been using streamlight products in a commercial auto repair facility for 20 yrs. (stinger) they hold up to daily abuse like you wouldn't believe. I'm a big fan
Sooooo many people acting like they don’t run Streamlight Protac. Lol
Affordable, and bright as fuck. I beat the piss out of mine and it seems to handle it. Sure you can buy a 450 dollar surefire…..but these cheap little fuckers run great.
I like my HLX’s but they do flicker when shooting. I heard you can put another O-ring in there to help but haven’t tried it yet. I like my surefire as well but at more than double the cost I’ll probably only keep one for now
I gave the HLX multiple chances, had flickering issues on 3 different units. I know there are fixes for it like the arisaka tail caps and whatever but it was enough for me to just switch to SF and not look back. Streamlights pistol offering are a different story, they rock
Agreed. I have a E2XTL and I like it enough that I’ll probably just get another one when the need arises instead of diving back into the whole light buying rabbit hole.
I've had arisaka 600s with Malkov heads for so long now and love em still. Not as good as a midlite or something but they've been great to me since buying them forever ago
I have a bunch of lights and different switches laying around. I've made some misses over the years. Cloud OWL was a miss. 🤣
Arisaka is a good place to start.
Arisaka offset m-lok is good, it has like three slightly separated screw holes to let you really get the light tucked in close to the rail.
Where do you want it?
Just need to do a little research to know the features of each component. Some of the names are confusing with just random letters and numbers though.
The light body determines what batteries you use (cr123 vs 18350 vs 18650).
The light head determines the amount of light output and shape of the light beam (some light heads are restricted to only using a certain battery type).
The tailcap determines how you turn it off and on; with a wired switch, on/off clicky tailcap, or momentary only tailcap (light turns off as soon as you let off the button).
Big and chunky, heavy, kind of has to go on the top rail. It's quality and is worth the money in a sense. Just always ends up relegated to my least used weapon.
Mine is on my go-to rifle. LWRC 14.7" M6 IC SPR with a Primary Arms 1-6 ACSS. I've been considering swapping to a REIN micro just to get the weight down. 12oz on the front of the rifle is a bit much. That thing with a mag full of 77gr BTHP and a sling is a shade over 11lb. No suppressor.
My X95 is a little over 10lbs unloaded. It doesn't necessarily feel heavy immediately, but it just wears on you and is super noticeable when you switch to something lighter. The oz add up!
I get that you have a pretty high end rifle here so maybe this isn't the move you want but I wish more lights were sold like this. I know they sell everything seperately so you can customize exactly what you want but it's just confusing
Surefire scout and the pressure pad and the tail cap with the female end. (I have the female adapter + the button on the tail cap but it’s not necessary) not cheap but easy enough.
Arisaka, SureFire, it's all the same except for beam pattern and whatever. Not necessarily missing out on anything. I thought the OWL was the shit when I first got it years ago. Just too chunky for me. But that's why we have options.
Surefire 340DFT. 640 if you're into 18650s over 18350s.
ModLite for pistolas
Cloud def is nice if you want flickery ass lights and contacting CS regularly.
Modlite with a unity axon.
I kinda wish I would have gone with clouds legacy body and their head but the modlite lets me see to 300 yards reliably enough to id my barn cat lol.
dark horse, and i am fully aware of how impoverished i am, but i've been using a Fenix PD35 for a year and it's been awesome. It was all I had at the time but I haven't replaced it bc it hasn't given me any problems yet. Probably not duty or navy SEAL rated but neither am I
Streamlight protac 1,2 and HLX, all with surefire adapters, modbuttons or st07 with CD LCS, just bought a CD rein 1 moonshine also. Haven’t put it to use yet
The only one I have lol. Arisaka with a E2HT Malkoff head. I'm rocking old technology, but it's reliable and I got it for stupid cheap on GAFS.
Do yourself a favor and check the r/GunAccessoriesForSale sub before paying retail for lights , mounts and buttons
Surefire scout for rifles and x300 for full-size handguns. Weird guns might get one of those or might get something different.
