There was a time when weapon lights were large, heavy, and expensive. Those days are long gone. The INFORCE WML is none of those things and that is what makes it great.
The INFORCE WML mounted on a Daniel Defense M4 FSPM rail
Overview
The INFORCE WML is an LED weapon light that has an output of 125 lumens for 2 hours. It accomplishes this with just 1 CR123 battery. The single battery form factor and fiber composite construction keep the weight of the WML down to an astounding 3 ounces including the battery.
Polymer construction can be hard on some LEDs lights since the polymer doesn’t allow the LED to shed heat. Prolonged overheating can shorten the life of an LED. INFORCE accounted for this by making the bezel out of aluminum wrapped in polymer and adding cooling vents in the polymer that allow the LED to shed heat.
These vents on the polymer covered aluminum bezel help the LED shed heat.
The WML does not require tools for installation. It has one of the best “lock-out” solutions that I have ever seen on a light. The model that I am testing has a multi-functional switch that allows for high, low, and strobe modes to be accessed from the same switch. The WML that I am testing in this review is the white light only model with multifunctional switch (there are also white light/IR and momentary only models).
Quality
The WML seems to be well built. It shrugs off impact and survived being submerged under 12” of water overnight in my test. The polymer feels durable and is thick where it needs to be thick. There are no obvious (to me) weak points on this light.
The LED is clean and well centered in the reflector. The reflector and interior of the lens are also clean and dust free.
The WML is very low profile. The sloped button on the rear sits nicely under the thumb.
Beam Profile
The WML has a fairly wide beam profile. The beam is more intense at the center and has a fairly bright spill beam. The beam is very well balanced for a mix of throw and spill so the hotspot is not as defined as some lights. I find it to be a very useful beam profile.
Single Battery Form Factor
I really like the single battery form factor of the WML. It keeps the light very compact and very light weight. It also keeps this light fairly easy on the wallet since you’ll use less batteries. The WML provides 125 lumens of light for 2 hours on just one battery. Most of my other lights require two batteries to provide similar output and runtime.
Note how thick the rails are on the underside of the WML.
Switch
The WML’s switch is probably the most unique and noticeable feature. The switch is a mostly flat rubber pad on the rear of the light that slopes gently from the top of the light down to the rail. This creates a switch that is very ergonomic to use.
The switch also allows the user to change the light’ output depending on how they interact with it. If the user clicks the switch, the light will come on in high mode and stay on. Click the switch again within 2 seconds to enter low mode. Double clicking the switch while in any mode will activate the strobe feature. For momentary mode, press and hold the switch for a ½ second (or longer) and the light will turn off when you release the switch. The light can also be reprogrammed to come on in low mode first and the strobe can be deactivated.
This lock out bar that prevents access to the switch is an ingenious feature.
Lock Out
The ability to easily lock out a weapon light is important for a number of reasons. It prevents accidental light discharge and prevents depleting batteries by accidentally activating the light during transport. Most lights can be locked out by backing off the bezel, the tailcap, or both. This works, but if the operator attempts to activate his light and finds that it is locked out, there is no quick way to bring the light into action.
The WML features 2 different lock outs. The bezel can be twisted to completely deactivate the light or a small bar can be pivoted up over the switch to block physical access to the switch. This set up is ingenious. The bar physically blocks access to the switch but doesn’t deactivate the light. If the user attempts the activate the light but the switch is blocked by the bar, it can be felt immediately and pivoted out of the way with the user’s thumb in one motion and without breaking the support hand grip on the rifle. I can’t over emphasize the cleverness of this set up.
If you like to mount your lights on the top rail, the WML is ideal.
Mounting Locations
I found that the WML works in a number of mounting location. It worked very well mounted on the support side rail in combination with a vertical grip or handstop. It also works very well on a short rail section mounted on the side of Magpul’s MOE Hand Guards. My favorite place to locate the WML is on the top rail of an extended free float rail. This location allows ambidextrous access, it works no matter which side you are shooting around cover, it minimizes the effect of shadowing caused by the barrel by directing shadows downward where they can’t be seen by the shooter, and it is low profile enough to stay out of the way of your iron sights or optic.
In Use
The main thing that I wanted to test while using the WML is whether or not the switch was too complicated for a weapon light. I found that it was generally easy to learn but there was some learning curve. When you are first learning how to use it, you may find that you accidentally drop into low mode or strobe. This may or may not be a big deal to some users and I found that with time and practice, the light is quite easy to use. Still, I can see why a momentary only option was so highly requested.
The rail clamp is easy to operate and does not require tools.
The lights that I use on most of my rifles weigh about 6.5-7 ounces including the mounts and batteries. The WML weighs only 3 ounces and it is a difference that can be felt on some of the rifles. The extremely light weight on the WML is definitely one of its best attributes.
You have to spend time using the WML to really appreciate the shape of the switch. The shape of the switch makes it very comfortable to use and allows it to be mounted in a number of different locations. I also find that it is very forgiving of how you press it. It can be pressed forward (parallel to the bore) like a typical tail cap switch, in (perpendicular to the bore), or any angle in between. If you can get a digit on the switch, you can press it.
I have already mentioned the lock out bar but it bears repeating. This is an extremely clever solution to preventing accidental light discharges. No other lock out system that I am aware of prevents access to the switch but allows the user to overcome it instantly in the event that the light is locked out when needed.
The switch seems to fall naturally under your thumb no matter where you mount the WML.
Conclusion
It is hard not to like the WML. It is light weight, compact, bright, ergonomic, versatile, and clever. The switch is probably more complicated than I prefer but INFORCE has rectified that with a new momentary only version of the WML. The WML might be the best value in weapon lights right now but that doesn’t mean it is good because it is relatively inexpensive. This is a good weapon light period.
Check out the INFORCE WML on INFORCE-MIL.com.
