#Lights

SureFire is a renowned name in the world of tactical lighting and firearms accessories, with a history that dates back to the late 1970s. The company was founded by Dr. John Matthews, a visionary engineer and entrepreneur with a passion for innovation in lighting technology and firearms equipment. SureFire’s journey began with a groundbreaking invention: a laser sight for firearms, designed to improve accuracy and target acquisition for law enforcement and military personnel. This pioneering product set the stage for SureFire’s future success and established the company as a trailblazer in the industry. As the years went by, SureFire expanded its product line to include weapon lights, flashlights, suppressors, and various other tactical tools and accessories. Their weapon lights, in particular, became highly sought-after by professionals and enthusiasts alike. Around six months ago Surefire sent me their new M640DFT-PRO Weapon Light to test and evaluate.

If you run a light on a long gun, odds are you’ve wrestled with cable management issues before. Although these headaches can be circumvented by only using a clicky tailcap, or buying a Cloud Defensive OWL, these types of solutions won’t work for every gun or every shooter. Sometimes, you just need a remote switch – and that means cables. In the past, keeping your wires in place has often meant using velcro, tape, or zip ties. Unfortunately, most of these cobbled-together setups come with their own problems. Cloud Defensive’s REIN weaponlight actually provides a solid cable management solution built right into their remote switch’s mount. However, in most cases and with most other makes/models of lights, additional routing/securing hardware would be exceedingly useful in preventing snags or damage to your light’s wiring. Enter Arson Machine Co., with their WireGuide cable management system.

Gun Dynamics have announced a crowdfunding campaign to bring XTech Tactical’s Smart Laser to market. XTech Tactical are better known for their grips, magazines and other accessories, the laser is new ground for the Arizona-based company. The Smart Laser has a sensor which detects the shooter’s finger movement and turns on the laser or 200-lumen light.

Surefire is bringing in a pistol mounted ATPIAL device, with not only a visible green light and laser, but also an infrared illuminator. The XVL2 allows you to have all the options that a standard ATPIAL will have but with the minimalistic and optimal switching patterns that may have come to like about Surefire. The company might be making pressure switches for it as well, so you could mount it on a PDW or rifle package. There is a civilian version with an eye-safe laser.

Smith & Wesson continues to expand well beyond its well-known realm of handguns. Over the last few years, it’s been lending its name to a variety of endeavors including knives and flashlights. Now, Smith & Wesson seems to be getting a bit more serious into the weapons light game with the introduction of two new products, the Delta Force RM-10 and RM-20,

Surefire, not content to let the cheap imitation knock-offs gobble up the tacticool market has announced a slew of new Scout weapon lights. The new Scouts focus on offering a variety of weapon-ready configurations, combining various weapon mounts, body lengths, and tape switches so that customers no longer have to purchase the various parts a-la-carte.

Almost anyone who spends significant time outdoors or served in the military within the last decade is keen on the various LED headlamps out on the market. Inexpensive and versatile, they quickly become indispensable tools for the camper or warfighter at night. Unfortunately, they do have the limits in their utility, where carrying objects or getting on a gun greatly reduces their lighted area.

I always enjoy going up to the NEXT booths at SHOT (which is the place where all of the vendors that are either new or on a waiting list to get a floor booth are staged). Most attendees of the show spend their time on the main floors and never get the chance to see some of the products.

The advances that manufacturers have made in the development of lights and lasers in the past five to ten years is nothing short of amazing. I, like most of you, remember a time when attaching a weapon light to a firearm was a head-turning event at the range. Thankfully, the idea of proper illumination has gone mainstream.

Whether you’re focused on honing your tactical skills or interested in spending as many hours as possible in the woods you undoubtedly own more than a few lights. Some are simple flashlights, and more than likely there are untold numbers long forgotten in various drawers and boxes. Others are specifically made for tactics or hunting, but are handheld. And then there are the lights designed to be mounted to your firearms. Even those particular lights can be hard to find in your hoped-for design, whatever it may be. Companies such as Sightmark understand the importance of seeing what you’re after which is why they offer a full line of sights, lights, and binos. Now they’re also offering a 3000 lumen spotlight capable of getting the job done in more ways than one.

Ruger recently announced their new LCP II which has caused significant interest among .380 ACP fans. The original LCP has been a longtime top-seller of Ruger’s and the updated, modern LCP II will likely match its predecessor (if not outdo it). Of course, new pistols require new accessories which is why Viridian has now unveiled their LCP II-compatible lasers and lights.

First-Light is a small U.S. company that has some pretty cool lights which have a lot of utility in a number of venues.

Recently, myself and three friends attended a course taught by Wes Doss called Lights, Sights, and Lasers Tour in Wabash, Indiana. We’ve blogged about the course before on TFB but this will be an in depth review of the course materials covered and the courses of fire. The course is completely free and offered to Law Enforcement officers and members of the Military, provided they are in an Active or Reserve capacity. Law Enforcement doesn’t just include the typical cops on the street, but also Bail Bondsmen, Federal Firearms certified pilots (we had a civilian airlines pilot that flew Airbus 330s for a living in the class), and other such jobs that fall under this category. Now, unfortunately, if you aren’t in one of these categories, you cannot take the course. But, certainly read this review because there is a vast amount of knowledge and different learning attitudes that you don’t have to take the course to contemplate about and understand. In addition, every bit of information learned in the course is completely applicable to civilian concealed carry, and general situational awareness at night. That being said, although the course is for LE/MIL, it is overwhelmingly directed at Law Enforcement. This is more than evident in the fact that most of the students in the class were police officers. In fact, apart from myself and two other Reserve friends (Army, Marine Corps) and the pilot, everyone was Law Enforcement.

You make a good number of friends over the years in the gun industry. One of those friends, Josh Sykes, not only works in the marketing end of the industry but has a company of his own named Kinetic Concealment. Up until now Josh has been designing and making holsters but today he contacted me to let me know he is branching off to design and sell lasers for rail mounting as well as white light/green laser combos for pistols and finally a mini red dot sight for pistols.

I am very much a fan of companies that take the time to teach customers about their products and further, educate them on the standards by which they are measured and evaluated. Its a rare trait these days and speaks volumes to a companies confidence in their own products.