Marlin Model 60 Flashlight Mount

[Daekar]

My wife has never been comfortable with anything except 22LR firearms, but she's quite good with the ones she is comfortable with. Our current "defend the bedroom" gun is my old Marlin Model 60 because it is one of the guns she's best with. However, it's always made me uncomfortable that didn't have a light attached to it. I finally got a chance to rectify that this week!
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The mount is printed in silk PLA and fastened with some small metric socket head cap screws (M3, I think), washers, and small nuts. This version is for lefties and has the light on the right side of the rifle, but it can be mirrored in your slicer if you're a right-hander. Unless you're trying to mount an Acebeam EC35, you're probably going to have to modify the CAD file so that the light will be firmly held.

Files to print are hosted on Thingiverse, and MyMiniFactory, but the Thingiverse link isn't active yet:
https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-marlin-model-60-flashlight-holder-161810
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4799367

Let me know if you have trouble accessing the files to print and I'll see about getting them to you.

[BigAlofPa.]

Well my feelings on lights mounted to the gun. Is that it gives away your location to a bad guy.

[Daekar]

Well my feelings on lights mounted to the gun. Is that it gives away your location to a bad guy.

I can see why that could be a concern in some circumstances, definitely. If the invader doesn't know where you are, there is a chance that you can maintain surprise or avoid conflict entirely.
However, since knowing what you're shooting at can be very important, light can be helpful too. The nice thing is that with a normal setup the light is optional - you don't have to turn it on if it is a tactical liability.

I haven't been able to test yet but if I managed to align the light and the barrel properly, at short ranges you shouldn't have to aim at a human-sized target. If the center of the beam is on the torso, just squeeze the trigger.

[rintinglen]

The problem that I have with a light mounted on a firearm as it encourages reckless behavior. Pointing a gun at something you don't intend to shoot just because you point the light that way is just wrong in my book. Unless you are on the SWAT Team, AND have thousands of rounds through that firearm, I believe the light and the weapon belong apart. I know the khaki commando crowd all think they are Seal Team Six and therefor "need" all the low light stuff to defend their mom's basement, but I am not in favor of un- or under trained individuals doing so.

[Butzbach]

Nice work! I’m woefully ignorant of all things 3D printing. Is there some kind of primer or YouTube series you could recommend to get me started?

[Daekar]

The problem that I have with a light mounted on a firearm as it encourages reckless behavior. Pointing a gun at something you don't intend to shoot just because you point the light that way is just wrong in my book. Unless you are on the SWAT Team, AND have thousands of rounds through that firearm, I believe the light and the weapon belong apart. I know the khaki commando crowd all think they are Seal Team Six and therefor "need" all the low light stuff to defend their mom's basement, but I am not in favor of un- or under trained individuals doing so.

I used to feel that way until I had the misfortune to check a very suspicious bump in the night with a separate light and pistol. Not only was the experience extremely stressful and unpleasant, but it was an excellent lesson in how difficult it is use both together in a way that doesn't leave either one useless.

The fact that there are two or three other powerful flashlights in the same room as the gun means that we can pick the right tool for the job... The gun will never be picked up unless we determine it's the only choice.

It will also make the gun useful for eliminating nocturnal trashcan raiders in the event my dog is asleep on the job.

[Daekar]

Nice work! I’m woefully ignorant of all things 3D printing. Is there some kind of primer or YouTube series you could recommend to get me started?

I would start here: https://www.reddit.com/r/3DPrinting/wiki/GettingStarted

3D printing is a big, not-quite-matured subject and seems to be progressing rapidly. At least in my experience with cheap machines, it requires some commitment to learn the symptoms of an imperfect process or setup and to determine how to fix it. Often advice from the internet is the best way to solve print quality problems. It's very like casting, in that way, they both can be very rewarding if you're willing to put in the effort up front.

Most important thing: learn CAD. Printing stuff other people designed is cool, but custom items that are exactly what you need are the real magic.

[Daekar]

If you have contacted me about purchasing a copy of this print, please ensure that your PMs are not full - I was unable to reply.

For those who were thinking along those lines:
I have not been able to test the durability of this design in use nor did I take the trouble to add details necessary for a truly finished product I would be willing to sell with my name attached - like threaded steel inserts. I have not tested to see how many attach/remove cycles it will endure before cracking. I have not tested it on any other rifles except my own - without additional data, guaranteeing fit will require accurate measurements from your rifle and your flashlight.

Since most of us aren't shooting much at the moment, I encourage folks to investigate affordable 3D printers and use this downtime to add to your capability. Basic CAD skills for designing your own parts or altering others are not difficult to learn and there are lots of resources out there to help. As I'm sure many already know, there is no replacement for a custom piece that does exactly what you want... My wife recently requested a holder to keep herb paste tubes upright in the fridge door instead of fallen down all over the the place, and in little time she had one printed in white (and weighted with 158gr RFs) that fits the brand that we buy perfectly. If they change the diameter of the tubes, I'll just open that model, change the diameter, tweak anything that looks like it didn't adjust properly, and print another.