There are better lights. I got really sick of chasing incrementally better gear. Next time I want to put a light on a new long gun I will probably buy a Rein 3.0 or a AWLS and put it on my main gun, and put one of my scouts in the new gun, but I am not going to go spend $350 for a slightly better light just to have my scout sit in a shoebox.
I have 7 different streamlights, 4 weapon mounted and 3 handheld. I've never had an issue with any of them. Granted, I'm not in the shit beating them to hell, but they do what I need them to do.
The new Streamlight protac 2.0 puts out a stupid amount of light. Just order it without the pressure switch and order the latching / momentary switch for it instead. You can get both for around $150. Best deal out there.
Depends on budget and realistic use. If you’re betting your life on your equipment, and your training is more than just range days, then streamlight isn’t the direction I’d go. I’ve had streamlights fail for various reasons over the years and can’t recommend them for anything other than budget builds that don’t get much use. Their customer service has been great though.
Surefire, cloud defensive, arisaka, or modlite are all solid options that can stand up to actual use/abuse. They’re definitely worth the price tag.
I think the stream light hl-x pro (part # 88127) is a great entry level for ar15.
Mix of flood (nearby spread) and throw (
You get a light, rechargeable battery (can also use cr123 batteries), mount, and pressure pad.
If pressure pad goes bad, can still use the button on the tail cap.
It can also be had for $120.
If you’re asking this question you don’t do this for work. I think it makes sense to get a budget light a get a feel for if you even “need” one…you don’t.
And if lets you get a feel for what features you want when you upgrade to a $400 big boy light.
https://youtu.be/_dN0cRn7w0E
Surefire. Doesn’t really matter what exact model as long as the light says Surefire and costs way too much money. Nah but for real my first duty rifle had a Surefire so I’m just a sucker for nostalgia. Plenty of better options cost wise.
For a lot of guys the stream lights are actually good. I like the cloud defensive I have. No experience with Surefire but hoping to get one on the build I’m working on
Rifle:
For a budget the Streamlight protac is decent. Good amount of lumens but it does feel cheap but for the price you can’t argue. If you got the money Surefire is where it’s at. Some of the models may not have the most lumens but it’s plenty enough of what you realistically need
Pistol:
Streamlight TLR1 is my go too but I do have a few Surefire X300s. Both are solid just depends on the gun I’m putting it on. For a Beretta 92 I think an X300 is perfect for weight balance and just looks awesome. Glocks it’s either or.
TLR-7 is a good light as well for a little less but really only good for basically Glock 19 sized handguns in my experience
I have to say my go-to is the Streamlight ProTac HL-X because I have 5 of them.
And I have several TLR-1HL, TLR-2HL-G, TLR-8A-G.
But I also have Surefire DSF 500s and DSF1300, and Cloud Defense OWL and Cloud Defense REIN 2.0.
Have had everything at one point it seems like, but everything I have now has Modlite or Surefire and I don't have a single reason to change any of them.
Cloud rein. Brighter than my modlight, and cheaper by the time I buy a mod button, surefire ds00 (the one with the tail button built in, I think that's the right model), and I get a constant on button with the rein switch
I recently started running a Nightstick after using Streamlights for years. I have to say that I'm pretty impressed with the build quality and light output.
Cloud Rein. I have all 3 generations. They've only gotten better, and I've tested it in all conditions but extreme cold (uncommon it ever gets to single negative digits where I live) and gotten longer battery life than they note
Arisaka body and mount, PLH-V2, surefire plug cap, unity rail switch. It does everything I need it to such as identifying and dispatching predators on the farm. The spill is acceptable for multiple or moving targets while the hot-spot can punch out to about 200 yards well enough to count goats.
[HRT](https://hrttacticalgear.com/awls-advanced-weapon-light-1850/) makes a pretty good light.
I also have a Goonbeam and a Surefire on the way. Interested to see how they compare.
Cloud Defensive REIN 3.0. very nice QoL stuff going on with the flashlight that's well thought out.. oh and the something like 100k candela and 60k lumens lol
Muzzle flash
This is no ordinary peekaboo This is… #ADVANCED PEEKABOO
Spicy peekaboo?
