In this buyer's guide, let's check out some of the best weapon lights for MK18.
There are tons of options available, and these are what we think are the best based on their beam performance, beam tint, throw, durability and value of money.
Skip the cheap stuff and check out what the pros are using.
Let's take a look
Table of Contents
6 Best Weapon Lights For MK18 SBR
Cloud Defensive REIN - Best Overall
Why Pick The REIN - The Cloud Defensive REIN is the next generation scout light with tons of improvements to help shooters see further in the dark and configure the light on the MK18 with tons of flexibility.
Better Shoot Or No Shoot Target ID - See as far as 180 yards with that insane 60K candela throw to ID targets clearly while other low end lights just can't do
Focused Beam, perfect for corridor search
Far throw (~440 ft), background ~80 ft behind still lit up well
Uses The Same Scout Light Mount - Any scout light mounting accessories from Surefire, Arisaka, IWC...etc can be used with the REIN (Works for KeyMod, Picatinny & M-LOK)
Better Color Rendition - The preferred Neutral tint white light gives the shooter more accurate color rendition under low light to properly ID targets.
Non-Snag Cable Wiring - The REIN's new tail cap design allows the user to switch its orientation based on where the light is mounted on the handguard.
- No more force swing the cable around the switch to the other side
- No more snag hazard & zero exposed cable
- No more bending stiff switch cable that could degrade voltage flow
- No more excess cable sticking out
- No more zip tie
- Perfect for clean SBR handguard setups
Accepts Various 18650 Batteries - The built-in battery jack inside the body allows the use of a wide variety of batteries from unprotected cell to rechargeable (Not all 18650 batteries are made the same length-wise)
Serviceable Bezel Lens - Made out of S7 tool steel & it's 3mm thick lens to significant beef up the durability of the light (3mm is thicker than anything else out there right now)
If the lens break, all you have to do is to replace the lens by disassemble the bezel in less than a minute give or take.
The user never have to wait around or mess with any warranty paper work.
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Cloud Defensive OWL - Best Ergonomics
Why Use The Cloud Defensive OWL (1250 lumens) - The OWL is significantly larger than other lights, but it is a durable light that is as powerful as holding a stadium spot light to lit up the area.
Referenced Real Dirty Reviews
For anyone shooting in the dark past 150 yards to 300 yards, this is THE flashlight to get for the MK18.
See As Far As 180 Yards - Just like the Cloud Defensive REIN, the throw is insane for the money you pay for
Check the comparison chart on Cloud Defensive's website here
This light has that extra beam intensity to lit up far away targets that are generally hard to see as a silhouette in the dark.
Reversible Control Switch Ergonomics - It feels like the BE Meyer MAWL. The integrated pressure switch design allows the light to be mounted on either side of the rifle, for lefty & righty shooters.
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Need an optic for the MK18?
Check out here: Best MK18 Combat Optics
Olight Odin - Best Value
Why the Odin The Best Value- The Odin leverages the 21700 battery technology for higher output at 2/3 the price of a high end branded product and is as close to the Surefire M600 Scout.
Built-in Scout mounting points let's you can use any existing Scout light mounts you have for KeyMod, Picatinny or MLOK.
The new lockable magnetic controller tail cap secure the pressure switch connection while mounted on a firearm.
For the price, the Olight Odin is absolutely a beast product to buy unless you just want the Surefire logo on your MK18 setup. Other than that you won't go wrong with the Odin!
if you shop on OlightStore.com if you use the Exclusive 10% OFF code: OLIGHTSTORE10
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Surefire M600 Scout DF - Best Old School
Why Every Pro Buys The Surefire - The Surefire M600DF is the go to rifle weapon light for pro use period, and everyone tries to clone its design.
Tons Of Accessories - All types of switches and mounts are available for this light like a LEGO set
Check out Surefire Scout mounts here
Check out Surefire Scout switches here
Dual Lumen Intensity - 1500 lumens using the rechargeable 18650 battery or 1200 lumens with 2 CR123A batteries (18650 is the future to support higher lumen output)
Upgradable Light Head - Use aftermarket light head such as MODLITE for even more lumen intensity & candela (We highly recommend the MODLITE PLHv2)
• OKW 680 lumens (Far throw, 69K candela up to 500 yards without dimming down)
• PLHv2 1500 lumens (DF replacement head, 54K Candela)
• IR 1200mW (Infrared)
Surefire X300U - Most Compact
Why Buy The Surefire X300U - It's good for CQB low light applications. The X300U produces up to 1000 blinding lumens with a hot center beam & flood spill that are very effective for room clearing and positively identify threats in the dark.
The X300 comes in two different versions, one with Rail-Lock & one with T Slot thumb screw.
From personal experience, the T Slot thumb screw with picatinny rail is the best because it doesnt wear out the mount when compared to the Rail-Lock system.
The overall performance of the light is as good as a Surefire Mini Scout, and it lasts about 40 mins longer with 2 CR123A vs just 1.
Highly recommended for people who use their X300 on their handguns and rifles interchangeably, for mostly indoor CQB distances illumination.
Inforce WMLx Gen 2 - Best Lightweight
Why Use The Inforce WMLx Gen 2 - The WMLx works as good as and as closest thing to the new Streamlight TLR RM2 and it's lighter and costs less.
This light is for anyone who wants ergonomic & lightweight indoor light on their MK18s without dropping more than $200 + additional light accessories.
Natural Activation Ergonomics - Naturally place your thumb over the built-in angled pressure switch while also maintain proper handguard grip to operate the light & control the recoil.
3 Simple Modes - It's great for home defense & CQB low light training. The WML Series light offers three operating modes:
• Constant on/off
• Momentary
• Strobe
Clearly ID Targets - The 800 lumens of vibrant high-intensity beam lights up everything in front so you can target ID clearly in the dark.
MK18 CQB Light Setup
Do You Need Dual Lights Setup?
Having two weapon lights on the rifle will increase the weight of the gun, and it's not about adding two white lights.
Generally speaking, a dual light setup usually involves
- White light
- IR light (for night vision use)
Popular Ways To Set Up The Weapon Lights On MK18
The light setups for a real world Spec Ops MK18 varies a lot depend on the mission profiles.
Most MK18 setups we see are combinations of Scout lights & laser devices hooked up to a remote pressure switch for good control ergonomics.
Since there are so many ways to configure lights on the rifle, we can't show you everything in this guide, but we can give some tips:
- Put the pressure switch on the 12 o' clock on the handguard so the hand can operate it while gripping tight on the handguard
- Mount laser device on the 12 o' clock position on the handguard and tuck the light next to it using an offset light mount
- Try to mount the light bezel parallel to the muzzle device so it doesn't cast shadow
Here we have some reference pictures for you to check out.
Laser & Light Setup Requires Remote Pressure Switch
The most popular light setup for the MK18 you can find on the internet are pretty much the combination among:
- Surefire Scout
- Streamlight
- L3 ATPIAL C
- Steiner DBAL
- BE Meyer MAWL
- Other Ninja looking accessories
It's definitely a rifle that has a strong root in the night vision community. So when you setup the MK18 with a visible white light/Laser + IR, you want to operate them using one consolidated control panel (Remote Pressure Switch)
If this is what you want to experiment with, we recommend the TNVC TAPS pressure switch, as you can program it to activate 2 lights at the same time, or you can program it to activate each light separately.
Wanting to up grade your MK18, Please Check Out: 11 Top Bad Ass AR15 Accessories