I used a free piece of open-source software called FreeCAD to make this design, and there are other options as well.

[jmorris]

Pointing a gun at something you don't intend to shoot just because you point the light that way is just wrong in my book.


Certainly worth pointing out this obvious fact. Not to mention, if “they” didn’t know exactly where you are, they do now. Where the FBI technique came from, so the point of light source wasn’t also an aim point for the person.

[Drm50]

I spent time in places you didn’t light a cigarette at night. I do have a 10/22 with a lite mount. Excellent for shooting out coons and Bull Frogs and whatever other critters aggravate you at night.

[Mr_Sheesh]

It's a trade off between not giving your position away, and verifying that the bump in the night is an actual threat instead of the neighbor's 10 year old out for an evening stroll, or a drunk neighbor who came home to the wrong place. Or a raccoon trying to get at your pet's precious kibble. Good to consider ALL the possibilities while you have time to do so, not just during the incident.

[Dieselhorses]

That's ingenious. Gonna have to learn how to use "Free Cad". I'm already familiar with "V-Carve" for CNC machine...

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[Butzbach]

I would start here: https://www.reddit.com/r/3DPrinting/wiki/GettingStarted

3D printing is a big, not-quite-matured subject and seems to be progressing rapidly. At least in my experience with cheap machines, it requires some commitment to learn the symptoms of an imperfect process or setup and to determine how to fix it. Often advice from the internet is the best way to solve print quality problems. It's very like casting, in that way, they both can be very rewarding if you're willing to put in the effort up front.

Most important thing: learn CAD. Printing stuff other people designed is cool, but custom items that are exactly what you need are the real magic.

Thanks for the link!

[jmorris]

It's a trade off between not giving your position away, and verifying that the bump in the night is an actual threat instead of the neighbor's 10 year old out for an evening stroll, or a drunk neighbor who came home to the wrong place.


Another good reason for the light to not be mounted to the firearm. Then you can light up the little kid without pointing a firearm at something you don’t wish to destroy.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Try a house clearing in the dark, with a family member or two acting the part of the bad guy. Each of you gets to pretend to have a firearm. See how you like your survival chances... Aiming the light separately is a bad idea just because, when you see a threat, now you have to figure out where the firearm is pointing vs the light, coordinate them somehow, and manage to eliminate the threat, if there is one. Unless you practice consistently and quite a bit, you are likely to be slow and ineffective at a time when you cannot afford that...

Also. Good trigger discipline isn't just a good idea here, obviously! Look at how police clear houses though, weapon mounted lights are pretty standard, tells us something...

There is a reason that most people should "Fort up" behind their bed, call 911, and wait for the police to arrive, and it is that house clearing is HARD, dangerous, and takes training to live through, also IMO best done with a K9's help. Make sure the dispatcher knows where you are and that the police officers responding know not to kick your bedroom door in, we also do not want you to point weapons at LEOs as no good comes of that... Ideally the LEOs can tell you when they are near your door so you can figure out how to meet up with them safely. In a self-defense shooting, you'll also want to have the dispatcher tell them that you are there and so on, to avoid YOU getting shot, ideally have someone you trust your life to meet the police and bring them in, telling you when to holster or set down your weapon...

Truly - I can't say I like the idea of pointing a weapon (even with finger off trigger) at a no-shoot person, but I also really dislike the idea of a bad guy killing me, and then using my firearm to kill others. Trained folks on self defense including house clearing ("Fun houses" are a lot of fun.) Years ago, tho.

[Dieselhorses]

I think the first thing that comes to mind is "self-defense" when attaching anything to a firearm other than a scope for hunting. What about needing to rid pesky critters at night raiding your garbage can, or in my case I had to rid an old bobcat at night that walked right upon my porch. There's many other uses for having a light on a rifle. I have a couple i made out of PVC pipe that I can quickly detach if I have to solely use the light.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Lights - Pest control or self defense, raccoons at night can be hard to see at any distance without a light. Had a barn cat they kept trying to kill, he had a nice reverse slope defense set up so they couldn't easily get at him but I felt the need to dissuade them, planning for 300aac or 30-30 for that in future but at the time was just able to use 22lr stingers, worked OK though not usually DRT raccoons. It was easy to tell when they were pestering him, his war cries were not quiet!

How well does splitting a PLA print then installing it work, assuming (maybe wrongly) your part is set up like Dieselhorses' CAD model shown in post # 12? I was somewhat expecting that a coupling (2 J shapes which grab each other) might be needed, I mostly have worked with ABS in past though.

