Cloud Defensive: Tape Switch Mount Problem Solved
By: Mark Endy
So a short while back I was talking to Chris Tran and Zach Stafford, two of the most knowledgeable and experienced guys I know, and fellow gear junkies to add. We had been talking about various light mounting options for the AR Rifle platform, and they both sent me in the direction of a somewhat newer company known as Cloud Defensive. Now I am sure more than a few of you have already heard of them by now, and for those who haven’t or are on the fence about their products, then let me see if I can help you out there.
Chris was able to get me in touch with Sean McCauley of Cloud Defensive, and after a few messages back anf forth, the conversation took off from there. I had already ordered the STREAMLIGHT PROTAC HL-X RAIL-MOUNTED WEAPONLIGHT AND LCSMK2K COMBO from them and Sean was more than willing to talk shop about their line of light mounts and some new items he has in the works.
My first question was pretty cut and dry, “Why did you feel the need to hit the market with a light mount of all things”? And as Sean put it, they are a problem solving company by nature, so they feel it necessary to build specific tools that fill a void or solve a problem. And chances are if you’ve had a weapon mounted light you’ve tried Velcro, tape, zip ties, wire, or all of the above. And at some point you’ve been frustrated. Velcro didn’t stick, tape came off, zip tie was a victim of dry rot, and so on.
So enter Cloud Defensive, and problem solved. Now the wheel can’t be reinvented, but the Cloud Defensive LCS comes pretty close.
The LCS is composed of a full-length aluminum base which allows the shooter to be able to use the entire length of the light switch, and the 2 side clamping sections, which when mounted correctly offer a solid, no movement low profile mount. All sections are manufactured using CNC machined 6061 aluminum with a Mil-Spec Type III hardcoat anodized finish, and the LCS is held together with Manganese Phosphate coated screws which greatly reduce the chances of corrosion.
Dual cable control channels are machined into the two clamping sections of the mount, which allow you to run excess cable on either side, keeping any excess tucked away and making the mount truly ambidextrous. The LCSmk2k features a brand-new “Early Exit” feature for the cables, enabling the user to utilize more of the cable if necessary.
Cloud Defensive produces a few other mounts as well, such as the LCSMK1D, which is an inline KeyMod mount for the Surefire ST07 Remote Tape Switch, and they offer complete kits that Include their LCS mount and tape switch, or if you need the light as well, the whole kit which includes an LCS mount, tape switch, and weapon light.
Key Mod LCS units have been available for a while now, and their MLOK LCS mount is due to be released here shortly. One thing of note however, is that the Streamlight switch will not be released in either the Key Mod or MLOK configuration based solely on the size of the switch itself. So that version will be limited to Picatinny mount only.
When I asked Sean about an LCS mount for dual pressure switches such as the Surefire SR-D-IT Remote Dual Switch for Weaponlight + ATPIAL Laser Device’s, he mentioned that they were looking into a mounting option for those, but no timeline had been set. But he did mention that they were working on more than a few projects, and promised that they will also continue to be problem solvers that fix issues they see when it comes to weapon platforms and the various mounting options for accessories.
Where to Get It:
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