Good news everyone, it is Friday and night is here. You know what that means, Friday Night Lights! Last week we took a look at the iRay USA RS75 high-definition thermal weapon sight. Well, today we take a look at Gibbous Outfitters weapon light mounts for the MP5 platform.

MP5 @ TFB:

• TFB Review: Gibbous Outfitters MP5K Furniture
• Friday Night Lights: MP5 Laser – Setting Up Your MP5 For Lasers
• FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Illuminating A Suppressed MP5 – Lighted Forend

Gibbous Outfitters Stock Options

If you recall, I previously reviewed some of Gibbous Outfitter’s furniture for the MP5K. Well, he helped me finish the super-deformed aesthetic of the MP5-like Tokyo Marui airsoft gun. He designed a decorative end cap that completes the look.

When I was reviewing the Gibbous Outfitters MP5K furniture, I gave him some feedback on his fixed stock. The problem is that 3D printing in MJF is not cheap and printing an entire stock would be very expensive. He was debating making a full-sized A2 stock that fits on an MP5K. I suggested he make an adapter and just use surplus HK G3 stocks. You can get the G3 stock with a butt pad for pretty cheap. He did and here it is. He needs to tweak the model a bit so the G3 stock sits flush with the end cap but otherwise, it looks like a reverse stretch MP5K but it is a K at heart.

Marcus of Gibbous Outfitters has been very receptive to some of my ideas, like the G3 stock adapter. Another project he made for me was an MP5 A3 butt that slides onto the back of an AR carbine buffer tube.

Gibbous Outfitters Weapon Light Handguards

The Gibbous Outfitters weapon light handguard for the MP5 was actually one of his first products. As some of you MP5 enthusiasts know, suppressing an MP5 with a light-mounting handguard like the SureFire 628 is near to impossible due to lack of space. It is the Laser Devices handguard, the one I have on my HK SP5, that allows a suppressor to be mounted on the MP5.

Great minds think alike. Marcus created something I had wanted before I met him. I wanted a Laser Devices-styled handguard but to bolt a Modlite or Scout Light body inside and integrate a tape switch. The SureFire 628 tape switches are great aside from the suppressor incompatibility and proprietary light heads. Also, if something breaks like the tape switch, you have to buy a whole new SureFire handguard. The Gibbous Outfitter weapon light handguard design is modular. He designed it to use a Modbutton and it fits Modlite light bodies. Since the Modlite weapon light bodies use SureFire Scout Light mounts, you can use a Scout Light body as well.

Even with the oddly shaped mounting feet of the Scout Light, it fits in the handguard.

Gibbous Outfitters provides countersink Torx screws to bolt your weapon light body of choice to his handguard.

The Gibbous Outfitters weapon light handguard uses a Modbutton as the integrated tape switch. You have to install it from the inside of the handguard. Two long metal screws are installed to keep the tape switch from going back into the handguard.

You need to use SureFire-compatible plugs when you use a Modbutton. Crane plug mod buttons will not fit in the hole to plug into the back of your weapon light tail cap.

This handguard is set up for right-handed shooters. Gibbous Outfitters makes a left-handed one that is mirrored so you can mount the Modbutton to the right side.

MP5K Weapon Light Handguard

Gibbous Outfitters also made a handguard for the MP5K. Due to the short barrel length of an MP5K and MP5K-PDW, the Gibbous Outfitters weapon light handguard is more like an under-barrel mounted setup. And just like the full-size handguard, this clears suppressors as well.

Similar to the MP5 handguard, this Gibbous Outfitters weapon light handguard for the MP5K uses a SureFire ST07 tape switch. This makes it much easier to press with the fingers of your left hand or the thumb of your right hand.

The best part is that this Gibbous Outfitters weapon light handguard for the MP5K allows for 18350 mini Scout Light bodies and 18650 full-size Scout Light bodies. Can you believe that image above has an 18650 mod light weapon light body inside that handguard?

