10 Best Pistol Lights of 2021

The pistol light is a handy tool to have on a gun. It provides a good luminosity at night and does not need to be carried in one hand as it is mounted on the gun rail instead. The pistol light is designed for heavy-duty tactical purposes as they provide good luminosity and are highly durable.

Additionally, most modern guns have a rail mounting system for accommodating accessories like a pistol light, so it should not be a problem.

If you are looking for the best pistol light for the money, we have exactly what you need! Keep reading as you do not want to miss all the goodies below!

• Lumen: 800 lumens
• Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Dimensions: 3.4 x 1.4 x 1.8 inches
• Battery: CR123A
• Type of Mount: Picatinny Rail

The Streamlight 69260 TLR-1HL has for long been one of the best pistol light for the money. This compact light system is built from an aircraft aluminum alloy that makes it durable and long-lasting.

Furthermore, it emits one of the brightest light in any model of this pistol light review. At 800 lumens, it will easily dazzle your opponent and provide you with a clear visibility in the dark. The C4 LED driver in this pistol light is heavy-duty and will not overheat even when used for a long period.

Consequently, the Streamlight 69260 TLR-1HL is an excellent tactical pistol light.

The unit is powered by a CR123A battery that is easily available everywhere and when it comes to mounting, it will quickly and easily slide in place on your gun mount. It mounts solidly on the traditional Picatinny rail.

Overall, we find that the Streamlight 69260 TLR-1HL is a versatile pistol light that has a rich set of features. Therefore, we recommend this unit as a top-rated pistol light and think that you will not have any problem using it.

• Lumen: 500 lumens
• Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.8 x 4.5 inches
• Battery: CR123A
• Type of Mount: Picatinny Rail

Few pistol lights can live up to the standards of the Surefire X300. This model has a lot of features that make it possibly the best pistol light currently on the market.

For one, it emits a powerful 500 lumens of light that is bright enough for any type of tactical usage. Further, the lens is anti-scratch and is a precision TIR lens.

This means that it will spread the light in a wide that creates a silky smooth light that does not harm the eyes.

Again, being too bright is not necessarily a good thing and we're glad to see that the Surefire X300 provides a nice balance of light.

Since it uses a Picatinny rail, it can quickly and easily be mounted or unmounted on a gun.

The Surefire X300 is a little bit longer than other models in this review, at a length of 7.8 inches. While it isn't a compact pistol light by any means, it will still easily fit on most gun mounts without being too overwhelming.

Furthermore, one of the best features of this unit is that it has an ambidextrous design so it does not matter whether you are right-handed or left-handed.

• Lumen: 125 lumens
• Weight: 2.88 ounces
• Dimensions: 2.7 x 1.2 x 2 inches
• Battery: CR2
• Type of Mount: Picatinny Rail

The Streamlight TR-4 Pistol Light is one of the most compact pistol lights in this review. It measures only 2.7 inches in length.

However, despite being so small it still has brilliant features. Indeed, this pistol light is equipped with a 5mW laser that can be used as a pointer.

The laser is not powerful enough to cause blinding but still more than enough to provide a clear visibility in the dark.

The light intensity is not too strong, at only 125 lumens. However, it is still bright enough for general purposes and even tactical purposes.

Moreover, it can be used for an extended period without worrying about overheat issues as the C4 LED driver in this pistol light is one of the most efficient on the market.

Switching between the various light modes and the laser is very easy, and can be done with only one finder. Best, this model is ambidextrous to promote ease of use.

Despite its small size and low light intensity, we still think that this model is one of the best weapon pistol light in this review.

• Lumen: 500 lumens
• Weight: 2.88 ounces
• Dimensions: 2.5 x 1 x 1.2 inches
• Battery: CR2

We understand that not everyone wants an expensive pistol light that has a lot of features that few will use. This is where models like the Amikon Hilight P5S shine.

This model is one of the best budget pistol light and still manages to sport an excellent build construction and interesting features.

But above all, despite the low-price, it emits a dazzling 500 lumens of light which is amazing.

Furthermore, the LED driver in this unit is efficient and should have a respectable runtime even when used for long hours.

It does not have many light modes and only 2 modes (high and low) is present in the unit. Still, this is enough for casual use.

