Handgun lights?

[5nmay5]

Which do you prefer, reasons WHY you chose your specific light, etc.

I'm looking to pick one up and am thinking Surefire XC1 to throw on my Sig P320 RX, just wondering what others opinions are on this matter.

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[American123]

Streamlight TLR HL has served me well.

- Manual of arms is easy to manipulate
-every holster maker who works with Lights has one for this light.
- multiple modes and programmable
- price, can be had for $80 on eBay
- company that stands behind their products
- 800 lumens is no slouch and no one will stare it
- more than an hour of battery life
- very durable

I'm sure most if not all of those things could be said about the surefire, but I've been a streamlight customer for several years and it hasn't disappointed me yet.

 

[Member 34319]

I've got a couple streamlight tlr-1 hl lights. I really enjoy them. Bright AF and durable as far as I've been handling them. They go on sale from time to time for less than $100.

I'm interested in their new TLR-7 for my next purchase. Seems similar and less bulky.

 

[Cerberus Group]

Whatever you choose, it has to work as well as the firearm you place it on, and for the range intended.

The least lumens I would consider is 400 for a pistol, 500 would be better.

Please, do not buy into the "Don't get a light that's too bright, you'll blind yourself shining it on a white wall or mirror " Ugh...

Having done many night operations, lumens are your friend. Also, outside in pitch black those conditions can eat up lumens, and make a subpar light seem like an old incandescent light running on 2 c batteries.

 

[pnw1994]

surefire if ur life depends on it
olight/streamlight/inforce or anything else if ur dicking around

 

[BlindedByScience]

Streamlight or Surefire, you can bet the farm on them. I've had a TLR2 for years, it's solid as can be.

Having said that....if you want a much less expensive option that I'm impressed with, I just bought one of these:

Leapers UTG 400 Lumen Sub-Compact LED Ambidextrous Pistol Light LT-ELP123R-A

Bright as hell and on sale right now at Primary Arms (and other places, I'd guess). No, it's not a Streamlight or a Surfire, but for the price, it's pretty easy to recommend. Mounts up solid on my Glock, uses a CR2 Lithium battery....seems a very reasonable choice for the price. Up to your wallet and requirements. Will I be replacing my other lights....no. Is it a worthy light...yes, I'd say so. Hard to beat for the price.

As they say, another opinion.....

 

[Jeedia]

The xc surefire are great lights!! But they require additional training.

 

[5nmay5]

The xc surefire are great lights!! But they require additional training.

I think all lights require additional training. Going from no weapon mounted light to a mounted weapon light.

 

[Jonnyuma]

I've had nothing but positive experiences with StreamLight, although my experience is pretty limited. In addition to a couple of dormant TLR1s and a TLR4 (just never quite got down w the pistol WML) I carry a ProTac2 every day and I can't necessarily agree w this statement:

... streamlight... or anything else if ur dicking around

I am not in the habit of dicking around... I need my stuff to work when I need it to work and that includes all types of conditions.

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

Whatever will fit in a damn holster

 

[The Heretic]

I have a Surefire X300 and a Streamlight TLR-2 HL G

I like both, but I like the green laser on the Streamlight better. I got a diffuser for the Surefire because its 'hot spot' is smaller and hotter than the Streamlight. The diffuser makes the light more even.

For my purposes, on a handgun or shotgun, that is better; I live out in the boonies and I sometimes need to go outside and see what is tripping the motion detector lights - so I take my Shockwave or a handgun in case it is a cougar or bear and not a raccoon or the neighbor's dog or deer. I want a wide even filling illumination because where I walk an animal (or person) could come at me from any direction - at the same time, I want to see the 'intruder' as soon as possible, so both lights with 800 lumen give me that.

The laser is nice as it is very bright and on any fall/winter/spring night the air is moist so you can see the beam and it takes you right to the dot.

That said, I have noticed that the Streamlight gets warm to hot pretty quickly - I have not have it on long enough to see if that will be a problem - both lights only have about 1-1.5 hour runtime, which is fine for my purposes. I do wish that both had a lower power mode in addition to the full power mode. The Streamlight has a strobe mode (double tap), where the Surefire doesn't. Both have a nice activation switch, momentary and permanent on, but are different; the Surefire momentary you push forward or up/down on the switch, the Streamlight you push up/down but pushing forward does nothing - the Surefire is better in that respect IMO.

