Tactical, practical, and completely attachable, the AR-15 is a gun modderโs dream.
There is no situation an AR-15 canโt be made to fit. Sometimes those situations require a little extra illumination.
This article will look at some of the best tactical lights and mountable flashlights for your AR-15.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for AR-15 Flashlights
- OUR TOP PICK: Streamlight TLR-1s HP
- RUNNER-UP: Orion H40-W Tactical Flashlight
- BEST BUDGET OPTION: SureFire X300
Comparison of the Best AR-15 Flashlights
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Why Would I Need a Light For My AR-15?
Tactical flashlights are useful because they provide light without requiring an extra hand. This means you have a more controlled, safer grip on your weapon, and, if necessary, a free hand.
Whether itโs early morning, late night ,or even mid-day, having a flashlight can serve many purposes. During the daytime, flashlights are useful for identifying animal tracks or for getting a closer look in darkened places. At night, flashlights are essential for IDing a target before taking your shot.
The main need for a flashlight comes from identifying targets in low-light situations. This is especially important for home defense. A dark house makes it hard to discern between an intruder and a guest.
By having the flashlight mounted to the handguard, you leave a hand open for better aim or for self-defense.
What to Look For in a Light
A good tactical flashlight should have a few qualities: battery life, brightness, low weight, and durability (especially under recoil). And of course, it should be simple to use โ no one wants a high-end mounted flashlight that is difficult to turn on and off under pressure.
Brightness
Brightness is the most hotly debated topic when it comes to mounted tactical lights. There are as many schools of thought as there are tactical flashlights. Generally flashlights can range from as few as 80 lumens to more than 1,000. So how is one supposed to know what to get?
For indoor uses, I fall into the camp that says around 150 lumens are more than enough. This can illuminate small spaces without risking night blindness. But for outdoor lighting, itโs less clear-cut. I tend to feel that high-lumen flashlights have their uses, but ultimately can interfere with proper night vision.
To complicate things further, many tactical lights come with different modes, like โmoonlight mode.โ These adapt your flashlight to different light levels. Everything comes down to a matter of opinion. Knowing what tasks youโll need your light for will help you decide how powerful your flashlight needs to be.
Battery life
As with all portable tools, battery life is a concern. If you want a rechargeable light, that has certain advantages. Having batteries that can be replaced offers other benefits. Consider that most lights will have between one and four hours of life while in use, which will vary based on whether use is continuous or in bursts.
Construction (Durability, Ease of Use, and Weight)
The construction of a flashlight has the biggest impact on its usefulness. The type of plastic or metal itโs made of will add or subtract weight and durability to your tool.
Remember that sometimes one thing will come at the expense of another. A more durable flashlight may be weightier than a lightweight, fragile attachment.
And ultimately, make sure the tactical flashlight is easy to use, to install, to turn on and off, to activate any extra features, etc. Or itโs all for nothing.
Rail Mounts and Other Mounts
Most tactical flashlights are designed to be easily mounted on a Picatinny or Weaver rail. Installation is no more difficult than standard mounted gear. But you donโt have to be limited by rail positioning. Many tactical lights can fit into separate mounting kits made available by gun retailers.
Typically positioning for a mounted light is on a top-facing rail, somewhere on the handguard. But some flashlights are designed to be placed on a foregrip. Some foregrips are even designed to hold a standard ยฝโ or 1โ flashlight. Foregrip mounts will typically either accommodate an accessory with a rail, have a mounting apparatus built in, or have a specific hole meant to accommodate the flashlight.
The placement of your flashlight will depend on your intended use. The handguard & top-mounted flashlights are most common. Foregrip-mounted has the advantage of not obscuring line-of-sight or altering hand position. And often foregrip-mounted lights are easier to remove and use as standalone flashlights.
Review of the Best AR-15 Flashlights
The following is a list of the five best flashlights currently on the market. While looking through each one, you should note any characteristics and features so you can find something that is close to your ideal flashlight. Once you find one thatโs close enough, youโll know you've found a favorite of yours for a long time.
These should give you an idea of the range of options available for a mounted flashlight, from brightness to battery life. Letโs dig in by talking about the first flashlight on the list:
Best Overall:
Streamlight TLR-1
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
Most new users were quite happy with the flashlight. They managed to navigate through corners and obstacles in pitch-black darkness. Many new users were coyote hunters looking to use the flashlight for the purpose of getting around. One user said itโs durable and shockproof, thus making it a tough little unit even through hundreds or thousands of rounds.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This flashlight is made with high-quality aluminum housing, which is designed to absorb the shock derived from AR-15 recoil. So the flashlight will stay in place while also providing incredible brightness with each and every use. Shock can ruin a perfectly good flashlight and dim it down a bit. But not this flashlight, in particular.
