More Vang Comp goodness

[Bruce Cartwright]

I'm not sure what's in this one. It's not marked at all, but it's clearly an LED assembly of some sort rather than the original incandescent module. It looks a lot like the old Surefire replacement LED bulb assemblies except for the complete lack of markings. I'd guess it's about 100-120 lumens, it's not terribly bright but works well enough for target ID indoors.

I've used Surefire's replacement LEDs in other forends of this time and they work well, albeit without the level of output you see in modern lights. I've been wanting to try out Malkoff's replacement heads, as they're 320 and 450 (1-cell and 2-cell, respectively) lumens, but this one will likely stay as-is for historical purposes. I love seeing how guns of a given era reflect the knowledge, preferences, tactics etc of that time and place, and I have another 14" Vang gun that I use for training and teaching so this one will likely remain as I got it.

It's interesting because I will bet money the gun was built in the last 10 years, but it's got an ancient forend on it. Probably something lying around the PD armory from previous builds. About 15 of these guns hit the market at the same time, and I've seen several of the others. The majority had similar-era forends.

All in all the gun's in reasonable shape. Ejection's a skosh weak with hollow dummy rounds, but a trip back to the mothership should solve that. The action is smooth as glass, well worn in. I can't wait to get it out to the range and see how it runs.

LHS:

Thanks for the input. I am not surprised about the Malkoff bulbs being an option. I have used them for years to convert my old incandescent Surefire handheld lights to LED. I will start looking for a suitable replacement from Malkoff.

As to the possibility of a recent build with older Surefire components, that doesn't surprise me either. Lots of 870 and MP5 Surefire fore-ends got recycled in my old outfit. While Surefire products tend to be pretty expensive, I have found the older weapon mounted light platforms to be pretty much bomb proof or "agent" proof.

Concerning the historical aspect of your gun, I think it is wise to keep track of those things. One thing I typically saw among guns used by folks who actually hunted criminals was a simplicity of set up. A reliable 870 with a light, decent sling and good sights got the job done then and now. The other thing was a smoothness of the action. These type of hard use guns had exterior wear but the action was very smooth and well worn in. That indicated significant use/practice by the person using that gun.

Thanks again,

Bruce

[BobM]

LHS:

Thanks for the input. I am not surprised about the Malkoff bulbs being an option. I have used them for years to convert my old incandescent Surefire handheld lights to LED. I will start looking for a suitable replacement from Malkoff.

As to the possibility of a recent build with older Surefire components, that doesn't surprise me either. Lots of 870 and MP5 Surefire fore-ends got recycled in my old outfit. While Surefire products tend to be pretty expensive, I have found the older weapon mounted light platforms to be pretty much bomb proof or "agent" proof.

Concerning the historical aspect of your gun, I think it is wise to keep track of those things. One thing I typically saw among guns used by folks who actually hunted criminals was a simplicity of set up. A reliable 870 with a light, decent sling and good sights got the job done then and now. The other thing was a smoothness of the action. These type of hard use guns had exterior wear but the action was very smooth and well worn in. That indicated significant use/practice by the person using that gun.

Thanks again,

Bruce

Bruce, a few years ago I put a Malkoff upgrade LED unit in my old Sure Fire forend. It’s a great improvement.

[gato naranja]

Finally got my stamp back for this beauty. It's a full-house Vang Comp 870 SBS, with Vang's ghost ring sights and optics rail, barrel work with abbreviated porting on the 14" tube, +1 extension, follower and big dome safety (albeit in a lefty trigger pack, which I'll be swapping out for a righty shortly), Magpul stock, Mesa sidesaddle, and an old Laser Products-marked forend with a replacement LED bulb assembly.

That is about as kick-ass as an 870 is going to get. Any ballpark figures for the weight of that setup when empty?

I assume the plate on that +1 extension has the sling slot oriented on the left... was the Phoenix unit running slings on these through the side hardware of the Magpul stocks?

[Bruce Cartwright]

Bruce, a few years ago I put a Malkoff upgrade LED unit in my old Sure Fire forend. It’s a great improvement.

BobM:

Any idea what the specific model was? This upgrade is on my "To Do" list. Thanks in advance.

Bruce

[BobM]

BobM:

Any idea what the specific model was? This upgrade is on my "To Do" list. Thanks in advance.

Bruce

I ordered off the website. It was a specific model for the SF forend. I’ll see if I can find a link.

https://malkoffdevices.com/collectio...orend-upgrades

[SD]

Attachment 67267
Attachment 67268
Attachment 67269
Is the Laser Products Corp shotgun light a predecessor to the Surefire company?
(my nightstand gun)

[GearFondler]

Is the Laser Products Corp shotgun light a predecessor to the Surefire company?
(my nightstand gun)

Yes... The name was changed early on in their history.
The original 6P's were also Laser Products.

[SD]

Yes... The name was changed early on in their history.
The original 6P's were also Laser Products.

Next time a code becomes available for Malkoff will use it to upgrade this one.

[LHS]

Yup, the old "Laser Products Corp" of Fountain Valley Old-school cool, and in my opinion still the most ergonomic of their offerings.

I would love to see Surefire re-issue this pattern with modernized output and reduced weight, it would be the best way to mount a light on a shotgun. Everything else is more or less a kludge, and the later SF forends are... less ergonomic. Lots of ridges and bumps and things to jam into your hand under recoil.

[LHS]

That is about as kick-ass as an 870 is going to get. Any ballpark figures for the weight of that setup when empty?

I assume the plate on that +1 extension has the sling slot oriented on the left... was the Phoenix unit running slings on these through the side hardware of the Magpul stocks?

Yep, it's got a sling plate on the left side of the gun, which is interesting since it's also got a left-handed trigger group in it. Makes me wonder if it was used by a lefty who didn't use a sling, or had some other method of attaching a sling to the gun.