You can’t hit what you can’t see. We’re taking a look at the best tactical flashlights for the AR-15 assault rifle. The flashlights below can all be quickly mounted to your AR-15 for use in low-light or no-light situations.
Top tactical flashlight for the AR-15 comparison table
To give a quick comparison for the following products, here is a table for you to glance through the best options in the market while taking note of their specifications.
| Product | Recoil-proof | Durability | LED Lumens | Interface (special functions) | Comfort for use during shooting | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surefire LED Weaponlight | good | very good | 500 | TIR lens | very good | $$$$ |
| InForce WML | very good | very good | 200 | angled switch (different modes) | very good | $$$ |
| Orion H40-W500 Lumen | good | good | 500 | constant on button switch | good | $ |
| BARSKA Tactical Riflescope | good | good | good | has Picatinny tactical rails | very good | $$ |
| UTG Xenon | very good | good | good | red laser system | good | $ |
Surefire Ultra High Output LED Weaponlight, Black Review
This is a trusted brand by SureFire which is a trusted brand that build truly best-in-class illumination products. This is definitely fantastic for home defence.
To begin, the recoil resistance of this tactical flashlight is okay because it is well built but there is a catch where the grip might come loose after several shooting. There is no screw to mount this to the rail, it’s a spring under the rail platform – just pull down on the platform on each side and slide it onto the rail.
The downside is this — if your picatinny rail doesn’t have an open end, you’re not getting this light on it. The Streamlight’s screw is annoying at times because it comes loose while shooting, but it allows the light to be mounted without having to slide it on. Basically, it instantly attaches to both Universal and Picatinny accessory rails.
Besides that, this tactical flashlight is very durable because it is made from very strong materials and provide a very sturdy feel. I can say with confidence that the maximum only scratches may be present and there will be no signs of wear after long-term use. This flashlight is definitely durable and ca take a beating.
There is no LED lumens for this tactical flashlight as this flashlight is The Surefire X300 Ultra delivers a stunning 500-lumen beam focused by a precision TIR lens. It’s very bright, and it is every bit of a 500 lumens flashlight. I compared it to some CREE lights I have, and it had no problem hanging with all of them. The spill and color of the white light is perfect in my opinion.
It is comparable in lumens to the TLR-1 HL (X300 is 500 lumens, TLR-1 HL is 630 lumens). In reality, I couldn’t see the difference in a test. Both will blind your enemy and provide plenty of illumination. It is extremely bright comparing the 500 lumens light now compared the previous product by surefire of only 170 lumens.
Lasers are great within their high level of limitations, but in the dark, you cannot see with a laser, only point with one so you have to have light. And lots of it! It gives out special off-white high-performance LED produces 500 lumens biased in the yellowish-green spectrum optimal for human vision
Furthermore, the Surefire Ultra High Ouput LED Weaponlight has functions and an amazing interface such as in order to get momentary light, the flip switch works like a pressure switch. Just apply forward pressure on it and you get white light. The only downside about this light is how easy you can pulse the light.
It only takes a soft touch pushing the switch in (not up or down) and it can be done accidentally and when removing the gun from a case. The precision TIR lens creates a smooth, tight beam with enough surround light for peripheral illumination. Also, it has integral, ergonomic one-finger ambidextrous momentary and constant on switching
Also, this tactical flashlight provides great comfort for sighting and shooting because this light is smaller and slightly lighter than the TLR lights which makes it much easier to hold and shoot. The pressure mechanism for momentary light on the X300 may be superior to the lever switch on the TLR, but this is totally a matter of preference/training.
It is incredibly easy to mount and very easy to install or replace batteries. As a bonus, it also comes with 2 required batteries for the flashlight. And finally, take this baby outdoors and you’ve got an easy hundred feet or two of brightly lit up territory to survey. The lower lumen light might still be usable in confined urban areas, but beyond that, you need a car headlight or a Surefire x300 Ultra.