Thanks :)

[Daekar]

Lights - Pest control or self defense, raccoons at night can be hard to see at any distance without a light. Had a barn cat they kept trying to kill, he had a nice reverse slope defense set up so they couldn't easily get at him but I felt the need to dissuade them, planning for 300aac or 30-30 for that in future but at the time was just able to use 22lr stingers, worked OK though not usually DRT raccoons. It was easy to tell when they were pestering him, his war cries were not quiet!

How well does splitting a PLA print then installing it work, assuming (maybe wrongly) your part is set up like Dieselhorses' CAD model shown in post # 12? I was somewhat expecting that a coupling (2 J shapes which grab each other) might be needed, I mostly have worked with ABS in past though.

Thanks :)

Actually, not having viewed the file in a while, I would assume that the image in Post #12 is either my exact model or after they have modified the diameters a wee bit. So yes, my part is setup just like that image. My original concept was actually two pieces, but the PLA seems to be flexible enough that opening the gap a bit for installation isn't really a problem.

[Daekar]

That's ingenious. Gonna have to learn how to use "Free Cad". I'm already familiar with "V-Carve" for CNC machine...

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There are a lot of little things about FreeCAD which indicate its FOSS status... it's just not polished compared to a commercial suite. You can't beat the price though! And the parametric sketching seems to work great, so I have stuck with it.

[William Yanda]

I would start here: https://www.reddit.com/r/3DPrinting/wiki/GettingStarted

3D printing is a big, not-quite-matured subject and seems to be progressing rapidly. At least in my experience with cheap machines, it requires some commitment to learn the symptoms of an imperfect process or setup and to determine how to fix it. Often advice from the internet is the best way to solve print quality problems. It's very like casting, in that way, they both can be very rewarding if you're willing to put in the effort up front.

Most important thing: learn CAD. Printing stuff other people designed is cool, but custom items that are exactly what you need are the real magic.

Don't say you weren't warned that you MIGHT encounter enablers on this site.

[jmorris]

Look at how police clear houses though, weapon mounted lights are pretty standard, tells us something...


Yes, it does.

And these guys are very well trained.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-police-officer-shoots-woman-death-inside-her-home-n1065451

https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dallas-county/off-duty-dallas-police-officer-accidentally-shoots-his-son-in-the-arm-officials-say/287-5616c486-c2ef-4f43-b568-f95b3bc722d0

https://www.aclu.org/other/7-year-old-girl-accidentally-shot-swat-team

[Mr_Sheesh]

jmorris - First one, that officer has been indited for murder. Second, and third, yes, someone really messed up TOO. How many million interactions with police happen a year, how many result in problems like those?

Training - LEOs usually need far more training than they get, IMO, don't get me started. So let's defund them, that will obviously result in better officers with more training, right? (Oh wait...)

Daekar - Interesting, thanks!

[Dieselhorses]

There are a lot of little things about FreeCAD which indicate its FOSS status... it's just not polished compared to a commercial suite. You can't beat the price though! And the parametric sketching seems to work great, so I have stuck with it.

Ironically, after all the scouring through the interface, I still can’t find out how to start drawing something lol.


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[Daekar]

Ironically, after all the scouring through the interface, I still can’t find out how to start drawing something lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't blame you, it's confusing. I had to read the help file. What I do to start is:
1) Start new file.
2) Use the dropdown at the top to select the "Part Design" workspace.
3) Click the yellow "Create a part and make it active" button.
4) Click the blue "Create a new body and make it active" button.
5) Click the "Create a new sketch" button.
6) Select "XY_Plane (Base plane)" and hit OK. Note that you are now viewing the Sketch object you just created and are in the "Sketcher" workspace.
7) Use the sketching tools to draw and constrain your sketch.
8) Close the sketch and return to the Part Design workspace.
9) Extrude or revolve your sketch as appropriate, etc.

Note that even if the endpoint or object snap indicator comes up when adding lines, it doesn't work reliably. I always draw disconnected lines and explicitly constrain them as desired for this reason.

[Dieselhorses]

I don't blame you, it's confusing. I had to read the help file. What I do to start is:
1) Start new file.
2) Use the dropdown at the top to select the "Part Design" workspace.
3) Click the yellow "Create a part and make it active" button.
4) Click the blue "Create a new body and make it active" button.
5) Click the "Create a new sketch" button.
6) Select "XY_Plane (Base plane)" and hit OK. Note that you are now viewing the Sketch object you just created and are in the "Sketcher" workspace.
7) Use the sketching tools to draw and constrain your sketch.
8) Close the sketch and return to the Part Design workspace.
9) Extrude or revolve your sketch as appropriate, etc.

Note that even if the endpoint or object snap indicator comes up when adding lines, it doesn't work reliably. I always draw disconnected lines and explicitly constrain them as desired for this reason.

Appreciate it Daekar. Always had that issue and n VCarve where every time I compiled a tool path it alerted me of open vectors. I mainly need to research the materials I can use in these printers and strengths thereof.


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