All posts tagged Gun Lights

Want a light? No, not a Bud Light, a new TLR-1 300 Lumen one and a Holster that takes it!

Safariland HolstersHandguns with TLR-1Probable the increase in holster sales with flashlights is due to all of the technological advances being made and that they are so  much more powerful and durable that if you have a light on your car, your bike or at your front door, why wouldn’t you consider it on your firearm.   Sure I am well aware of the fact that a light on a firearm should not be used as a hand held light because you would never use a weapon mounted light for searching.    The Streamlight TLR-1S has the strobe built into it and I am already aware of two incidences where police did not have to shoot because they were trained to “strobe” someone and used tacticals to subdue the bad guy without firing a shot.   Strobes on flashlights are not going to do the same as a taser or stun gun, but they can buy you a second or more of reaction time.   As a matter of fact, any powerful flashlight can give you a second or two in reaction time, if deployed properly.

Safariland leather duty holsters and concealment holsters are hands down the first place we go when someone wants a handgun light and although there are good companies like Blade-Tech and Desantis, none of them have the selection that Safariland has.   Recently the more “off duty” holsters have been popular with the6378  Safariland Holsters like the 6378 ALS or the 5188 paddle holsters.  It’s all about how much retention you want, as far as I know there is always a level of adjustment to these paddle holsters but the ALS is probable the best “off duty” holster if an Officer is trained to use 6280 style thumb release with the hood.   I would definitely not go back and forth between the Blackhawk Serpa Index finger release and any of the Safariland ALS or other Retention holster.  I think a similar problem can be had by going from an AR15 with a B.A.D. lever on your SWAT Gun and then a standard trigger on your Patrol vehicle, under stress, one mistake can be costly.

Top

Where to mount a flashlight on your M4?

streamlight flashlightsOk, Ok, I know you might not have an actual M4 Carbine but you do have an AR15 in some sort of configuration.   There are plenty of ways to get a light on a gun and you can always get your own custom mounting system, but there are always do’s and don’ts  when it comes to accessorizing.  The most common thing people don’t do is mount optics, sights or flashlights properly.  I’ve seen so many canted accessories and optics that I don’t understand why anyone would bother to shoot good ammunition when there elevation and windage are going to be off.   When shopping for a firearm, you really should put some thought into getting a quad rail or an MOE system.  I think the Magpul MOE system is a better idea because it lighter from the get go and kind of starts you at a less tactical point in the accessorizing stage.

With the Magpul MOE system you can just buy a rail, attach it to your forearm and then you you don’t need to worry about buying rail skins or rail covers.  I’ve had rail covers on my 3 and 6 o’clock for years because I never need that  now I’m looking into some of the Streamlight Flashlights like the TLR1S or the TLR2 since the newer 2013 models have 80% more lighting power.    Last years model was 160 lumens and this years are 300 lumens.  I always thought 200 lumens was a great lighting limit but it really depends on whether you are indoors or outdoors.  In most situations indoors you don’t need as much throw as you do outside.  Those are other things to consider when selecting a light on your AR15.

Top

Flashlights have gotten more powerful but the prices haven’t gone up!

streamlight TRL flashlightsThere’s good news for anyone that is looking for a good M4 Carbine light or handgun light but wanted something more powerful than the Streamlight TLR1 Flashlights.  Well, guess what?!   The new Streamlight flashlights that are coming out in 2013 are almost 80% brighter than the previous flashlights, same model and same price.  It’s very rare that something like this occurs in this industry, it’s almost like when Magpul came out with the Generation 3 Pmags that were actually a few bucks cheaper than the Generation 2 pmags.   We’ve been monitoring several of our distributors inventory to make sure we are only bringing in the new flashlight models.   Xenon bulbs are a thing of the past and LED is getting better all of the time.

I’ve been going back and forth between my quad rail LWRC M6A2 and trying to decide on a flashlight that didn’t rely on pressure switches.   I like the Streamlight TLR Flashlights but I thought that if  my Protac 2L flashlight was 180 lumens why would I put something like the TLR1S that was 160 lumens on my carbine.   I’ve always felt that 150 lumens was about the lowest I want on a firearm which is why the Surefire Scout 110 lumen flashlight didn’t cut it for me when I picked one up for testing.  I didn’t want to drop $500 on some of the Surefire products so Streamlight Flashlights and products were in play.

Top

Stocking Streamlight dealer

We carry a large selection of flashlights, from concealed carry lights that are small and bright, to keychain lights and rifle and shotgun lights. Not everyone needs a flashlight for the same thing and if you don’t need to spend $200 on a flashlight, why would you? There is such a thing as having too much light and features like strobe can be as much of a liability to use as an asset if not employed properly. The Strobe feature on many flashlights can buy you a second or two of reaction time and that can be extremely helpful to law enforcement.

Finding a flashlight in your price that has a history of holding up reduces the competition to virtually zero.   Most local police departments use Streamlight flashlights and the TLR-1S is the primary Glock pistol light. While some may wants more than 160 lumens, these flashlights can be reliable attached to modern handguns with rail systems. There is a reason so many big name firearm manufacturers are making handguns with rails from, Glock, Sig Sauer and Springfield XD. The Streamlight TLR flashlights are our number one selling weapons mounted flashlight.

