It’s hard to put a light on a shotgun, especially a pump shotgun. For some reason, the world of the shotgun just isn’t embraced by modularity as every other system in the world. Still, as the great Goldblum says, life…uh, finds a way. One of the premier options in shotgun light solutions is the Surefire DSF series. This series of lights replaces your normal pump and gives you a combination of light and pump that is to die for.
I think every serious fighting long gun needs a light, and shotguns aren’t excluded. The Surefire DSF is the preferable light, but sadly that’s not possible since the DSF is platform specific. But I can still give you five reasons why your shotgun should wear the Surefire dedicated shotgun forend.
1. It’s a light, duh.
The most obvious answer is that it’s a powerful white light that shines down shame on potential bad guys. The Surefire DSF packs 600 lumens of bright white light, and the beam is backed by 13,000 lumens. The beam itself is designed to throw a wide beam with tons of spill, which provides a bright and wide-sight picture. Shotguns are close-range weapons, and this light is designed around the idea of close-range firepower and rapid snap to shooting that occurs within shotgun ranges. This light doesn’t throw a super tight beam like the OWL, which wouldn’t make much sense for a shotgun.
Not only does the Surefire DSF provide you with a white light, but it also is purpose-built for a shotgun.
2. The Surefire DSF can take abuse.
Surefire’s reputation has been built on providing well-made, high-quality weapon lights and handheld lights. They aren’t just well made, but downright amazingly well built. Surefire produces these lights for duty users who work in austere environments, and they demand the best they can get from Surefire.
Shotguns are violent weapons with impressive recoil. They are capable of absolutely destroying gadgets, gizmos, and more. They break rails and twist M-LOK mounts off, and they aren’t polite about it. The DSF series of weapon lights are made from hard polymer with a metal light. It’s water and shockproof. The light will survive the abuse duty throws at it.
3. The ergonomics are outstanding.
Surefire held nothing back with this series of lights. The Surefire DSF has five buttons and one switch. Four of the buttons are quite large and, predictably, the controls are ambidextrous. The two forward buttons on the right and left are your momentary buttons. They feature a raised section in the middle that provides a tactile warning of what the button does.
The second, rearmost buttons are your constant on and off buttons. Hit them once, and the light stays on. Hit them again, and it shuts off. The fifth button is much smaller and allows you to switch between the 600-lumen high mode to the battery-saving 200-lumen mode. Finally, the switch at the bottom is a killswitch to shut the light off when left in storage.
As for handling the Surefire DSF, it is made from a grippy material that is easy to hold onto. Your hand position is limited due to the hump of the light, but you have more than enough room to grip and rip the action back and forth.
4. Push/Pull Recoil Mitigation
Shotgun recoil mitigation is the real skill every prospective shotgunner should learn. It’s hard to do and is built around the Rob Haught method of push/pull. You pull the stock rearward into your shoulder and push the forend forward. You are essentially trying to stress the gun and create recoil reducing tension.
The push-pull method is highly effective, and the Surefire DSF makes it a fair bit easier to do. The hump that holds the light becomes a natural hand stop. This allows you to press harder against the shotgun and create more tension overall. This helps you reduce recoil and makes it easier for you to shoot the shotgun with a greater degree of control. Who knew that adding a light would make your gun easier to control?
5. It adds a little extra weight to your shotgun.
Admittedly the Surefire DSF isn’t a lightweight light. It’s a hefty little beast at almost 18 ounces when fully loaded. This light makes the shotgun a little heavier than most, especially up front. That extra weight could be seen as a bad thing, but only if you don’t use your shotgun much. That extra weight serves two purposes.
First, the extra weight helps you keep the muzzle rise down. The recoil and muzzle rise has to fight against almost nearly 18 ounces to get away from you. That helps keep the gun down on target between shots. With a proper push-pull technique, your muzzle rise is reduced to nearly nothing.
Second, the extra weight makes the gun easier to manipulate if you’re ever left with one hand. You can tip the gun up and shove it downward and the action will open and close with ease. You can rock and roll with a single arm, and the extra weight will most certainly come in handy then.
Boom, Bang, Pow
The Surefire DSF is one of the best accessories you can invest in….if you have a compatible shotgun. The worst thing about the DSF is that it’s only made for the Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 series. Why they haven’t embraced the Benelli M4, the Beretta 1301, and similar guns is beyond me. Well, partially. I understand that manufacturing these lights is tricky and expensive, and you have to capitalize on the most popular shotguns.
With that said, shotguns are making a comeback, and in the past, Surefire has made similar options for the Benelli series shotguns. With the 1301 gaining popularity, it’s entirely possible Surefire might embrace it. I keep one of these on my Remington 870, and it’s one of the best investments I’ve made.
What say you? Is the Surefire DSF worth the cost of admission? Let me know below!
