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SUREFIRE M952V Millennium Universal Weapon Light Review

 

 

SUREFIRE M952V Millennium Universal Weapon Light Review

For about a  year, my main rifle mounted weapon light was a Streamlight TLR-1(See our review here).  The TLR-1 provided a blinding 135 lumens of light but was only capable of infrared radiation (IR) output with the installation of an IR filter (IR Filters don’t work well with LEDs in general).  After experiencing poor IR performance with the TLR-1/ IR filter combo, I turned to the molle mountable Streamlight Sidewinder. The Streamlight Sidewinder has a dedicated, non filtered IR LED output mode but it is not weapon mountable. The set up worked but it wasn’t optimal, and I began looking for another option.

Since writing this review, there have been a number of new versions of this light and it has become known as the Surefire Vampire Light. We will place some links where you can find the new versions below.

Shop Surefire IR Vampire Lights here at Optics Planet

Shop Surefire IR Lights Directly from Surefire

The SUREFIRE M952V:

After reviewing my options, I settled on the SUREFIRE M952V Millennium Universal Weapon Light.  The M952V is a dual output white light/IR LED with a proprietary integral Swing-Lever rail clamp. The M952V boast two LEDs of which one is a dedicated, unfiltered IR LED (KM3 Bezel). The particular M952V-TN that I have is not the most up to date version that SUREFIRE offers.  

The white light LED is around 100 lumens and has a distinctly blue hue to it.  Whereas the newest version on SURFIRE’s product page is approximately 150 lumens (Unknown if the light still has blue coloration).  The IR LED on the other hand is quite strong and easily lights up a human sized target at 100 + yards.  Switching between output modes is as easy as pushing the KM3 bezel forward and twisting.  The M952V does give a slight auditory feedback when the KM3 bezel reseats itself; however, it is avoidable and you can feel it seat even when wearing gloves. In situations where absolute light discipline is required, the KM3 bezel can be placed in a neutral position which will ensure that neither white light or infrared radiation will be emitted. 

Activation of the weapon light is accomplished by depressing either the provided tape switch or manipulating the tail cap button. The tape switch provides momentary on while the tail cap has the capability of constant on mode.  The tape switch is removable as well.

The Mount:

Attaching the light to the weapon system is stupid easy! SUREFIRE’s M93 Swing-Lever mount doesn’t require any tools to adjust the tolerance and will not damage your weapon rails.   One thing you might want to consider when mounting the light on a weapon is the direction that the M93 lever is pointing when seated.  I always mount my lights on the right hand side of my weapon; when the light arrived it was set up in a way that the M93 lever faced forward when seated.  This set up offers the potential for any manner of foreign objects such as slings, brush you name it, to hook on the lever and detach the light platform.  My remedy for this problem was to unscrew the M93 mount and re-attach it so the lever faced towards the rear of the weapon  (Be sure to use thread lock).  

If you plan on mounting the SUREFIRE M952V on a sub-machine gun, such as the H&K Universal Machine Pistol (UMP) or short barreled rifle (SBR), then take into account the fact that side folding stocks may not give you enough room to deploy a tape switch.  This problem can be avoided by simply removing the tape switch and relying on the push button tail cap.  

Batteries:

Battery life is good with around 2 hours of run time on two (2) 123 batteries. I use the IR output mode intermittently so I do not know what the full run time is; however, it should be considerably longer than the white light output mode.   Most of us have been faced with changing batteries in total darkness, and those familiar with SUREFIRE’s products will find it quite easy.  I personally found that the batteries can be changed very quickly by detaching the light and twisting the main body of the light while firmly gripping the tail cap assembly. The other option is to twist the tail cap while, being careful to ensure the tape switch cable does not bind

You can also use the new Surefire rechargeable 123 batteries. They are available at major retailers including our own sister site MTG Tactical here

A Update 2021:

A lot has happened since writing this early article in 2009, and one thing hasn’t changed and that is that I still run two of these lights on my daily use SBR platforms. I have made some mounting changes to the Unity Tactical Fusion System which you can see in the images below.

Purchase:

This light is currently not available but you can buy Surefire newer better versions here from Optics Planet

(The SUREFIRE M952V is a rock solid lighting platform and is a must for MIL/LE duties that require heavy use of IR lights in conjunction with Night Vision Devices) 

4 thoughts on “SUREFIRE M952V Millennium Universal Weapon Light Review”

  1. Hey will. I recently found one of these in a good friend’s garage after he passed away. He left me in charge of his things in his will and honestly I’m just looking for an idea of what it’s worth to sell for his wife and son. It is the whole kit including all the lenses, the pressure switch, the bulbs still factory sealed and the OD green pouch for all of it. If you have any idea what it’s worth please let me know. I am a retired staff sergeant myself but never came across these. Any help would be greatly appreciated. SemperFi brother

  2. Hello, I have one from a friend and it’s stuck in strobe mode, is this supposed to happen and how do I turn it back.

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