Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Introduction to the Streamlight TLR-10G
I believe all defensive handguns should be equipped with a weapon-mounted light, or WML for short. On average, half of each 24-hour day is dark, and the most likely time to be faced with a dangerous threat seems to be after dark. You can’t shoot what you can’t see, and identification can literally make the difference between life and death. Each year more weapon-mounted lights enter the market, giving consumers more options to meet varying purposes. Streamlight has built a solid reputation as being innovative and reliable while providing products at competitive rates. One of these options is the Streamlight TLR-10G which I have been testing for the past few months.
Table of contents
Specifications of the Streamlight TLR-10G
Lumens: 1,000
Run Time: 1.50 hours
Beam Distance: 200 meters
Battery Type: CR123A Lithium
Battery Quantity: 2
Length: 3.87 inches (9.83 centimeters)
Weight: 4.62 ounces (130.97 grams)
Colors: Black
Testing
When looking for a weapon light, the main features I look for are lumens, size, and durability. The Streamlight TLR-10G provides a bright 1000 lumens in a duty gun-sized package. It also incorporates a green laser on the bottom of the body which sticks out just slightly further than the bottom of the Streamlight TLR-9 which is the non-laser version of this WML. The “G” in the name stands for the green laser it features, which was surprisingly bright using a 510-530nm beam. While the laser isn’t what I would call daylight bright, it can be seen if it’s an overcast day while working great in any lowlight situation. The light pushes out 1000 lumens and 10,000 candela. Streamlight states this WML has a beam distance of 200 meters. While all these numbers can be hard to quantify on paper, in person it looks good. Wanting to see how it stacked up to some of the other weapon lights I had, I shined them all at a brick wall about 15 yards away to compare the beam patterns which can be seen in the picture below:
Lights used:
Streamlight TLR-8 G: 500 Lumens
Streamlight TLR-1 HL: 1,000 Lumens
Streamlight TLR-10 G: 1,000 Lumens
Modlite OKW: 680 Lumens
Valhalla Tactical DF Mod1: 1,600 Lumens
Streamlight Protac HL-X: 1,000 Lumens
Each of the lights used in the comparison have slightly different beam patterns. The bottom three lights in the picture are made for carbine setups, while the top three are made to be pistol-mounted. The center hotspot on the TLR-10G is bright. It can illuminate things at distances much further than I can confidently shoot with a pistol. While the center hotspot punches out, the spill is wide enough to give a generous illuminated field of view for anything up close and downrange from the light.
Shooting a few hundred rounds with this light/laser combo, it held up great. When paired with the Smith & Wesson M&P9 M2.0, the laser stayed true, and the light never even flickered when firing. When mounted on a polymer-framed pistol I could push on the laser to bend the housing and make the laser shift a little from zero, but when releasing it bounced back to where I had it sighted in. Metal framed handguns are a better host for mounting lasers as they are much more rigid, but even on the polymer-framed pistols I tried, the TLR-10G held zero well. The lens features an impact-resistant BOROFLOAT® coating, which was easy to wipe clean with a T-shirt even after getting a large carbon coating after shooting a few hundred rounds.
Controls
Streamlight utilizes a two-sided switch for operating the light. It features ambidextrous tabs that can be used for momentary, or constant light output. Clicking the switch will activate constant light/laser output while pressing and holding the button enables momentary usage as the light will turn off as soon as the button is released. This switch is easy to activate for left and right-handed shooters alike with either their dominant or weak hand. Streamlight includes two different switches, but the ones that come pre-installed work great for me.
Adjustments
Windage and elevation adjustments are easy to make and require an Allen wrench. When paired with a red dot, or iron sights, simply adjust until the laser is aligned with the sights, or slightly below if a parallel zero is preferred. A cool feature is the ability to turn on just the light, just the laser, or the combo with both the light and laser on at the same time. Simply hold one side down, and then press the other side to toggle through the different modes. Strobe mode is also available but is turned off from the factory. To enable this mode, simply press one of the buttons very rapidly 9 times and hold down on the 10th button press for a second until the strobing turns off which indicates reprogramming was successful. The same procedure can be followed to disable strobe mode, but once it is enabled just double-tap one of the buttons and the light will start strobing.
Compatibility
Not all front rails are the same regarding pistols, so Streamlight includes 6 different keys to fit tightly with whatever rail the host pistol uses. These are easy to swap out if needed, and seemed to lock up tight throughout my testing.
Durability
I had no issues with the durability of the TLR-10G, and it held up great for the few hundred rounds I used during my review when paired with the Smith & Wesson M&P9 M2.0. This WML is made from 6000 series aluminum and IPX4 rated to be spray-proof, but not rated to be submersible. This means it should hold up fine in the rain, but should not be held underwater. While it is listed to operate from -40°F to +120°F, I never tried to use it outside past 80°F. I did stick it in a freezer set to 10°F for 1 hour, and the light turned on immediately without any noticeably degraded performance. The light and laser looked to have the same output, and the constant/momentary switches worked without issue.
Battery Life
This weapon-mounted light runs off of two CR123A batteries and has a run time of around 1.5 hours with and without the laser activated. The run time when strobing is 3 hours while when only using the laser, the battery will last for 11 hours. While the battery life is less in more frigid environments, it’s pretty much on par with all other WML’s in the industry. The battery can be removed by unscrewing the head of the light. This helps retain the lasers zero while making battery changes quick and easy. Due to this feature, Streamlight also incorporated a lockout mode which I really appreciate. To avoid an accidental light activation, turn the head about a quarter turn counterclockwise to deactivate the light. Then whenever it is needed, simply tighten the head back down by turning it a quarter turn back clockwise.
During the few months I had with this WML, I didn’t notice any battery drainage when not using the light. Some flashlights slowly drain the batteries when the light is not even in use, but the TLR-10G didn’t seem to have this issue.
Conclusion
For a pistol-mounted light, the TLR-10G has impressive illumination/laser abilities. Illuminating far past what I can shoot with a pistol helps with identification at a distance while giving good peripheral coverage at any potential engagement distances. The green laser is bright and easy to use. It held zero well and can help with quickly aiming especially in non-ideal shooting stances. The buttons are pretty standard across multiple of Streamlight’s other WML’s, but they work great and are easy to activate. The Streamlight TLR-10G has an MSRP of $385 but can be currently found for around $275. This WML feels durable, ran without issue, and is backed by Streamlight’s Limited Lifetime Warranty. While this light may be longer than most compact pistols making concealed carrying more difficult, it pairs perfectly with full-sized handguns. The TLR-10G provides a lot of illumination and a bright laser in a very usable package.
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