Muzzle Length and Weapon Lights

[Chance]

Please pardon the newb question, but is there such a thing as a weapon light extending “too far” past the muzzle? I realize the light would have to be at least even with the muzzle, or the muzzle would obscure the throw of the light.

It just seems that at some point the light could be damaged if it were to protrude into the… I guess “muzzle blast cone”, if that’s even a term. Given that even some sub-compacts (like the XD Sub-Compact) are being equipped with rails, it seems like this could potentially be an issue.

[Failure2Stop]

Please pardon the newb question, but is there such a thing as a weapon light extending “too far” past the muzzle? I realize the light would have to be at least even with the muzzle, or the muzzle would obscure the throw of the light.

It just seems that at some point the light could be damaged if it were to protrude into the… I guess “muzzle blast cone”, if that’s even a term. Given that even some sub-compacts (like the XD Sub-Compact) are being equipped with rails, it seems like this could potentially be an issue.

Good LED lights, such as the X300 and X400 will be just fine with the concussion of muzzle-blast. The biggest issue really is soot sticking to the lens under a heavy firing schedule.
(I personally use Cat Crap on the lens and just wipe it off when light output drops below acceptable levels)

ETA-
I have used several different lights on ARs with the lens at varying positions in relation to the muzzle, from directly above an A2 FH to several inches behind the muzzle, and only with incandescent bulbs have I had a problem with busting bulbs, and the blast from a 5.56 carbine far outweights that of service caliber pistols.

ETA2-
To me the biggest issue with lights extending beyond the muzzle is the length added to the gun that makes concealment more difficult.

[DocGKR]

As F2S notes, debris obscuring the light lens is the biggest problem with mounting them on short barrel pistols.

For example, a SF x300 mounted on a G19 soots up and becomes too dim to be useful much faster than one on a G17, while the same light attached to a G34 remains clean and useable far longer than those on the G19 and G17.

[fuse]

Depends on the ammo being used as well.

I know of reloaders using fancy pants clean burning powder that won't dirty an X300 attached to a G19 pretty much at all.

[Kevin B.]

I have a G19 with an X200 that has several thousand rounds through it. No issues functionally, just a bit of cosmetic damage where the top of the light sits below the muzzle. As DocGKR noted, it tends to accumulate soot faster than set-ups where the light sits behind the muzzle. I use a thin film of chapstik to allow me to wipe the soot of when it begins to hamper performance.

The X300s I run on my 1911s sit behind the muzzle and I have no issue with the muzzle obscuring the light at all.

I have probably 30k between the three pistols I have lights mounted on and all have held up without an issue.