In addition to the weapon light, I put a multi-mode headlamp on too - usually a clip on to the bill of a ball cap. This saves runtime on the weapon light, but more importantly, you are not pointing your weapon everywhere just to illuminate things and you have a backup/additional source of illumination. The downside is that the headlamp is always on - for me that isn't a problem as I am not going into combat (if I was, I would be using NV and infrared illumination instead) but I can see in urban/home situations that a defender may wish to have more immediate control over their lights and having only the one on the weapon may be better.

Of the two, Surefire has a better reputation for being robust and dependable, but boy do they charge thru the nose for that reputation. If I had the budget, I would buy only Surefire for that reason alone - but I really wanted that laser too, and Surefire lights with lasers are very expensive - more than twice the cost of the Streamlight with laser.

 

[L84Cabo]

Surefire or Streamlight are my goto's. You really can't go wrong with either company, in whatever model/configuration you prefer.

You also don't mention how this gun is going to be used. If it's a carry gun that will see holster duty, then yes, the XC1 is a pretty fine choice. However, if it's going to be a nightstand gun, then an X300 might be a better option.

 

[No_Regerts]

X300U-B

 

[pnw1994]

I've had nothing but positive experiences with StreamLight, although my experience is pretty limited. In addition to a couple of dormant TLR1s and a TLR4 (just never quite got down w the pistol WML) I carry a ProTac2 every day and I can't necessarily agree w this statement:
I am not in the habit of dicking around... I need my stuff to work when I need it to work and that includes all types of conditions.

My streamlight went kaput walking home from work in the rain or it'd be next to the surefire x300 on my list of dependable lights

New Olight Mini I picked up for black friday is looking promising but I wouldn't trust my life to it just yet until more testing

 

[Pandaz3]

I had not wanted one till recently, my son (ICE Fugitive Ops), says he won't go without, but I don't know what he uses.

 

[Kruel J]

I run X300 Ultras. And yes, there is such a thing as too many lumens with a weapon light.

 

[Kruel J]

Whatever you choose, it has to work as well as the firearm you place it on, and for the range intended.

The least lumens I would consider is 400 for a pistol, 500 would be better.

Please, do not buy into the "Don't get a light that's too bright, you'll blind yourself shining it on a white wall or mirror " Ugh...

Having done many night operations, lumens are your friend. Also, outside in pitch black those conditions can eat up lumens, and make a subpar light seem like an old incandescent light running on 2 c batteries.

Agree to disagree. For pistol work, distance should be considered and at up close and personal (say less than 25 yards) the hot spot and spill CAN blind you just as well as if receiving from the other end. Especially if you just woke up with sleepy eyes. Those fancy night sites are useless at that point too.

 

[Kruel J]

I spent some time at an indoor range. In a pitch black environment. After waiting in the dark for my eyes to adjust, anything over a couple hundred lumens not only rendered my tritium useless but caused me to squint from the splash.

Anyone with the ability should try this tonight. Go to bed, wait 30 minutes, get up in the dark and then try a high lumen light with your pistol. Points if you don't squint or have to take a second to find your bearings.

 

[Cerberus Group]

I spent some time at an indoor range. In a pitch black environment. After waiting in the dark for my eyes to adjust, anything over a couple hundred lumens not only rendered my tritium useless but caused me to squint from the splash.

Anyone with the ability should try this tonight. Go to bed, wait 30 minutes, get up in the dark and then try a high lumen light with your pistol. Points if you don't squint or have to take a second to find your bearings.

I and the crew I worked with must be some of the few that's not had that problem. Have had to stakeout or move for hours in the dark, then light everything up and go. Agreed, not fun on the eyes...but very doable.

As for distance, never short change oneself in that operational area. A enclosed area such as rooms in a house won't require the lumens that an outside open area will.

Both are a very basic training issue.

 

[Cerberus Group]

I think all lights require additional training. Going from no weapon mounted light to a mounted weapon light.

Very much so. Learning how to move, and work the light in your favor should be on the basic skill list of everyone who carries.