Dangerous threats come at all hours of the day, and we can’t plan on having enough light in a time of need to be able to drop the son of a bitch intending you and your family harm. I’m a firm believer in having a weapon mounted light nearby for when the sun goes down because as you all know….we can’t see shit in the dark. Previously I was using the X-300U-A and was a huge fan of its simplicity, so I was eager when I received the Streamlight TLR-2 to see if it could de-throne the Veteran Surefire.
Coming in with a 300 Lumen 2.5 Hour run time, the Streamlight puts out plenty of light to engage threats at a great distance. I would estimate the engagement distance to be around 50 meters, which seems to be plenty for the use these see on the pistols of Law Enforcement and other entities. The one downside I initially noticed was the relatively large size of the light. Obviously, this model includes a red laser which adds to the overall dimensions, but I think that the size may prohibit this laser from ever being holstered concealed.
I mounted the TLR-2 to my custom Glock 23 that was converted to 9mm. I found the installation to be incredibly simple, but sadly still required an Allen key. Once attached, I walked through my house to find the greatest distance at which I would engage a threat. I determined the distance and I set the pistol flat on the mag well and dialed in the elevation and windage of the laser until it lined up with my iron sights at the opposite end of the room. This was actually a pretty reassuring feeling knowing I had an insanely precise dual system of engaging my targets.
Range day arrived and although I was outside at high noon, I kept the light on to get a good feel for the weight distribution and overall feel that the TLR-2 added to the ergonomics of the pistol. It didn’t seem to be much different than the X-300, even though it weighs .72oz more. Once the sun started going down I was able to test the light in every amount of light conditions leading to a pretty dark night with little moon. Overall, it performed flawlessly and the laser held zero perfectly. I was able to place rounds within the A zone in rapid succession and at over 20 meters. I actually feel that I was only capable of that due to the laser and the ease of follow up tracking. I’m a good shot with a pistol, but not normally as fast as I was with the TLR-2 laser showing me exactly when I was back on target.
The last and best feature set on the light is the on/off switch. Unlike the X-300, the TLR-2 has a spring-loaded switch that allows you to briefly shine light where you want it, in order to not kill the adjustment of your eyes to a low light situation. There is also a smaller silver switch tucked away that allows you three options.
-Light only
-Light/Laser
-Laser only
This is an amazing feature that I welcome and can also serve to save your battery life immensely. With an advertised 2.5 hr run time and a 48 hr run time with just the laser, you should have plenty of life in the light if you’re not using it to search houses on a constant basis. In closing, I wish the TLR-2 and the X-300 could combine feature sets with the spring trigger and the 300’s ease of mounting quickly. I also would like to see Streamlight pull in the overall dimensions of the light to make it a more feasible option for CCW. This light isn’t going to be leaving my pistol anytime soon, I can promise you that.
