OpticsPlanet.com Blog

The Streamlight TLR family of weapon lights is one of the most popular series of weapon accessories in the Tactical and Law Enforcement product market. TLR gun lights are nearly indestructible, amazingly bright for their size and easily mountable on an incredibly wide range of firearms. Choosing to buy a TLR weapon light is easy. Choosing which Streamlight TLR to buy can be a little more complicated, which is why we're going to lay out your options here.

Let's start with the Streamlight TLR-1. This is the baseline product in the series. An amazingly bright little light that mounts easily on most firearms and sells for just over $100 currently at OpticsPlanet (a savings of 46% off list price!). There is also the TLR-1s. The "s" in this case stands for "strobe" - the TLR-1s comes with a strobe function that can be very disorienting to anyone on the other end of it. The 1s also has a slightly higher light output. There is no difference in price between the TLR-1 and the TLR-1s, so if you think the strobe function is something you might ever want to use, go ahead and get it. There is also a Streamlight TLR-1 IR which comes with an IR illuminator for use with night vision devices.

The next product in the series is the Streamlight TLR-2 (and TLR-2s). The TLR-2 is the TLR-1 with a laser sight added. This is a good thing. If you can add a laser sight to the TLR-1 while only adding half an ounce of weight, and less than 0.4 inches in height, it's a pretty easy choice to make, unless cost is an issue for you. The TLR-2 runs about $140 more than the TLR-1. It's an incredible value, and less than the cost of many laser sights alone, but if you can't swing it, the TLR-1 and TLR-3 (which we'll get to next) are still great options. Just as with the TLR-1s, the TLR-2s has a strobe light option and costs the same as the TLR-2. There is also a Streamlight TLR-2 IR version, but it is available only to law enforcement and military personnel.

The Streamlight TLR-3 is the ultra-compact weapon light in the series. It's perfect for compact guns and concealed carry. The light is a little less powerful than the TLR-1, but still very bright, as the C4 technology gives an output 2-3 times brighter than high flux LEDs. At only 2.32 oz and 2.7" x 1.2" x 1.8" this is probably the most compact and light-weight rail mounted light as you will find.

The last light in the series is the Streamlight TLR-VIR. The TLR-VIR features an infrared illuminator for use with night vision devices. It's heavier than the other models at 6 oz and pricier as well, but has a greater light and IR output than the TLR-1 IR and TLR-2 IR.

All in all, if you're looking for a great value on a weapon light, the Streamlight TLR family of products is as good as it gets. If you still have any questions about which TLR light is right for you, as always, getting answers is as easy as picking up the phone and calling OpticsPlanet!

Working at OpticsPlanet comes with a set of perks. One of which is that the coffee is delicious. As someone who has been drinking coffee nearly my whole life, I surely do appreciate that our coffee is so good. Since we are such a large company, we have multiple high-end coffee machines throughout the company. This afternoon, as I went to procure my second caffeine packed cup of the day, I noticed the coffee station was out of creamer. Obviously some dream-killer did not think to replenish the creamer supply, but perhaps there was some sort of emergency that compelled the individual to desert the station before refilling the creamer. Office hero that I am, I left my mug and went off to secure more creamer for the good of all my fellow co-workers. When I returned, I was confronted by an alarming sight: a gaggle of individuals from other departments using said coffee machine.

Now normally this not raise alarms, but the aforementioned nameless group travels in a flock, and descends upon the coffee station with a voracious appetite for hot water, so that they can brew their teas. That the nearby water cooler also offers hot water is of no consequence to this gang of hooligans, for they demand the hottest of hot water only, which can only be sourced from our coffee machine. Knowing that they most likely would deplete the coffee machine of its precious hot water, and leave me waiting an eternity as the machine replenished its hot water supply, my heart sunk and my face tensed. I prayed for a miracle, a miracle that this machine, of which I have spent so much time with, would magically be able to produce an endless supply of hot water, such that I would not be forced to wait, mug in hand, for my necessary caffeine boost.

As vicious co-worker after co-worker filled their cups with hot water, the machine continued to press on. This coffee-machine-that-could whirred and hummed as it dispersed more and more hot water. As the last of the group pushed the button assertively, demanding the machine do her bidding, hope began to build in my soul that perhaps this time the machine would be ready and waiting for me and my gracious request of sixteen ounces of delicious, full flavor coffee.

Alas, it was not to be. As the crew waltzed away, herbal teas in hands, cackling with the knowledge of the unfortunate situation they had landed in, I braced myself for the seemingly unending wait for hot water. During this time, two things crossed my mind:

• These people are most definitely off my Christmas card list.
• Dependability is way underrated.

In general, most people don't value dependability enough. Brands like Leupold, EOTech, and Bushnell simply ooze dependability and reliability from every inch of the products they sell. A Bushnell Binocular does not make you wait when you're trying to catch a once in a lifetime view, it is there, ever reliable and at your side. Leupold Riflescopes don't lose their zero when you are trying to line up a shot on a trophy buck, and EOTech Red Dot Sights still work even when the glass is shattered. That is dependability you can count on, and a reason why end-users across the globe trust these brands for their needs.

While you cannot always depend on your co-workers, you can most definitely depend on these brands and many other fine brands offered right here at OpticsPlanet for all your hunting, tactical, birding and outdoor gear needs.

When folded up, the two padded shoulder straps on the OP MOD Double Rifle Backpack Case Drag Bag Shooters Mat enable you to comfortably carry up to 2 handguns, 5 magazines secured by elastic loops in its pocket, shooting accessories, and other guns or small firearms. When opened, the OPMOD Double Rifle Case / Drag Bag / Shooters Mat can hold and protect 2 rifles in addition to the other guns and firearm accessories mentioned above. The outer layer has extra padding to prevent damage to firearms when used as a drag bag. Additionally, this tactical backpack will open up into a shooting mat to save your elbows from the terrain.

OPMOD prides itself on understanding its clients and providing them with superior products that will last for years in the most severe environments. This limited edition OpticsPlanet MODification gun case is designed with the intention to make life easier by combining gun storage essentials with shooting accessories into one quality product.