Mounting and unmounting is very easy thanks to the quick release mechanism. Simply press on both sides and it should come off easily. Very easy to use!

All in all, we like this model because it has a decent feature-set and has an amazing price that is hard to beat.

If the price has prevented you from buying a pistol light before, you have no excuse now with the Amikon Hilight P5S.

• Lumen: 200 lumens
• Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Dimensions: 3 x 1.1 x 2 inches
• Battery: CR2
• Type of Mount: Picatinny Rail

The Inforce APL is a versatile pistol light that can be used as a general purpose flashlight and is also easy to use.

This unit produces only 200 lumens of light, which in our opinion is not bright enough to be used as a tactical light but still good for general uses.

It has a decent runtime of 1.5 hours, which frankly is not the best we have seen but still good enough.

Furthermore, this model has been designed in a way that it can easily be mounted or unmounted quickly and easily. Added to this, the design is such that it sits flush when mounted to a Glock 19, for example. Very discreet light.

As for accessibility, it has textured paddles that make it anti-slip and easy to operate with wet hands. This pistol light has a lock-out system that will prevent it from lighting up if you have not installed it correctly. It is very beginner friendly.

• Lumen: 500 lumens
• Dimensions: 3 x 1 x 1.5 inches
• Battery: CR123A
• Type of Mount: Picatinny Rail

The Aimkon Hilight P10S is almost a clone of the Amikon Hilight P5S that we rated as the best budget pistol light above. The P10s is equally a budget model and is just a hair longer than its smaller brother.

The brightness in the P10S is still excellent at 500 lumens, which is very bright and can be used as a tactical light.

Another point of difference with the P5S is that the P10S uses a CR123A battery while the P5S uses the CR2. Performance should be on-par as there is little difference between those 2 battery types.

Again, we see the same Picatinny rail mount on the P10S that makes it easy to mount and unmount. The build construction of aluminum is still present making it lightweight and durable.

All in all, we think that the P10S is an excellent general-purpose and one of the best budget pistol light on the market.

• Lumen: 125 lumens
• Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Dimensions: 2.7 x 1.2 x 1.5 inches
• Battery: CR123A
• Type of Mount: Picatinny Rail

The Streamlight 69220 TLR-3 was built for ease of use and compactness. It emits 125 lumens of light, which is not the brightest but still good enough for a compact pistol flashlight.

Installing and removing this unit from the Picatinny rail may require a Philips screwdriver to do so if it does not fit your mounting rail. By default, this model has been calibrated to fit a small handgun only. This isn't the most user-friendly decisions right there.

But when it is mounted it does not budge at all and can be tightened in a way that spring-loaded pistol lights cannot.

Furthermore, the Streamlight 69220 TLR-3 is IPX-7 rated which means that it is fully waterproof in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes. A rare feature in pistol lights as most models only tend to be weather-resistant and water-resistant only.

• Lumen: 400 lumens
• Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Dimensions: 2.4 x 1.23 x 1.06 inches
• Battery: Built-in Lithium-Ion
• Type of Mount: Picatinny Rail

The Olight is the only pistol light in this review that comes with a built-in 260 mAh lithium-ion battery. This model will need to be recharged with a magnetic charging system that is delivered with the purchase.

This feature is pretty much overkill for a pistol light but we like the magnetic charging nonetheless.

Furthermore, this unit has a convenient low battery indicator that will tell you with a blinking light when the battery needs a recharge.

To make it a better deal, the Olight produces a very bright light of 400 lumens which is more than enough for anyone, including tactical use.

It should mount easily on any Picatinny rail and the locking mechanism is very convenient. Simply press it to lock or unlock this pistol light.

The build quality is excellent which means that it should be long-lasting and durable. We have no problem recommending this compact pistol light for anyone looking for a quality model that will last a long time.

• Lumen: 200 lumens
• Battery: CR123A
• Type of Mount: Picatinny Rail

The Dagger DD-SD01 is another general-purpose pistol light that comes with a rich set of features.

This pistol light admits 200 lumens of light which is still quite bright and is equipped with a Cree Q5 LED driver known for its high efficiency. Furthermore, this LED driver will not overheat easily and is also long-lasting.

The build construction is superb as it is made from an aluminum alloy. Furthermore, it looks very professional with its matte black finish. You will not say that this is a budget pistol light as it looks more expensive.

