Shotgun weapon lights are a real pain, especially when it comes to pump-action shotguns. The moving nature of the forend really makes it a challenge. Where do you put the light? Where do you put the switch? If it doesn’t have a remote switch, how do you access it when pumping the gun?
Lights are tough, but luckily solutions have come to us in the form of shotgun forend lights. These days we have more than one, and today we are looking at the Nightstick SFL and the Surefire DSF.
Both lights do the same thing. They provide pump action shotguns with a powerful white light. Powerful white lights allow the average home defender to establish positive identification of a threat. Positive Id is a must-have for defensive firearm use. If you use a shotgun for home defense, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better option than a shotgun forend light. In this case, we’ve got two options, and today we’ll explore which is better.
The Power!
Let’s start by looking at the numbers. The Surefire DSF is the salt dog in this competition, and it comes in with 600 lumens of light backed by 13,000 candelas. That’s not bad, and for a shotgun’s effective range, it’s plenty of light. On the flip side, the Nightstick SFL offers 1200 lumens and 10,315 candelas.
It’s a bit of an inverse in terms of candela and lumens. Lumens are the raw amount of light a weapon throws out, and candela is the useable light. You need a mix of both to have an effective weapon light. Both lights provide a consistent and capable amount of power.
In terms of beam design, both use less concentrated light with plenty of spill. It’s a beam designed to flood an area of light and provides light from edge to edge of your vision. It’s a short-range light designed for short-range weapons. This kind of light is perfect for the shotgun and perfect for home defense.
The beams of the lights differ a bit in color. The Nightstick SFL is a cooler beam that’s a bit bluer. The Surefire DSF provides a warmer beam with a yellow look to it. In practical use, the beams are nearly identical, even with the lumen and candela difference.
At 25 yards, I could easily see and identify my IPSC target, so up close and in the home, it’s plenty powerful. It bears mentioning the Nightstick SFL also offers a laser option, but I don’t have a lot of uses for a visible laser, (although it’s fun to plink with.)
Ergonomics and Design
Both setups offer an ambidextrous option for activating the light as well as a momentary and constant mode. However, the lights differ a fair bit in how they execute this. The Nightstick SFL offers you one big ambidextrous button. It’s large, easy to find with your hand, and it provides a tactile, clicky design. The constant mode is a single press, the momentary is a long press, and the light shuts off when released.
On the flip side, the Surefire DSF offers you four buttons to activate the light. Each side of the DSF has two buttons. The forward button is the momentary option, and the rearward button is the constant On. Both buttons are larger and heavily raised for a natural press. The fifth smaller button allows you to swap between 200 and 600 lumens.
In terms of buttons, the Surefire design wins.
In general layout and shape, the forends are designed to be a bit different. The SFL is heavily textured with a rubber grippy surface that is easy to grip and work with. It works fine with a push/pull technique.
The Surefire DSF uses a massive hump to contain the light and a very thin forend. That big hump is absolutely glorious for mitigating recoil. It allows you to dig in and get a good push in as part of your push/pull. Much like the buttons, the Surefire DSF wins again.
Durability
The Surefire DSF is built like all Surefire lights. It’s big, tough, and durable. It’s a duty-ready light, and it’s the type of light trusted by police around the country. The Nightstick SFL is still new and hasn’t had much of a chance to prove itself. In terms of personal use, I’ve yet to have either light fail, even after round after round of buckshot and slugs. Recoil certainly isn’t an issue with either setup.
The SFL is IPX7 means it can be submerged in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. The DSF is IPX8, meaning it can be submerged deeper than one meter for half an hour. The Surefire has a slight edge, but who takes their shotgun swimming?
The Surefire DSF comes with Surefire’s reputation and its inherent quality. If you need a duty-ready light that can take the rigors of riding a shotgun in a cruiser and passing from officer to officer, then the DSF is the way to go. The Nightstick SFL is certainly well-suited to home defense, but the Surefire DSF is a go-to war light.
Price
Oof, this is where a lot of people will start making their decision. The SFL is about $200, which is not bad for a weapon light. The Surefire DSF is almost twice the price, often running between $350 and $370. That extra quality costs and Surefire has never been a cheap light company.
If you’re strapped for cash, the SFL is a great light for home defense. If you need a light that lasts forever, then the DSF is for you.
The World of Shotgun Lights
When it comes time to equip your pump action shotgun with a white light, you can’t go wrong with either the SFL or DSF. Both are well-made, easy-to-use lights with ergonomic controls and enough light to tell friend from foe. There are differences, and the Surefire DSF is certainly the tougher and more ergonomic option. That does result in a high price, and the more affordable SFL delivers a capable and powerful weapon light that doesn’t break the bank.
It’s a good time to be a shotgun fan, and we’ve never had this many options for the old thunder stick. Which would you choose? Let us know below!
