Who Makes the Best Rifle Light? 

If you're reading this comment while waiting for an Olight ad to finish playing, I'm sorry. Please don't buy an Olight.

The best light is you, the light of my life

The “wall of diminishing returns” deserves a whole podcast from you and Brock. That is something that applies to redddots, ARs, slings, many things tbh

My 5.7 liter American V8 thanks you for the shout out.

If I had a nickel for every gaming turned offensive/defensive equipment presentation focused youtubers I follow I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot but it's still strange it's happened twice.

One of your better/informative videos. I will now link to this whenever someone asks so I can avoid having to ever talk about lights again. I use to be a "all the candela guy". But then I actually bought all of the lights and realized it doesn't really matter Buy what makes sense for your budget. The added candela is nice. But not enough to bankrupt yourself over. It's probably the last place on a rifle I'd spend serious cash on (beyond a baseline HLX/streamlight)

One thing to note, a big benefit to high output lights (especially with a lot of spill) comes when you are entering structures from outside, during the day. Your eyes will adapt to the outside light but when you make entry there is that delay while you adjust, whereas anyone inside is ready to go. A nice bright light brings that light level up to what you are acclimated to, and puts ppl inside at a disadvantage.

Ahhh yes. One of the only The RU-vid channels that INFLUENCE THE MASSES based on reasonable & prudent application of gear. I am so tired of the agenda of pushing x product. You guys are so damn reasonable and logical in how you review things & honestly the b-roll in your videos using said item is more ACTUAL USE than many other influencers may have with a product. At the end of the day, you pound home the KEY features of a white light regardless of what year it may be or who’s light is the coolest. This is what’s important. You guys rock

If they ever come out with wireless tape switches Hop will hate them but will be the first in line to buy and review them.

I Frankensteined my rifle light with Arisaka Mount & body, Modlite tail cap, Surefire Vampire head, and a Unity tape switch.

I’m a fan of the Streamlight Protac rail mount HL-X, mainly due to the output. I can’t afford a PVS-14, so this is how I meet my night shooting needs. I’ve been able to successfully get consistent hits on steel out to 400 yards at night with the HL-X.

I can understand being afraid of rechargeable batteries but it's mostly over blown. Buy from reputable dealers that sell reputable companies (Samsung and Panasonic are the only ones I buy). Take care of them. The wrappers on them are a safety reason and takes 2 minutes and a hair dryer or lighter. In short, don't buy the cheap ali express/ Amazon recommended garbage and that basically removes all your chances of a runaway battery.

Didn't expect the Perun name drop, we love some defense economics slide shows

Was literally on the Arisaka site last thinking “I hope someone, especially maybe Hop, would do a video discussing rifle lights.” Honestly building out any option except a Streamlight HLX is just insanely expensive.

Just remember even if you have a momentary switch or off switch it will not prevent any light refraction from outside sources. Inside the housing of the light head is made very reflective for obvious reasons and some certain groups of people are training to find their enemies via exploiting this. I'd recommend getting a cap for your light as well that way even if you do have a white light ND it adds another layer of fail safe.

O-light ad before this video 🤣. What a meme.

your videos deserve way more views for the completely honest and clear information output!!

Thank you for breaking this down in an actually usable way. I'm probably gonna continue being a streamlight pleb, but thanks hop.

I love the streamlight hlx with the arisaka low profile mlok mount and the arisaka adaptor to use surefire switch. Still comes in at less than a surefire alone. Has worked great.

Wow, this has to be the best weapon light video I have seen. You are going to save a lot of people from some headaches that's for sure. Thank you Hop!

I’m a huge fan of duel fuel considering the price of cr123’s. I like a rechargeable, but i like the option of having 123’s chilling in my kit for “emergencies”. Great vid. Keep it up!

Fun fact, you can convert a regular SF scout tailcap to momentary-only by disassembling it, taking the internal button mechanism and trimming off the nibs that do the latching. I either use that or a UE07 switch on M300c's. I think the 300's (Arisaka/Malkoff included) are the best combo of form and function. Yeah, they don't have a bazillion lumens or candela, but they check the box, have the most mounting options, and don't take up a bunch of space on the gun. And when you push the button you get white light. Yay.

