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Lumens on a tactical light?


Eric2340
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Lumens on a tactical light?

 

So what's the opinion of the magical number of lumens to run on a tactical light for a carbine?

Don't want to over do it for indoor use between lighter colored walls and mirrors, also don't want to be under powered for out door needs incase things get into the back yard and whatnot (depending on the size of your back yard also obviously)?

 

I'm figuring around 500 or so is good for most uses (again, indoors and smaller back yard distances, nothing with woods or any kind of real distance outside)?

 

I've also got a 1000 lumen rated lamp I plan to mount on my M1A, but that is solely dedicated for longer range use outdoors and not in the house.

 

Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks -

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400 lumens seems to be a popular number as an all around light for indoor and out.

These days though the amount of lumens doesn't mean much if the reflector isn't the right shape for the job either.  Indoor a wider beam works a little better to not reflect too much straight back at you, outside a more focused beam is better.  

If it's for straight up home defense, then 400-500 is more than enough, even out in the yard.  Unless for some reason they are shooting at you from more than 50 yards, which seems extremely unlikely, a smaller lumen, larger spread light should be more than enough.

 

Every situation is different, but that seems a good starting place.

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I’m still running a 65 lumen Surefire shotgun fore-end. It looks like a candle compared to the new LED lights. I also run an original 100ish? lumen Stramlight TLR-1 on my HD pistol. Also looks pale in comparison to the newer lights, but both are still perfectly adequate for clearing a dark house. 

Lumens is also not my favorite measure of light output. Candle power is a much better representation of useable light IMO. 

The 350 lumen Streamlight Protac Weapon lights are a good compromise between indoor and outdoor WML needs IMO. I use one on my patrol rifle. The few times I’ve used it it was plenty of light, even outdoors and across a distance. 

Edited by Collim1
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I remember back in the day getting my first 120 lumen "hi-output" lamp for my Surefire 6Z and thought that was some real *&^%! ????

 

I've been running a Surefire pistol weapon light rated at 500 lumens under my G21 for a few years now and am very happy with that. :) I'm planing on running a Surefire G2X rated at 600 lumens on my HD long gun which is an AR. I also have an M1A for a little bit "longer" distances I have a Surefire P3X Fury rated at 1000 lumens for those "beyond the back yard" distances and further.

My big thing about running the higher rated light for the outside stuff is not so much brighter light or longer distance it's capable of (it's really not that much more with the P3X Fury compared to a two 123 cell Surefire light) as is the longer running time it's capable of at a higher brightness than the smaller two cell Surefire lights. They claim the 1000 rated lumen lights drop off to around 800 actual lumens after about 5 min of run time, but they can then HOLD that 800 lumes for a lot longer than the two 123 cell lights can rated at only 500-600 lumens. I figure outside I'm better off having a light that lasts LONGER than one that is just plain "brighter".

I am a firm believer though that indoors wise it is again to easy to "over do it" between lighter colored walls and the possibility of mirrors reflecting too much light with higher rated ones lamps. I'm pretty happy at that 500-600 range indoors.

Long way away from those 120 lumen days of the late '90s............................................... :) ???

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I think most of mine are around 350-400.

I've got a X300, and a X300U, that are around 400 IIRC, and somewhere I have a TLR Streamlight that is also in that range. Wouldn't want to go much brighter in a house where you might find a reflective surface.

For long guns, I've got a couple of Surefire 952's and a 952V, as well as a M3T combat light with the Turbo head, with an LED replacement bulb that is incredibly bright, that I use for the yard. Also have a SF forend for my 870, but I haven't gotten around to putting it on yet.

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 months later...

I guess some testers need to put blocks of jello aside and do an empiracle test of lights. Biggest problem I see is comparing lumens of a household lamp to those of a weapon mounted light. The difference of course is that one lights an entire room, the other is a focused beam. As collim1 pointed out, a 1000 lumen light has it's drawbacks.

I haven't commited to a light because it would be easy to waste money on a too weak or too strong light. My starting point would be about 500 lumens just as a guess.

Edited by Paul53
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