I love shotguns, but I recognize their flaws. There are plenty to list, but today we are going to focus on pump shotguns and the problems they have with weapon-mounted lights. I don’t like pointing out a problem without presenting a solution, and I think the Surefire DSF is that solution.
The Surefire DSF: A Purpose-Built Solution
The problem with pump shotguns and lights is the pump itself. It moves back and forth, creating a control issue. We want to maintain control of our weapon light, but that’s tough to do when your support hand is dedicated to running a pump.
On other platforms, we can position the light fairly far forward on the gun and use a pressure switch to control the light. On a pump shotgun, that doesn’t work—the pump moves, so a pressure switch is essentially out of the question. That leaves two options: mount the light to the pump or sacrifice control.
Another problem is that most weapon lights aren’t protected from shotgun recoil. The batteries inside the lights slam back and forth while shooting. When I run a normal light on my shotgun, I remove the batteries to avoid damaging the light.
The solution to these problems is a dedicated shotgun weapon light, and Surefire was the first to do so. DSF stands for Dedicated Shotgun Forend, and it replaces the entire pump of your weapon with the best shotgun weapon light I’ve ever used.
Specs and Features
The Surefire DSF is currently only produced for the Remington 870 and the Mossberg 500/590 series shotguns. The light provides 600 lumens backed by 13,000 candela. It uses two 123A batteries and has a runtime of 1.5 hours on high.
Users can opt to switch to a 200-lumen low mode with the press of a button. This expands the battery life to three hours, albeit at the cost of significantly reduced light.
The DSF weighs 18.2 ounces. The bezel diameter is a mighty 1.37 inches. The overall length is 9.2 inches.
The Surefire DSF is IPX7-rated for liquid ingress protection. It can be submerged up to a meter for half an hour without a problem. Outside of the Navy SEALs, this is perfectly suitable for duty purposes.
Overall, the DSF might not stand out a whole lot in the power department. The lumens and candela are fairly standard and not exceptional. However, when we start using the light, we see some fairly impressive performance.
Performance: Indoors and Out
The DSF’s wide bezel and TIR lenses produce a beam that’s bright and broad—perfect for a shotgun’s effective range. The wide beam helps track moving targets and lights up large rooms, alleys, and doorways.
It won’t throw light exceptionally far, but it doesn’t need to. Within 50 yards, the beam is incredibly bright and capable. Beyond that, you can still identify threats, though the beam loses intensity every 10 yards or so.
At close range, the Surefire DSF can overcome most common light sources, cutting through photonic barriers like headlights, streetlamps, or indoor lighting.
Just as important, the DSF’s recoil-proof battery compartment is designed from the ground up to be beaten up, abused, and to withstand the recoil of a shotgun. We have no fear of battery damage.
Ergonomics and Handling
The Surefire DSF works as a light, but how does it handle ergonomically? Ergonomics and lights are usually a short blip during a review. However, since the DSF replaces the pump, ergonomics matter.
Let’s address the elephant in the room: The Surefire DSF is a beast. It’s heavy at almost 20 ounces. This will unbalance your shotgun and make it front-heavy. The shorter the shotgun, the more unbalanced it will feel. With that in mind, the weight isn’t always bad.
Weight at the muzzle helps reduce recoil and muzzle rise. Shotguns are heavy-recoiling weapons, so a little help goes a long way.
The Surefire DSF has a huge hump where the light is mounted, which can be a great tool for recoil mitigation. Push/Pull is the best technique we have, and that hump gives my hand something to push against when exercising proper push/pull techniques.
Controls and Buttons
Controls are largely ambidextrous. Four main buttons (two per side) handle momentary and constant-on activation. The forward buttons control momentary light—press to activate, release to shut off. The rear buttons toggle constant-on. Their textured surfaces make them easy to find in the dark.
The only non-ambidextrous control is the small button used to switch between high and low output.
Limitations
The worst thing about the Surefire DSF is that Surefire only makes it for the Remington 870 and Mossberg 500/590 series. With the popularity of guns like the 1301, I think Surefire is missing out by not producing models for other shotguns.
Final Thoughts
The Surefire DSF is a serious-use, duty-grade piece of gear designed for long-term duty use. It’s extremely well-made, has a bright and powerful light, and even has awesome ergonomics. What else could you ask for?
