When it comes to pump shotguns, attaching a light can be tricky. If you mount it on the barrel, how do you control it? The pressure switch would be on the pump, which is moving. That creates a control problems with a corded pressure switch. Mount the light to the pump and it’s still tough to control via little bitty buttons when you’re violently racking the gun. Instead, the best bet is to make the light the pump. That’s what the Nightstick SFL or shotgun forend light does.
The SFL isn’t the first to take that approach. Surefire gets credit for that. Streamlight also produced a light-equipped pump. EOTech produced one for a short time, and I’m sure a few others have done it as well. The Nightstick is seemingly the latest and offers a light and laser combination for those seeking to outfit their Remington 870 or Mossberg 500/590 series shotgun.
My SFL fits the 870. I’ve also mounted it to the TAC-14 because my 870 already wears a Surefire DSF and I thought the laser would be handy with the TAC-14. If not handy, at least fun.
The Nightstick SFL On An 870
The Nightstick SFL features a massive white light with a huge head that casts a wide, bright beam. The SLF produces 1,200 lumens of white light and 10,315 candela. The combination of the two makes it the most powerful option on the market so far for shotguns. It outpowers the Surefire DSF and the Streamlight TL Racker. That’s a great way to make a big first impression.
Installing the SFL took no time at all. Nightstick provides a nice large wrench to pry off the old nut and replace your pump with the SFL. It slips on and is secured in all of five minutes if you also take a few minutes to watch TV, get a glass of iced tea, and take your time. Pop in the two included CR123 batteries and you’re off to the races.
The SFL has two big buttons that give you ambidextrous controls to activate the light. Depending on the length of your press, you can switch between momentary and constant. A quick press turns the unit on and it stays on. If you hold the button down for more than a second and release it, it works as a momentary light.
While my model features the optional green laser, there light-only models, too. With the laser, we have three modes we can cycle through: light and laser, light only, and laser only. Swapping modes is simple. Hold down one button and press the other to cycle through the three modes.
Getting a Grip on the SFL
The SFL has two tasks it’s built to perform…it’s a weapon light and a shotgun forend. Being good at one doesn’t mean you’re necessarily good at the other. You absolutely have to do both well to create a satisfactory shotgun forend light. How does the Nightstick SFL perform when it comes time for me to start shuck shells?
The body of the SFL is made primarily from polymer. It’s a big bulbous design with a lot of room to grip and rip. The big forend fills the hand, and the slight hump allows you to press forward on the pump and get a good push/pull hold to reduce recoil and improve control. For guns like the TAC-14, you can install an optional strap to keep your hand from sliding off the pump.
The buttons fall naturally where your thumb and pointer finger sit on the pump. They’re easy to reach and provide good tactile feedback when pressed. You can feel that click, and know it will fire right up. The SFL is nicely textured and provides a comfy, solid grip. I can push forward hard and my hand doesn’t slip. The palm swell adds a little extra leverage.
The Surefire DSF provides a big hump to press against, and the Streamlight TL Racker has a slight divot and push point as well. These work quite well for recoil mitigation, but they impact your hand with every shot and can sting a bit.
At the range, the SFL sits tight in your hand and makes it easy to shuck shells and mitigate recoil. It doesn’t provide the same hump other options offer, but it does stick quite well in the hand.
Lighting It Up
The Nightstick SFL provides a wide, very bright pattern with a center concentration. It’s a spotlight rather than a concentrated beam of power. The SFL throws light wide more than it does far. It produces a beam that makes it easy to identify a threat within 25 yards. Beyond 25 yards we can see that still it’s a person, but identifying anything other than shirt color and the presence of a long gun might be tough.
Either way, the majority of folks reading this won’t need 50 or even 25-yard power from a shotgun light. What we get with the SFL is a massive amount of white light that’s overwhelming, blinding, and, dare I say, uncomfortable. It’s a lot of light and indoors it’s bright enough that you can bounce light off a floor or roof to avoid pointing your gun at a reflective surface, or even a friendly who might be in the way.
If you throw the beam from the SFL in someone’s face, they will be disoriented and uncomfortable. If they’re a threat, the load of buckshot that could follow would be even more uncomfortable. You can buy yourself that extra second to decide with 1,200 lumens and over 10K candela.
The laser beam is also quite bright and forms a big green dot. Lasers have niche uses, but making it easier to hip-fire a TAC-14 and land buckshot where I want it is quite useful. These firearm type weapons (remember…they aren’t shotguns) aren’t the best choice for most people, but their super small size allows them to be fired from odd positions and that’s when a laser can be really handy.
In the end, the Nightstick SFL is surprisingly bright and powerful. It also has good ergonomics. Nightstick has been gradually sneaking its way into the weapon light space after spending decades in industrial lighting. Their weapon lights keep proving to be powerful and well designed. The Nightstick SFL is a very practical weapon light for your pump action shotgun.