IndianaResident
Expert
- Sep 3, 2010
- 1,439
- 48
Product: VISM Vertical Grip Flashlight (VGF)
Price: ~$70
Lumens: 250 on Bright, 250 on Strobe, 150 on Low
Mounting: Keymod (VAARVGFLKM), MLOK (VAARVGFLML), or Picatinny (VAARVGFLPR)
Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.25 x 2.5 in
Battery: 2 x CR123
Modes: Momentary or Constant, with separate strobe setting
I rolled the dice and bought this product for a Kel-Tec KSG without finding any real written reviews. I did find two reviews on YouTube but they were more focused on the functions of the light than the performance. I wanted to find a light integrated vertical grip to try on my KSG as I've found a vertical grip makes cycling the action reliable much easier. On pump guns I've owned in the past I've opted for a forward mount with coiled pressure switch on the pump to avoid the dreaded barrel shadow, but with the KSG this wasn't an issue. My major concern going into the purchase is that the mount is far to the rear and small on the picatinny model.
The VISM VGF arrived as pictured, fully assembled and with batteries, an allen wrench for mounting, and an instruction/warranty card. Install is as simple as two bolts with allen heads, and I was happy to see the mount is metal and not plastic like the grip. The light is activated by a thumb pad sized rocker knob on either side of the unit, clearly set for a "thumbs forward" grip; down for momentary and up for constant. The right side came with a longer paddle designed for use with a "beercan" grip, but this paddle can be removed or moved to the other side by undoing a set screw. I played with it thumbs forward in a modified C grip as I would on a rifle and it is comfortable, but for the push-pull of a pump I left the longer paddle in place on the right side for test fire.
(stock image to show controls)
The short version is that the light holds up and functions. I am not a prolific 12g shooter but put 50 rounds of birdshot and 10 each of 00 buck and 1 oz slugs at night to ensure it illuminated without any flickering or failing. Likewise, I had no problems with the mount moving or flexing. I would speculate that the KSG's plastic rail will fail before the light mount does. The strobe-High, Low, and High are different modes achieved by rotating a bezel ring near the crenelated head of the light. It is easy to see what mode you are in but does not aggressively lock into each spot. I was worried about this but did not experience any arbitrary changing of modes, and it functions on the last mode if partially turned in between settings rather than turning off.
All and all, I would buy it again. The illumination of 250 lumens is sufficient to identify targets at 50 yards (shown below on low and high mode) and more than sufficient to illuminate a room (photos forthcoming). The mount seems rock solid and the controls are easy to use.
The major con to this light is the two holes just behind the grip. On my first fire a small burr there caused my hand to bleed slightly; I was able to smooth it down in a minute with a small file but the holes are still somewhat sharp edged. I will likely chamfer those edges down or put rubber plugs inside. Second and less important is the odd dog-leg on the extended, removable paddle. When using a traditional "beercan" grip and pushing down on the paddle with my thumb I found the dogleg hitting my index finger, stopping it from going all the way down (shown above). I went ahead and lobbed this dog leg off, but I'm not entirely sure what their intended purpose was (picture forthcoming).
Price: ~$70
Lumens: 250 on Bright, 250 on Strobe, 150 on Low
Mounting: Keymod (VAARVGFLKM), MLOK (VAARVGFLML), or Picatinny (VAARVGFLPR)
Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.25 x 2.5 in
Battery: 2 x CR123
Modes: Momentary or Constant, with separate strobe setting
I rolled the dice and bought this product for a Kel-Tec KSG without finding any real written reviews. I did find two reviews on YouTube but they were more focused on the functions of the light than the performance. I wanted to find a light integrated vertical grip to try on my KSG as I've found a vertical grip makes cycling the action reliable much easier. On pump guns I've owned in the past I've opted for a forward mount with coiled pressure switch on the pump to avoid the dreaded barrel shadow, but with the KSG this wasn't an issue. My major concern going into the purchase is that the mount is far to the rear and small on the picatinny model.
The VISM VGF arrived as pictured, fully assembled and with batteries, an allen wrench for mounting, and an instruction/warranty card. Install is as simple as two bolts with allen heads, and I was happy to see the mount is metal and not plastic like the grip. The light is activated by a thumb pad sized rocker knob on either side of the unit, clearly set for a "thumbs forward" grip; down for momentary and up for constant. The right side came with a longer paddle designed for use with a "beercan" grip, but this paddle can be removed or moved to the other side by undoing a set screw. I played with it thumbs forward in a modified C grip as I would on a rifle and it is comfortable, but for the push-pull of a pump I left the longer paddle in place on the right side for test fire.
(stock image to show controls)
The short version is that the light holds up and functions. I am not a prolific 12g shooter but put 50 rounds of birdshot and 10 each of 00 buck and 1 oz slugs at night to ensure it illuminated without any flickering or failing. Likewise, I had no problems with the mount moving or flexing. I would speculate that the KSG's plastic rail will fail before the light mount does. The strobe-High, Low, and High are different modes achieved by rotating a bezel ring near the crenelated head of the light. It is easy to see what mode you are in but does not aggressively lock into each spot. I was worried about this but did not experience any arbitrary changing of modes, and it functions on the last mode if partially turned in between settings rather than turning off.
All and all, I would buy it again. The illumination of 250 lumens is sufficient to identify targets at 50 yards (shown below on low and high mode) and more than sufficient to illuminate a room (photos forthcoming). The mount seems rock solid and the controls are easy to use.
The major con to this light is the two holes just behind the grip. On my first fire a small burr there caused my hand to bleed slightly; I was able to smooth it down in a minute with a small file but the holes are still somewhat sharp edged. I will likely chamfer those edges down or put rubber plugs inside. Second and less important is the odd dog-leg on the extended, removable paddle. When using a traditional "beercan" grip and pushing down on the paddle with my thumb I found the dogleg hitting my index finger, stopping it from going all the way down (shown above). I went ahead and lobbed this dog leg off, but I'm not entirely sure what their intended purpose was (picture forthcoming).