The Streamlight TLR-1 is an 800-lumen light that delivers a wide beam great for searching open areas like fields, alleys, yards, and forests. It is lightweight at only 4.18 ounces and offers just under two hours of constant run time. It offers a convenient battery bay for switching out batteries on longer hunting trips. It is designed to be mounted on Picatinny rails with ease. It has several programmable features, such as a user-initiated strobe, as well as momentary on/off and lockout features to prevent running down the batteries when not in use.
The TLR-1 has a durable but lightweight aluminum construction with a durable Boro glass lens that wonโt break on the field.
Who Will Use This Most
This flashlight will be a great choice for coyote hunters out and about in low-light or nighttime conditions. You will definitely have a flashlight that wonโt disappoint in performance whenever you use it. So, if you want something that is solid in construction and bright like broad daylight, this could be what you need.
Bottom Line
The Streamlight High Lumen Rail-Mounted Tactical Light will fit almost any rail system youโve got on your rifle while delivering you the best brightness for navigational purposes. This flashlight will be useful to you in more ways than one, regardless of your chosen application.
Runner-up:
Orion H40-W Tactical Flashlight
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Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
Most new buyers were satisfied with the flashlight. They managed to install this on their rifleโs rail system with ease. Once installed, it remained stable through about 500 or more rounds. One user said he was quite impressed with the solid construction and overall brightness.
Why it Stands Out to Us
At 500 lumens, itโs still bright enough for you to see in low-light and nighttime settings. On top of that, it has a constant on the button you can use. You can quickly switch up the brightness based on your need or selected application. So, if youโre using it for hunting or tactical purposes, youโll have it all set up with one touch of a button.
The Orion H40-W is an excellent lightweight tactical flashlight, putting out an easy 500 lumens. This light is well-suited for indoor and close-quarters use without risking night blindness. It weighs only 3.4 ounces without batteries and has a strong anodized aluminum body with a hardened watertight glass lens. It works as both a constant-on light and with a pressure-switch for momentary use.
Who Will Use This Most
If you are a member of law enforcement, the military, or the coyote hunterโs club, this flashlight might be the perfect tool for you. All you have to do is install this sucker on your favorite AR-15 rifle of choice and youโll be set for quite a while. Therefore, if you have a rail system that can easily accept this flashlight, youโve got the all-clear to get this.
Bottom Line
The Orion H40-W 500-Lumen LED Tactical Flashlight is solid, bright, and just might have the easiest settings for your intended application. Nothing too complex to operate. Just a simple design and simple way to use it. Next time youโre out hunting or in a tactical situation, this bad boy will be your sidekick in helping you get around.
Best for the Money:
SureFire X300
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
As expected, most new users were pretty happy with the flashlight. They installed this in a matter of minutes and were able to switch it on and off quickly. Application-wise, it was best-served by those who were hunting at night or used it in the event of a survival situation. One user said it was quite bright and would not be surprised if it was visible from about a mile away.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This flashlight is short in length, but it definitely delivers a lot of coverage when you turn on the light. Once you turn this on, youโll be able to see an entire room or a good part of your surrounding area if youโre outdoors. It makes for the perfect flashlight designed for navigating every nook and cranny of your hunting ground. If you need a light that is small, but insanely bright, this could be what you need.
The SureFire x300 is a bright, 600-lumen flashlight that offers a tighter beam to make sure you have full illumination on your potential target. Because of its tight, bright illumination, SureFire advertises this as being excellent for disabling a targetโs vision (and theyโre not wrong!).
At 7.2 ounces, itโs a bit on the heavy side, but it makes up for its weight in punch. It has ambidextrous constant and momentary on-switches, making it easy to use. It can be mounted on any Picatinny-style rail and is made of hardened aluminum.
Who Will Use This Most
If youโre looking for a flashlight that would stand out as one of the best for coyote hunting or any use, youโd be hard-pressed to find anything else quite like this. For a flashlight thatโs small, it can absorb a lot of shock and keeps your surroundings illuminated through hundreds or thousands of shots.
Bottom Line
The SureFire X300 Ultra LED Handgun or Long-gun Weapon Light is exactly what you need if you have a small amount of room to fit a flashlight. Once installed, it will be ready to cover so much ground. Who says a flashlight this small canโt do anything?
