I've had multiple handgun lights over the years from the $25 Protac's to the Surefire X400s of the world but I keep coming back to the Streamlight TLR series. They're just great lights for the money. The TLR-1 can be purchased for $90-100 and used for $75-80. Tough to beat that for a C4 LED, 135 lumen light that's durable and instinctive to use. Here are some hits and misses for the TLR-1:
Pros:
-Durable. I have one of these lights that was smashed pretty hard into the ground during some training and it still works as good as new (evidence of that in the video below). I've also used it on 12ga shotguns, AKs, and ARs without issue
-Bright enough to disorient someone if shined in their face (135 lumen)
-2.5 hour constant on battery life
-Uses 2 CR123 batteries (pretty common these days)
-Temporary activation switch as well as a constant on mode
-Easily actuated controls
-Includes keys for Glock-style, Picatinny, Beretta 90two, S&W 99 and S&W TSW
-Comes with a 2 year warranty
-Cost. For the quality/performance of this light it's tough to beat at its' price point
-Ambidextrous control set
Cons:
-Weight. It weighs 4.2oz. (this could be a pro or con as it does help reduce muzzle flip when mounted on a handgun)
Here's a video running the light on a few guns, some daylight shooting using only the laser on a white background, a demonstration/comparison of the light's luminosity at night time, and some discussion of the pros and cons of the light:
TLR-1 HD Video Review Link