Additionally, it accepts optional pressure-activated switches for precision control without altering grip on weapon.
To wrap up, the pressure mechanism for momentary light on the X300 may be superior to the lever switch on the TLR, but this is totally a matter of preference/training. It helps to determine whether we need to shoot because you need light to determine the object of interest.
Remember, you are buying a weapons light not a map reading light, therefore it should be bright enough to light up your environment and let you know your target!
InForce WML, Multifunction Weapon Mounted Light, White LED, 200 Lumens, Black INF-WML-B-W Review
This is a product by InForce.
First of all, this is quite a sturdy tactical flashlight though the front piece might become loose at certain times. It is made of an impregnated plastic, something like the synthetic ammo mags which is bulletproof. Overall, it stays firm on the rail while it looks and feels that it can take some abuse and still hold on to the gun nicely. The tight, no-slip grip will leave you no doubt it will stay secure on the AR-15 after several shots.
On another note, this flashlight is perfect for home defense since it is very durable. Even though, it’s a very solid piece of equipment which should be able to handle most rough services which one will meet during any tactical situations, it adds very little weight to the front end of the weapon.
There is about 200 LED lumens for this flashlight. It’s low-profile and it only uses one CR123 battery with a high lumen output. It is very nice and bright when set on “high”. At 200 lumens will it can illuminate a room and blind an intruder in close quarters, or use the strobe function to disorient them! Its an extremely bright light and you can turn the stobe off.
In addition, the InForce WML, Multifunction Weapon Mounted Light, White LED has interfaces such as an angled switch which is great for preventing accidental activation. It is extremely low profile while the switch is sloped perfectly to the thumb to make “on or off” the flashlight almost intuitive.
There would be no fumbling around to find the switch for the light because your natural grip puts your thumb right at the switch to activate or deactivate it. The various controls using the single button becomes very natural to use the different modes after only a few minutes of practice.
On another hand, this tactical flashlight is extremely comfortable for sighting and shooting because it will only take you nearly 5 minutes to install with easily understandable instructions. You will even be surprised how light the tactical flashlight is as you might not even notice it’s there.
Everything about this tactical flashlight is built for the comfort of the shooter. As a plus point, it is extremely easy to clip on your firearm. It attaches quite easily to the rail and in my opinion works much better than one with an extended pressure switch. The light can be mounted on the left side of the AR and can easily be turned on while the left hand goes into position for quick target acquisition.
As a whole, it’s compact, well designed, durable, and it works. If you think you have need for a weapons mounted tac light, buy one of the models, but know which model you need for your particular, or specific, weapon. It will definitely be a perfect fit for your AR-15. Generally, it will be a great addition to your firearm!
Orion H40-W500 Lumen LED Tactical Flashlight (with Pressure Switch and Rifle Mount) Review
This is a suggested piece of equipment to AR-15 owners who wants cheap but good performing tactical flashlight. A product manufactured by the reputable Orion.
Firstly, this flashlight is recoil-proof due to their virtually indestructible LED emitter. The rubber seals in the battery compartment also reduces the damage to the battery during recoil.
Furthermore, this tactical flashlight is very durable because it is well-coated with metal which sustains recoil. Actually, it is ready to be mounted on any rifle with standard picatinny rails. It is rock solid, which means it is coated with hard metal to protect the insides of the torchlight. Since it is well made with metal, there should not be much worry in the durability.
Additionally, the LED lumens are considerably good considering the price. It is equipped with the Cree XM-L U2 500 Lumens LED, which is one of the brightest lights there is for guns. It might be one of the brightest light that you will own which is especially good for long-range shooting while forcing shot-range combat enemies to turn away. If you are using it for home defense, you’ll most likely blind the attacker with the flashlight before shooting them!
On top of that, this tactical flashlight has several interfaces such as it comes with a bundle with a constant on button switch and momentary on pressure switch for different tactical needs. Additionally, the bundle includes a Picatinny/Weaver Rail mount, ready to be installed on rifles.