4. Monstrum Tactical Light
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Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
Most new buyers were in search of a flashlight that could fit either rail system. They were glad when they found this flashlight. Not only does it fit either rail system, but it also provides them with a solidly built flashlight that can absorb shock without hurting the lightโs brightness. One user said the flashlight stays in position and doesnโt wiggle around at all once attached.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This might be the only flashlight on the market which is compatible with just about any AR-15 rail system. In short, itโs pretty darn versatile. If you want a flashlight with that kind of ability, youโd be crazy to pass up the opportunity to give this one a closer look. Besides, itโs bright enough for you to tread around in the woods or navigate dark corners (in a tactical situation).
The Monstrum Tactical Light is the lightest, smallest, and cheapest light available on this list. It only produces 90 lumens, a significant step down from the others. But this has its advantages: its small profile and relatively low light output make it perfect for home defense.
It takes up no space on a weapon and will not flood a room with so much light that you endanger yourself. It also has a much longer battery life than the other lights โ as much as nine hours โ meaning you can rely on it to function at a momentโs notice.
Who Will Use This Most
This will be an excellent flashlight for the purpose of tactical applications. So if youโre in law enforcement or in the military, youโll need something hardcore and can handle the high-stress applications. This light is pretty dang bright, so youโll have no problem getting around corners or even using it as a self-defense tool to disorient your attackers.
Bottom Line
The Monstrum Tactical 90 Lumens LED Flashlight will have your back in any tactical situation. It will help you get around and will handle all kinds of tactical applications when you need to use this the most. For a high-quality tactical flashlight that is compatible with most rail systems, this might be right up your alley.
5. Streamlight 88040 ProTac HL 750
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
As expected, a lot of buyers were pretty happy with the flashlight. They were most excited about how bright it was. It was so bright, it might be visible from long distances. A majority of users were mostly hunters while another handful utilized it for tactical and survival purposes.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The flashlight has three settings: low, high, and strobe. So ideally, each light level will be useful for any given application. The strobe setting will be ideal for disorienting any attackers in a tactical or self-defense situation. The low-light setting will be handy if you need it just for the sake of navigational purposes without giving away your position. Other than that, itโs pretty solid so it wonโt break easily due to the shock from recoil.
Yes, another Streamlight tactical light! They really make excellent products. This one is very different from the TLR-1, though.
Unlike the other lights on this list, the 88040 ProTac HL will need a separate mounting apparatus since it is a standard round flashlight โ that is, unless you have one of the foregrip mounts discussed earlier. The ProTac HL puts out a whopping 750 lumens and has a lightweight aluminum construction and several bells and whistles.
The ProTac has several brightness levels, as well as programmable disorientation strobing features. The light boasts as much as 18 hours of runtime on the low-light setting, which is amazing for such a small package.
Who Will Use This Most
This flashlight will get the job done across many applications. But it will definitely excel in hunting and tactical applications. Whatever the purpose, you have a light setting that will be at your disposal. All you need to do is press the button until you have reached your desired settings.
Bottom Line
The StreamLight ProTac Flashlight is what youโll need for any purpose that may require a flashlight. Even better, it can easily attach to your AR-15 without any issue. So if you want something that is reliable and easy to install, this flashlight just might be your cup of coffee.
Aspects to Consider Before Buying
As you are looking for a flashlight, youโll need to consider some important aspects before making a final decision. Itโs important that you look this over so you have a good idea of what to expect with the flashlight you buy. Hereโs what you need to mull over:
How Bright Should It Be?
How many lumens should your flashlight be? Keep in mind, the higher the number, the better. So if you want something bright, start off with about 500 lumens and go higher from there. Lights that bright can even temporarily blind or disorient in situations like a self-defense situation. They can also serve you well in a situation where you may need to be rescued.
What Situations Will You Need Them For?
Once again, a flashlight would be useful in some way or another. For example, most AR-15 users will use a flashlight for the purpose of navigating through dark corners and obstacles. It is best-used in low-light and nighttime situations. Sometimes, flashlights stand out as a tool you can use in survival situations. So in case you get lost, youโll have something that will help draw attention to a certain area.
Which Will Fit My Rail System?
Keep in mind that your Picatinny or Weaver rail will need to have enough room for a flashlight. So youโll need to find a flashlight that will be compatible with either rail. Make sure it is also easy to install and able to stay stable on the mount itself.
Conclusion
Just like any tool in a shooterโs arsenal, good lighting can be a tricky spot to figure out. Luckily, with any of these products, youโll be well on your way to finding out what features are most important to you. A good battery and a bright light can go a long way in the field.
