which specific 9mm carbines I recommend, I'll give you 3 different options to choose from.

The cheapest option: The Kel-Tec Sub-2000 Gen 2 ($500-ish but hard to find). I'm personally not a fan of Kel-Tec quality standards and aesthetics, but the Kel-Tec Sub-2000 is one of the few firearms that Kel-Tec makes that the vast majority of people in the gun community agrees is a good gun. I'd get the version that accepts Glock magazines and stick a 33-round Glock magazine in it. Glock magazines are widely regarded as being the best magazines in the world; and the 33 rounders that they make are widely regarded as being reliable.

The mid-tier option: The CMMG Mk9LE ($900-ish). From the research that I did on AR-15s chambered in 9mm, the ones made by CMMG are highly regarded as being reliable. I recommend using the 32-round Uzi magazines from IWI. Based on your criteria, this would be my top recommendation for you.

The high-tier option: The KRISS Vector GEN II CRB ($1,300-ish). This is the option that I personally went with. I chose it because it's reliable and because it looks amazing.

I also want to go out of my way to rule out a popular option: The CZ Scorpion EVO 3 S1 Carbine. The "pistol" version is wildly popular; but I've personally seen way too many horror stories about all-polymer magazines stretching and breaking their own feed lips after being stored loaded for a long period of time (which is what you'd be doing with a home defense weapon). So, until CZ upgrades their polymer magazines with steel-reinforced feed lips (like Glock does), I'd personally stay away from their products that use those types of magazines.

And I know that you said that you didn't want to add accessories, but a light is a mandatory accessory on a home defense firearm in my opinion (so that you can positively identify your target before you shoot and therefore hopefully avoid accidentally shooting a loved one). The Streamlight ProTac 2 and the INFORCE WMLx would be my top 2 recommended lights for long guns.

As to which bullets that I'd recommend, I already mentioned them: 147-grain 9mm Federal HST (standard pressure). The 124-grain 9mm Federal HST (standard pressure) is also extremely good. I wouldn't hesitate buying and using either of them for home defense. This website will help you find them in stock.

I also highly recommend this accessory in order to make loading your pistol magazines much, much easier.

As to bullet overpenetration, all major rounds will zip right through several of the kinds of walls that you'd find in a typical home. The only "safe" option is birdshot (used in shotguns), but birdshot doesn't penetrate deep enough into the human body (you want 12 to 18 inches of penetration according to FBI tests) to reliably stop a home invader (and therefore birdshot obviously shouldn't be an option for home defense in my opinion). Don't listen to the people that will tell you that the 5.56x45mm NATO round is safer to use because it tends to tumble and fragment when it hits a wall. It will still penetrate through several walls. You just have to be careful about how you angle your shots. That's really your only way to avoid hitting innocent people.

And if you're not as worried as I am about permanently damaging your own hearing while defending your home, then the Smith & Wesson M&P15 SPORT II would be my top rifle recommendation (I recommend pairing it up with 30-round magazines from Lancer); the Mossberg 500 series of shotguns would be my top shotgun recommendation; and the full-size Smith & Wesson M&P9 would be my top pistol recommendation. And I'd pair them up with this electronic hearing protection if I was you.

As to ammo recommendations for the 3 options that I listed above, I recommend Hornady 75-grain BTHP T2 TAP (8126N) or Hornady 5.56 NATO 75-grain BTHP Superformance Match (the .223 version that Hornady makes is also fine); this Managed-Recoil 8-pellet 00 buckshot from Remington (it patterns very tightly); and the 147-grain 9mm Federal HST that I already mentioned above, twice.

And if you go with a pistol, then I recommend the Streamlight TLR-1 as a mandatory accessory.

As to lubricant, you can't really go wrong with Break-Free CLP.

Streamlight ProTac is the best light for the money. I️ use this light on all my rifles and I’ve abused the hell out of them.
Streamlight 88059 ProTac Railmount 2L Dedicated Fixed-Mount Long Gun Light, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AXR8IKS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ok9bAb8WEV1ZG

I think for $105 through Amazon the streamlight rail mount 2 is a better deal, comes with a built in pressure switch and its 625 lumens

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01AXR8IKS/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474393026&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=streamlight+rail+mount+2&dpPl=1&dpID=41RiMXs0LzL&ref=plSrch

Depends on your budget.

A Streamlight Protac would be the cheapest I'd be comfortable with on a duty weapon.

If you want to spend a pretty penny, you can pick up any of Arisaka's offerings.

End of discussion

The stream light Protac railmount 2l is gaining a pretty good reputation, uses standard scout mounts and it comes with a nice pressure pad.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01AXR8IKS/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473953393&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=streamlight+rifle+light&dpPl=1&dpID=41RiMXs0LzL&ref=plSrch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STVUfpc1OjY&index=11&list=PLrRQ__gsOAs2E0lXkPiRLSyPne6Xk1pDg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exIiJQSSUII&index=12&list=PLrRQ__gsOAs2E0lXkPiRLSyPne6Xk1pDg

Smith and wesson sport 2. Drop in an mlok magpul Hand guard and moe foregrip. Then mount a little mlok rail section and drop a pro tac 2l on that rail section and tape the tape switch to your foregrip.