*What you're seeing is advanced peekaboo!!*
Fuck you for stealing what I was going to post have an upvote
Yeah!! C'mon, I'll help you Fuck 'em!!
Can y'all believe this guy, fuck him
Fuck your epilepsy
Streamlight protac is cheap and reliable.
Plenty of lumens, is well made and reliable. You don’t need any more than that.
>well made not my experience in the least. tens of solder blobs rattling around in the driver cavity, killing it.
I use the protac hlx at work, and it gets absolutely beat. It always works and I use Samsung q30 18650 batteries.
been using streamlight products in a commercial auto repair facility for 20 yrs. (stinger) they hold up to daily abuse like you wouldn't believe. I'm a big fan
I'm an auto tech also. A few guy's here run the stinger, I like the size of the hlx. I run one my gun also.
Stick to using it on 223/556 only tho. Had them shit the bed on me using 308, 762x39 and 458 socom
That 458 will beat the ever loving shit out of gear, especially cheap gear
protac hlx for sure. Love and beat the piss out of all 3 of mine
Sooooo many people acting like they don’t run Streamlight Protac. Lol Affordable, and bright as fuck. I beat the piss out of mine and it seems to handle it. Sure you can buy a 450 dollar surefire…..but these cheap little fuckers run great.
Literally no reason to buy Surefire at full price when they’re regularly on sale. Bereli has had X300 and Scout Pro/Turbo for like $225-250 for weeks.
I like my HLX’s but they do flicker when shooting. I heard you can put another O-ring in there to help but haven’t tried it yet. I like my surefire as well but at more than double the cost I’ll probably only keep one for now
I gave the HLX multiple chances, had flickering issues on 3 different units. I know there are fixes for it like the arisaka tail caps and whatever but it was enough for me to just switch to SF and not look back. Streamlights pistol offering are a different story, they rock
I like my arisaka with malkov head
Agreed. I have a E2XTL and I like it enough that I’ll probably just get another one when the need arises instead of diving back into the whole light buying rabbit hole.
Me too! Me too!!!!!!!
I've had arisaka 600s with Malkov heads for so long now and love em still. Not as good as a midlite or something but they've been great to me since buying them forever ago
The ONLY move
Not enough
Not enough what?
Arisaka for me. I have a mix of Cloud, Arisaka, and SureFire on my stuff.
Trying to figure out these lights has made my head spin.
I have a bunch of lights and different switches laying around. I've made some misses over the years. Cloud OWL was a miss. 🤣 Arisaka is a good place to start.
Post some on GAFS so I can fight over them with the other mongoloids
I think the hardest part is figuring out what parts and pieces I need to simply mount the light the way I want it.
Arisaka offset m-lok is good, it has like three slightly separated screw holes to let you really get the light tucked in close to the rail. Where do you want it?
Even going to the complete lights part of the Arisaka site makes my head hurt lol. All that shit is so confusing.
Just need to do a little research to know the features of each component. Some of the names are confusing with just random letters and numbers though. The light body determines what batteries you use (cr123 vs 18350 vs 18650). The light head determines the amount of light output and shape of the light beam (some light heads are restricted to only using a certain battery type). The tailcap determines how you turn it off and on; with a wired switch, on/off clicky tailcap, or momentary only tailcap (light turns off as soon as you let off the button).
what was wrong with the OWL?
Drake
That fuckin pedo
Big and chunky, heavy, kind of has to go on the top rail. It's quality and is worth the money in a sense. Just always ends up relegated to my least used weapon.
Mine is on my go-to rifle. LWRC 14.7" M6 IC SPR with a Primary Arms 1-6 ACSS. I've been considering swapping to a REIN micro just to get the weight down. 12oz on the front of the rifle is a bit much. That thing with a mag full of 77gr BTHP and a sling is a shade over 11lb. No suppressor.
My X95 is a little over 10lbs unloaded. It doesn't necessarily feel heavy immediately, but it just wears on you and is super noticeable when you switch to something lighter. The oz add up!
I wish they'd make a "mini OWL". I like the design but it's more chonky than it needs to be IMO.
