Hardened Arms says “The LumaShark is an Illuminated, weaponized, 12″ free float handguard whose patented features have eliminated the need for bulky bolt on flashlights on the AR Platform.” While I’m not convinced they’re truly eliminated the bulk, they certainly have integrated interchangeable flashlights/lasers into an AR handguard. We checked ’em out in the NEXT area of SHOT Show 2017…
There are two light bodies under the handguard. It’s all one piece of machined aluminum. Activation is accomplished either via buttons on the back of the housings or with remote pressure pads (or run one with a button and one with a pad).
Bulb modules can be swapped depending on what the user wants out of each housing. Options include CREE lights in 1,150, 500, and 200 lumen outputs as well as infrared. Laser modules should be available soon.
So… Instead of having a small flashlight that stays out of the way, we have these two gigantic things that interfere with more or less everything you do on the front of your rifle… Seems like the tactical equivalent of an arthritis “treatment” that amputates your hand.
And not only that, but they are in the worst possible position as they will cause a barrel shadow on the upper half of your target.
Barrel shadow we can live with and work around… a gigantic slab of aluminum on the bottom of your handguard… not so much. On my SBR, the light is mounted far enough forward that there is no barrel shadow, the lens is actually forward of the end of the muzzle device. On a full size rifle, the barrel shadow is not nearly as bad as people claim, as most tactical lights are more than bright enough to wash it out.
A bit of barrel shadow can actually be useful, especially outdoors in a windy and dusty environment, or indoors after the first shot in a room with those dang ceiling tiles that shed dust/particles when they get slammed by muzzle blast.
Not one but TWO bulky lights built into the handguard. Absurd.
“Weaponized”?
I think that means it’s built to take the repeated shock of recoil.
That would be “ruggedized.” Or, as a certain colleague delights in saying, “robustified.”. (Yes, Sammy, I’m looking at you. Now you know my secret TTAG alterego. Congrats.)
Unless these things deserve the name “photon cannon” and can set the target on fire through flux delivery, they’re not weaponized.
You need to build it into the handguard completely if you are going to do this and you probably won’t get away with off the shelf emitters and replaceable batteries. A big hollow flashlight essentially. Though what you’ll do about the heat i have no idea.
I like the concept, if the execution is a bit flawed. It looks like it’s not a bad for first gen product. It’s a long way from electrical tape and MagLites…
what if you shoot from behind cover? you have to raise the weapon more now to use the light
This is called a solution in search of a problem. They will probably sell a few to the folks who train a lot.
Unlikely. People who train a lot recognize this thing as pants on head retarded.
I was trying to be nice (for once). I meant the tactical operators who don’t think a lot but will buy anything tactical.
You do realize that there ARE people out there who DO practice basic small unit tactics as a hobby? Right? Most of them don’t even belong to a law enforcement agency. Sure, there are plenty of mall ninjas out there, but there is a significant population of former military and plain old civilians who find this sort of thing fun and take it seriously.
Tactical shooting (real tactical shooting, not 3-gun gamesmanship) is as much a martial art as Aikijutsu or Kenjutsu. It’s the quintessential American martial art. To go back to my hand to hand analogy, your more gamey competition shooting would be equivalent to your Kendo or Aikido. But I don’t see why people who practice tactical shooting in full battle rattle get less respect than the guy who spends an afternoon in his back yard practicing his sword strokes and cutting tatami matts or water bottles with a live blade.
Overall, this is far bulkier than a slim light mounted at your preferred position on a standard rail – even the handguard for this seems oversized compared to a regular one.
One thing in its defense, though. When I first saw the photo, I thought – great, another proprietary unit where you can’t switch out modules to keep up with advancements in light output. Fortunately, they do have swappable LED modules, which answers that question. IMHO one of the biggest technical issues manufacturers face is dealing with quickly obsolescent technology – e.g. the whiz-bang touch screen on this year’s car, which is totally obsolete in 2-3 years due to advancements in GPS, phone, or other technology. In autos, as with firearms, add-on accessories just make more sense, since you can upgrade them inexpensively while the base car or firearm remains perfectly usable for years.
Well-said.
Entirely useless, a flashlight permanently affixed to the worst position possible, who was on the r&d team/focus groups for this disaster?
If they had put the lights at three and nine o’clock, leaving the underside of the handguard (M-Lok?) unobstructed for a bipod or vertical grip, and wired the two lights together on one switch, it would have made a lot more sense.
What they appear to have done is make the world’s most modular and versatile gun platform less modular and less versatile.
I like the concept. I tinker a lot with things and I designed a light system into the old style Magpul mlok replacement guard that consisted of 2 high output leds that I mounted in front. Added almost no weight and was enough light to fill a room to see. I constructed a small “joule thief” circuit and used one of those key fob batteries that are half the size of the cr123. The whole circuit and battery was about the size of one cr123 battery. It was housed in the MOE mlok front grip with almost no noticed weight addition. All in all about 2 oz maybe.
I have been wondering why some companies have not figured out a lighting system that is integrated in the guard, yet having the bulk of the guts set back in an grip so as to help keep the balance of a gun and leave space for other mounting. I think the reason is that a system like that becomes more difficult to use cross platform. A one off design might be perfection to one person and undesired by another.
With LED technology improving, size to light output getting smaller, one would think an unobtrusive light attachment would had already come about. I designed mine 7 years ago and to this day I have not seen a comparison. No I wont show it.
“The LumaShark is an Illuminated, weaponized, 12″ free float handguard whose patented features have eliminated the need for bulky bolt on flashlights on the AR Platform.”
The bulk is now integrated instead of bolt-on. *slow clap*
I don’t know guys i think its the future. Ever watch Star trek Voyager ? They have plasma rifles with under the hand guard mounted lights, I mean hay somebody has to invent this stuff . Im getting one why not I’ve spent money on worst.
I don’t know guys i think its the future. Ever watch Star trek Voyager ? They have plasma rifles with under the hand guard mounted lights, I mean hay somebody has to invent this stuff . Im getting one why not I’ve spent money on worst.
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