This tactical flashlight should make it quite comfortable for shooting especially during the night time. Although it has a long cord, it give you the option of mounting it on the gun. It is very quick and easy to mount on the AR-15. It is a very sturdy flashlight which means the recoil does little effect to the placing of the flashlight.
Even so, if you on the flashlight and use it in-hand for a very long period of time, it tends to get very warm and it might feel slightly uncomfortable to hold it for shooting.
This is a compact, recoil-proof and water resistant flashlight. What more can you want with such a reasonable price? The Orion brand is supplied by Lumen Tactical only in US and carries robust one-year worry free warranty (Free replacement on any defective or broken parts).
BARSKA Cross Dot Electro Sight Tactical Riflescope (1×30) Review
This is a tactical flashlight by BARSKA. Barska is a worldwide sport optics company with strong brand recognition within the optics industry. Barska offers an extensive line of precision sport optics products, such as binoculars, riflescopes, spotting scopes, and telescopes. The product range has been designed and built with the latest optical technology.
The best place to put these would be at the balance point (above the pistol grip) and exactly where the side rails on this scope are.
To start off, this flashlight is considerably recoil-proof because it is made from quality metal and screwed tightly to avoid parts to malfunction. The solidness of the product also acts as a recoil-proof bonus. Even so, there might be a need of tightening the screws during live fire because of the strong recoil.
Besides that, this tactical flashlight is very durable because the flashlight is sturdy and well-built. It comes with good quality individual components as a bonus for longer lasting light, laser and red dot sight.
Additionally, the LED lumens are considerably good considering the price. There is also an adjustable light setting on the red dot. This is an excellent scope combo as the scope is highly accurate and easy on the eyes. It has a 30mm objective lens to focus the light. Surely, it must take more or less 5 minutes to scope and be right on target!
On top of that, this tactical flashlight that has several interfaces such as a scope that is equipped with integrated 50Weaver-style 7/8-inch Picatinny tactical rails, which allow you to customize the scope with additional aiming accessories, such as a laser sight, flashlight, or secondary sight.
For example, a laser sight helps you zero in the scope at a short distance (50 yards) and then zero the scope reticle in at a longer distance (100 yards). This allows you to instantly shoot targets at two different distances. Other features include an IR(Infrared) cross dot reticle, adjustable rheostat settings, and a variety of accessories, including a flashlight, red laser sight, scope caps, battery, and lens cloth.
This tactical flashlight should make it quite comfortable for shooting. This flashlight is highly flexible in a sense because Barska’s Multi-Rail Electro Sight riflescope is specifically designed for tactical shooters that need a versatile scope for both short-distance, quick-acquisition shooting and medium- to long-distance shooting.
For long range shooting, one can scope and target with a short amount of time. It also aids shooters in customizing scope to instantly shoot targets at 2 different distances. Overall, it is a versatile riflescope designed for tactical short- and long- distance shooting.
In a nutshell, it is a great scope, laser and flashlight for this price. The flashlight, red dot scope and laser are designed to promote quick target acquisition and increase accuracy performance. It is also well packaged and easy to install the batteries. Why not get a great scope, laser and flashlight for this price?
UTG Xenon Weapon Mount Light & Red Laser with Rotation Ring Review
Update: This UTG tactical flashlight is a 2 in 1 second generation flashlight equipped with patented QD lever lock as well as integral mounting deck. It comes with a new flashlight circuit board design resulting in power upgraded and 3 hours extended runtime. Additional features include a rubber push on and off button, rotational laser ring and triple function flashlight end cap.
This is a product by UTG which sells hunting, shooting and sporting goods. UTG is actually by Leapers, Inc., which has been in the business of supplying shooting, hunting and outdoor gear since 1992.