Top

Viridian lasers and Streamlight TLR lights

We have been stocking both products because our customer base has expanded from not just Law Enforcement and civilians using them for handguns or shotguns but also many Special Ops.  The guys that deal with the really bad guys of the world are using the Viridian laser light combos.   Green Lasers have been the trend since so many optics companies have also switched over to offering green reticles.  Whether you are bow hunting or using a Glock 17 in a combat situation, have the green contrast is a proven advantage.   Sometimes guys want to know they the target is identified and in the sights of the operator next to them and you can laser them the same way an air strike is called in.  Identify the target and put the laser on them.

The amount of lumens you might want can vary from person to person.  Some of the surefire flashlights likes the X300 are more money than the Streamlight TLR1-S lights and don’t give you much more power but we have sold many happy customers the Insight flashlights just based on price and power.  Flashlight technology namely the LED improvements have given each operator a large improvement over lighting capabilities and run time.   There’s nothing good about having tons of illumination and then an all of a sudden dead  battery and a non-functional flashlight.  You’d be better off with something lower power that runs longer.  The Crimson Trace Rail master is a small light with lower power but that might be all you need.

Top

Concealed Carry Flashlights, this time we’ll tell you what to buy

We always get asked for advice from customers about sizing and durability, but like many things, it really is mostly about preference and the job you need to perform that drives the gear you want to use.   There are so many options out there for holsters and firearms and at points, the New Products that we see come out really stress us out because it means adding them to inventory, having to learn about them, and waiting to see if they are any good and people actually buy them.   The new .380 pistol rave is still going strong and we have had to pickup new product lines just to stay on top of the holster buying.  The Smith & Wesson Body Guard seems to have almost caught up with the Ruger LCP.

One of the most common questions we get when customer walk in our stores is do we carry knives and flashlights.  The next most common question is do we have any flashlights like the Streamlight Flashlights available that they can hold in their hands.  I personally prefer the Streamlight Professional series flashlights and we keep them around the store for customers to hold and try  out.  The best feature about them is the hi and low power option.  For concealed carry it is nice to have a flashlight that can really light things up, but you don’t always need that much power to find the car keys you just dropped or to find the keyhole in your backdoor.

Top

What do you want in a weapon mounted flashlight?

What do you want as far as size and power from a flashlight?  I think most people would always want the smallest and lightest flashlight that had a reasonable burn rate and was rechargeable.   Rechargeable flashlights are of the future and anything that is mounted on a gun right will eventually not need battery replacement.  It’s one of those things that you know when you monitor the economy or any industry.   You have ideas and work towards them and if you have the right people you will be able to get to your goal much faster.  I believe that Eotech gun sights will eventually have small solar panels on them that will charge the rechargeable batteries when not in use or while in use.

The same thing is going to happen for flashlights but considering how powerful some flashlights are it might be awhile before they are practical.   I have been happy with just a Streamlight G2 LED flashlight on my M4 Carbines but for outdoor work I have been  using the ATN Flashlights like the javelin or the ATN tactical light with 600 lumins.  This thing is powerful and is something that you do to light up an area not just an individual target.  They work well by issuing it to a tactical team member who’s job is to use the white light.

Top

Deciding on putting a white light on a handgun

I have witnessed one too many times of people mounting things on firearms that fall off, get snagged or malfunction.  The more you put on a firearm that needs to be tightened or screwed on, the more you better pay attention to how it is mounted and verifying that it has been locked in every time you expect to use it.   I haven’t caught on to the handgun white light idea because considering the distance I would use a sidearm inside my home, holding a flashlight while shooting a Glock vs having it on a Glock doesn’t really mean much to me.   I’m not going to be taking 25yd shots where I need a better shooting grip to get good shots.

Mounting a white light on your gun may also mean  you can’t use your gun holsters anymore and you’ll have to run out and pick up a new one.   Keeping a gun in your bed side safe with a white light is very practical.  Streamlight flashlights make the TLR-1 and TLR-2 that gives you the option of a flashlight or flashlight and laser.  I’m a fan off certain types of firearms for me, but there are guns that I would issue to less trained loved ones with certain accessories because they are easier to manipulate or handle.   I’m a big fan of shotguns and battle rifles, but that is too much for a fragile person to handle inside the home.  I’d feel better issuing a Glock 19 with a white light than a 1911 with a manual safety for someone less trained to deal with recoil and stress.

Top

Time tested and on par

Tactical LightsWe was flipping through a few gun magazines and noticed I was living in a new era of flahslight technology.   The age of ever ready flashlights and mag-lite flashlights seems to have passed.   Battery technology has also improved, but we still haven’t gotten to wear we need to be to really break into a new era.   The major advancement is in light bulb technology.  LED bulbs are thousands of times longer lasting and don’t drain batteries like the previous designs.  Flashlights are almost all water proof these days and the beam and throw is increadable.

The Streamlight SL20X is my replacement for all of the maglights I use to carry around.  I don’t have the weight of 3 or 4 D batters and I get one heck of a beam of light.   I’ve held a few really nice smaller flashlights like the G2 from Surfire, but sometimes a small light means hard to find and easier to lose.  The Streamlight SL20X has 3 white LED bulbs with up to 30 lumens and 1 LED with up to 200 Lumens at peak performance.  Sure these tactical lights aren’t $20, but if you are using one for security or for work, it’s time to invest your money in something that pays for itself.

Top
Page 1 of 1