The Inforce pistol lights have caught a bad reputation in the last few years from people running and having them quit working either due to the activation switches failing or electrical issues. The first generations of lights were known to have issues but now the APL full size is on its 3rd generation. I’ve been running both APLc models fairly hard on my SIG Sauer P229 Legion and CZ P10C for over a year. The APLc comes in a small package than the APL weapon light. The Inforce APLc offers quite a few perks compared to other lights on the market.

Specs

The Inforce APLc is a compact 200 lumen light that fits either on Glock frame handguns or a standard 1913 Picatinny railed handguns. There are two separate models to better fit whatever handgun you may carry. I picked up one of each and ran the standard 1913 on my SIG 229 and the Glock model on my CZ P10C. The APLc has an average runtime of 1.5 hours on a CR2 battery and has a high output LED bulb.

With the light being just under 2.5 inches and weighing under 2 oz, it’s a very compact and lightweight option as far as weapon mounted lights. the activation toggles are located on both sides of the light making it completely ambidextrous. It’s fairly effortless to activate the light whether your shooting right or left-handed. This is a huge advantage for shooting with your weak hand or from cover. To replace the battery, all the user has to do is unscrew the bezel and the front will come off giving access to swap batteries.

Range Time

In the last year, I’ve taken both lights out on my guns several times shooting both from concealment and regular fundamental drills. The lights are noticeably lighter weight than others on the market. The lightweight frame makes target transitions impressively quick. One of the downsides of running something like an X300 is the added weight which can slow down the shooter when transitioning targets. Drawing from concealment is also faster since there is less bulk and weight compared to other lights. I installed the APLc on compact sized handguns because it’s a smaller light than most other models.

As a result, the bezel and lens of the light did get carboned up after shooting a couple of hundred rounds through it. This wasn’t a huge issue and the carbon wiped off easily with just a regular cloth. I didn’t need any special solvents or material to get the light clean. I did a few night range trips with the APLc and the light offers a wide flood view that was consistent across the light’s radius. There was not an area of high beam intensity which for its size and weight I wasn’t expecting.

At the end of both range sessions, I felt like the lights did what I wanted them to at close distances and their 200-lumen capacity wasn’t insufficient in most cases. The light did struggle out at longer distances from 60 yards and beyond but that’s asking a lot from a pistol light as small as this one. When I shot further distances for drills, I would typically swap out the Inforce for an X300 Ultra but for anything under 50 yards, the APLc did a really nice job illuminating the target.

Daily Carrying The APLc

Probably one of my favorite things about the Inforce APLc is carrying it on a handgun daily. The light makes it almost effortless to carry a weapon-mounted light compared to a larger light like the SureFire X300. Don’t get me wrong I absolutely love my Surefire X300 Ultras but on a hot summer day, they do tend to hot spot my hip occasionally.

The APLc is a great option if you’re the type of person looking to carry a weapon-mounted light without adding a ton of bulk to your carry gun. I have a few different Kydex holsters made for gun and light combinations and the APLc has one of the smaller frames for a light. This means the holster doesn’t have to be much bigger to accommodate the light, which makes it easier to carry in the long run.  Now I know the Inforce APLc light may not be the brightest option on the market. Despite this, it’s one of the lightest options and that makes it one of the most user-friendly lights on the market because it’s so lightweight.

Overall Thoughts

Overall I don’t think people should be nervous to try out an Inforce light. There were lots of problems with the first generation and even Inforce admits they weren’t the most reliable but now the 3rd generation of lights have been overhauled and I think they are a great lightweight option. Inforce has a lifetime warranty as well so if an issue ever does arise, they will quickly make it right which is good peace of mind. I plan on continuing to use both lights on my guns and will let you know if anything changes or happens to them but so far so good. Let me know what you think of Inforce lights in the comments section below. If you have a question about Inforce or anything else feel free to send me a message on my Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there.

We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews. Learn more about how this works.