Blinding the Competition: Streamlight’s TLR-7; TLR-8 & Rechargeable Battery — SHOT Show 2018

Every year at SHOT Show, Streamlight launches innovative products that never fail to impress. Three products that caught my eye this year were the TLR-7 Rail Mounted Light, The TLR-8 Rail Mounted Light and the 18650 USB Battery.

The Streamlight TLR-7 weighs just 2.4 ounces and has an overall length of 2.15 inches. It also has a beam distance of 131 meters.

Streamlight TLR-7

Building on the success of the TLR series, Streamlight launched two very compact lights that were designed to be mounted on the frame of a pistol.

The Streamlight TLR-7 Rail Mounted Light is a lightweight illumination solution for common handguns. It produces a blinding bright 500 Lumens and has a 1.5 hour run time.

I got to handle the TLR-7 and found the controls to be intuitive and user-friendly. The TLR-7 has the “Safe Off” feature that can disable the handgun to negate accidental activation.

SPECS

• 500 lumens; 131m beam; runs 1.5 hours; 4,300 candela
• Custom optic produces a concentrated beam with optimum peripheral illumination
• Low-profile ambidextrous on/off switch
  

  The TLR-7 is a high-quality compliment to any carry handgun, especially for your bedside pistol.

• Uses one CR123A lithium battery (included)
• Safe off feature prevents accidental activation; saves batteries
• Rail grip clamp system securely attaches/detaches quickly and safely with no tools and without putting your hands in front of muzzle
• Securely fits a broad range of full-sized and compact guns
• Durable, anodized machined aluminum construction
• User enabled strobe function
• 2.15” (5.46 cm); 2.4 oz (68.1g)
• Operating temperature: -40°F to +120°F
• IPX7 waterproof to 1m for 30 minutes
• Limited lifetime warranty
• Assembled in USA

Streamlight TLR-8

For those that want a laser and light combination, Streamlight rolled out the TLR-8. The TLR-8 is identical to the TLR-7, except for a red laser.

Often when a company adds a red laser to a light, the unit as a whole becomes large and bulky. The TLR-8 appears to be just as compact as the TLR-7 and maintains a nearly identical form factor save for the small laser below the light housing. Similar to the TLR-7, the  TLR-8 has the “Safe Off” feature to prevent accidental light discharge.

The TLR-8 is unique in that it features both a white light and 640-660nm laser. The laser will run for 18 hours.

SPECS

• Features white LED and 640-660nm red laser
• 500 lumens; 131m beam; runs 1.5 hours (light only or light/laser combo); runs 18 hours (laser only); 4,300 candela;
• Custom optic produces a concentrated beam with optimum peripheral illumination
• Low-profile ambidextrous on/off switch
• Uses one CR123A lithium battery (included)
• Safe off feature on bezel prevents accidental activation; saves batteries
• Rail grip clamp system securely attaches/detaches quickly and safely with no tools and without putting your hands in front of muzzle
• Securely fits a broad range of full-sized and compact guns
• Durable, anodized machined aluminum construction
• User enabled strobe function
• 2.15” (5.46 cm); 2.64 oz. (75g)
• Operating temperature: -20°F to +120°F
• IPX4 water-resistant
• Limited lifetime warranty
• Assembled in USA

The TLR-8 features a white LED and 640-660nm red laser. It runs on one CR123A Lithium battery.

USB Rechargeable Battery

The last product that caught my eye was the 18650 USB Battery. It’s designed to replace a pair of standard CR123A lithium batteries, or a 18650 battery. It’s a rechargeable battery that lets you plug a micro USB cable directly into the battery to charge it. The 18650 USB Battery has a small light indicator that lets you know when the unit is charged.

Streamlight also rolled out a suite of flashlight that is optimized come with a 18650 USB Battery. From the provided literature, the 18650 USB battery will fully charge in 5 hours.

The 18650 is a big deal! I am going to buy several of them and use them for all of my flashlights that require 2 CR123 batteries to run. CR123 batteries are expensive and in short order end up in landfills. I always carry a Goal Zero solar panel, so being able to charge batteries when I am hiking in the middle of nowhere is huge!

SPECS:

• 18650 button top lithium ion battery with on-board safety control circuit
• Micro-USB input; charges in 5 hours
• Integrated safety circuit protects battery from overcharge/overdischarge
• 2.75 in (7.0 cm); 1.7 oz (48 grams)
• Use the 18650 USB battery to power the PolyTac X, ProTac 2L-X, ProTac HL-X and ProTac HL5-X and transform these multi-fuel lighting tools into rechargeable systems

Pricing

Pricing for the TLR-7 should be around $175 and a little bit more for the TLR-8 light/laser combination. The price for the USB rechargeable battery will be roughly $35. Look for it in the near future.

Overall, kudos to Streamlight. I am going to buy a pair of TLR-8s for my pistol and my fiance’s pistol. These little lights are going to be a fantastic compliment to our Glock 19s.

For more information about Streamlight, click here.