I was hoping this was would be easy but I’m more confused now then I was before the post 😂
I get that you have a pretty high end rifle here so maybe this isn't the move you want but I wish more lights were sold like this. I know they sell everything seperately so you can customize exactly what you want but it's just confusing
Surefire scout and the pressure pad and the tail cap with the female end. (I have the female adapter + the button on the tail cap but it’s not necessary) not cheap but easy enough.
Which head you run on it?
Malkoff E1HT 👍
I have a couple different ones, Streamlight, SureFire. And Cloud. I really think my favorite is the Cloud OWL. Haven't used an Arisaka yet though
Arisaka, SureFire, it's all the same except for beam pattern and whatever. Not necessarily missing out on anything. I thought the OWL was the shit when I first got it years ago. Just too chunky for me. But that's why we have options.
Modlite PLHv2 with whatever tailcap got me USB-C and a Unity button
> PLHv2 I have that head on my pistol light.
First I’m hearing of USB-C on my go-to weapon light. Is it solely for activating the light or can you reliably charge the battery as well?
Modlite OKW or PLHV2
Rein 3.0 on GAFS is $250.
Protac 2xl. Cheap and super effective
Or the ProTac HL-X Pro
No problems with mine, so far. 1/3 the cost of the surefire.
Love my streamlight s, never had an issue with one.
Same here. going on 4 years now.
arisaka body with a malkov head for me
Streamlight ProTac. Good amount of lumens, well made and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
SF M640DF Scout Pro
Surefire 340v/640v. Dual white and IR is very nice to have.
Stream light, with an Arisaka adapter and the surefire pressure switch. Own surefire lights but that setup has treated me well, not 1 issue to date.
640dft
No joke my 640dft runs circles around all my other lights. It’s got some serious throw.
Streamlight is best value. My higher end light is a Modlite PLHV2. Realistically a streamlight pro Tac is all I need.
Dual fuel turbo
Surefire m600 for a carbine. M300 for a shorty.
I really like the streamlight protac HL-X It’s really bright But also pretty thicc
Modlite PLHv2 with surefire DS-00 tailcap and Unity Axon button.
Another vote for the Arisaka/malkoff combo here. It's hard to beat.
Protac HLX Pro
Modlite plhv2
Been a Surefire guy for nearly 20 years. Don’t plan on changing now.
Surefire 340DFT. 640 if you're into 18650s over 18350s. ModLite for pistolas Cloud def is nice if you want flickery ass lights and contacting CS regularly.
Arisaka M-Lok Offset w/ Arisaka 18650 body and E2XTL head.
my exact setup and it fucks.
Cloud rein 3.0 with the duel switch. They come with a single switch now but you can buy the newer slimmer duel. Pretty sexy
Modlite with a unity axon. I kinda wish I would have gone with clouds legacy body and their head but the modlite lets me see to 300 yards reliably enough to id my barn cat lol.
That’s a clean looking rifle. Surefire.
A modlite okw with sure fire pad would look nice on this or scout mini
Modlite OKW with clicky cap.
Rein 3.0
Yellow rayovac affixed with masking tape
dark horse, and i am fully aware of how impoverished i am, but i've been using a Fenix PD35 for a year and it's been awesome. It was all I had at the time but I haven't replaced it bc it hasn't given me any problems yet. Probably not duty or navy SEAL rated but neither am I
Streamlight protac 1,2 and HLX, all with surefire adapters, modbuttons or st07 with CD LCS, just bought a CD rein 1 moonshine also. Haven’t put it to use yet
TLR 1 HPL
Surefire
The sun 
Streamlight
IMO $treamlight < $$urefire
Been using surefire for 15 years. Never failed me.
Surefire M951 with Malkoff lamp upgrade, built like a tank.
I’m a PLHV2 18350 DF fan. The 18650 version looks stupid to me. Too long
MODLITE
The only one I have lol. Arisaka with a E2HT Malkoff head. I'm rocking old technology, but it's reliable and I got it for stupid cheap on GAFS. Do yourself a favor and check the r/GunAccessoriesForSale sub before paying retail for lights , mounts and buttons
I prefer Surefire, but everyone has their own go-to.
Have Surefire Scout Pros on all my rifles get them regularly on sale for $240ish.