Stock up on a few mags of 62 grain MSR ammo.


https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1001675619/federal-fusion-msr-ammunition-223-remington-62-grain-spitzer-boat-tail

https://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-88059-Railmount-Dedicated-Fixed-Mount/dp/B01AXR8IKS

https://www.magpul.com/products/firearms-accessories/hand-guards/ar15-m4-m16-ar10-hand-guards/moe-sl-hand-guard-carbine-length

Here you go:

Red Dot

Weapon Light

Light Mount

If you're trusting your life to a budget red dot that is the way to go, 50,000 hours of battery life so you never have to turn it off.
I've heard good things about that light as well and own a TLR myself (made by the same company) and its great, that mounting option attaches directly to the front sight post so you don't need a new hand guard, if you do want a quad rail though I recommend this, I have an MI quad rail on my rifle and its rock solid.

What about this one? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NC1G0KI/

How about this ProTac? www.amazon.com/dp/B01AXR8IKS/

FSB?

Streamlight ProTac Rail Mount 2.

https://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-88059-Railmount-Dedicated-Fixed-Mount/dp/B01AXR8IKS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482819629&sr=8-1&keywords=protac+rail+mount+2

625 lumens. It's bright as heck and comes with a pressure plate.

$100 on Amazon. Don't waste your money with other overpriced brands.

https://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-88059-Railmount-Dedicated-Fixed-Mount/dp/B01AXR8IKS

I THINK streamlight is american made.

You talking about something like this? I mean really they all seem to be in the same price range and well-reviewed, might just come down to whatever I find a good deal on first.

Here you go only surefire light I have. Someone convinced me it was the best. With the tape switch and the end cap it is more than $300.00.


All of my other rifles have this. The Streamlight product also includes the cap for the tape switch and the tape switch itself. The beam is not as focused at distance but considering most people are going to be in an HD situation at 25 yards and under for the price difference it is a fine light.

Amazon has it from 3rd party sellers for $84 and free shipping: linky

Streamlight railmount 2

The surefire scouts are nice but they're a rip off. I've used both, and have the streamlight on my rifle now. It's 625 lumens and comes with everything needed to mount it to a pic rail with a tape switch. The surefire doesn't come with a switch OR tail cap, they bang you for both of them separately

Pair that with the magpul offset mount which screws directly into the mounting hardware on the streamlight with two screws and mounts directly to your mlok rail and you have an awesome light for $120

https://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-88059-ProTac-Railmount-Light/dp/B01AXR8IKS

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00RU12NG6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479480078&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=magpul+offset+light+mount&dpPl=1&dpID=51ayQkpwmjL&ref=plSrch

Edit: tape switch not rape switch 👀

Streamlight 88059 Pro Tac Rail Mount 2 625 Lumen Professional Tactical Flashlight with High/Low/Strobe w/2x CR123A Batteries - 625 Lumens https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AXR8IKS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_OZ1ZDbCFTBD10

$82.54


Weak link is the pressure pad (unfortunately with Streamlight), but that can be remedied with a couple options

Streamlight 88059 ProTac Railmount 2L Dedicated Fixed-Mount Long Gun Light, Black

https://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-88059-Railmount-Dedicated-Fixed-Mount/dp/B01AXR8IKS/

> Streamlight rail mount 1

Absolute cheapest I found

https://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-88059-Professional-Flashlight-Batteries/dp/B01AXR8IKS

If you want that SF (I love Surefire stuff for sure) then that's great.

If you want to save a few bucks check out:
Streamlight Railmount 2L 650 Lumens Rifle Light

I'm going to pick one of these up soon for my current build.

Streamlight ProTac 2L. Just a hair over $100, but is a solid light. Comes with a normal push button and tail that can do strobe, low/high, or high. Only for a rifle or shotgun if you were asking about pistol lights.

https://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-88059-ProTac-Railmount-Light/dp/B01AXR8IKS/ref=pd_sim_468_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=8G6YYMBKWG5SQQ0S6DN4

Assuming one of these, that's the best answer. This will outperform LiFePO4 16340s by a significant margin, especially if you use the unprotected Sanyo UR16650ZTA and a 4.35V charger. Of course, it's on you to avoid over-discharging the unprotected battery.

Streamlight Protac

Surefire compact scout

It might be a Streamlight ProTac. They sell them on amazon for cheap with a pressure switch and 2 ways to mount them (rail adapter and sticky tape) also comes with 2 batteries. It’s what i run on my rifle and have had 0 issues over the last 2 years

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AXR8IKS?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

This: Streamlight 88059 ProTac Railmount 2L Dedicated Fixed-Mount Long Gun Light, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AXR8IKS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_eCIKAb4M9HKGP

Streamlight 88059 ProTac Railmount 2L Dedicated Fixed-Mount Long Gun Light, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AXR8IKS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_VToBybNJ14D1A