Very helpful. I've been holding off buying a dedicated rifle light for a while. This made up my mind. Thanks for the informative videos

This might be one of your best vids ever. So much good info.

Probably the best, most informative of the "rifle light" videos. Good job!

I picked up a 340V for IR and off mode capability but I wasnt aware of Arisaka's builder. Thanks for the tip.

Your presenataion is most illuminating, Hop. Seriously thought the breakdown of each brands MO is perfection.

I keep coming back to this video for your great info. This is by far the most complete light video on youtube.

I'll stick with my O-lights. They work great and the risk of them bursting into flames while in my mouth is thrilling.

The trex mounts are actually made by Arisaka now, you can see their logo on the example you put in the video

Very helpful info for someone who's been out of the equipment scene for a while. Thanks hop!

I needed this. Thanks for the video. Went with an Arisaka 600 basic set up.

Really enjoy these mid length mellow videos.

If you just want the regular pad, the Goonbeam lights are upgraded Streamlight HLX body types with Malkoff/Modlight level of throw. So far I have been very happy with them.

The way you describe things is amazing. Shot to the point but clever. Also gray current and usable info.

Been on the force for 8 years and 2 as an RSO. I’ve converted to cloud defensive and haven’t looked back. Phenomenal products and customer service. Great video as usual. No BS, just knowledge.

One tail switch you overlooked is the unity hot button. It's different from the rest because of it being angled rather than flat. However, the mlok version at the 11 oclock position is absolutely perfect for use with a c-clamp grip.

14 years in the Military/25 years as a State Trooper SWAT Team Member, we used Surefire and Streamlight's, they worked well except for the remote switch wire would frequently fail and the lights were heavy!. Now that I am retired all my rifles have Inforce Tactical Lights (integrated switch's and can quickly be removed and mounted on another rifle). I know lots of people say these are no good, but I have run them for 10+ years and the Gen 2's work great.

Great vid Hop! Love this kind of information!

I have the Surefire Scout M600 DF, it's a great light. It's 1500 lumen when used with the Surefire 18650 Hi-Cap battery, it has some really good reach with a wider beam. Perfect in conjunction with a LPVO. Having the option to use 2 CR123A batteries (1000 lumen) as back up is invaluable as well. The quick detach screw is nice, if I need to use it as a standard flashlight. Just very good all around, a bit pricey, but worth it imo, highly recommend.

Cloud Rein is pretty hard to beat for the value if your running white light only. But I get that there are pretty significant limitations to running cloud with an ir/laser.

I’ve watched this like 4 times (pre and post research) its such a helpful video. I got super confused with all the options on Arisaka’s builder, but after doing that and some research into surefire and then watching this video I have a pretty good idea of what my options are at different price points.

I invested in an Arisaka light based on a couple videos of yours. Thanks for your no bullshit, no apologies style of covering information and opinion.

Really looking forward to the surefire turbos. I love their mounting system on the pro and their flashlights are slimmer and lighter which helps when mounting lasers and a can. Plus I also like that I don't have to use the rechargeable batteries.

I've been happy with the Streamlight I bought. I put a Haley Strategic mlok mount on it. I think I paid like $105 for it so the price is very cheap for the performance you get.

This is the exact video i was looking for much appreciated my guy. Take my sub🤙🏽

I find myself looking at your videos more because of the pragmatic descriptions and unbiased use. We need this because a company can’t improve and we the buyers can only spend the money once, thanks

I was just looking into getting a weapon light for my rifle after saving for a bit, but it's pretty confusing with the different companies, light heads, bodies, caps, etc. Great info and plenty to look into. Thanks!

Waiting on the SureFire Turbo series to be released. Duel fuel is a nice feature to have and the performance is most likely similar (with the 18650 / 18350 batteries) to Cloud or Modlite.

I only know knew Arisaka for their mounts. Thanks for informing me of their light builder!

You definitely deserve more recognition. Good video.

