Review: Streamlight TLR-1

The Streamlight TLR-1 is a compact weapon mounted flashlight that fits any Glock-style, Picatinny, Beretta 90two, S&W 99 and S&W TSW guns.

First Impressions

The TLR-1 is crafted mostly of 6000 Series machined aircraft aluminum, which gives the light a great feeling and at first glance has a very sturdy construction. After I mounted it on my Glock19, I was surprised to notice there was almost no noticeable weight difference with the gun. The TLR-1 is coming in right at 4.18oz (including the two CR123 batteries that come with the light). The installation of the light was as simple as lining up the key and the cut in the bottom rail of the gun and rocking the light until it snapped into place. After I installed it, I got familiar with the light, and the now slightly longer Glock, and headed to the range.

After shooting the Glock with the TLR-1 on it, I was happy to say that it did not affect my accuracy or the way I shot. Even though it wasn’t night time when I went to the range, I did toy around with activating the light’s features: both “constant on” and “momentary on”. The switch is easy to activate with my index finger (Right Side of Pistol), which is the “constant on” side of the light, and with my support hand thumb (Left Side of Pistol), which is the “momentary on” switch. I liked the fact that the TLR-1 allowed you to activate the light with such little effort, especially if you needed to paint or acquire a target and you did not want to keep yourself illuminated by leaving the light on.

Size

The overall size of the light (3.39″L x 1.47″W x 1.44″H) is pretty standard for the pistol mounted flashlights that are 300 lumens or above. There are other much smaller weapon mounted lights but, they are typically sub-300 lumen lights.

Brightness

The brightness of the TLR-1 is sufficient. “What does that even mean” you ask? Simply put, it’s unrealistic to think that you need 500-1000 lumens on a pistol mounted flashlight. Now, that doesn’t mean having a 500-1000 lumen flashlight is wrong or worthless. There are many different applications for lights and most importantly, different users. But, this light is sufficient for the average concealed carrier or weekend shooter. The 2.5 hours of continuous run time also makes this light a great buy. This light will also do a great job illuminating your target from 0-30 yards, which is the average distance for defensive pistol shooting.

Overall

My thoughts on the TLR-1 are overwhelmingly positive. I think that if you have the budget for this type of light, then you should definitely pick it up. These lights are coming in right around the $100 mark and include a manufacturers limited lifetime warranty. But the TLR-1 can be found used anywhere from $50-$80, which makes them even more appealing to someone who needs a good weapon mounted light and are on a budget.

There is now a “big brother” to the TLR-1, the Streamlight TLR-1 HL (High Lumen). We are trying to get our hands on one so we can do a review on the HL and compare the two in the very near future!