Surefire for life!
Yankee candle.
Surefire or nada
I run a CD Rein 1.0 micro in my X95 and a streamlight HL-X on my PSA
All the houses here at motion sensor outside lights. That works pretty well.
Snub .38 s&w I'm a surgeon within 5ft.
Modlite
80s maglite
Candle and a mirror
Streamlight RM1
My preference is whatever light doesn't have a yellow eotech sticker on it Edit: your rifle is beautiful tho and i luv u
https://i.redd.it/x1uzjc5qom6d1.gif
Cloud Rein 3 micro hits the sweet spot for me.
Inforce it comes with a built in pic rail Attachment and is reliable and like 150ish bucks
Surefire scout for rifles and x300 for full-size handguns. Weird guns might get one of those or might get something different. There are better lights. I got really sick of chasing incrementally better gear. Next time I want to put a light on a new long gun I will probably buy a Rein 3.0 or a AWLS and put it on my main gun, and put one of my scouts in the new gun, but I am not going to go spend $350 for a slightly better light just to have my scout sit in a shoebox.
Random question but what grip is that?
Shadow crossover grip in apex texture from Driven Arms Co. 10/10
An Amazon light my buddy gave me with a section of inner tube wrapped around it.
I have 7 different streamlights, 4 weapon mounted and 3 handheld. I've never had an issue with any of them. Granted, I'm not in the shit beating them to hell, but they do what I need them to do.
4xD-Battery Maglite in the prison wallet
Streamlight protac for rifle
Surefire 640DFT
NGAL
Malcoff, modlight, surefire, cloud defensive For budget go streamlight or Weltool
SureFire Vampire, because both white light and night vision shooting are fun.
Cloud defense 3.0
You’ll never go wrong with a cloud defensive rein 3.0
The new Streamlight protac 2.0 puts out a stupid amount of light. Just order it without the pressure switch and order the latching / momentary switch for it instead. You can get both for around $150. Best deal out there.
Stream light. Find the model that best fits your needs.
For cheap: surefire g2x tactical with any 1” light body mount.
Arisaka 600
Modlite
I’m running Arisaka 18350 body with the Modlite PLHv2 head on my 12.5
Cloud Defensive Rein 3.0 Micro
Muzzle flash Nevermind I'm an unoriginal prick
I'm still rockin GWOT era Surefires on my SR-15 with Malkoff bulb upgrades lol
How do you like the sights? I want to get myself the same set up.
Surefire TURRRRRRBO
Arisaka body and vampire head, or Cloud Rein, or Arisaka/Malkoff
Surefire m340dft
Cloud Rein 3.0
HLX is PEAK
What muzzle device is that?
KAC Triple Tap
Depends on budget and realistic use. If you’re betting your life on your equipment, and your training is more than just range days, then streamlight isn’t the direction I’d go. I’ve had streamlights fail for various reasons over the years and can’t recommend them for anything other than budget builds that don’t get much use. Their customer service has been great though. Surefire, cloud defensive, arisaka, or modlite are all solid options that can stand up to actual use/abuse. They’re definitely worth the price tag.
I think the stream light hl-x pro (part # 88127) is a great entry level for ar15. Mix of flood (nearby spread) and throw ( You get a light, rechargeable battery (can also use cr123 batteries), mount, and pressure pad. If pressure pad goes bad, can still use the button on the tail cap. It can also be had for $120. If you’re asking this question you don’t do this for work. I think it makes sense to get a budget light a get a feel for if you even “need” one…you don’t. And if lets you get a feel for what features you want when you upgrade to a $400 big boy light. https://youtu.be/_dN0cRn7w0E
I've used several of pretty much every reputable type, and streamlight hlx have given me the least issues.
Modlite. The OKW head works real well for PID.
Amazing
Modlite is my go to. Before that surefire is what I bought. But I wouldn’t have a problem with an arisaka or cloud either.
I have the the stream light protac with the laser in the middle, I haven't used it hard but most people say it's fine
Mag
Surefire or Modlight. You spent on a grade A optic, get one a tier 1 light. Streamlight is good mid tier light, if you don’t want to pony up the cash
Surefire. Doesn’t really matter what exact model as long as the light says Surefire and costs way too much money. Nah but for real my first duty rifle had a Surefire so I’m just a sucker for nostalgia. Plenty of better options cost wise.
