INFORCE has partnered with Haley Strategic Partners to create a 200 lumen version of their excellent WML. I don’t have a time frame yet but I have confirmed that there will be additional 200 lumen versions of the WML available soon. This should be good news to those of you who like the multi-function switch models of the WML and those who need IR illumination capability. Keep your eyes on JTT for more info when it becomes available.
I don’t do much deal spotting on JTT but this is too good not to share. If you have a Meijer store near you, you might want to head to the tool/flashlight section and look around a bit. My local Meijer store has eGear SplashFlash LED Lights on clearance for $5.99.
The SplashFlash is a small beacon style light that comes in several colors and is about the size of a tube of lip balm. It has a Nichia LED that puts out 25 lumens (ANSI rating) and is powered by a single AAA battery. It has reasonably rugged plastic construction and is sealed with a fairly large o-ring which makes it very water-resistant.
What makes this light useful is its small size, 11 hour runtime (the one that I tested actually put out useful light for longer than 11 hours), and frosted dome over the LED. It is basically like carrying a very small and very useful lantern. It throws a surprising amount of light in all directions. The light comes with a Duracell battery and a small carabiner so it can be hung from just about anything. It is bright enough that it can light up our master bedroom enough that I can read beneath the light and safely navigate the entire room. It is also pretty handy for illuminating the inside of a backpack in the dark or as an ultralight lantern substitute for camping or power outages. You will find a million uses for a light like this.
This certainly isn’t a tactical light and it probably wouldn’t make a great EDC on its own but it is a great addition to your EDC or survival/preparedness stash. I am going to go back to my local Meijer and buy several more.
Look for an upcoming review of several handy sub-$20 lights that every Trigger Jerk can add to their toolbox.
Princeton Tec announced that the Byte is getting an output upgrade. The new version will boast 50 lumens versus 35 from the original model.
The Byte is one of my favorite headlamps because of its small size and functional red light option. It is also fairly inexpensive. Check out PrincetonTec.com.
The new ZRX Tactical Flashlight Mount from Elzetta is now available. This is an interesting mount for its use of multiple materials in its construction. Elzetta was able to make use of polymer for the rail interface. This keeps cost and weight down (only 1.1 ounces). The flashlight rings are hard anodized aluminum and the hardware is steel.
The ZRX Tactical Flashlight Mount is available at Elzetta.com.
Imagine your carbine’s hand guard is the dial of a clock where the top rail is at 12 o’clock. When I first started training with carbines for defense (and fun), most weapon lights that I saw where mounted somewhere around 4 to 5 o’clock, or 7 to 8 o’clock for south paws, so people could activate their lights with their support hand thumb that was being wrapped around a vertical grip. Then, as the way people used vertical grips changed to more of a thumb break method, so did the positions of their lights to 10 to 11 o’clock, or 2 to 3 o’clock for south paws. There are also proponents of mounting their lights are 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock.
An example of a light mounted at 12 o’clock (on the top rail)
Sometimes you can tell a lot about how someone holds a carbine by how they have mounted their light and sometimes I am left scratching my head when I see a light mounted in a strange position for no reason at all. So, now I want to know where you mount your light and why you chose to mount it there. Did you take into account your shooting stance and grip? Does the use of cover play into your decision? Were there other factors? Is there a light mount position that want to try but haven’t yet?
Now is your chance to Be Heard. Leave a comment below to join the conversation.
