All posts tagged Lumens

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.

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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.

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Another thing people find hard to shop for online

The thing that made us decide on moving our business from just being an e- commerce business was the demand for something local.  So many people think that Amazon and Ebay have done away with the brick and mortar stores, but this is actually not true.  We’re very much in the understanding that many people prefer to get something from a local business but most people go where they get something for the best price.  There is a battle brewing over internet sales taxes and while many companies have escaped sales tax, the chickens have come home to roost on this one.

We probable have about a 5% return or exchange rate on our clothing but we probable have a considerable percentage of people that never buy from us because they are afraid of getting their sizes wrong.  Recently we had guys order insight flashlights online and only found out after we shipped the product that we were less than 30 minutes from them.   After he realized the light was not what he wanted  he drove back and wanted the Streamlight flashlights instead.  Just being able to hold something in their hands, whether it’s a light or a pair of boots, being able to try it out first is a big deal.

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Suggestions for CCW Flashlights

There are always people that carry products that are outside the norm and everyone has a different reason for carrying what they want.  I knew a guy that carried a Desert Eagle and it wasn’t because he was a nut job, he actually worked on a farm and had issues with gators eating his dogs.   That’s not something I would expect my Sig 239 to  be dealing with but on the flip side, I also heard a story on the local news about a guy that just got his CCW and discharged his Desert Eagle into his hand and to this day it amazes me he has a hand.   There are always idiots in every flock but the vast majority of the product elements of society are very responsible and deserve to have access to the things they choose to carry. Pocket knives also vary and although I think Swiss Army knives are nice, clip on knives are more practical than something floating around in your pocket.   When I am looking for a flashlight that has  a proven track record there are very few companies I will place my money with, my Streamlight Flashlights are my primary home and CCW flashlights although I do have some of the Surefire flashlights on my M4 Carbines.   I am still in a testing stage for weapons mounted flashlights but according to all of the local Police Departments the Streamlight TLR-1 is their pistol flashlight.

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Complicating a firearm with buttons and switches?

The era of the over done M4 Carbine seems to be coming to an end, and I have already seen a transition towards the lighter weight Carbines.   When the M4 initially came out, it was suppose to be a lighter weight and smaller weapon to be wielded on the battle field, but many of the ones that I have seen on civilian firing ranges were about the same weight as an M1 Garand.   I have not had very good experience with using pressure switches on flashlights, not only have I seen them fail, like all other wired accessories, but they do open you up to the possibility of snagging on more things.   Something like that would get messed up in a wooded area and in close hallways ect. you can get it caught on just about anything that hangs out.

There is no real advice I can give about what to put on your firearm, all I can tell you to do is to think about the environment you are using it in and think about what “could happen” in that environment.   Streamlight flashlights have worked very well for me, I recently got some negative feedback from a fellow operator about the switches they have on the flashlights now, but I have avoided using pressure switches.   The Streamlight Scorpion I have on my M4 Carbines is located in such a position that I can reach it with my thumb and turn it on and off with ease.

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How much life are you going to get from your batteries?

That may not be the biggest question you are going to ask yourself when you are looking into carrying a flashlight, but as someone who  has seen what happens when an Eotech combat gun sight goes dead and the batteries need to be changed, there are times that you may be in a situation and the batteries are too low to be of use or your flashlight has just gone completely dead.   The great think about LED technology is that that the flashlights will fade in strength and not just burn out all of a  sudden at an unknown time.

The Surefire G2 is one of the most popular flashlights i usually see on M4 Carbines, but another company got smart and went with the Polytac cases for strength and durability.   Streamlight flashlights are my primary flashlight even though I know there are manufacturers in the same price range that are pretty good, there are concealed carry or defensive flashlights with a Strobe, and there are flashlights with the strobe that you can use on a handgun or rifle in need be.   It is another tactical worth considering.

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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.

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