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Streamlight? Surefire? Can't make up my mind!


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My search for the final piece of my lightweight AR pistol is now down to this. Most parts have been acquired or are going to ship (someday) when the parts are available.

I don't need a Super bright light, 150 Lumens would be just fine. I don't really use lasers (insert shark joke here) but am willing to give it a whirl.

So it's come down to these models.

Surefire X400

Streamlight TLR-2

 

I use Glock lamps on my pistols (Glocks) so I don't really have much experience with these.

Can both of these hook on to a Picatinny Rail?

Are they both about the same durability?

Which one has better features?

Which one would you choose?

 

I like the price of the TLR-2 when compared to the Surefire X400 but I'm a little concerned about it's durability, I've come to like Surefire a good amount over the years and use a lot of there hand held flashlights which have been very rugged.

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id go with surefire if it were me. they cost more, yes. to me they make some of finest illumination tools in the industry. second to none. but that quality will cost. lifetime warranty.. it will mount to universal rails and picatinny. their quality is hard to match, much less to top it. the surefire laser is prolly the brightest ive seen on a unit as small as it is.

 

durability wise id say surefire if i had to guess, but not certain.

 

couldnt tell ya about the streamlight. never used one. i dont think it would be junk, just not a surefire. when it comes to weapons and equipment, i try not to take the cheaper route so long as i can afford to do so.

 

ive never used both, so im pretty much one sided on this and cant really offer more info.

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I have a TLR 2 and it is an excellent US made piece of equipment. I had a TLR 1 (traded it and added money for the TLR 2) for about 7 years and it was plenty durable on my main carry Glock. The laser is very bright, but on sunny days it will be hard to find at the range without walking it out to the target (out to about 15 yards). I've never had issues with any Streamlights, so I have never dealt with their warranty department.

 

Surefire has a proven reputation of some of the most durable and innovative light products and an exceptional warranty. The Surefire is slightly brighter at 170 lumens vs. 150-160 for the Streamlight.

 

They both easily affix to Picatinny or standard pistol rails (Glock, M&P, XD). Battery life is a draw. I have read the pressure switch for the Streamlight leaves a lot to be desired. If you have goofy railed guns like USP's or no rail guns like the original Beretta 92, Surefire sells aftermarket adapters for theirs (not cheaply).

 

For your intended purpose, either will work well, but Surefire is definitely the leader in the industry for quality and innovation (their lenses & materials are nearly 100% reflective forward). I wouldn't hesitate to go Surefire if you have the extra money and you want the absolute best you can get. If you are value-minded, the Streamlight is much cheaper and still of very high quality.

 

BTW, You will be pleasantly surprised with the durability and brightness of either of these after using the Glock lights.

Edited by BuffetDestroyer
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I've run 2 TLR1s for a few years and my son has a TLR2 on his Sig. No issues with any of them. I haven't run an X400 but am sure it would be up to the task.

 

The only direct comparison I can do is handheld. I have 2 each of both Surefire G2s and Streamlight Polytacs. The G2 looks a little better but other than that they work the same on both output and durability so far. At twice the price, I don't think I'm getting twice the light with Surefire.

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LOL! Damn......you guys aren't making this decision any easier!

 

Of course there is another option....Maglite. Even if the bulb is toast or the batteries dead, you can still use a 4 D cell Maglite as a formidable club. Seriously though, I do like them and still have a couple for sentimental reasons after I switched to Surefire/Streamlights.

 

You can find people who sell the TR2 (with or without strobe) for under a hundred bucks. You won't find a surefire that cheap. The TR2 has a remote switch you can buy too, along with the new door you need to use it.

 

I believe you're thinking of the TLR1. Never seen a 2 for under 230 or so.

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Of course there is another option....Maglite. Even if the bulb is toast or the batteries dead, you can still use a 4 D cell Maglite as a formidable club. Seriously though, I do like them and still have a couple for sentimental reasons after I switched to Surefire/Streamlights.

 

 

 

I seen on ebay a led upgrade for maglites that makes them 1000lm replaces factoy reflector with 3 leds

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TerraLUX-MAGLITE-LED-Upgrade-Bulb-4-6-D-cell-Torch-TLE-310M-EX-/270881976522?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item3f11d2f0ca

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Never used any Surefire products.

 

I do have multiple Streamlights, TLR-1 & TLR-2, on handguns, AR and S12.

 

SAXD9withTLR21.jpg

 

They've been dropped & knocked around, been left out side and rained on, had solvents dripped on them and had our three kids playing with'em... Never had any issue.

The newer C4 LEDs are plenty bright, and the new model with Strobe is very disorientating... Let my wife flash me with it at night a few times, eye's accustomed to dark are basically blinded for several seconds.

I have my AR set up with a TLR-1 C4 with pressure switch... Love it!

 

100_7870.jpg

 

Why pay more for the fanboy Surefire?

Edited by ChileRelleno
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Of course there is another option....Maglite. Even if the bulb is toast or the batteries dead, you can still use a 4 D cell Maglite as a formidable club. Seriously though, I do like them and still have a couple for sentimental reasons after I switched to Surefire/Streamlights.

 

 

 

I seen on ebay a led upgrade for maglites that makes them 1000lm replaces factoy reflector with 3 leds

http://www.ebay.com/...=item3f11d2f0ca

 

Figures. I've got the old design so it won't work. That's really too bad because the converted light would be great for spotlighting deer.