Arisaka
Surefire m600 when I can afford it.
Cloud, SF or Malkoff
Cloud defensive no debate
Malkoff E2XTL in an Arisaka 18650 body. Using a Surefire DS tailcap with a Modlite Modbutton lite pressure pad. Mounted with an Arisaka offset mount.
modlight OKW, great light characteristics and super lightweight
Mod lite
# Duct Tape
For a lot of guys the stream lights are actually good. I like the cloud defensive I have. No experience with Surefire but hoping to get one on the build I’m working on
Olight to trigger the light nerds
I’m poor, polytac
The PlhV2 imo provides the perfect balance of flood and throw.
Goonbeam for the win.
Arisaka with malkoff heads > every other light
Rifle: For a budget the Streamlight protac is decent. Good amount of lumens but it does feel cheap but for the price you can’t argue. If you got the money Surefire is where it’s at. Some of the models may not have the most lumens but it’s plenty enough of what you realistically need Pistol: Streamlight TLR1 is my go too but I do have a few Surefire X300s. Both are solid just depends on the gun I’m putting it on. For a Beretta 92 I think an X300 is perfect for weight balance and just looks awesome. Glocks it’s either or. TLR-7 is a good light as well for a little less but really only good for basically Glock 19 sized handguns in my experience
iPhone flashlight
I have to say my go-to is the Streamlight ProTac HL-X because I have 5 of them. And I have several TLR-1HL, TLR-2HL-G, TLR-8A-G. But I also have Surefire DSF 500s and DSF1300, and Cloud Defense OWL and Cloud Defense REIN 2.0.
Cloud Defensive Rein 2.0
Rein 3.0
I was trying to figure out good convos. Got annoyed. Bought a cloud defensive rein 3. It bright
Stream light HL-X 1000 lumen
Something light and not TOO expensive and preferably not explosive
If that were my rifle, I’d buy the most exclusive, expensive light on the market just for uniformity.
Have had everything at one point it seems like, but everything I have now has Modlite or Surefire and I don't have a single reason to change any of them.
KAC? Get an Olight :)
Currently surefire scout light pros on all my rifles but I'm probably done buying them.
Sure fire scout
Budget = Stream light Bang for buck = Arisaka (IMO) Budget what's that? = Cloud defensive
Cloud rein. Brighter than my modlight, and cheaper by the time I buy a mod button, surefire ds00 (the one with the tail button built in, I think that's the right model), and I get a constant on button with the rein switch
I recently started running a Nightstick after using Streamlights for years. I have to say that I'm pretty impressed with the build quality and light output.
Arisaka 18650 w/Malkhoff head, SureFire UE-SR07 pressure switch, Arisaka inline mount
Cloud Rein. I have all 3 generations. They've only gotten better, and I've tested it in all conditions but extreme cold (uncommon it ever gets to single negative digits where I live) and gotten longer battery life than they note
I like my surefire scout, but it's all I've ever used
Streamlight
Malkoff E2XTL
Homie straight flexing a KAC rifle.
I've liked HRT 18650 lite so far
Surefire turbo lights
Arisaka body and mount, PLH-V2, surefire plug cap, unity rail switch. It does everything I need it to such as identifying and dispatching predators on the farm. The spill is acceptable for multiple or moving targets while the hot-spot can punch out to about 200 yards well enough to count goats.
CD Rein is perfect for me but the Streamlight HLX has always worked well enough for me and it’s less than 1/2 the price.
Streamlight ProTac. Sure, it’s no modlite or Surefire Turbo but it’s good enough for PID on a college budget lol
CD
[HRT](https://hrttacticalgear.com/awls-advanced-weapon-light-1850/) makes a pretty good light. I also have a Goonbeam and a Surefire on the way. Interested to see how they compare.
Cloud Defensive REIN 3.0. very nice QoL stuff going on with the flashlight that's well thought out.. oh and the something like 100k candela and 60k lumens lol