All posts tagged rechargeable flashlights

Weapon mounted lights, handguns, shotguns and Carbines

streamlight flashlights I’m looking at all of the new lights that are coming out in 2013 and I can’t believe the changes that are taking place.  We had a customer that recently told us they picked up a 500 lumen Streamlight flashlight from another dealer and mounted it on their new M4 rifle.  At first I was thinking it would probable be a $500 flashlight and it turned out it was an $80 Streamlight flashlight.  I seriously don’t understand how the heck people can justify some of the flashlights that Surefire and some others have made and I think their is going to be a blood bath in the industry when these new and improved versions of lights hit the market.  I remember the Surefire G2 being a staple for AR15 rifles but not anymore.

I never had much interest in the Streamlight TLR-1S flashlight because I’m not a police officer and and don’t need to carry a large auto on daily patrols.   We have a clear out of the older models of Streamlight flashlights for sale in our Broomall, Pennsylvania showroom so stop in if you want to get some really good deals.  There are still customers that want to smaller Micro-stream AA battery flashlights because they are small and compact and are very EMT and Paramedic friendly.  There are a few guys that run car repair shops and also use various flashlights just so they can in and see the hard to reach stuff.

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Streamlight Polytac 90 flashlights

The Streamlight Sidewinder has an obvious purpose other than what a regular handheld flashlight is used for and if you need a flashlight like that, there aren’t a lot of options.   Finding a flashlight that gives you the lighting you need is going to get easier and easier these days and they are making them lighter and more powerful every day.   The Streamlight Polytac 90 is slightly shorter in length than the standard Polytac flashlight but it has a unique clip on the back to keep it in place, or  hand it on a belt or vest.   This smaller flashlight runs on 2 CR123 batteries.

Streamlight has an edge over other flashlight companies for firemen and emergency response primarily because Streamlight put the time into developing rechargeable flashlights that held up.   The Streamlight flashlights that we sell the most are the rechargeable and followed closely by the Streamlight Poltac 90.   I wish Streamlight would put a little more thought into the M4 Carbine world because although their flashlights are nice, they are not on par with what Surefire flashlights has out.    Surefire has a solid edge over weapons lights.

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Sometimes those small tactical and CCW lights don’t cut it

The Northeast recently got hit by an Earthquake and a Hurricane and several family members have come to our Employees and asked them about some of the flashlights that we sold.   We’ve told them  that the Everyready flashlights that they had 30yrs ago are beyond out dated and the technology in the flashlights has advanced tremendously.  LED technology has so improved flashlights that we are now able to use flashlights for hours that are 5-20x brighter then what we had even 10yrs ago.   One thing has not changed though and it is something to consider if you are keeping extra flashlights around the house for non-tactical reasons.

The size of a flashlight is still very important to the average citizen.   The flashlights that use to hold 2 D batteries are about the size that most people expect to use when they think of flashlights and for older people and younger people the size of the flashlight is really a comfort thing.   People want to be able to grasp the whole thing and if they drop it.   The Streamlight Flashlights that we usually recommend are the Poly Stinger or the Streamlight Strion.  Even though most of our tactical operators are using the Streamlight Scorpion or Polytac on their guns or for CCW, those are not what many of your family members are going to want around.

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Flashlights with variable power settings

The Streamlight PT 2l flashlight is now my favorite CCW flashlight and has easily replaced my Streamlight Scorpions.   I have had the Streamlight Scorpions for a long time and even had them when they were all Xenon bulbs before LED.   LED Flashlights probable took a big chunk away from the battery industry.    From what we are seeing the CR123 batteries are also out selling AA battery flashlights almost 2 to 1, but sometimes the AA batteries are popular because AA batteries are all over the place.   After the Northeast got  hit by a hurricane, it was funny to see what was left in the gun shops and Home Depots because the flashlights that were left were all the old fashion D and C flashlights.

The great thing about the Streamlight Professional Series flashlights is that they are variable powers.    Click it once for full  power, click it 3 times and hold and you’ve got your low-power setting.   Streamlight Flashlights have really put themselves in a very broad spectrum of the market.   Tactical lights, CCW lights, emergency lights, rescue lights EMS lights, Firemen lights and even key chain flashlights.  While there  are plenty of competitors out there, it’s easy to find a local dealer and show up and hold them in your hand without having to travel a 100  miles to find someone that stocks and ATN tactical light.

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Streamlight and it’s competition

I was at several tactical conferences over the last few months from the NYTOA, NJTOA, and the NRA Convention in Pittsburgh.    I got into using Streamlight flashlights because they were well within my price range and seemed to be more worthy of being used with firearms than anything that Radio Shack had in stock.   I really didn’t  know what I was doing when I purchased a CAA mount on my M4 Carbine, but it got it to work after using a good bit of super glue.   I’ve found that everything you need to mount on a M4 rail needs loctite or super glue.  The mount I got for my Streamlight scorpion didn’t hold and it wasn’t just because of the mount, the rubber cover on the Scorpion didn’t grip the mount well at all.