The latch system is spring-loaded which means that it can easily be mounted or unmounted with only one hand. Very easy to use and even has an ergonomic design.

• Lumen: 230 lumens
• Weight: 5 ounces
• Dimensions: 3.14 x 0.98 x 1.02 inches
• Battery: CR123A
• Type of Mount: Weaver Rail

The MCCC is one of the rare pistol light that is compatible with only M1913 rail systems.

As long as it fits your model, the MCCC is a top rated pistol light that has an excellent build construction and produces a clean light with a brightness of 230 lumens.

Furthermore, this model comes equipped with a strobe light mode that makes it very handy during an emergency situation.

The only problem is that it may wiggle a little bit during firing only. But that is a problem that most compact pistol lights face as well.

All in all, if you have an M1913 rail then the MCCC pistol light comes highly recommended as it is one of the best pistol light for this type of rail on the market.

Purchasing a pistol light is not the easiest thing to do online. There are many models that are suited to individual needs. We need to first understand the basics and know what to look for before you can get the best pistol light for the money.

1. Type

There are several types of pistol lights that are adapted to different needs. Here are 3 of the most common ones:

Laser Combo: In spite of the powerful light, the laser combo pistol light is equipped with a laser pointer that will help guide the user.

The laser is generally green in color as this is the best wavelength to penetrate any type of environment and provide clear visibility.

The pistol light laser is also one of the most expensive types of pistol lights that money can buy because it generally has a premium build quality and is intended for tactical purposes by professionals.

Offset: The offset pistol light is normally mounted to the side of the rail for easy access. Indeed, this is one of the easiest pistol light to use as the user can easily switch the light on or off by simply using the thumb.

Quick Release: The quick release pistol light is a special type of light that uses a spring-loaded mechanism to quickly load and unload the pistol light to the rail of the gun.

This type of pistol light is definitely one of the most convenient and most quick release pistol light models are compact and portable.

2. Rail Mount

When it comes to the rails, there is two type of mounts in a gun that can accommodate a pistol light.

Picatinny Rail: The most modern type of rail used in a gun for providing support to a pistol light. It was adopted in 1995 by the military and has since been a standard in the industry.

This type of rail has many traverse slots and when looked in front, it has a bigger angular section that is meant for supporting more heavy accessories, the pistol light being one of them.

One of the main advantages of the Picatinny rail is that it can mount weaver rail pistol lights as well. The contrary is not true.

Weaver Rail: The oldest type of rail in a gun meant for providing support to gun accessories like flashlights.

The slot of a weaver rail is round and not rectangular like the Picatinny rail.

While there are still lights that can be mounted on both the Picatinny rail and the weaver rail, the Weaver rail is less versatile as it cannot mount pistol lights designed for the Picatinny rail.

3. Weight

Since the pistol light is mounted on a gun which is normally heavy, it is important that it does not weigh too much and is still lightweight.

Most of the time, the construction material and the number of batteries used in the pistol light will dictate how heavy it is.

Pistol lights made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy is normally lightweight and durable as well. By far, this is our preferred construction material in a pistol light.

4. Brightness

Possibly the most important factor in the pistol light remains the brightness since this is what this tool is all about.

Ensure that it outputs a sufficient amount of lumens. As a general rule of thumb, a pistol light should output at least 300 lumens for tactical purposes.

With that kind of brightness, it is bright enough to dazzle your opponent and serves as a good defensive weapon. Of course, the brighter the better when it comes to the pistol light.

5. Laser

Moreover, you can go with models that have both a tactical laser as well as having a lot of lumens for more versatility. It will all depend on your budget and your preference.

As we have seen, the pistol light is an essential part of a gun operation. Especially if you plan to use your gun at night or in dark places.

It can easily be mounted and dismounted depending on the model you choose. Best, they are very easy to use, portable, and unlike a traditional flashlight, you do not have to hold them to get a light. Indeed, this tool is point-and-shoot.

Furthermore, functionalities of the pistol light vary from model to model to suit different needs. Clearly, this is a highly diversified illumination tool.

Our pistol light review above list some of the best models available on the market. If you have still not found a good pistol light for your need, we recommend that you go through this review one more time.