To begin, the recoil resistance of this tactical flashlight is considerably good because it is made with strong metal and screwed on with tight screws but the best part is the solid mount. The screws are on the front and back to significantly reduce the effects of recoil during shooting.
The UTG combat weapon-mount also helps in reducing the effects of recoil and keeping the tactical flashlight in position after shooting. Basically, it will attach seamlessly to a grooved quad rail and stay there firmly.
Besides that, this tactical flashlight is very durable because it is an all metal flashlight and laser combo. It is heavily constructed from heavily constructed materials such as metal to improve durability.
There is Xenon flashlight and laser combo 16-position adjustable or removable precision red laser which can be turned and adjusted 360 degrees. Although it does not have an LED bulb, it still seems very bright regardless of it. Xenon light bulb or IRB has the advantage of higher maximum lumen output and better focus at longer distance.
The flashlight is bright enough to identify potential targets inside a dark room while the laser is very bright in darkness and barely visible in daylight.
Furthermore, the tactical flashlight has interfaces such as a 16-position adjustable and removable TS-rated precision red laser system. Additionally, the red color laser beam has longer battery operation time while operating in a wider environment. It comes with batteries and pressure switches which are optional to use them. The laser beam will help in zeroing in to intended targets. Many optional push button or touch pad use considerations.
Also, this tactical flashlight provides great comfort for sighting and shooting. Shooting from the hip will be really easy with this tactical flashlight. It also includes a mounting mechanism for easy mounting to a Picatinny or Weaver rail.
The lasers provided can also help in sighting and shooting your target with unbelievable accuracy. Even so, this flashlight must be twisted to turn on instead of the usual pressing switch hence it might be perfect for a tactical situation though the red dot does require us to push a button by the side.
To conclude, this is one of the cheaper flashlights which provides great interface and functions. As a bonus, the energy density this thing uses is very low! I would definitely recommend this product to be added to your AR-15.
Top criteria for a Tactical Flashlight
Recoil-proof
Whenever we use a gun, we need to take into account the effects of recoil to the equipment attached whether it can sustain the shock. Most of the quality tactical flashlight ae made from strong metals which can take the shock of many recoil. Even the spring for the battery should be checked if possible for defense against recoil.
Durability of flashlight
This is mainly a review of the materials used to make the tactical flashlight such as hard metal and so on. The durability of a flashlight is imperative especially for police officers who need to brave through many fights which might scratch and tear the flashlight. Hence, it is imperative that the flashlight can take a toll or hit and still survive the fall!
LED lumens
The number of LED lumens is almost directly propotional to the brightness of the light. If the flashlight is used particularly for sighting and accuracy, LED lumens is not really necessary as it is needed to illuminate a dark environment so that you can have a clear sight of what you want to shoot. But the bright light will definitely give away your position!
The products suggested here will range from 200 lumens to 500 lumens or it will be another kind of light but it will be more than enough to illuminate your field of sight.
Interface (special functions)
The number of special features and special interfaces is considerably imperative because it actually aids in accuracy of shooting. Props such as the red laser and green light is needed for aiming while some even come with grips specially for the AR-15. The number of interface can also improve your comfort of shooting. It is also a point to note about the placement of the switch because it will affect your performance during tactical situations.
Comfort for use during shooting
A non-moving, recoil-proof tactical flashlight will definitely increase the comfort for any shooter. Without having to tighten the grip several rounds after shooting, we can shoot and sight without having any worries of the flashlight dropping off! The extra interface is also a bonus to the comfort for a shooter by increasing accuracy and the speed of sighting.
More AR-15 Resources
A tactical flashlight is a must-have for anyone planning to shoot in dark environment and night time. All the products above will be more than good enough to light up your way, while providing extra functions for targeting and sighting. If you need a tactical flashlight immediately for shooting in darker environments, quickly get the tactical flashlights suggested for a wonderful experience!
Also, don’t forget to get your very own AR-15 lower receiver and cleaning kit!