I spent several days looking for the "best bang for your buck" wml that was also, in theory, the most size and weight efficient. I too landed on the arisaka 300/malkhoff/ momentary only combo on a picatinny offset mount. 3.52 ounces with mount and battery

The arisaka offset mount with a cloud rein and a Holosun ls321 laser fits together like all 3 companies got together to create that combo

Hop is the “America’s Test Kitchen” of the gun world. Amazing presentation. All the info I need and nothing I don’t. Wonderful.

Great video! No non-sense, straight to the point. By the way if you hate Cloud Defensive switches, EchoArms recently introduced a light body for REIN heads that takes Surefire tailcaps. Still require rechargeable battery, but it's a step in the right direction (in terms of cross-compatibilities). Thanks!!

I really enjoy my cloud defensive. I just stock up on 18650's. I'm sure cloud will make a dual fuel model in the future but for now I love my cloud. Honestly as long as the light is one of the 5 listed you can't go wrong. I have 3 streamlights HLX and 1 surefire m600. I just prefer cloud.

The key for this is understanding the role of your weapon and fitting the right light to that. A self defense gun needs more spill than throw, and if you live on a larger property then you might need more throw than spill to identify targets/non targets correctly from a distance.

Great video didn't know about some of the tail caps thx

Very solid video! Somehow haven’t seen this till now. Really great breakdown of brands and features. I love Surefire but too expensive, so I run a mix of them and Streamlights. I do a have a 300 Arisaka with momentary cap which is pretty dope too though I run on short guns. Endless options. Pick something and run it till it breaks or works for you.

I agree that LEP is impractical for most things. I'm the opposite, I hate non rechargeable batteries.

The lightbar is a cantilever mount meant to push the light out past the end of the handgaurd, primarily for use with suppressors to avoid casting shadows in the beam. Arisaka doesn't offer anything that does that. Not better or worse, but if you want something that does that, the Lightbar is your only option.

Hop- thanks for this video. I’ve been looking to get into a Scout for a build but couldn’t justify $500-$600 once adding tape switch, tailcap, mount, etc. The Arisaka website saved me a bunch of money, and I wouldn’t even known that was an option without this video. Mostly a Streamlight guy here for most carbines and handguns (no love for the TLR RM1 & RM2?) and cracked up at your Olight comment. Admittedly have two in the collection as well, PL Pro Valkyrie one of the home defense handguns (for the quick release) and an Odin shared between AR builds (like the quick release M-Lok mount and momentary variable tailcap- easy to swap between builds). No question they aren’t up to par with the rest of the brands, but I wish other brands would take notice of some of the features they have- I’m glad they are at least willing to innovate. For less serious builds, the features may outweigh the quality, especially the ability to share a light easily. Anyways, thanks again! Was glad for an excuse to add a scout style light to the collection!

Thx very much for this video Hopp. You are one of the best channels on youtube. I made the Olight mistake. RockOnStayFree.

I cannot stress this enough. When buying rechargeable 18650s, buy from a reputable website and brand. Also do some extra homework on 18650s in general because there are different kinds that serve a specific task better.

I run a Streamlight on my rifle, it’s good enough for my needs. When I get my Sugar Weasel or Honey Badger (whichever I decide to splurge on), I’ll get an OWL just for extra Gucci and no wires.

I picked up the TLR RM and the TLR RM 2 from Streamlight. I like both lights a lot and they have the switch integrated into the light and can take the tape switches. they have good lumens and decent throw for the size of the lights. I have the TLR RM 2 on my patrol rifle and the TLR RM 1 on my patrol shotgun. Both lights are low profile and don't present as much of a snag hazard as other lights witch is something I really have to pay attention to because of the minimal space I have to work with in the patrol car. They are also pretty reasonably priced for what you get. Great content as always brother.

Excellent video!!!

An Olight ad before the vid lmao

Rein 2.0 Micro is on my 13.7. So far, so good!

Great video.. thanks for the information.

Streamlight RM1 and Surefire X300 Ultra at 12 o’clock is how I run my rifles. Awesome video.

I rly love my Modlite lights, they are pricy but I love the output and performance.