 

Not that I would ever do that, of course.

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Found a streamlight TLR-2 locally that a guy want's to trade for. I may have to give this a shot before the Surefire X400, hopefully these will come down in price a bit more.

I didn't realize how expensive they are until my option came down to "should I grab this Glock 26? or the Surefire flashlight?"shocked.gif

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Both stream light and surefire are great lights. Pretty sure you could use a surefire light to pound a hole in some one's skull and it might only have a couple knicks in it afterwards. I have a streamlight TLR 1on my glock and surefire light on my long guns. both are great but the surefire lights are heavier built (in case you want to use your light as a hammer on some one's face or you are in the habbit of jumping out of aircraft with your weapon)

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One thing I like about the stream light is it's held tight by a spring and a screw. I've have had the nuts on the sure fire weapon lights work loose during extended heavy firing, nothing a little loctite won't fix. Stream light is heavy enough for the average shooters use and cheeper then the surefire. Bother are great but I wouldn't spend more then you have too. Can always look for used lights to save a few dollars. I bought my EO tech and a couple weaopn lights used and saved a lot of money.

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I've wanted a TLR-1 for a long time. I'll be picking one up once I get my tax refund.

 

I don't think you'll be disappointed. I tend to agree with Chile, Surefires are nice but are priced exorbitantly. I won't slam the product, just the price.

 

BTW, the TLR1S (strobe) can be had for just a few bucks more and is worth it in my opinion.

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I've had experience with both of them, so here is my unbiased opinion. They are both very strong and durable lights and you won't go wrong with either of them.

 

Surefire: Tend to be a little brighter with a more intense beam, but they cost uber amounts more and the batteries tend to go down faster. Another issue that I had with them is when the batteries started to go down, they tend to just completely shut down with no light output at all instead of a slow dim. My duty lights do the same thing, so I know that it is not just this one. The LED lights give you more run time, but do not (in my opinion) put out as blinding or bright light as the standard bulbs. But I will caution you about the standard bulbs. If you store them and they accidentally get turned on and left running, the lense will get hot enough to melt and THEY WILL SET AN ENTRY VEST ON FIRE! Ask me how I know, lol.

 

Streamlight: Generally not quite as bright, but still a good quality light platform that will work for just about every imaginable situation. Cost is considerably lower and the battery life appears to last a little longer. I do like that fact that you can see a noticable dim in the amount of light before they shut down, giving you a chance to change out the batteries. They also do not tend to not run as hot on the lense.

 

As stated before, they both have their pros and cons, but for the price difference you can buy enough spare batteries to last a life time.

Edited by GeorgiaPD
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My Surefire X300 is so nice I gave my TLR-1 away and plan to buy another X300. The beam quality, method of attachment all superior.

 

I wish the TLRs could compete because I have a buddy who can get them wholesale but the Surefire is just better.

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I've wanted a TLR-1 for a long time. I'll be picking one up once I get my tax refund.

 

I don't think you'll be disappointed. I tend to agree with Chile, Surefires are nice but are priced exorbitantly. I won't slam the product, just the price.

 

BTW, the TLR1S (strobe) can be had for just a few bucks more and is worth it in my opinion.

 

Yeah, I've seen the "S" version. I figure since the price is so close to the standard version, I might as well get the strobe feature.

 

I have no personal need to spend double (or more) the money on a Surefire for a light that's going to just sit on a nightstand gun.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have the TLR-2 laser light combo and it is great except the recoil of 12ga will turn it off, so you'd have toe iether hold it on turn it back on. A pressure switch would be a solution. Flawless on handguns in my experience.

 

I am using the TR1 with a pressure switch on the saiga 12 and it has worked flawlessly.

Edited by TARE
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My TLR-1S came in last week. I'm loving it.

 

I will try to get some inside beamshots. One thing I noticed, a lot of different specs list it as 135 lumens. It's actually 160 lumens. Nice white light.

 

I thought you might like it. I certainly enjoy mine and am thinking about getting yet another one.

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I am going to wait till 4seven introduces theirs.

 

What's that?

 

4seven's has been digging into this market.

 

http://www.4sevens.c...c9b99821e33320a

 

Maelstorm series is aimed at military, LEO and real steal firearms. They are suppose to introduce a dedicated hand gun mountable light this year.

Edited by ben4345
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I actually went with a Streamlight M6 from a recent trade. I was told it was something different but it seemed strong enough to withstand some beating. I also figured since this was just to try out the concept before spending any serious money (Surefire X400, Streamlight TLR-2), it would do just fine.

I've also heard some good things about Fenix, very bright. How reliable/rugged are they? Ben4345, you just need to use some scope rings or actual flashlight mounts. I've done this with my Surefire GP in the past but don't really like the added weight.

 

My main goal was to stay under 16oz of weight and add a laser illuminator since I've never really trained with one. That seems like it would be easy but the ounces quickly turn in to pounds.

 

At an advertized 3.7 ounces (with battery) this oppurtunity was just to good to miss. My only complaint is that the light seems bright enough for use indoors but doesn't really penetrate at night outdoors (90 lumens). If I like the concept I'll up the ante to a brighter light, I think 150 lumen+ should be good for what I'm looking for.

Edited by YARP
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