The Gibbous Outfitters weapon light handguard for the K series of MP5s has three screw holes. This allows you to bolt a short mini Scout Light/18350 Modlite body or the full-size 18650 light bodies. If you use an 18350 or mini Scout Light, the head of the light will poke out just past the handguard. If you use the two rear screw positions for the full-size 18650 or 2x CR123 Scout Light bodies you will achieve the same look.

Since the 18650/2xCR123 Scout Light bodies are longer, you can use the two forward screw holes and position your light head further forward on the Gibbous Outfitters weapon light handguard, this helps reduces some suppressor shadow. 

Gibbous Outfitters Weapon Light Switch Mount

Both of the weapon light handguards are pricey since they are a large chunk of MJF printing. So Marcus came up with a light switch mount that attaches to the front sight tower of an MP5K. The tape switch mount has integrated cable management.

The Gibbous Outfitters weapon light switch mount is extremely clever. He uses the light body as part of the mount. The MJF-printed tape switch mount grabs the front sight tower on the left side. You screw the two bolts through and they screw into the mounting feet of a Modlite body. Since the screw holes are a Scout Light pattern, almost any Scout Light-compatible body will fit. Actual Scout Light bodies have weirdly shaped feet and don’t fit as close as the Arisaka or Modlite.

The tape with mount uses a SureFire ST07 tape switch and positions it directly over the cocking tube. It clears the charging handle.

Even with the MP5K VFG, your thumb can sit directly on top to press the switch.

Depending on how thin your thumb is, you may or may not see your front sight. But it is 2023 and you should use a red dot.

Even though the Gibbous Outfitters weapon light tape switch mount is sized for the MP5K cocking tube, it can work with a full-size MP5.

If you use a SureFire DS tail cap, you can have constant on by reaching over and pressing the click tail cap button. Just rotate the back of the DS tail cap so the button sits close to the tape switch. You can see the tape switch.

Thanks to my friend Kevin, I tried the tape switch mount on his MP5-SD clone. It fits perfectly. Some SDs have ambidextrous sling loops, Kevin’s does not so I am not sure if the light body will touch the right side sling loop. However, since the SD handguard is longer than a full-size MP5, there is plenty of room for your support hand and thumb to sit comfortably in front of the charging handle.

It isn’t perfect but the Echo Arms Cloud Scout conversion body does fit. Allowing you to use 18350 and a Cloud Rein head.

Final Thoughts On The Gibbous Outfitters MP5 Upgrades

The super-deformed MP5K decorative end cap is near perfect. It needs to be redesigned to be a little shorter front to back. As it is now, it will not fit in the briefcase. Luckily, it is not too difficult to tweak this design. As mentioned earlier, the G3 stock adapter needs a minor alteration in the CAD file so the stock sits flush against the end cap.

With regards to the handguards, I sent some other Scout Light-compatible bodies to measure. Currently, the MP5 and MP5K handguards do not fit Weltool weapon light bodies. They are a hair too thick in diameter so Marcus will make the appropriate changes to his design.

As for the tape switch mount, Marcus will be making some minor design changes. He includes a small spacer that sits between the two mounting feet of the light body. This is to fit into the curved space between the front sight hood and cocking tube endcap. He needs to make some changes for other light bodies like the Arisaka CR123 Scout Light bodies. They don’t sit tight when mounted to the tape switch holder. This will also help give more clearance for the DS tail cap. Marcus also plans to make a longer version of his tape switch mount for full-sized MP5s so the tape switch sits closer to the charging handle catch like where it sits on the K. He will also make another version for CRANE/Insight tape switches, that way you can use Z-Bolt tail caps.

Pricing and availability are still up in the air for most of the products I just reviewed. The full-size MP5 weapon light handguard is available for $199 on his website. For the other weapon light mounts, Marcus needs to get production costs from his manufacturer since he only has his prototype costs at the moment. He also needs to print his alterations and make sure they fit properly.

Exciting things are coming soon from Gibbous Outfitters for your MP5 and MP5K, so check out their website for updated information.