Streamlight seems to have a good foot in the door for Law Enforcement and Firemen.   I was not impressed with the price margins on some of the Surefire flashlights that I cam across because spending more than $200 on any flashlight is something disturbing if you ask me.  Streamlight flashlights are price well and I still primarily push the Streamlight Scorpion and the Polytac flashlights for weapons mounting.   There are pressure switches you can use, but I have not had the need for them. The Profession Series are really nice for CCW because they are smaller to stow in a pocket but not too small they they need to be on a keychain or easily lost.

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Everyday carry flashlight options

This is something that seems to go with the 380 pocket guns these days, a pocket flashlight.   I’ve mentioned before that I’m not big on small flashlights because the smaller they are the easier it is to loose them.   I am seeing insight flashlights showing up at classes I teach but I don’t  have very much experience with them, flashlights really are new to me because the technology has changed so much that we’re really in a new age. Having a bright and powerful flashlight use to mean that you needed 3 or 4 D batteries and  you most likely were  using a mag-lite flashlight.   Those days are long gone.   You can get 130-180 lumens from a pocket light, but you better be careful how you carry them because I’ve seen guys on more than one occasion jump up quickly when they realized the light was on and they moved over and felt the heat on an inner thigh.

The pelican PM6 is a nice pocket flashlight and it comes with a clip on which will be very practical for a flashlight like this size.  I am not big on carrying lights on my belt line because after carrying a gun, spare pistol magazine and a cell  phone, it’ll get  harder and harder to conceal your weapon and gear if you have that much on you.   The Streamlight flashlights that I like the most for CCW are the Streamlight professional tactical flashlights.  They are small, reliable and most going to break the bank.   The PT-1 is probable the smallest flashlight I would consider carrying, but I really prefer the PT-2 because 180 lumens is so much that it actually might give you a few extra seconds in blinding a threat that didn’t see it coming.

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Pressure switches and manual levers

My first experiences with the M4 was with an M4 that had all of the bells and whistles on it that you could possible put there.   The first thing I noticed when I mounted it on my shoulder was that the Eotech holographic sight was canted because the forearm of the firearm was not leveled properly.   The second thing I noticed was that the pressure switch was coming off of the foregrip.   The third thing I noticed about it was the pressure switch didn’t work.   How’s that for a first time experience.   I’ve learned to not point out everything wrong in the world and kindly mentioned that mounting all of the gadgets on the gun properly must have been hard.    The owner mentioned that it worked for him.

I have a nice quad rail on my LWRC M6, but I have still the time or the want to actually put anything on all of the rails.   I have plenty of Streamlight flashlights in my  home because my experiences with them have been slightly better than Surefire flashlights.   I still avoid pressure switches because they snag, can come off and they are another thing that can fail you at the wrong time.   When it comes to handguns flashlights, I do like the TLR-1 up to the TLR-3 which seem to be simple and don’t have reliability issues that more complicated light setups are.

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Streamlight flashlights and CCW

I am finding harder and harder to not justify carrying a flashlight all the time now.  I finally found a light that doesn’t take up much room and has been holding up to lots of dropping and fumbling.   And the best part about the flashlight I settled on is that I’ve had it for over 2 months and didn’t lose it.   I’ve been seeing NRA specials on flashlights that cost close to $200 and with my luck, I’d just loose one of these things in a movie theater or camping trip and wish I just brought my Every ready radio shack flashlight with it’s clumsy D batteries.

The Streamlight Professional Series tactical light has a whopping 180 lumens which has more blast than my Streamlight Scorpion LED and it’s a lot smaller.   I could have gone with the PT 1AA but I thought that would be too small.  There are key chain flashlights, but  I have used my cell phone as a flashlight in really dark situations and if I’m going to carry a flashlight to spot wild animals or ID threats, I want Streamlight flashlights with 125-180 lumens.   I also love the strobe feature because it really does give you a good option for drunks or assholes that you might run into.

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Handgun lights and lasers

We highly recommend Streamlight Flashlights for home or street defense.   LED technology has advanced so much in recent years that it truely is time to clear out your old flashlights and replace your home and travelling white lights.  The TLR-1 is one of biggest selling handgun tactical lights and is easy to mount and easy to use.  If you are looking for a light and laser combo, the TLR-2 tac-light is what you’re looking for.   The Streamlight Scorpion PolyTac is a good companion for travelling or for mounting on your M4 Carbine.   I highly recommend doing some training with weapon mounted flashlights and using a flashlight in your hand and firing a handgun.

When you are looking to mount a flashlight, I think it is worth considering if you are going to be CCW this weapon or just leaving it at home in a safe.   I suggest that CCW should be low key, and putting a light on a gun is going to mean using a specific holster for the gun which will add bulk and limit the ways you will be able to carry.   Carrying a Streamlight flashlight in your pocket or jacket is easy, especially if you are wearing a good CCW vest or jacket like Eotac wear securing spare magazine or knives and flashlights is easily done.

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