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5 Best Weapon Lights: You Can’t Hit What You Can’t See
Let’s start with a quick story from not too long ago.
About seven months ago, around 11:30 PM, right outside of downtown Tacoma, I had to stop for gas. The gas station that happened to be closest is a hot spot for violent crime. Almost every night, someone is being robbed or attacked by some lowlife characters.
Unfortunately, that night was my night.
As I place my card on the reader to get gas, I notice three men in a beaten up Tahoe creeping up slowly. They stop, and one jumps out of the back and starts moving towards me rapidly. A nice kitchen knife comes out from under his heavy jacket. I meet his eyes, turn, and from under my Carhartt comes my Glock 19X.
The red dot from my RMR lines up with his chest, and my Surefire X300 Turbo hits him with the force of 1,000 suns (lumens).
Now that is a good looking setup. Source
You can bet I was nervous. But guess who else was nervous? This jackwagon thought I was an easy target. With that much brightness, he probably thought he was already in the light.
The blinding light stopped him dead in his tracks and made him rethink the encounter. Long story short, they wound up leaving and I wound up getting my gas.
This situation solidified my conviction that every firearm used for self-defense should be fitted with a light.
Why You Should Trust Me
Outside of real-world experience, I’ve handled many different lights on various firearms. Rifles, pistols, you name it. I’ve seen all the good, the bad, and the O-Lights. I have some expensive options, and I have some more affordable ones, but one thing is for sure: I can help you find what will work best for you.
They can get expensive, but years of research have taught me that some of the best lights do not come with a hefty price tag.
As you will see.
Best Overall Pistol Light: Streamlight TLR-1 HL
Inexpensive, long battery life, easy to use, and powerful. The TLR-1 HL was the first light I’ve ever used on a pistol, and it took me a long time to find something else that did the job as well.
“You may not like it, but this is peak.” Source
It uses a thumb screw (I use a flathead screwdriver) which grips onto the rail and it features an ambidextrous switch. Boasting a 1,000 lumen output that emits a wide beam pattern, it is more than enough to light the way or blind an attacker.
If you’re looking for a great pistol light without the hefty price tag, this is the way to go.
High-End Pistol Light: Surefire X300 Ultra
On the Gucci side of pistol lights, you have the Surefire X300 Ultra. I went back to this pistol light due to its wider beam pattern over the Turbo, which is more direct and focused in one spot. With its wide beam pattern, covers a larger area, making it more efficient.
You can get it with a thumb screw or quick detach; the latter I recommend for Glock pistols, and the former for any other pistol. Although, you may still need to add some tape if you prefer a tight fit with the quick detach.
The lumen output is similar to that of the TLR-1 HL, which is 1,000 Lumens, more than capable of lighting things up. It also comes with an IPX7 rating to keep you confident in any weather conditions.
The pistol that should have won the MHS trials, IMO. Source
Best Rifle Light: Surefire Turbo Scout Pro Dual Fuel (M640DFT-PRO)
The Dual Fuel Scout Turbo has been the go-to option for those who require a long throw on their rifle lights, not to mention a wide variety of accessories that are compatible as well.
Versatility is tremendous here, and that’s what makes it the best rifle light on the market. It works with the Surefire Ecosystem, making it compatible with many switches and end caps, even those that are not manufactured by Surefire themselves.
A solid low-profile mount allows the light to stay extremely close to the handguard. Source
And while it “only” puts out 700 lumens, it’s met with 100,000 candela and a 632-meter beam distance. Best of all, it can be ran your standard CR123A batteries or the included SF18650B rechargeable battery.
However, if you don’t need a long beam pattern, you can easily (and at a cost) switch it out for the regular Scout, which offers more a flood pattern.
Best Budget Rifle Light: Streamlight HL-X
If you don’t want to spend a ton of money on a light but still want a reliable rifle light, the HL-X from Streamlight is your best bet. It has a high 1,000 lumens and 50,000 candela beam that is more than enough for home defense or running on your truck gun as well.
Just like the Surefire above, it has a dual-fuel compatibility with CR123As and the SL-B26 rechargeable battery. You’ll also get Streamlight’s TEN-TAP Programming that allows you to customize the three different operating programs (high, low, strobe).
On the bright side, you won’t feel as bad when your rifle gets banged around. Source
Lastly, it comes with both a pressure switch and a push-button tail cap so you can run it whichever way is most comfortable for your setup. It delivers a ton of bang for your buck.
Best Compact Pistol Light: Streamlight TLR-7X
This compact light from Streamlight is the ideal solution for those seeking a compact option for their concealed carry guns or home defense.
This is not a tactical light by any means, but it can light up the way when you have an attacker coming at you. With 500 Lumens and 5,000 Candela, it is not the brightest, but it gets the job done. And it won’t break the bank, either.
Compact light for a compact pistol. With a not-so-compact caliber. Source
Despite it’s small size, it’s packed with features like multi-fuel compatibility (CR123As and SL-B9 rechargeable batteries), ambidextrous rear paddle switches with high and low options, and a safe-off feature.
The compact size and price point make this a hard to beat pistol light.
Conclusion
While there are many quality lights out there, these are the best lights on the market today. You have all options, from compact to full size, rifle to pistol, and budget to high-end. You can bet on these lights as many have before.
Be good and take care.