After dropping so many countless thousands on NV and thermal and a solid ballistic helmet along with the IR laser/illumination device looking into which flashlight to get seems so casual, but I do want the best. Thanks for the video hop!.

What a great video, very informative

Great break down. I just recently purchased a SF DUAL FUEL. I went with the 00 tail cap, due to the low output of the regular plug in without the button. It was odd, but I really wanted the 00 anyways for the backup button. Just didn’t want to spend the extra till the basic cap didn’t work right. But I would like the okw head or the Arisaka head. Cause my cheap “not cheap” olight has way better throw. But I don’t like the olight for many reasons. The only thing it has going for it, is that it is easy to use as a hand held light with its quick release mount. It was my first real weapon light. That I quickly regretted buying.

4:20 have to strongly disagree, sorry. Been using 18650s for a long time on a multitude of lights with no issues. For me, the cost of surefire cr123s is also a prohibiting factor.

You can’t say “nutnfancey” Without the videos growing by 45 minutes just to explain a click tailcap or something else mundane.

I've only had 1 light on my rifle, surefire m600v (The one with IR) with the dualswitch tailcap and the "remote dual switch" SR07-D-IT I actually really like the setup. I can click the back of the light if needed for constant on, which I've never had to do. But it's nice it's there and I have the pressure pad from that and once I eventually get a mawl, it'll go to that as well! It's been great, I ran it unsuppressed for the longest time putting about 1000~ rounds taking full blast gass timed right at it from my warcomp and never had a problem. Now it's just always run with the RC2 so... Ya. No complaints! I love it and it's 100% worth the price. Great light, great pressure pad and switch!

Great vid. Probably will go with Arisaka or Modlite

For someone usually extremely well informed I can't believe Hop is so against rechargeable batteries. Yes there can be fires but it's similar to how a negligent discharge takes several safety rules to be broken for it to happen, not just one.

I don’t have that much interest in weapon lights, other than the ones that have been proven durable and highly rated on a website. But I love your thorough reviews and you keep the subjects interesting. Now.. if only you would do some sort of AK rifle or gear review.. 😊

Very informative and just a great guide as to what direction I needed thank you so much!

Very informative. I love to build all my gear to suit. Just bought 300 lumine Energizer pocket light (1 cr123) the UTG M-lock mount. I drilled a hole in the tail cap and went all 1980 LA PD swat style and made my own tape switch with the inards of a doorbell and a whole lot of heat shrink. A tad cludgy. However it works and only cost. Light $9.99, mount $14.99, doorbell $9.99, wire I had, shrink tub 6.99, solder + odds and ends $5.00. So $46.00. I get board easily.

GLAD YOUR VID POPPED UP OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND ILL DOUBLE CHECK MAKE SURE I GET BACK ON YOUR VIDS GOOD STUFF SIR!

Here to early to see the arguments in the comments

All the major brands work fine. That's been my experience. Your mileage May vary.

Thanks hop great content, went with affiliate link for the streamlight

super informative, thanks

coincidentally, Cloud Defensive uploaded a video today explaining why they can't use SF switches. TLDW, They aren't powerful enough to handle Clouds outputs

As a cloud OWL owner I'll take my gigachad badge happily.

Really appreciate this video.

Literally been looking everywhere for a video like this while I’ve been shopping for an upgraded weapon light (currently running a Streamlight HLX)

I like the Olight Warrior X Pro. Tail switch or pressure pad, press and hold for momentary or click for constant. Good throw and flood, very bright, 18650 with magnetic tail charging.

The only true weapon light we need is duck tape, and a 3D Maglite

Awesome content. I appreciate you brother. 🇺🇸🇺🇸

Actual experience I had with the Arisaka in-line vs the HSP thorn tail. I caught the front of my light on a door frame and sheared one of the 3 positioning lugs on the Arisaka. Light was then canted/floppy. I switched to the HSP afterwards because the mount has dedicated mounting holes for 4 positions opposed to a 3 position slot.

Lights are F-ing to much

Olight = bestest light

Really like the power points… makes me feel edumacated 👨🏻‍🎓

Your logic, reasoning, and honest biased is superb