Streamlight 69220 TLR-3 Weapon Mounted Tactical Light with Rail Review

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List Price: $139.09
Sale Price: $76.72
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Bottom line: it's bright, it's compact, it mounts easily, and it just works!

Living up to the Streamlight reputation, this is a reliable and compact light that is perfectly designed for its mission. I was attracted to this light primarily due to the small size and brightness. Compared to Insight Tech-Gear's X2 Insight X2 Standard Md: MTV-000-A1, this light is twice as bright. When you put the two side by side, the difference is blindingly clear.

This light mounts easily on Springfield XDm, XD Tactical, and XD Subcompact guns. It also has several "keys" so you can perfectly match the light to your Glock or railed 1911. The light features an ambidextrous momentary and steady on-off switch that is intuitive and no-non sense. You don't need any tools to mount and dismount the light from the gun.

If you are looking for a compact and bright weapon-mounted light that takes one CR2 battery, this is it.

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I RETURNED THIS. See my update at the bottom.

I have a TLR-1s on my shotgun, which I've tried out on my Glock 19. The TLR-1 is definitely too heavy and large, and also brighter than necessary, for pistol applications. 300 lumens is definitely more than necessary for home defense. I do really like the TLR-1 though, and decided the TLR-3 was probably a smart buy.

My application: This is for a Glock 19. I don't carry my Glock with a mounted light, but I prefer to have a mounted light for around-the-house carry and nightstand duty (home defense rolls). I carry my Glock during the day and when I get home I mount the light and switch to a Condor holster (off my body) which it just sits in to protect the trigger.

I'll start with the Cons, since a smart shopper is probably looking for the cons (since the features and stats list covers the pros):

Con 1: Run time

The run time could be a little better at an advertised 90 minutes, but I understand there are tradeoffs for small size and low cost. On the box there is a graph showing how brightness falls off as the battery is used. The light apparently only loses about 5% of its brightness (in lumens) from zero to 1.1 hours, then falls off sharply for the last .4 hours. Basically this means effective run time is just over 1 hour.

Con 2: Ergonomics

This is specific to Glocks. I've seen in pictures that most pistol models don't have this problem. Like all the Streamlight weapon lights, there is a rocker switch at the back of the light. On a pistol this is designed so the two tabs sit on either side of the front of the trigger guard, making them easy to toggle. The TLR-1 does sit this way on the Glock, and it's easy to toggle with your trigger finger or the thumb of your support hand. The TLR-3, however sits too far forward on a Glock. I have quite long fingers and with a proper grip, the rocker switch tab is just out of reach of my trigger finger. This means I either need to break my grip to turn on the light, or use my support thumb. As a rightly this is frustrating because I want to flick the tab down on whichever side I use. Using my left thumb, I'm flicking the rocker switch left-side-down. This is the temporary-on setting. To get into constant-on, I must either break my grip to toggle right-side-down with my trigger finger, or use my left thumb and index finger to rotate the rocker switch to the constant-on setting. Realistically I just want to be able to use my trigger finger to toggle the light (as with the TLR-1) so it can also be done one-handed.

Now for the Pros:

Pro 1: Brightness

In many places (and on the box) the TLR-3 is advertised at 90 lumens. There is now a sticker applied to the box which indicated that current models are now rated at 110 lumens. I think this is a welcome increase and it puts the light at just the right brightness for home defense or daily carry. The power won't blind you by over-illuminating things, but will provide ample illumination of a target out to pistol-defense ranges.

Pro 2: Size/Weight

It's very compact and is constructed of polymer, using only one CR2 battery. It's a very light package, making it ideal for a compact pistol or extreme-lightweight carbine application.

Pro 3: Versatility

As with all the lights in the TLR series, it comes with multiple mounting "keys" which make it fit properly with a variety of proprietary rails, as well as regular Weaver/Picatinny rails.

Pro 4: Robust Construction

I can tell the TLR-3 is well made and solid. I haven't abused it, nor will my application put it through much abuse, but I wouldn't be nervous to. Since I own the TLR-1, I would definitely recommend that if you're using your gun in a role that puts it and its accessories through a pounding. But then again I might just look into a SureFire light if you have that kind of requirement. I wouldn't be at all nervous about durability if I were to daily carry my gun with the TLR-3.

Pro 5: Fast

It's super fast to mount and unmount the light if, like me, you aren't always going to have it on your gun.

Recommendations:

I recommend the TLR-3 if you're on a budget and/or require a super light-weight and compact weapon light. The TLR-3 does not hurt weapon balance, nor is it cumbersome. It is a great light for home defense and daily carry applications.*

*If you are not opposed to a bulkier, heavier light (say, if you're carrying a full-sized duty weapon, or need a light for your long gun) I'd pass on the TLR-3 and buy a TLR-1s, particularly if you're putting it on a Glock. I would make the judgement that if you are someone who is likely to have to use your pistol, and you carry a Glock, the ergonomic drawbacks compromise this light's value.

UPDATE: Quality and Ergonomics.

I kept switching the TLR-3 and TLR-1 on and off my Glock to compare them. Every time I did, the inability to toggle the TLR-3 with my trigger finger drove me more and more crazy. It's tactically unusable for home defense since your left hand might be opening a door and you may need to toggle the light right as you open the door. I also toggled the switch on and off about 100 times with the battery removed to see if it maybe just needed to break in so I could toggle it with the very tip of my index finger. Rather than breaking in it just started squeaking. If it weren't for the squeaking I'd probably keep the light for a different gun, as the ergonomics on a Glock are the deal breaker for me. Alas it squeaks and I know I'll always feel iffy about the quality. It's going back and being replaced with another TLR-1s.

About the TLR-1s... It's really a bit bigger, heavier, and brighter than I want for a Glock 19. It frustrates me that the TLR-3 isn't as tough, robust, and smoothly-operating as the TLR-1, and it annoys me that Streamlight doesn't just include a toggle switch for it with longer tabs for Glocks. I'd really like the TLR-3's weight and size on my Glock as they were just right. In my opinion for around the house only (or on a duty weapon) the TLR-1 is the better choice despite its drawbacks.

The TLR-3 is going back and being replaced with a second TLR-1 (one for my shotgun and one for my Glock). The TLR-1 is just so much better in function and build.

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I use this light on my SIG Sauer P226 and it is very effective. The light actually puts out a surprisingly bright beam, and I'm no newbie to flashlights. I also own a Fenix L2T, a 6D maglite, 2D maglite, 4D maglite, Gerber Infinity Ultra, Victornox 2AA flashlight, Streamlight keychain light, and a Fenix TK40. Out of all of those, the Streamlight may not actually be the brightest, but it packs a great punch. One thing about this flashlight is that it is designed for extremely bright quick use. A pistol flashlight is not usually something that you need to use for over 2 hours so the battery life takes a hit in favor of light intensity.

Another thing that is great about this light is the easy-to-reach on/off switch and momentary on. You simply extend your trigger finger and flip the switch either up or down depending on what you want to do, and it is ambidextrous. For this to work properly though, you need to have the light installed on the rail properly.

Installation is pretty easy but the user manual definitely isn't the best. This was my first weapon light and the first time I put it on, I had a hard time. It's just something you have to get used to but I scratched up my gun's rail a bit in the process. The best pointers I can give is to make sure the tension is very loose when putting the light on and hook one side of the rail with the opposite side of the light first, then move the other side up into place. You should not need a quarter to install and remove this light from your gun, hand-tightening should do. My point here is that while I may eventually get there, I don't see this light as something I can easily "throw on and off" during an emergency situation, even though it is relatively easy to install/remove. During an emergency situation, you'd want this light to already be on or you'd want to roll without the light.

Last but not least, the weight and size of the light are perfect and nearly negligible. My P226 is a heavy gun, so any extra weight can be felt, but this flashlight is probably the best you can get right now in terms of added weight and size for this price.

Honest reviews on Streamlight 69220 TLR-3 Weapon Mounted Tactical Light with Rail

As a light, this is a really great item. It is extremely compact and bright for its size. The interface and price are also great. There is, however, a critical flaw in its design that I hope they will address with new versions of this light. I, like many others, am sitting here with the polymer side of the housing broken. Before you think of commenting about user error and look at the directions, I will tell you that it definitely was not user error. In my case, the light was installed 100% properly. When removing my handgun from the safe, I accidentally bumped the light on the safe on the way out. Snapped right off. So.... yes, technically it was my fault for hitting the light on something hard... but this is supposed to be a WEAPON LIGHT, which (to me at least) means it should be able to hold up to at least the slightest bit of abuse. At this price point, size and simplicity, I see the light being used by many on a home defense gun. In that type of situation, the last thing I would be thinking about is being careful not to bump my light on something... and that would be exactly when I would actually need it. Sorry for being long winded. I think the main point I am getting at is I would NOT in any situation rely on this light to help defend myself or loved ones. I do hope they make both clip sides metal and this light will go from 1 star to 5 stars.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Streamlight 69220 TLR-3 Weapon Mounted Tactical Light with Rail

I had an older model TLR-2 on an XDM but had never really liked the bulk and weight, and I have always found the laser unnecessary on a handgun (I'm more of an irons, reflex-shoot guy and find that aiming a laser takes too much time). I basically liked the light of the TLR-2 but didn't want the laser and wanted a smaller, lighter package. TLR-3 fit that bill perfectly.

I also own an Insight X2 that I use on an XD9 SC, and while the TLR-3 is billed as a competitor to this light, the X2 is much more compact and easier to remove/mount to the gun than the TLR-3. Though I consider the TLR-3 the superior weapons light (it is *much* brighter and has a more coherent beam), I do not consider them actual competitors at least in the sub-compact market (the TLR-3 is really just a little too big for it), but I am comfortable using the TLR-3 on a full-sized weapon, whereas I am not as keen on using the X2 in such a manner.

The TLR-3 is not as easy to mount and remove as implied; you really need a tool to do it (though a dime will to as that tool in a pinch); it is difficult to get it as secure as it really needs to be with just your fingertips. That said, mounting is by no means difficult. You do need to make sure it has the correct key in...

All in all, I am very pleased with it for the money, and it is now on my go-to HD handgun. It could be improved a bit, but in its class it has some great features good beam, compact size, ease of use. No real downsides, it just might not be that "5 star light" for the gun you have in mind, hence my 4 stars.